SLN to transfer fishermen to Colombo under PTA

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 March 2006, 00:39 GMT]
Five fishermen who are being detained at the Kankesanthurai Police from Wednesday morning said in a statement to the Attorney at the Jaffna Human Rights Commission Mr M Remedius Thursday that soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) forcefully arrested them while they were fishing in deep seas close to Mullaitivu about 30 km southeast of Point Pedro, civil society sources said. However, SLN officials said that the five detainees are to be handed over to the Colombo Terrorism Investigation Division under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for further investigation.
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SL Court to hear petition on Pirapaharan's sentence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 March 2006, 03:47 GMT]
Colombo Appeals Court will hear, on 25 May, a petition filed by former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Kotagadeniya, to direct the Security Establishment to enforce the 200 year rigorous prison sentence passed by the Courts on Leader of Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, for his role in the bombing of Central bank on January 31, 1996, legal sources in Colombo said.
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SL Government needs support of JVP, JHU- Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 March 2006, 02:08 GMT]
Support of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is vital for continued smooth functioning of the Sri Lanka Government, said Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, speaking at the Gampaha district Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) meeting held in Viyangoda Wednesday afternoon, SLFP sources from Colombo said.
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Sinhala nationalist extremists obstacle to peace – Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 20:21 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will view any further attacks by military-backed paramilitaries as an act of war and may postpone next month’s talks in Geneva unless the state fulfils the Ceasefire Agreement and disarms them, the LTTE’s Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham said Tuesday. In an interview to Reuters at his London home, Mr. Balasingham also said President Mahinda Rajapakse should dump his Sinhala nationalist allies and seek support from the main opposition UNP party which led a government that held six rounds of talks with the LTTE in 2002-3.
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Japan funds development projects in Mannar, Puttalam, Monaragala

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 12:45 GMT]
Japan has provided US$191,365 for three rural development projects, Integrated Programme for Rasamadhu and Kattaspathri Cluster Villages in Mannar District, Integrated Development through Sustainable Livelihood and SocioEconomic Development in Puttalam, and Livelihood Improvement for Identified Seven GN Divisions in Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala District, a press release from the Embassy of Japan issued Wednesday in Colombo said.
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USAID funds political puppet show in Sri Lanka TV

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 11:32 GMT]
Key decision makers in the Sri Lanka Government will interact with a Puppet cast representing "a socio-politically diverse cross-section of Sri Lanka, and contributes varied perspectives into a weekly discussion of prominent political issues," in the USAID funded "Janathalaya" in the Telshan Network Limited (TNL), said a US Embassy press release issued from Colombo Wednesday.
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PNM alliance aims to split East from NEP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 11:10 GMT]
The Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of Sinhala nationalists, on Wednesday formed a "task force" named "Defenders of Eastern People's Rights" in collaboration with Sinhala nationalist parties, Muslim and Tamil groups in the East. The task force was formed after a meeting with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), MLM Ataulla's National Muslim Congress (NMC), K. Vigneswaran's Akila Ilankai Tamil United Front (AITUF), a break away party of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), and key operatives of Karuna Group, a PNM activist has disclosed to Colombo media. The task force aims to split the East from the North Eastern Province (NEP).
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Tigers reject Colombo's "pre-conditions" for re-entry of political cadres

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 09:29 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in a letter addressed to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on Wednesday accused Colombo of imposing pre-conditions for the re-entry of their political cadres into Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the NorthEast. Rejecting the concept of "new pre-condtions," the Tigers charged Colombo of violating the understanding reached in Geneva in re-establishing the status quo that existed prior to the LTTE decision to withdraw political cadres. The letter, released to media by the LTTE Peace Secretariat, urged the monitors to ensure the conditions for the re-entry of their political cadres in "strict accordance" with the CFA agreement.
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LTTE boat detained, says SLN

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 06:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has intercepted and taken into custody a boat belonging to the Liberation Tigers in the seas of Kodiyadi off the coast of Munai, Pt.Pedro in the north of Sri Lanka Wednesday morning, the northern command of the SLN said.
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Emergency Regulations extended

