“Tamils’ votes indispensable to send Mahinda home” - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 January 2010, 03:55 GMT]
“The votes of Tamils are of great value in this presidential election,” Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R. Sampanthan said Saturday in a big election campaign meeting held Saturday around 3:00 p.m in Nalloor Chaddanaathar Koayil area, in which nearly four thousand people from various parts of the peninsula participated, sources in Jaffna said. “After considering various pressing issues including the resettlement of Vanni people in their places we decided to offer our support to Sarath Fonseka,” he said. “He agreed to consider our demands favourably while Mahinda was not prepared to give in on any of them and therefore we decided to support Sarath Fonseka in this presidential election,” Sampanthan further said.
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TNA delegation leaves to New Delhi to meet Indian leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 2010, 02:55 GMT]
A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) left Colombo Tuesday to New Delhi on the invitation of the Government of India. Mr. R. Sampanthan, TNA head of the parliamentary group, is leading the delegation. The TNA delegation is expected to take a flight to New Delhi from Chennai Wednesday evening and to hold talks with Indian leaders on Thursday, TNA sources said.
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Remains of Pirapaharan’s father cremated in VVT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 January 2010, 13:20 GMT]
Late Thiruvengadam Veluppillai, father of LTTE leader Mr. V.Pirapaharan, was cremated at the central cremation grounds in Oo'ra'ni Valveddiththu’rai Sunday around 2:30 p.m with thousands of mourners participating in the last funeral rites, sources in Jaffna said. Thousands of people from all parts of the peninsula joined in the procession when the remains were taken from Pirapaharan’s home in Aaladi in Valveddiththu’rai (VVT) while black flags were flown and sombre music was played in VVT, despite the intimidating presence of a large number of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and policemen, the sources added. Thol. Thirumavalvan, the leader of Viduthalai Chi’ruththaika’l from Tamil Nadu and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Sivajilingam paid their last tribute at the cremation grounds.
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Sivajilingam to contest SL presidential polls as independent candidate

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 December 2009, 10:07 GMT]
"There is no point supporting either of the two main candidates, Rajapaksa or Fonseka," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian K. Sivajilingam Tuesday morning after making his deposit at the Sri Lankan Election Secretariat in Colombo stating that he would contest the presidential polls as an independent candidate.
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Attempts to split TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 2009, 06:35 GMT]
A faction led by Mavai Senathirajah and some by Srikantha, both Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians for Jaffna, are said to be engaged in activities aimed at splitting TNA, sources in Jaffna said. Srikantha and Selvam Adaikalanathan, another TNA parliamentarian, met Monday Basil Rajapakse, the brother and senior advisor of President Mahinda Rajapakse, in Colombo after which Srikantha told press that Basil Rajapakse had consented to allow resettlement of 4,500 IDPs from Valikaamam North in the first stage. Meanwhile, Mavai Senathirajah said in a press release to the media that Thamizh Arasukk Kadchi (TAK) had sent a letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse requesting the resettlement of IDPs in Valikaamam North.
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TID interrogates Selvam Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 November 2009, 16:38 GMT]
Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, for the third day - Saturday - was summoned to the Headquarters of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of Sri Lanka Police. But he was sent back home around 9:00 a.m. with the instruction that he should come to TID office when called for, sources in Colombo said.
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TID interrogates TNA parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 November 2009, 13:38 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan has been subjected to interrogation by the Terrorist Intelligence Division of the Sri Lanka Police from Thursday morning. He has not returned to his residence located in Madiwela complex till Thursday afternoon, sources in Colombo said.
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Shivajilingam, Adaikalanathan arrive at Katunayake airport

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 November 2009, 12:52 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarians Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan and Mr. M. K. Sivajilingam arrived at Katunayake Bandaranayke International Airport Wednesday afternoon after several months stay abroad.
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Sinhala encroachers deny Tamil owners land

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 November 2009, 16:59 GMT]
"More than 1,486 Tamil families are unable to peacefully resettle in their homes in Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Batticaloa due to unlawful and widespread occupation of state land by members of the majority community," Sri Lanka's weekly, The Nation said, according information from Tamil National Alliance leader, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan and member of parliament, Packiyaselvam Ariyanethiran.
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TNA parliamentarians meet Indian Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 June 2009, 00:45 GMT]
A team of five Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians met the new Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna on Thursday and discussed matters related to the release of the three doctors and a TNA parliamentarian who rendered invaluable service to the beleaguered people to the very end of war, demilitarization of Tamil areas, resettlement and rehabilitation of civilians in the internment camps and grant amnesty to LTTE carders in captivity, TNA circles told TamilNet. The parliamentarians met National Security Advisor M K Narayanan on Wednesday and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon on Tuesday before the meeting with Mr. S M Krishna. They also met the leader of the opposition L. K. Advani on Friday.
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New TNA MP for Ampaa'rai district sworn in

