LTTE committed to CFA and Flexible in Joint Mechanism, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 06:55 GMT]
LTTE’s commitment to maintain the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with integrity and exercising flexibility in the matter of formulating proposals for a Joint Mechanism, remains undiluted, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan who heads the LTTE's top-delegation on the European mission, was quoted as saying by the LTTE website to the Austrian Government officials in Vienna on Thursday.
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LTTE delegation in Bern, meets with Foreign Affairs officials

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 12:09 GMT]
The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of political section of the LTTE, on Wednesday, met with Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Head of Political Affairs Division IV (Human Security), Switzerlands Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and discussed the post-tsunami joint mechanism and the current state of peace process.
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"War and Peace" released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 12:26 GMT]
The book "War and Peace" authored by LTTE political strategist Mr.Anton Balasingham was released Saturday evening at an event held at the Kailasapathi auditorium of the Jaffna University. Mr.E.Puviraj, President of the International Federation of Tamil Eelam Students presided. Professor C.Mohanathas, Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University lit the common flame of sacrifice followed by the Chief Librarian. LTTE deputy political head Mr.S.Thangan hoisted the Thamileelam National Flag, sources said.
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LTTE delegation meets EU's Deputy Director for External Relations

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 05:23 GMT]
The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of political section of the LTTE, on Thursday, met with Mr. Hervé Jouanjean, the Deputy Director for External Relations for the European Union and discussed the post-tsunami joint mechanism and the current state of peace process.
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Thamilchelvan discusses post-tsunami reconstruction with German officials

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 04:25 GMT]
The LTTE delegation which is on an official visit to European countries arrived in Berlin on Wednesday and held talks with German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Ms. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of the Political Section of the LTTE, also met Mr. Bernd Borchardt, South Asia Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Jürgen Weerth, German Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Germany is Sri Lanka's second-largest bilateral donor, next to Japan.
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Kumaratunga moves to clip JVP's strong media links

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga is reported to have taken over the administration of the Media Ministry, held by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in a move widely seen as intended to limit the strong links the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has with the State media institutions, especially the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Co-operation (SLRC), Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE showed maximum flexibility in accepting joint mechanism proposal - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 21:56 GMT]
Although the proposed joint mechanism for post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction did not fully meet the requirements necessary to facilitate recovery efforts in NorthEast to proceed unhindered, the LTTE accepted the proposal in view of the urgency demanded by the situation in NorthEast, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's political head told Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ms. Carin Jamtin, when he met with the Minister in Stockholm Tuesday, sources said.
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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian facilitators in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 16:45 GMT]
"We told the Norwegians that Sri Lanka Government should without delay extend co-operation to finalize the joint mechanism for aid distribution and should take immediate steps to end the targetting of LTTE political officials and cadres working in the East by paramilitary operatives operating with the backing of the Sri Lanka Army," said Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan in Oslo Friday during a brief press conference held at the Hotel Continental in Norway's capital Oslo at 3 pm.
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Thamilchelvan, Nadesan bound for Europe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 13:52 GMT]
A high level delegation of Liberation Tigers will begin an official visit to several European capitals from Friday. “Our meetings will focus on delivering aid to Tsunami affected people in northeast directly and efficiently”, Mr. S. Puleedevan, Secretary General of the LTTE peace secretariat in Kilinochchi, told TamilNet. The delegation led by Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE’s political division, leaves Colombo Thursday and will travel to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland. The Tigers will also visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Puleedevan said.


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International Women's Day celebrated across NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 12:16 GMT]
Events celebrating International Women's day were held across the NorthEast including Thambiluvil Madhya Maha Vidyalayam in Thirukovil, Cultural Hall in Trincomalee, Town Hall in Vavuniya and in Jaffna district Tuesday, sources said. In Trincomalee Ms Kaaronja, LTTE Trincomalee district women political wing head hoisted the Thamileelam National Flag at the Trincomalee Cultural Hall at the commencement of the International Women's Day event amid protest by a member of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Muslim abducted, killed in Batticaloa north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 07:29 GMT]
A Muslim auto rickshaw driver who was abducted Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen in the in the general area of Kadjuwatte, about 55 kilometres north of Batticaloa, was found shot dead Wednesday morning, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayaka said. He blamed the Liberation Tigers for the abduction and killing. "This is a foul murder carried out by the Sri Lanka army and its lackeys calculated to destroy cordial relations between Muslims and Tamils in the east. We will not rise to the bait", said Mr. P. Thayamohan, a senior LTTE political official in Batticaloa. A member of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead in this area in an ambush on Monday.


