Mannar NGO workers campaign for TRO staffers' release

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 11:58 GMT]
Activists of non-governmental organizations in Mannar district held a protest march in Mannar town Monday morning demanding the release of the seven abducted workers of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) at Welikanda on 30th January 2006. The Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations in Mannar District organized the event, sources said.


Full story >>

Final decision only after meeting LTTE Eastern Commanders - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 09:32 GMT]
A final decision with regards to LTTE's stand on CFA talks in Geneva would be taken only after LTTE commanders from the East attend a crucial central committee meeting with the Tiger leadership, Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media after a meeting with the representatives of Co-chairs at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday.
Full story >>

Colombo's suggestion for sea transport, impractical - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 April 2006, 12:37 GMT]
Liberation Tigers' Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, rejecting Colombo's offer that suggested the LTTE's eastern commanders to travel unarmed in Sri Lankan vessel from East to North, has informed the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Ulf Henricsson, Sunday, that Tiger Commanders were not prepared to travel in Sri Lankan naval vessels.
Full story >>

Claymore explodes in Jaffna, SLA soldier killed in Muttur clash

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 11:33 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, and a civilian were wounded in a Claymore explosion in Neerveli in Jaffna around 4:40 p.m. Saturday. The Claymore targeted an SLA truck, SLA sources in Jaffna said. In the meantime, sources in Colombo said one SLA soldier was killed in direct clash that erupted at Selvanagar in Thoppur in Muttur Division of the Trincomalee district around 1:45 p.m. Earlier on Saturday, a civilian was injured and several houses were damaged when SLA soldiers fired artillery shells from Kaddaiparichan army camp towards Ganeshapuram in Muttur east, according to reports reaching from LTTE controlled areas in Trincomalee district.
Full story >>

PNM demands ouster of Norway

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 00:10 GMT]
Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of extreme Sinhala nationalists formed and backed by the Janatha Vimukthi Permamuna (JVP), a coalition ally of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, held a protest campaign in front of the Norwegian Embassy in Ward Place, Colombo from 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Friday demanding the ouster of Norway from Sri Lanka's Peace Process, civil society sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Tamil nation in deep grief over Vigneswaran slaying - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 18:07 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, in a letter to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, expressed shock over Trincomalee Tamil activist Vigneswaran's slaying and said that the killing, in the context of what is taking place on the ground, rendered Colombo's pledges in Geneva on curbing paramilitary activities "meaningless." Describing Vigneswaran's slaying as a part of Sri Lankan military's "planned killings of Tamil activists in a systematic manner," Thamilchelvan says that the GoSL and its law enforcing authorities could no longer plead ignorance of Tamil activists killings.
Full story >>

Colombo's transport refusal to Eastern LTTE commanders jeopardise Geneva preparations

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 16:03 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan Friday requested the Norwegian facilitators to arrange sea transport, with truce monitors on board, to facilitate Eastern field commanders of the LTTE to attend a preparatory central committee meeting before the next session of the Geneva Talks. Blaming Colombo for adopting a hardline stance in providing air transport, a routine arrangement facilitated by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) during the ceasefire, the LTTE Political Head warned that the Tigers would be forced to adopt their own sea transport, aware of the risks involving possible confrontations with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN).
Full story >>

SLMM files report on Vigneswaran killing

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 15:48 GMT]
Trincomalee District Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Ove Janssen, who rushed to the assasination site where Trincomalee Tamil activist Vigneswaran was slain, has sent a report with photographs taken at the scene to his headquarters in Colombo after interviewing several persons who have witnessed the assasination. SLMM sources said Mr. V. Vigneswaran had been frequently complaining to SLMM that his life was in danger.
Full story >>

Defence Secretary visits Jaffna, meets SLA, SLN commanders

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Secretary of Defense and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother, Gothabaya Rajapakse, arrived at Palaly airport in a special Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft Friday, and met with senior commanders of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Families of abducted TRO staffers to meet Colombo press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 02:50 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and the families of seven abducted humanitarian workers, during the past 6 weeks, report no progress despite reduced exposure to media following the messages received through "third parties" that the abducted would be released if TRO and the families "kept quiet and did not to speak to the media," a press release from the TRO said Wednesday. The organisation has called for a press conference Thursday.
Full story >>

