Abandoned villages in Trinco to be revived

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 November 2002, 02:34 GMT]
The Trincomalee District Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Committee (DRRC) met Friday and decided to take immediate steps to provide drinking water, electricity supply, education and other basic facilities to villages abandoned due to displacement following war. "We cannot allow our people to stay in refugee camps and welfare centres indefinitely after the ceasefire agreement came into force. We must see that they are resettled in their villages," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr. R. Sampanthan speaking at the meeting.
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MOH certifies 'WFP rice unfit for consumption'

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 November 2002, 22:45 GMT]
Trincomalee Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Friday informed the Multi Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) in the east port town to stop the distribution of rice supplied under the World Food Programme (WFP) project as it was found unfit for human consumption. WFP earlier this week denied a TamilNet report of October 8 that rice the UN agency had supplied was spoilt and not fit for distribution to the internally displaced in the district.
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Trinco DCC reviews resettling displaced

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 October 2002, 20:54 GMT]
Each displaced family is to be given one hundred thousand rupees as resettlement package under the rehabilitation programme which is to be implemented shortly, it was announced at the meeting of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee (DCC) held Monday.
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TNA objects to CEB Office relocation

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 08:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has protested to the government proposal of shifting the eastern regional office of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from Trincomalee in the northeast province to Anuradhapura in the North-western province.
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JVP debates NE security, TNA stages walkout

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 14:53 GMT]
Members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) staged a walk out in parliament Wednesday evening protesting at not being allocated time to speak on the adjournment motion moved by the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) censuring the United National Front (UNF) government for failing to provide security to the people of eastern province.


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Special police team to investigate Trincomalee attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 10:35 GMT]
A special team comprising senior police officers will be sent to Trincomalee to conduct full scale investigation into the gun and grenade attack on Tamil civilians on October 11 that killed three Tamil civilians and injuring about fifty. Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe took this decision after meeting with Mr. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentarian for the Trincomalee district, Tuesday, said sources. Interior Minister Mr. John Amaratunge also participated in the talks.
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All island karate contest-2002 concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 19:27 GMT]
The all island martial arts -karate tournament-2002 was held Saturday and Sunday at St Joseph’s College auditorium in Trincomalee, organised by the district branch of the Sri Lanka Martial Arts-Do-Association and sponsored by the UNICEF.
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TNA writes to PM on Trinco violence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 21:11 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance MP, Mr.R.Sampanthan Tuesday said that the lives of three Tamil civilians who died in the grenade attack last week in Trincomalee, might have been saved had the attackers not prevented two ambulances, one bringing medical officers and the other dispatched from Muttur, from reaching the injured. In a fax sent to the Prime Minister the MP said, "the deliberate inaction of the Police contributed to this tragedy."
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TNA calls for Tamil home guard

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 03:12 GMT]
The security of the Tamil people can no longer be left in the hands of Sinhala dominated Army and Police, the Trincomalee district parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr. R. Sampanthan, told Sri Lanka’s Interior Minister, Mr. John Amaratunge Sunday afternoon. Arguing “the security of Tamils should be entrusted to Tamil youths,” the TNA leader urged the Minister to take immediate steps to form home guards units comprising Tamils.
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Thousands attend funerals in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 October 2002, 14:15 GMT]
Thousands attended the funerals in Trincomalee of three civilians killed in Friday's grenade attack blamed on Sri Lanka Police and Sinhala paramilitaries. The funerals were held Sunday at the Hindu cemetery in Trincomalee, following last respects at the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall from 1 p.m. till around 3 p.m.
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Premier to act after 3 Tamil civilian deaths

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 09:01 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians were killed and about twenty others were wounded, eight critically, in Trincomalee Friday in firing and grenade attacks blamed on Sri Lankan police and Sinhala paramilitaries. The killings occurred amid calls for a general shut down (hartal) in the east port town condemning the killings Wednesday of seven Tamil demonstrators by Special Task Force commandos in Ampara district.
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TNA condemns Kanchirankuda killings, demands STF withdrawal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 14:02 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday strongly condemned the attack by the Special Task Force (STF) on unarmed Tamil civilians at Kanchirankuda in Thirukovil area of the Amparai district . “We suspect that this was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the peace process,” said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group in a statement issued to the press Thursday.
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TNA presses PM for immediate action on prisoner release

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 17:24 GMT]
The adjournment motion moved by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in parliament regarding the hunger strike of Tamil political prisoners that has entered eighth day would be taken up for debate pending on the outcome of the top-level talks the TNA parliamentarians are scheduled to have Wednesday with the Prime Minister (PM) and the Attorney General, sources said. Tamil political prisoners detained at Welikada, Kalutara and other prisons are on hunger strike since October 1 demanding their immediate release.
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Minister Morogoda visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 11:31 GMT]
The Minister of Economic Reforms, Mr.Milinda Morogoda accompanied by the Commander of Sri Lanka Army Lt.General Lionel Balagalle and Peace Secretariat Secretary General Mr.Bernard Gunatilake visited Trincomalee Sunday morning and attended a top-level conference at the Police Headquarters. Later in the afternoon the party led by Minister Morogoda held talks with the Tamil National Alliance leader Mr.R.Sampanthan at latter's residence regarding the two LTTE members in remand and six SLA soldiers of the SLA in the custody of the LTTE.
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Police blamed for inaction as Trinco protest turns unruly

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 20:27 GMT]
A general shut down ('hartal') organised by a group of Sinhalese youths setting up roadblocks and burning tyres disrupted the normal life in Trincomalee and its suburbs this Friday. The Hartal was held in support of a sit-in-protest campaign started by relatives of the six soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army now in the custody of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Saddened that he didn’t join LTTE says PA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 15:04 GMT]
Mr. V. Puththirasihamani, a leading Tamil trade union leader and MP of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance said Wednesday that he was saddened that hadn’t joined the Liberation Tigers yet after seeing the violence perpetrated on Jaffna. He was addressing a meeting between the parents and relatives of missing persons in the peninsula and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights at the Jaffna District Secretariat, Thursday morning.
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Lt.Col Thileepan death anniversary concludes in NE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 September 2002, 20:10 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have begun peace negotiations with the United National Front government sincerely and with confidence that we can achieve full autonomy based on Tamil nationality, Tamil homeland and the right of self determination" said the Head of the LTTE's Judiciary Mr. Pararajasingham addressing the concluding ceremony of the week long observance in honour of the Tiger martyr Lt.Colonel Thileepan in Poonthottam, Vavuniya Thursday morning.
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North East Tamil-Muslim unity stressed

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 September 2002, 19:21 GMT]
"Sinhalese politicians have now realized that they can no longer adopt divide and rule policy between Tamils and Muslims when serious negotiations are in progress to resolve the ethnic conflict," said Mr. R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance leader and district parliamentarian addressing the Tamil language day celebrations held Monday in Trincomalee. Tamils and Muslims should shed their differences, especially in the northeast province, if we are to achieve sustainable peace, Mr.Sampanthan appealed.
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Repeal PTA, release political prisoners -CHRD

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 September 2002, 06:49 GMT]
The Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) Sunday held a one-day seminar in Trincomalee Town Hall to mobilize the support of the people for an agitation campaign demanding the repeal of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the release of all Tamil political prisoners now being held in various prisons in the south.
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LTTE committed to peace -Pathuman

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 02:51 GMT]
"We are firmly committed to peace. But keeping a strong, well trained military force is essential for achieving legitimate aspirations of the Tamils, said Pathuman addressing a gathering Thursday evening at Chenaiyoor Central College grounds south of the eastern port town of Trincomalee after taking salute at the passing out parade for new LTTE recruits.
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