Editor seeks protection after JVP threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 11:07 GMT]
Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga, Editor of Colombo based newspaper Sunday Leader, informed of imminent risk to his life and sought protection from Inspector General of Police, Mr Chandra Fernado, after threatening statements were made by Mr Wimal Weerawansa, a government-party MP and leader of the parliamentary group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during a meeting held at Maharagama by JVP's front, the ultra-nationalist Patriotic National Movement (PNM).
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‘Taraki died defending the Tamil cause’- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 03:26 GMT]
Condemning the abduction and murder last week of political columnist and military analyst Dharmeratnam Sivaram, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week reproached those who sought to rationalise his killing on the basis of his support for the Tamil struggle. “Yes, he was a Tamil patriot. [But] in a field laden with hyperbole and zeal, Taraki’s writing compelled prevailing understandings to be questioned rather than simply foist his own views on readers. His death will sadden those on all sides prepared to listen to rational, even if contrary, arguments,” the paper said.


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Pirapaharan extols Jeyanthan Brigade on 12th anniversary

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 00:02 GMT]
In April last year, the world witnessed the prowess, fighting spirit and the commitment of the Jeyanthan Brigade which, by executing in Batticaloa soil “the right operation at the right time and the right place, triumphed against betrayal and reclaimed our soil, our people and our cadre," said LTTE leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan in a congratulatory message sent to the fighting unit which celebrated the 12th anniversary of its formation on Wednesday.
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SL Parliament approves Tsunami Bills

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 15:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Wednesday adopted the Tsunami (Special Provisions) Bill and the Disaster Management Bill. Mr.John Seneviratne, Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms and Ms Sumedha Jeyasena, Minister for Social Services and Women Affairs moved the Tsunami (Special provisions) Bill and Disaster Management Bill respectively, parliamentary sources said.


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SL President says will establish JM despite opposition

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 10:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Tuesday said an excellent opportunity has arisen to achieve peace in the island by establishing a Joint Mechanism (JM) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to reconstruct the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast. Despite opposition and risk to her presidency, she is prepared to implement the JM proposal to bring peace to Sri Lanka, she said addressing a meeting of the National Council for Peace and Reconciliation attended by leaders of all faiths held Tuesday, the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation reported in its evening news bulletin.
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LTTE leader opens new building for paralized women fighters

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 17:55 GMT]
LTTE leader V Pirapaharan ceremonially declared open a new building for Mayori Illam in Vanni Tuesday, LTTE sources said. The Mayori Illam is a rehabilitation centre for paralized women fighters of the LTTE.
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'Sivaram was a terrorist journalist' - JHU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 00:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s hardline monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) this week denounced Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram, the Tamil political columnist and military analyst who was murdered on Friday, as a “terrorist journalist” working for the LTTE. Saying Mr. Sivaram was akin to “Hitler’s Goebbels” a statement issued by the JHU's General Secretary, Omalpe Sobitha Thera, said he had “undermined the morale of the armed forces who were fighting the fascist Tigers.” Saying Sivaram should have been arrested according to the laws of Sri Lanka, the JHU urged the government to take stern action against others working in support of the Tigers.
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Sivaram: ‘Don’t raise false hopes amongst our people’

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 18:35 GMT]
The last article published by Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram, the political columnist and military analyst abducted and murdered on Friday, was an appeal to his colleagues in the Tamil media. Urging them not to hype up the chances of a positive outcome with regards to the joint mechanism until it actually happens, Mr. Sivaram argued that the media has a duty to not to raise false hopes amongst the Tamil people and to keep the Sri Lankan state’s determination not to meet Tamil expectations in sight.The article, written in Tamil for the Colombo-based Virakesari newspaper appeared in its edition of Sunday April 24.
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Funeral of Sivaram held in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 10:13 GMT]
Murdered Tamil journalist Mr D Sivaram's funeral rites began at his family home in Lady Manning Drive, Batticaloa Monday afternoon after his body was taken to LTTE controlled Karadiyan Aaru earlier in the day. The body of Mr.Sivaram is now being taken to the cemetery in Aalayadichcholai, which lies in a High Security Zone of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF). The funeral procession is escorted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police. Representatives of the SLMM are also following, TamilNet correspondent in the eastern town said.
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Sivaram funeral cortege leaves Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 May 2005, 17:19 GMT]
The body of murdered Tamil journalist Sivaram Dharmeratnam was taken from his residence in Colombo at 10pm local time to Batticaloa where his funeral will take place on Monday. The skies opened up momentarily around No.15/4 Mahindarama Road, Ratmalana from where the cortege left with Police escort. The cortege is expected to reach Batticaloa in the early hours of Monday
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Resettled families in Thiriyai receive houses

