Journalist Sivagurunathan's funeral held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2003, 19:51 GMT]
The funeral of the veteran Tamil journalist, Mr. Ratnathurai Sivagurunathan, took place Sunday evening at the Hindu section of the Kanatte cemetery in Colombo, attended by a large gathering, sources said.
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‘Colombo cannot disregard our proposal’ – Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2003, 17:50 GMT]
“We would be ready to resume negotiations if the Sinhala nation accepts our proposal for the interim administration and follows the path of peace. The Sri Lankan government cannot disregard our proposal. If it does, then (Colombo) should let the Tamils go their way to determine their own destiny. This is the reality," said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, the head of the Liberation Tigers’ political division, addressing more than 3000 delegates from Jaffna taking part in a conference for the National Awakening Movement in Pallai, a town in the peninsula’s southern sector, Sunday.
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‘Tamil question is not a minority issue' – Prof. Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2003, 19:09 GMT]
“The challenge for the future is to reform the Sri Lankan state without generating violence in Sinhala society. And that is a tremendous challenge for any ruling elite in Colombo,” said Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, the well regarded political commentator in the Sinhala and English media in Sri Lanka, in a wide ranging interview with TamilNet this week. He emphasised the need for developing means for greater dialogue and engagement between the Tamils and Singhalese to resolve the conflict.
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TRO opens sewing training centre at Thampalakamam

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2003, 22:29 GMT]
The Tamils Rehabilitation Organization Friday afternoon opened a training centre to teach sewing to unemployed girls in Thampalakamam, a traditional Tamil village 24 km off Trincomalee town. At the start, about twenty women have been enrolled to obtain training in the centre, said the Trincomalee Dstrict Director of the TRO, Mr.K.Mathavarajah, speaking at the opening event held at the TRO office in Thampalakamam.
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Trinco fishermen demonstrate to safeguard sea resource

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2003, 19:52 GMT]
Hundreds of fishermen from the three main communities, Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim, in the Trincomalee town Wednesday held a demonstration against the use of dynamite and prohibited nets for fishing in the Trincomalee Sea. This was the first time since the ceasefire agreement was signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that Tamil members joined the Sinhalese and Muslim communities to hold a protest march for a common cause, senior citizens of the eastern port town said.
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Puthuvai releases Poet Sujan’s collection of poems

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 22:06 GMT]
Poet Puthuvai Ratnathurai, the head of the Thamileelam Cultural Department of the LTTE, Monday evening delivered his keynote address at an event to release a collection of poems “ Manamuruhi Vayalveliyil” written by a Jaffna born Tamil poet now living in Switzerland held at Valvettithurai Sithamabara College hall.
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Muslim MP says North and East should not be merged

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 16:42 GMT]
The Tamil people were forced to have recourse to an armed struggle as a result of the oppressive policies of the Sinhalese political leadership, and when finding a political solution to this problem, “we are clear that a similar situation should not be created for the Muslim minority in the merged North East, and that is why we have told the [Sri Lankan] President that we want the North and East to be separate,” said Mr. A.L.M. Athaulla, Member of Parliament (MP) from the Ampara district Monday.
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‘Tamils should create their own musical tradition’

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 04:38 GMT]
“As a people with a history of having refined folk arts and literature, the Tamils should create a musical tradition uniquely theirs, and great musicians and intellectuals should help to create such a tradition," said “Thamilmani Mullaimani” Mr. V. Subramaniam, speaking at a two-day regional literary festival organized by the Vavuniya Cultural Federation Saturday.
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Thamilchelvan opens TRO's computer centre in Chenaiyoor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2003, 04:20 GMT]
Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, on Saturday evening declared open a Computer Training Centre at Chenaiyoor in Muttur east established by the Trincomalee district Tamils’ Rehabilitation Organization under the sponsorship of its Canadian branch, TRO sources said.
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‘Federalism is a beguiling serpent’ – H. L de Silva

