Centers for Employment, Technology Training open in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 February 2003, 01:46 GMT]
Opening ceremonies for an Information and Technology Training Center and Womens Employment Training Center, established by the Vanni Center for Community Advancement, were held Wednesday 10am, sources in Vanni said.
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LTTE Leader felicitates Eelanaatham staff

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 February 2003, 00:42 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, V. Pirapaharan, participated in the anniversary celebrations of Eelanaatham, a daily published in Vanni, entering its 14th year of uninterrupted publication, and presented awards to the staff of the news paper, LTTE sources in Vanni said.
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Black band protest held in Jaffna condemning Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 February 2003, 16:24 GMT]
Teachers, students, public and private sector employees in Jaffna district Wednesday attended their routine activities wearing black bands and black waist belts in protest to the attack by the Sri Lanka Army on women cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at Manipay on February 12, sources said.
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District-wide protests in Batticaloa over Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 February 2003, 15:33 GMT]
Massive processions and a campaign of wearing black waist-belts were held Wednesday in all Tamil regions of the Batticaloa district to protest the attack on February 12 in Manipay, where the Sri Lanka Army personnel and the paramilitary EPDP group assaulted unarmed women political cadres of the LTTE, civilians and journalists
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Defense Minister faces No Confidence Motion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 February 2003, 11:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday began debating the no-confidence motion against the Sri Lanka's Defense Minister Mr.Tilak Marapone. Opposition parliamentarian and a leading member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva presented the no confidence motion and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Mr.Wimal Weerawanse seconded it, parliamentary sources said.


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Public to hold black waist-belt campaign in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 22:52 GMT]
The Jaffna District People's Forum (JDPF) Monday announced that it would hold a black belt wearing campaign on Wednesday in protest to the attack on LTTE women cadres, civilians and journalists at Manipay by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, sources in Jaffna said.
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Gopalapuram War memorial case dismissed

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 14:49 GMT]
The Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Monday dismissed the action filed by the Kuchchaveli Police under Section 81 of the Criminal Procedure Code against the construction and opening of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli, sixteen km off north of east port town. The Magistrate also recalled the warrant issued on the respondent Mr.Thooyavan, Nilaveli area political leader of the LTTE, legal sources said.


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LTTE cadres released, hartal called off in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 11:58 GMT]
The Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Monday released the two women cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on surety bail and the hartal (general shut down) which was being observed in the east port town Monday demanding the release of them from morning was called off by noon, sources in Trincomalee said.


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LTTE hands over soldier's body to ICRC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 14:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday afternoon handed over the body of the soldier of the Sri Lanka Army L. Dharmadasa (24) of Matale who was killed Saturday in gunfire at Kilali area held by the LTTE, to the Jaffna delegate of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), sources said.
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Police should replace military, LTTE women cadres can wear civilian belts - SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 13:42 GMT]
To prevent future clashes, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) agreed to allow women LTTE cadres to wear any civilian type of belts when entering and staying in GOSL controlled areas, a press release issued Sunday by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.
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Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.


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SLA soldier killed near Kilali

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:11 GMT]
Around 2.15pm Saturday near the Forward Defense Line (FDL) of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Kilali in Jaffna district , a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who trespassed into LTTE controlled area was killed in gunfire, said sources in Jaffna.


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'Gopalapuram memorial, not a ceasefire violation'- SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Construction of the LTTE war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli village about 16km north of Trincomalee town cannot be cnsidered a ceasefire violation, four local members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee decided at their meeting held recently. The SLMM officials decided not to participate in the war memorial dispute in the future between the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the local security forces, sources in Colombo said.
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Eastern Media Associations condemn SLA attack on Northern journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 16:40 GMT]
District Media Associations in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara in the eastern province have issued statements condemning the attack on two Tamil journalists, Mr.S.Sivabalan (Thinakural) and Mr.S.Manoharan (Eelanadu) at Manipay in Jaffna district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in which LTTE women cadres and members of public were also assaulted, sources said.


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Muhamalai soldiers interrogate Tamil student leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 15:25 GMT]
The President of the International Thamileelam Students' Forum, Mr.S.Gajendran, is alleged to have been subjected to intimidation and rigorous interrogation for more than two hours by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday at the Muhamalai SLA checkpoint, sources in Jaffna said.


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Hartal in Trincomalee called over arrest of LTTE women cadres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 14:36 GMT]
The Consortium of the Peoples' Organizations in Trincomalee (CPOT) Saturday called for a hartal (general shut down) in the east port town on Monday protesting the arrest of two women cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when they were engaged in political activities in Sampalthivu, a village about 10 km north of Trincomalee, sources said.
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Protest in Vavuniya condemns Manipay SLA assault

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 12:24 GMT]
More than thousand residents of Vavuniya and surrounding areas marched in Vavuniya Saturday wearing black belts in their waists protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. The marchers handed over a memorandum to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources in Vavuniya said.


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US to announce significant assistance in Japan meet - Armitage

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 02:59 GMT]
In a conference on "Srilanka: Prospects for Peace," held at the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C Friday, Richard Armitage, Deputy U.S Secretary of State, in his Keynote address said that, "..it is my intention to return to the follow-on meeting [to Oslo] of donors" in June in Japan and "I will be able to announce significant further assistance to Sri Lanka for both humanitarian and economic aid," sources said.
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Protesters in Jaffna burn effigies, condemn Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Protest demonstrations were held Friday condemning the attack on LTTE women cadres, members of public and journalists at Manipay by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), aided by members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Effigies of President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Jaffna area commander of the SLA, Major General Sarath Fonseka, were taken in processions and burnt down in Jaffna town, Udupiddy junction, Malisanthai junction and Methaikadai junction, sources said.
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LTTE returns 3 children to their parents

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 16:28 GMT]
Three children who sought to join the LTTE, were handed over to their parents by Mr. S. Ezhilan, the head of the LTTE's political division in Vavuniya today, in the presence of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) members, sources said.
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