"SL President bears responsibility for worsening situation"- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 08:52 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has the executive power to establish the Joint Mechanism. But she is using the aid deal as an instrument to advance her fortunes in the political chess game and has created a political storm opposing the Joint Mechanism in the South. Even for today's meeting Norwegian delegation has only brought verbal assurances from Colombo. The meeting has failed to make any concrete steps towards the establishment of a Joint Mechanism," said LTTE's Head of Political Wing, S P Thamilchelvan briefing the press at the LTTE peace secretariat after meeting Mr Vidar Helgesen in Kilinochchi Wednesday.
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Defeat the minority NGO clique, Weerawanse tells SLFP Ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 07:23 GMT]
Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP, in a special statement soon after the parliament reconvened on Wednesday, thanking the Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for their co-operation, said: "We, on behalf of the inspiration of millions of people, wish that you will be able to defeat the minority NGO clique which has wriggled its way into the Alliance government to destroy it." Mr. Weerawanse added that the JVP will function as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.
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SL parliament meets, JM not tabled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 06:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Wednesday for the first time after Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), withdrew its support to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government last week over the Joint Mechanism structure to be signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is to facilitate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province. The government did not table any document or statement in the parliament on the joint mechanism proposal as widely speculated in the political circles.
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SL Parliament to meet with JVP in opposition

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 00:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to meet Wednesday for the first time after the Marxist Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) withdrew its support to the 14-month-old United Peoples' Freedom Alliance government (UPFA). JVP, a major constituent of the ruling alliance, and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) signed an agreement to form UPFA on 20 January 2004 in Colombo.
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Amnesty condemns rights violations by GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 20:20 GMT]
Amnesty International accused the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) of torture in police custody, continued impunity for security forces against rights violations and for the presence of threat to religious minorities, in its report covering events from January to December 2004. Amnesty drew attention to the "dramatic increase in politically motivated killings," after renegade commander Muralitharan's split and accused the LTTE of continued recruitment of children, acknowledging the LTTE released "large number of child soldiers...."
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Grenade attack on LTTE Valaichenai office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 14:46 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen lobbed a grenade inside Liberation Tigers Political office in Puthukudiyiruppu, Valaichenai Tuesday evening at 5.45 PM, sources in Batticaloa said. The attackers fired shots towards the building before dousing the windows and the fence with gasoline and setting them ablaze. No one was injured in the attack. Tension prevailed in Valaichenai following the attack.
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Trinco after-school education gets funding boost

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 10:03 GMT]
Fifteen remote villages in the Sri Lanka government and LTTE controlled areas in the Trincomalee district will continue to receive financial support from the Trincomalee Children Fund (TCF-Canada), the organizers said after an assessment study into the working of the project, during an event held at Sambaltivu Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam Sunday. The project was initiated in 2002 to improve the educational standard of war-affected students in deprived areas of Trincomalee district.
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Token fast held in Trinco in support of aid deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 12:37 GMT]
One-day token fast was held in Trincomalee town Monday from morning till evening demanding the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to sign the joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province without any delay. Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) organized the event.
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Protest march held in Vadamaradchchi supporting aid deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Thousands of people participated in the protest march held Monday in the Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district demanding the immediate implementation of the joint mechanism structure and withdrawal of the government troops from their land. The Vadamaradchchi fisheries societies federation organized the protest march, sources said.
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Helgesen arrives in Sri Lanka for talks on aid deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 10:55 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Vidar Helgesen arrived in Colombo at 3.45pm today at the Bandaranayake International Air port and was received by the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Braksttar at the airport, sources from Colombo said. His flight arrived two hours late.
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TNA, UNP discuss aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 17:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday appealed to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to openly declare its full support to the joint mechanism proposal and to insist that the Sri Lanka Government sign the agreement before tabling it in the parliament. TNA parliamentary delegation led by its leader Mr.R.Sampanthan met with Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday afternoon and held discussions regarding the current political crisis following the withdrawal of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, TNA sources said.
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"Rise to rout Buddhist Sinhala chauvinism"- Jaffna Undergrads

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 10:51 GMT]
"We, the Tamil people declare that we will defeat Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism and regain our traditional homeland from the occupation of armed forces. We will exercise our right to self determination in our land with our own strength," said a declaration of students of Jaffna campus read at the conclusion of a renaissance event "Voice of Tamil Nation" held Sunday at the Kailasapathy Auditorium.
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Mannar Magistrate inspects damaged LTTE political offices

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 09:17 GMT]
Mannar acting Magistrate, Mr.M.B.Farook, accompanied by a police team Sunday morning visited the two offices of the Liberation Tigers which were attacked by suspected members of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Saturday night.
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Token fasts supporting aid deal planned in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 17:18 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) is planning to stage a three day token fast in different towns in Trincomalee from Monday supporting the joint mechanism proposal and urging the Sri Lanka Government to sign the agreement with the LTTE without further delay, said Mr.S.G.Gowrimuhunthan, Secretary of the TDTPF at a press conference held Saturday. "People of all three communities, Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim, who are supportive of the joint mechanism proposal are invited to participate in the token fast," he added.


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Mannar LTTE offices come under attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 16:51 GMT]
Two offices of the Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area of Mannar have been simultaneously attacked by suspected gunmen belonging to Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) around 9.45 pm Saturday with grenades and gunfire, sources in Mannar said. Sounds of grenade explosions and gunfire were heard near the political office of the LTTE, located in Mannar-Thalaimannar Road and LTTE's administrative office located in Mannar Moor street. TamilNet has not confirmed whether a third office in Moor street of LTTE's financial division was also attacked, sources added.
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Hakeem woos renegade SLMC MPs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 14:45 GMT]
Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), urged renegade Muslim parliamentarians, Risard Badiudin, Najeeb Abdul Majeed and Hussain Baila, who were expelled from SLMC on 30 May 2004 to join hands with SLMC in a press conference at party head office in Colpetty, Colombo Saturday. Mr. Hakeem added that he is talking with the Sri Lanka Government about the Muslim representation in Joint Mechanism between the LTTE and the Government. Mr Hakeem said that he wanted the Joint Mechanism to be a three party agreement between the Government, LTTE and the SLMC.
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New UNICEF chief meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 13:14 GMT]
The new executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ann Veneman, on her first official visit to Sri Lanka Saturday met with Head of Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi at 10.45am, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Civil group plans agitation in NorthEast over Buddha statue

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 11:49 GMT]
Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) Saturday said in a press conference that his organization will begin non-violent direct action after July 10 through out NorthEast if the Sri Lanka government fails to remove the controversial Buddhist statue which was erected close to the Trincomalee central bus stand on 15 May, sources in Trincomalee said.
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SLMM vehicle damaged in Trinco violence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 11:15 GMT]
A vehicle belonging to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee was damaged by a group of persons around 8.30 a.m., Saturday, at Hali Oluwa, a predominantly Sinhala suburb, located south of Trincomalee. Meanwhile, police in the eastern port town said several violent incidents against Tamils had taken place in Serunuwara and Hali Oluwa areas in the wake of the the killing of Police intelligence officer, Friday. Several lorries transporting cadjan and fishing boats were attacked by Sinhala youth. Tamil civilians who were using the Hali Oluwa junction for travelling to their areas were also assaulted, civilian sources said.


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TNA urges Colombo to sign aid deal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 09:06 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Saturday appealed to the Sri Lanka Government to sign the post-Tsunami agreement with the LTTE as agreed between the Government and the LTTE with Norwegian facilitation. Noting that the main barrier to signing the agreement, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), has quit the alliance, the TNA said it would support fully all steps taken in the right direction by the minority Government.
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