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 June 2009, 13:15 GMT]
Dr.Thomas Thangathurai William Friday was sworn in as new Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Ampaa'rai district parliamentarian in parliament before the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara. He fills the vacancy created with the demise of Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan who passed away in Mathurai in South India after a brief illness. The new parliamentarian hails from Paa'ndiruppu in Ampaa'rai district and came second in the list of TNA in the 2004 general election held under proportionate preferential system.
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Government buries 47 IDP bodies in 14 days in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 May 2009, 22:12 GMT]
Forty-seven bodies of members of internally displaced families from Vanni region due to the recent military operation by Sri Lanka Army and sheltered in the internment camps in Mannaar were buried in Mannaar general cemetery from May 13 to May 27 by Mannaar District Secretariat at State costs as their relatives failed to claim the bodies.
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Intention of Sri Lankan state is extermination of Tamils - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 April 2009, 16:04 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan State's actions establish beyond a shadow of doubt, that the real intention of the Sri Lankan State is the progressive extermination of the Tamil people," said the statement published by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in India on Friday. "The fact that the Sri Lankan State and its Armed forces despite the widest possible international outcry that the safety of Tamil civilians is paramount, have not been deterred even to the slightest degree, in the pursuit of their military attacks in Tamil civilian populated areas, without any regard whatever, for the safety of Tamil civilians, is indicative of the deep hostility that the Sri Lankan State and its Armed forces bear towards the Tamil people," the statement issued by the TNA further said.
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TNA urges IC to ensure Sri Lankan forces do not bomb besieged civilians

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 2009, 06:24 GMT]
The leaders of four major Tamil parties, the ITAK, ACTC, EPRLF and TELO comprising Tamil National Alliance (TNA), on behalf of the 22 elected parliamentarians from North and East, sent an appeal to the International Community urging it to ensure an immediate cessation of the war and ensure that adequate medical supplies, food and shelter be sent to the 333,000 civilians inside the area under siege by the Sri Lankan military. "The civilians are merely asking, that the SriLankan armed forces do not bomb them, and that the government permits adequate food, medicine and shelter into the area." Since the beginning of this year, more than 2150 civilians have been killed inside the so-called ‘safe zones’ by bombing campaigns carried out by the Sri Lankan armed forces and over 5000 are wounded, the TNA appeal said.
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65 Vanni patients transferred to Mannaar, relatives languish in internment camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 2009, 20:43 GMT]
Sixty-five seriously wounded patients brought to Vavuniyaa by the ICRC last week have been transferred to Mannaar hospital and admitted there under strict military surveillance, medical sources in Mannaar said. Meanwhile, twelve relatives of the patients, who accompanied them from Vanni to provide care and separated by the SLA at Oamanthai, are still languishing at Nelullku'lam internment camp. The patients in Mannaar, most of them young children and elderly, who have lost either both legs or both hands and need personal care by close family members, have urged the authorities to allow their relatives to be with them as initially facilitated by the ICRC.
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Grenade attack on Vavuniyaa TNA MP’s office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 2009, 05:42 GMT]
Unidentified persons hurled a hand grenade on the Vavuniyaa office of Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Vavuniyaa and the head of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), Saturday around 8:00 p.m, causing damage to the rear section of the office, sources in Vavuniyaa said. The office is located in Vairava Pu'liyangku'lam in Vavuniyaa.
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Muthukumar triggers off mood of defiance in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 2009, 02:11 GMT]
Muthukumar was not there but his spirit was there. The lamentable self-immolation of the youth and the last statement he distributed had significant impact especially on the youth of Tamil Nadu and triggered off a series of consequences, unprecedented in such acts earlier in Tamil Nadu. Apart from public unrest, tension and street violence, the deeper manifestation was the open public defiance of the Government of India ban against the LTTE, which the people demonstrated carrying LTTE flags, placards and images of Pirapaharan in the funeral procession of Muthukumar. The intensification of student uprising as an aftermath of his sacrifice has made the state government to close colleges indefinitely, reports a journalist from Tamil Nadu.
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200 Journalists stage protest demo in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2009, 16:25 GMT]
More than 200 journalists and media persons staged a protest demonstration at the Chennai Press Club premises Wednesday condemning the killing of journalists in Sri Lanka, particularly the assassination of Sunday Leader's editor Lasanta Wicremtunge. They condemned the fact that reporters who expose the killing of innocent Tamil civilians and children, or who document the human rights abuses in the island are being systematically eliminated by the government.
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Delhi students on hunger strike to protest Colombo's war

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2009, 13:33 GMT]
Students from different universities and colleges in New Delhi, joined by lawyers, teachers and human rights activists held a one day hunger strike Saturday expressing solidarity with Tamil people in Vanni, and protesting against the "onslaught on Tamil people in a unilateral war declared by the Sri Lanka military with a tacit understanding of the Indian Government," organizers of the event said.
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SLAF bombs refugee camp in 'secure zone' in Vanni, children among victims

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 November 2008, 08:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers attacked a refugee camp of Internally Displaced People bordering Piramanthanaa'ru and Uzhavaoor (Tharmapuram) in Ki'linochchi district in the early hours of Saturday around 1:35 a.m. Medical authorities at Tharmapuram said three persons were killed. Two, a 5-year-old child and an 80-year-old man, died at the hospital. At least 18 wounded civilians, including 7 children and 7 females, were admitted at the hospital following the indiscriminate bombardment on IDP settlement. Medical authorities described the bombardment as "terrible mid-night aerial attack on refugee camp". SLAF bombs refugee camp in Vanni, children among killed, wounded
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