Quality education lacking in tsunami-hit areas- NGO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 December 2005, 12:34 GMT]
Saying "considerable strides have been made in education delivery considering the enormity of the disaster," the Save the Children (Sri Lanka) in a media release issued in Colombo Thursday, said lack of proper housing, absence of essential facilities like clean, functional classrooms and toilet facilities in schools, increased alcoholism in society, and threat of military action still hamper quality education of children in schools across tsunami affected areas of Sri Lanka, one year after the disaster.
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Rajapakse meets TNA delegation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 11:19 GMT]
A high level discussion between the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians led by its parliamentary group leader R.Sampanthan is currently in progress in the SL President's Office in Colombo. The meeting began around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday at the urgent request of the Tamil National Alliance, political sources said.
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SLA assault on VC, Arts Dean worrisome sign - NPC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 11:02 GMT]
National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based NGO, in a Media release issued on Wednesday condemned the security forces for attacking non-violent protests of students and staff of Jaffna campus, including Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Arts. The violence began when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers attacked the students marching to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices against the killing of Ilyathamby Tharsini (20) in Punguduthivu near an Sri Lanka Navy post. Postmortem examination has revealed that Tharsini was raped before being strangled to death.


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RSF dismayed by arrests of Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 03:14 GMT]
Noting the escalating political tension in Sri Lanka where a Tamil journalist was arrested and three assaulted in a two-day period, Reporters Without Borders (RSF- Reporters Sans Frontieres) in media release said, "Instead of calming down the situation, the police and the army are carrying out unjustified arrests that only stir up resentments. The security forces and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) should guarantee the safety of Sri Lankan journalists whatever their origin."
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Remand extended for Sri Lanka policemen

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 12:03 GMT]
Tamil Eelam district court, Kilinochchi ordered further remand for three Sri Lankan policemen until 3rd January when inquiry into the case of the policemen accused of illegally crossing into Liberation Tigers controlled areas was taken up for inquiry Tuesday, legal sources said.
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New military top brass responsible for Jaffna attack - Vice Chancellor

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Professor C. Mohanadas charged the newly sworn-in top brass of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for unleashing troopers on a peaceful demonstration. "This is a worst form of politically motivated military tactic," he said addressing a press meet held at the Jaffna Campus Student Union offices at 5 p.m. Monday. Professor Mohanadas condemned the attacks by the SLA on peaceful demonstrators including the attack on him Monday morning at Parameswara junction in Jaffna.
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FMM condemns SLA attack on Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:14 GMT]
"Free Media Movement deplores and condemns assault on journalists covering a peaceful demonstration in Jaffna by government security forces today. Three journalists- Thinakural staff reporter Mr. T. Sabeswaran, Thinakaran (Lake House) reporter Wintson Jeyan and Namathu Eelanadu reporter Mr. J. Jerad – were beaten and their cameras were damaged," said FMM in a press release issued in Colombo Monday.
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LTTE confers National Patriot title to sportsman Gunaratnam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 17:01 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday conferred "Nattupattalar" (National Patriot) title on the departed veteran sportsman Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam. Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan read out the statement issued by the LTTE Trincomalee district political secretariat conferring the title at an event held Sunday morning at Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall where the body of late Mr.Gunaratnam was kept for paying last respects by the people of the east port city, sources said.
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SLTMA condemns arrest of Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 16:54 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) Sunday condemned the arrest and detention of a Tamil senior journalist working in a leading Colombo based Tamil daily newspaper "Thinakkural"along with two other employees in the computer unit of the same newspaper in the Kirulapone Police Station Saturday night. The SLTMA, in a letter sent to Mr.Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Media Minister, to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Tamil journalists from the harassment of government law enforcement authorities.


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Book released on history of Kokuvil Hindu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 14:05 GMT]
Past students of Kokuvil Hindu College Jaffna released a book detailing the ninty five year history of the school in an event held at the Subramaniam Hall at 10.30 a.m. Sunday presided by the present Principal of the school Mr P Kamalanathan.
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Veteran NorthEast sportsman dies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 00:00 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam, retired Assistant Director of Sports in the North East Provincial Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry and currently Assistant Director of the North East Youth Affairs Ministry passed away Friday in Colombo after a brief illness. He had been a colorful personality in the field of sports not only in the North East but also at the national level. He had been fluent in all three languages, Tamil, Sinhala and English. He was 68 at the time of his death, family sources said.
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Norway best venue for truce talks - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 December 2005, 09:57 GMT]
Reiterating that they wished to engage in talks on the effective implementation of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement with Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers suggested Saturday that Norway would be the ideal venue to host such talks as Oslo was not only the facilitator of the peace process, but leading the monitoring mission supervising the truce. “Based on a mutual consent, a suitable venue for peace negotiations could be selected following the successful conclusion of the CFA talks,” he said pointing out that Norway has earlier extended invitation to the parties to hold talks on the implementation of the CFA.
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Formation of united Tamil front, a strategic need- Thondaman

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 December 2005, 07:37 GMT]
The leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Mr. Arumugam Thondaman, Saturday held discussions with the LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat on his plans to form a united effort among the Upcountry and Western Province Tamil political parties. The Upcountry politician said that his party, CWC and the LTTE discussed the strategic need to form a broad Tamil front to meet the challenges from the Southern polity and to further the common aspirations of both the Tamil communities in the Northeast and the Upcountry.
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UNP meets SL President

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 11:31 GMT]
Senior members of the United National Party (UNP) led by its leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramesinghe met with Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Temple Trees Thursday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Matters related to Peace Process and UNP's stand for future approach to peace were discussed in the meeting, according to sources.
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Indian Naval Commander in Chief in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 11:32 GMT]
Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Commander in Chief of the Indian Navys Eastern Naval Command is on a visit to Sri Lanka between 12 Dec to 16 Dec 05, a press release by the Indian Embassy in Colombo said Wednesday. Vice Admiral Mehta met with Sri Lankan Government President and Commanders of Security forces, the release added.
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CWC MP crosses over to SL Government

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Vadivel Suresh, of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) which is led by former Minister Arumugam Thondaman, has crossed over to the Sri Lanka Government and he has been made the Deputy Minister of Health and Nutrition Wednesday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.


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SLAF Helicopter comes under fire in Arugambay

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 13:56 GMT]
An MI-17 Military helicopter of the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLAF) came under gunfire and made an emergency landing in Kumana, Amparai district, around 3.15 p.m. Wednesday, Sri Lanka Air Force spokesman Ajantha de Silva told media in Colombo. The incident took place 10 air-miles off Arugambay. The gunfire did not cause any damage except puncturing a few holes in the frame and the helicopter took off after a brief inspection, SLAF sources said.
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SL Police arrests two Tamils in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 11:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police took two Tamil youths into custody in a three-hour cordon and search operation conducted in the bazaar area of the Mannar town Wednesday morning by combined armed forces. These youths are now detained in the Mannar Police Station and are being interrogated, civilian sources said.
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Pesali injured transferred to Colombo, A'pura hospitals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 19:18 GMT]
Twenty five police personnel injured in a grenade attack on a Pesalai police post Monday night were transferred to Anuradhapura general hospital and Colombo national hospital Tuesday morning around 11.30 a.m. in four ambulances from Mannar hospital under tight security. Security concerns forced officials to initiate the move, police sources said.
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France extends Euro 10m soft loan to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 17:00 GMT]
France and Sri Lanka signed a financial protocol Tuesday extending 10 million euros soft loan to the Government of Sri Lanka for assist in building Greater Trincomalee Integrated Water Supply Scheme, a joint press release issued by the Embassy of France in Colombo said.
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