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 13:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka parliament extended the state of emergency Tuesday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. First imposed after the assassination of its foreign minister six months ago, Emergency Regulations have been extended every month, but the Sri Lanka Government said violence has fallen sharply since talks with Liberation Tigers in February.
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Bhikku Front calls for Norway ouster

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 12:24 GMT]
More than one hundred Buddhist monks belonging to the National Bhikku Front (NBF), an ultra Sinhala nationalist organization of Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka, demonstrated in front of the Norwegian Embassy in Horton Place Colombo Tuesday afternoon demanding the ouster of Norway from Sri Lanka's peace process, sources in Colombo said.
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Pakistani Navy Frigate on goodwill visit to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 11:30 GMT]
A Pakistan Navy Frigate will call on Colombo port on March 23 on a good will mission. During its 3-dy visit, the PNS Shahjahan will take part in joint exercises with the Sri Lanka navy (SLN) and the Commander of the ship will meet senior officials of the Sri Lankan navy to strengthen professional linkages between the two forces, a press release issued by the High Commission of Pakistan Tuesday said.


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Court stays Cabinet decision on Chandrika's land, security

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 00:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday issued an interim order staying the Sri Lanka Cabinet's decision to allocate land in Madiwela and to provide additional security personnel to former Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Kumaratunge, legal sources in Colombo said. The three member bench of the Supreme Court chaired by the Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N. Silva made the interim order after preliminary hearing of a Fundamental Rights application, legal sources said.
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Local elections in Trincomalee, Amparai to be held

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 19:27 GMT]
Elections to 12 local authorities in Trincomalee district and 17 in the Amparai district are to be held on March 30. Elections to forty-six local authorities in the other six districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar and Batticaloa in the North East are to be postponed by six months, Colombo media sources reported Monday evening quoting an official of the Department of Elections.
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TRO assists Mullaitivu child's heart surgery

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 11:48 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization Monday donated Rs 45,000 towards heart surgery expenses for Saruaka, an eight month old ailing baby from Silavattai in Mullaitivu district, sources in Vanni said. The surgery is to be performed at the Colombo Jayawardenepura Hospital, medical sources in Vanni said.
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SLAF trooper drowns in Galkissa

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 10:47 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) officer, engaged in training exercises Monday morning, accidentally fell in the sea off Mt. Lavinia during a search and rescue exercise, Police said. The incident took place one km into the sea off Mt. Lavinia, Galkissa, located 11 km south of Colombo.
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India assisted Bio Institute opens in Hill-country

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 10:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, Saturday, ceremonially opened a Bio Technology Institute set up under the assistance of an Indian Agricultural expert in Kotagala, press release issued from Colombo said. Leader of Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Arumugam Thondaman, welcomed Mr Rajapakse and India's High Commissioner, Ms Nirupama Rao to the opening ceremony. The Institute will train rural youths, the release said. Another model farm at Kirindiwela in Gampaha district is already in operation.
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TNA, LTTE discuss local elections at Kilinochchi meet

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 March 2006, 12:19 GMT]
Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Vanni district addressing media in Kilinochchi after a meeting between the Liberation Tigers and the TNA parliamentarians Sunday morning, accused Colombo for delaying making decision on holding local elections in the NorthEast
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Court intervenes in Law College Tamil medium admissions

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2006, 12:43 GMT]
Eleven additional Tamil medium candidates were admitted to the Law College in Colombo Friday following the intervention of the Supreme Court after Tamil students filed Fundamental Rights application citing discriminatory procedures in admissions, legal sources said. Only one Tamil medium candidate was allowed to enter the college based on the results released in 1995 entrance examination held by the Law College, sources said.
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World Bank, EU delegates to visit Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2006, 12:31 GMT]
World Bank Country Director, Mr.Peter C.Harrold and a representative of the European Commission is scheduled to visit Trincomalee district March 21 for two days to monitor the progress in the housing reconstruction programme in the war torn districts in the NorthEast. North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) funded by the World Bank is the implementing partner, sources said.
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