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Funeral of LTTE cadre held in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 00:31 GMT]
"We strongly condemn the killing of our cadres in the east. These killings do not detract us from our main goals, instead they strengthen our will to continue our struggle with greater determination," said Colonel Balraj, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) speaking at the funeral of Second Lieutenant Pushparajan (Robert Kanthamarajah Uthayakumar) who was killed in an ambush on Saturday at LTTE controlled Kirimichchai area in Vakarai division by unidentified gunmen, sources said.


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UNICEF has erred - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 18:47 GMT]
The question of child soldiers continues to vex strained relations between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers. That the matter has been raised against the Tigers by the UN and other rights organizations is considered by Colombo as a feather in its foreign policy cap. "The Government of Sri Lanka is more interested in cynically exploiting the child soldiers issue for its black propaganda war against us than in finding a political solution to the conflict", said Mr. S. P . Thamilchelvan in an interview with the TamilNet this week. He said there were serious errors in the UNICEF report on child recruitment by the LTTE.
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Norwegian ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 13:35 GMT]
Mr.Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Saturday met with Head of LTTE Politicial Wing S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Ambassador expressed his Government's concern and condemnation over the killing LTTE political cadres in the east, during the meeting and when he later met with journalists in Killinochchi, sources said.
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Troops assault journalist, scores injured in Jaffna clashes

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 12:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka army troops Friday severely assaulted a journalist working for the state run Lake House Newspapers as restive crowds in the northern town set fire to six military points and smashed up President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) office. One person was injured when army opened fire on a crowd at Kottadi. Scores of students and civilians were asaulted by SLA troops and riot Police in several parts of the town. Four persons injured in army and Police assault and firing were admitted to Jaffna hospital Friday afternoon.
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Attacks on LTTE political leaders serious and disturbing - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 15:46 GMT]
"The continuing killing and shooting of our senior political leaders is a very serious and disturbing matter", said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division, in a message conveyed to the Norwegian government through its ambassador in Colombo Tuesday night. "The killing of Mr. Kousalyan and the attack on Ms. Kuveni, both senior political leaders of the LTTE, since the Tsunami is casting a dark shadow over the peace process", said Mr. Puleedevan, secretary general of the LTTE peace secretariat.
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Boat building yard opened in Vadamaradchchi east

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 11:26 GMT]
Funded by the Norwegian and Malaysian branches of Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and in collaboration with the Multi Marine Services (MMS) organization, the TRO Monday opened a boat-building yard in Nelliyan, Vadamaradchchi east division in the Jaffna district, sources said.


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Kumaratunga says no paramilitaries with Sri Lanka army

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 February 2005, 07:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga told Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim that there aren’t any paramilitaries working with the Sri Lankan armed forces, according to a press release by the Presidential Secretariat Friday. The Liberation Tigers say that Colombo had committed to disarm paramilitaries working with the Sri Lankan armed forces in the island’s northeast under the terms of the cease fire agreement (CFA) it signed with them three years ago. The statement said that Mr. Solheim conveyed to Ms Kumaratunge LTTE’s concern regarding the implementation of Article 1.8 of the CFA in relation to disarming of paramilitary groups when he met her Thursday in Colombo.
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North preschool teachers killed in Tsunami remembered

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 February 2005, 16:34 GMT]
Sixtieth day remembrance of pre-school teachers and children died in the tsunami disaster in the coastal areas of Vadamaradchchi east division in the districts of Jaffna and Mullaitivu and the distribution of bicycles to tsunami affected pre-school teachers were held in the Mullaitivu district office of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) sponsored by the TRO and funded by Norway TRO under the auspices of the North East Pre-School Development Centre (NEPSDC) Wednesday morning, sources said.
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Thambattai showcases model resettlement village

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 20:52 GMT]
A model village in Thambattai in Amparai district, providing temporary accomodation for the families displaced by the tsunami, built by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an NGO registered with Government of Sri Lanka and working exclusively in the NorthEast, was ceremonially opened Monday by the President of consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Mr Manickavasagam, sources in Amparai said.


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