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 May 2005, 17:19 GMT]
Twenty houses constructed in Thiriyai, a predominantly Tamil village, about 42 km north of Trincomalee district were handed to resettled families at an event held Friday evening. The World Bank funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) allocated one hundred thousand five hundred rupees for each house and the balance money was borne by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).
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Trade unions hold May Day rallies in Jaffna, Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 May 2005, 13:59 GMT]
Tamil speaking trade unions under one wing held May rallies followed by processions in Jaffna and Trincomalee Sunday with large number of trade union activists participating. Marchers carried photograph of journalist Mr.D.Sivaram who was brutally killed in Colombo last Thursday.
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LTTE accuses SLA Intelligence, para-militaries for Sivaram's murder

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 April 2005, 00:16 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka military intelligence, and para-militaries collaborating with security forces as responsible for murdering Taraki D Sivaram, the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers in a press release issued from Vanni Friday said, "Forces that cannot stand up to Sivaram's resoluteness, his firm conviction on issues, and depth and brilliance in broad range of skills, have abducted and murdered him to silence his voice."
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CPJ condemns ‘brazen abduction and execution’

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 April 2005, 18:25 GMT]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the murder on Friday of leading military analyst and political commentator, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, saying “the brazen abduction and execution of a veteran journalist sends a chilling message to others in the Tamil media.”
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Norwegian funded boat repair yard opened in Salli

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 April 2005, 15:37 GMT]
Under the Tsunami Boat Rehabilitation Project funded by the Kystaksjonen of Norway, a boat repairing yard was opened Thursday morning in Salli, a fishing hamlet about eleven km north of Trincomalee under the auspices of Trincomalee Division Fisheries Co-operative Societies Union (TDFCSU). This was the twelfth of the fourteen boats repairing yards scheduled to be opened in the northeast by Kystaksjonen of Norway.
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Muttur residents protest against cement ban

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 April 2005, 13:45 GMT]
A large number of Tamil civilians including men, women and children Thursday morning held a protest march from Ganeshapuram junction in the LTTE held Muttur east villages to the Sri Lanka Army held Kaddaiparichchan area in the Trincomalee district demanding that the ban imposed on the transportation of cement and other related building materials should be withdrawn immediately enabling the non-governmental organizations to continue the rebuilding of houses destroyed in tsunami disaster. The Muttur East Peoples' Union (MEPU) organized the protest, sources said.
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SLA ban on cement spotlighted at Trinco tsunami event

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 April 2005, 01:18 GMT]
Speaking at a cultural event Wednesday organized by the Provincial Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs to mark the fourth month after tsunami disaster, Mr.Puratchi, Head of the Trincomalee District Students Front of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has imposed ban on transporting cement, sand and other building materials to the LTTE controlled areas to rebuild houses destroyed in tsunami. NorthEast Province Governor, Mr.Tyronne Fernando, attended the event held in Trincomalee St.Joseph's College auditorium.
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Marksmen compete in Elephant Pass celebrations

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 April 2005, 00:10 GMT]
100 meter sharpshooting competitions marked the fourth day of events celebrating the fifth anniversary of the fall of Sri Lanka Army's (SLA's) Elephant Pass garrison with Liberation Tigers' Northern Region Commander, Col Theepan, supervising the day's events at the LTTE Military Academy, sources from Vanni said. The fall of Elephant Pass in 22 April 2000 established the Tigers as the world's only non-state military force capable of complex manoeuvre war fighting.
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Joint mechanism will give new life to ISGA- JVP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 April 2005, 15:14 GMT]
Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe, leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government said Tuesday at a press briefing in Colombo that the proposed Joint Mechanism (JM) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will be a stepping-stone for the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for NorthEast, sources said.
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"Thanthai" Chelva death anniversary observed in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 April 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Twenty eighth-death anniversary of late Mr.S.J.V. Chelvanayakam (1898-1977), prominent leader of the Tamil people for more than three decades of his life and fondly called as "Thanthai (Father)" was observed in Trincomalee, Jaffna and several parts of the northeast province Tuesday, sources said.
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