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 04:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s leading Sinhala constitutional lawyer, Mr. H. L de Silva, addressing a seminar on Indian federalism Sunday in Colombo, described a federal solution to end the island’s ethnic conflict as a snake a drowning man clutches in his desperation to stay afloat. In a cogently argued critique of Colombo’s efforts to formulate a federal concept as the basis for a solution to the conflict, Mr. Silva said, “One wonders whether for Sri Lanka federalism is that beguiling serpent, which by its fatal sting will bring about the death of the Republic”.
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NE provincial Tamil Language day held in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 05:30 GMT]
Addressing the North East Provincial Tamil Language Day celebration, held Saturday for the first time after several years in Jaffna, Mr. Arun Master, the Deputy Head of the Thamileelam Education Board, said, "Educationists and teachers worked hard to preserve the pristine glory of Tamil language and Tamil culture from being destroyed by enemies during the wartime in the northeast."
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'Tamils will not accept hasty decision on land matters’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 05:18 GMT]
"We cannot accept any hasty decision taken regarding land related problems in the Trincomalee district at a time when all attempts are made to take forward the peace process and serious consideration is given to the establishment of an interim administrative structure with adequate powers," said the Trincomalee district parliamentarian, Mr.Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, Saturday to the media following the cancellation of Lands Minister's visit to Trincomalee, sources said.
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Land Minister's Trinco visit cancelled, mobile service called off

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 21:07 GMT]
A four-day mobile service scheduled to be inaugurated at the Trincomalee district secretariat Saturday morning by the Lands Minister of SriLanka, Dr..Rajitha Senaratne, was called off at the last minute as a one-day hartal was observed in the eastern port town the same day, sources said.
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‘HSZ in Jaffna expanded post ceasefire'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2003, 18:37 GMT]
The high security zones in the Jaffna district have been expanded since the signing of the ceasefire agreement by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said the former Jaffna Municipal Commissioner, Mr.C.V.K.Sivagnanam, who is the current President of the Northern Federation of Farmers' Co-operative Societies, addressing a press briefing held at the Jaffna Humanitarian Agencies Consortium (JHAC) office Sunday.
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Tamil book on Trinco’s history released

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2003, 19:55 GMT]
" Historic Trincomalee," a research book written by Mr.Kanagasabapathy Saravanapavan in Tamil, was released Saturday evening at an event held at the Sri Koneswara Hindu College hall in Trincomalee, and several Tamil academicians said that the book is a timely contribution at a time when parties with vested interests distort the history of the country to suit their agenda, sources said.
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Retrieving Kannapuram from the jungle’s grip

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Kannapuram was one of the most prosperous and rich agricultural villages on Sri Lanka’s east coast before it was ransacked and destroyed by the Sri Lanka army (SLA) thirteen years ago. Hundreds of refugees who are returning today to reclaim their homes and paddy fields from the stubborn clutches of the island’s tropical forests face an uncertain future - a military camp is firmly entrenched in the midst of the village and no funds have been granted so far by Colombo to help them resettle.
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Fourth meeting of Tamil-Muslim subcommittee held

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 03:53 GMT]
The fourth meeting of the subcommittee on Tamil-Muslim issues was held Sunday 10am at the Vavunathivu divisional secretariat, sources said. The meeting started by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Batticaloa Head lasted about two hours.


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Amnesty concerned over safety of sexually tortured woman

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 02:57 GMT]
Amnesty International Tuesday expressed concern for safety of a woman who is being held in the remand prison in Kandy, the island’s hill capital that she and her family may face reprisals after six Sri Lankan Policemen, including an officer were charged with sexually torturing her in custody.
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Lt. Seelan commemoration held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 18:07 GMT]
The twentieth death anniversary of Lieutanant.Seelan (Charles Antony), the first attack commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was observed in Trincomalee, his birthplace, at an event held at the LTTE political office in Eastern port town Tuesday, sources said.
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Late Bishop of Jaffna remembered in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 18:27 GMT]
The late Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. V.Deogupillai, firmly stood against injustice, suppression of human rights and fought for the equality of all irrespective of any differences, said Justice C.V.Vigneswaran, in his speech read out at the commemoration meeting for the late Bishop held at St.Mary's College in Trincomalee Sunday evening.
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