JVP steps up anti-Norwegian campaign

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 15:32 GMT]
The Sinhala extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) stepped up its campaign against Norway on Wednesday, a day before the Norwegian International Development Minister and the Norwegian Special Envoy, were scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. "The newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer contributed to the recognition of Palestine. He is here with a similar agenda to divide the country," the Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, Wimal Weerawanse, addressing a press conference organised by the extremist Patriotic National Movement in Colombo said Wednesday. He also criticized the outgoing Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Mr. Hagrup Haukland.
Full story >>

No room for hypocrisy in implementing CFA - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 10:56 GMT]
Armed activities of the paramilitary groups have intensified following the first session of Geneva Talks contrary to the commitment made by the Sri Lanka Government to the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse can no longer pay lip service to CFA after the route of the extreme Sinhala hardline forces in the local elections in the South, LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told reporters in Kilinochchi after meeting the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer on Wednesday.
Full story >>

International Mine Action Day celebrated in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 02:19 GMT]
Non-governmental organizations and government and UN agencies marked April4 International Mine Action Day with activities in several towns in Sri Lankathe, including the government organized event in Colombo. Regional events included a bicycle race for disabled persons in Trincomalee, sports and cultural events in Vavuniya, drama presentations in Amparai, a mine exhibition in Jaffna, the screening of mine action films in Killinochchi and essay and poem writing activities in Batticaloa, UN agency sources said.
Full story >>

Vavuniya pre-schools call for immediate release of TRO workers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 12:48 GMT]
Staff, children and parents of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala Preschools in Vavuniya marched in protest to the Government Secretariat, demanding the safety and release of the seven Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) staffers who were abducted on 29-30 January and are still missing, TRO officials in Vavuniya said. They handed over a memorandum addressedto Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to Vavuniya Government Agent (GA), T. Sinnathamby, Tuesday morning at the Vavuniya Government Secretariat.
Full story >>

Swizerland pledges help for tsunami affected, school reconstruction

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 11:57 GMT]
In a press release issued in Colombo Tuesday Switzerland pledged 8.5 million USD (850 million Rupees) to support the house owner driven reconstruction programme of the Government of Sri Lanka. This comes in addition to the 7 million USD pledged in 2005.
Full story >>

Indian High Commissioner attends awards ceremony for skills training graduates

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 00:50 GMT]
High Commissioner of India, Ms. Nirupama Rao, Monday handed out certificates of completion of courses in embroidery, cooking, catering and stitching to Tsunami Victims from the Eastern Province conducted as part of the Sustainable Livelihood Project held at the Academy of Adult Education for Women, Kalubowila, said a press release issued by the Indian Embassy in Colombo Monday.
Full story >>

US working to eliminate threat of landmines

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 11:12 GMT]
"We are proud to be a close partner with Sri Lanka in increasing the local capacity to detect and clear mines," said U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead, in a press release issued by the US Embassy in Colombo Monday marking the mine awareness day to be observed on 4th April. "It is a long-term effort, yet one in which all sides have cooperated. We hope we will be able to assist the government in eliminating this threat within the next few years so Sri Lankans can go about their daily lives free from the fear of mines," the release added.
Full story >>

"No Muslim Unit required in Sri Lanka Army”

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 10:57 GMT]
Saying that "no Nation’s Army in the world, defending its territorial integrity, has a particular regiment for a specific community or race," All Ceylon Moors Association, in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse said members of our "community are disinclined for the Sri Lanka Army to recruit Muslims youths to protect the Muslim community."
Full story >>

JVP performance has improved, says routed party officials

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 17:29 GMT]
"In relation to past results, we have won more seats in the local authority polls," said Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Marxist Sinhala national party's political wing in a press release issued in Colombo. "Number of our members in the Tisamaharagama pradeshya sabah has increased and this reflects the excellent work we have with our people in that area," the release added.
Full story >>

JHU seeking political partner?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 13:02 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the all monk, extremist Buddhist Sinhala nationalist party, routed in the local council elections polling less than one percent, is to join a political party with similar political policies, sources in Colombo said. However, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, JHU media spokesman, rejected this news as pure speculation, sources added.
Full story >>