NE observes Lt. Col.Thileepan death anniversary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 September 2002, 23:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sunday commenced commemorating the fifteenth death anniversary of one of its senior commander Lt.Colonel Thileepan throughout the Tamil dominated northeastern province including Sri Lanka Army held areas for the first time. Lt.Col.Thileepan started his fast unto death agitation fifteen years ago on 15th September, 1987 putting forward five demands to be implemented following the signing of Indo-Sri Lanka agreement in a bid to solve the country's ethnic conflict.
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TNA urges PM to put off NE local polls

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 September 2002, 16:00 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Wednesday urged Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to postpone elections to local government bodies in the northeast scheduled to be held on 25 September. The polls were postponed in March this year upon a request by the TNA that the situation was not conducive at the time. The Elections Commission said last week that the polls to the local authorities will have to be held as scheduled unless the law is amended.
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Special prayers in Trincomalee supporting peace talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 September 2002, 19:00 GMT]
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians in Trincomalee district Friday prayed for the success of peace at special ceremonies held at their respective places of worship. Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan and TNA national list parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham attended prayers at the historic Koneswaram Temple, Jamaliya Mosque and Uppuveli Buddhist Vihare Friday. Trincomalee district UNF parliamentarian Mr.M.A.M.Maharoof attended the special prayer held at Jamaliya Mosque along with TNA parliamentarians.
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TNA tells Chandrika to shun JVP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 September 2002, 19:28 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Thursday said that President Chandrika Kumaratunge should not take any decisions regarding the peace process on the guidance of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).”Instead it is essential for her to take decisions in the interests of the country and of finding a permanent and just solution to the ethnic conflict,” said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group in a statement issued Thursday, welcoming the de-proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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TNA meets Armitage

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 August 2002, 09:35 GMT]
"The United States of America should help the Tamils to find an alternate and just political solution to their longstanding problems while reiterating its stand against the division of the country," the delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told the visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Mr. Richard Armitage when it met the latter at the official residence of the US ambassador in Colombo Thursday evening.
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US Deputy Secretary of State visits Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 August 2002, 11:36 GMT]
The United States Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Richard Armitage, visited Chavakachcheri Urban Council grounds Thursday morning accompanied by Sri Lanka’s Economic Reforms Minister Mr. Milinda Morogoda, Defence Ministry Secretary Mr. Austin Fernando, US Ambassador in Colombo Mr. Ashely Wills and the three heads of the armed forces. While touring the Chavakachcheri area, the visiting US diplomat said, "It reminds me of Vietnam where I served for six years. This shows the urgent need of finding a political solution to Sri Lanka's crisis."
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'Economic recovery depends on permanent solution' -Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 August 2002, 21:35 GMT]
"The economy of the country will be improved only when the interim administration starts functioning with necessary powers to develop the Northeast province following the Thailand peace talks scheduled to be held in mid September," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group when addressing the fifth and final day of the 'Yuga Thekma' industrial exhibition held in Trincomalee esplanade.
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TNA accuses 'PA playing dual role'

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 August 2002, 21:46 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Monday accused the main opposition People’s Alliance playing a dual role regarding the present peace process brokered by the Norwegians. "The People’s Alliance should come forward to tell its clear stand on the peace process now being taken forward by the United National Front government," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group participating in the debate of no confidence motion against the Interior Minister John Amaratunge.
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Resettlement to commence after demining Thiriyai village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 August 2002, 09:20 GMT]
Five hundred and thirteen displaced Tamil families are to be resettled in Thiriyai village in the Trincomalee district in the first stage during September after demining is completed. "The Prime Minister has allocated five million rupees for the resettlement in addition to 3.5 million rupees already allocated," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian addressing a top level conference held Friday evening at the Trincomalee district secretariat. The Government Agent Mr.N.H.K.Nelumdeniya presided.
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Meetings as troop relocation deadline is missed

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 August 2002, 00:32 GMT]
(News Feature) As the last of the stipulated deadlines for the Sri Lanka military to withdraw from civilian properties passed Thursday without the related terms of the government’s ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers being implemented, international monitors met with senior LTTE officers to discuss the truce while Tamil parliamentarians protested to the Prime Minister.
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TNA to meet Ranil before Vanni visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 July 2002, 16:44 GMT]
The Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians for an important discussion about the current state of the peace process. The meeting comes a day ahead of the last deadline mentioned in the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) between the Liberation Tigers and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe's government.
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Confession based convicted to be released

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 July 2002, 22:08 GMT]
Tamil political prisoners who have been indicted solely on their confessions should be released it was agreed at a top level conference held Thursday evening at Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence. It was also decided that immediate steps should be taken to dispose of all other cases within a month.
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Tigers’ armed struggle for justice - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 00:17 GMT]
The armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers has just objectives, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader said Tuesday addressing a gathering at the conclusion of one day token fast held in Trincomalee Monday evening in protest at the continued detention of Tamil Nadu politician Mr. V. Gopalasamy.
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TNA protests military expansion in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 July 2002, 02:16 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Tuesday requested the Sri Lankan government to halt the establishment of new army camps and the expansion of existing camps in the Thenmaradchi area of the Jaffna peninsula, citing the impossibility of resettling displaced people to their homes under such circumstances.
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TNA requests India to release 'VAIKO'

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 July 2002, 17:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance has appealed to the Indian government and the Tamil Nadu state government to release Vaiko Y.Gopalasamy, leader of the Makkal DMK and others who have been arrested. "The arrest of 'VAIKO' on the ground that he was supportive of the LTTE and his being remanded causes deep anguish to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka," said in a statement issued by the TNA Friday.
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Trinco arrests violate ceasefire agreement - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 July 2002, 20:37 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday expressed its strong disapproval of a tendency on the part of some sections of the Armed Forces, to take in custody unarmed members of the Liberation Tigers, who are entitled to freedom of movement in the north and east under the provisions of 1.13 of the cease-fire agreement. "The arrests of five unarmed members of Liberation Tigers Wednesday in Trincomalee by the security forces are a violation of the said provision of the cease-fire agreement," said Mr. Mr.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the TNA and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a statement issued Thursday.
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New TNA national list MP from Muttur east

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 June 2002, 20:12 GMT]
The central working committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front Sunday unanimously decided to appoint Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham from Mutur-east as its National List parliamentarian to fill the vacancy created by the demise of late leader Mr. Murugesu Sivasithambaram. The Secretary General of the TULF Mr.R.Sampanthan will inform the decision of the party to the Speaker of the parliament next week, party sources said.
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'Velanai attack an attempt to derail peace process' - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 June 2002, 22:34 GMT]
"The Tamil National Alliance views the Velanai attack on Liberation Tigers political activists by the Sri Lanka Navy and some men wearing masks as an attempt to derail the peace process and to disrupt the implementation of the ceasefire agreement," said TNA parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan in a statement issued Friday night.
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"cease-fire agreement has not conferred normalcy on Tamils in northeast" -TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 19:24 GMT]
"The cease-fire agreement signed by the government with the Liberation Tigers 120 days ago, has not yet conferred on all the Tamil people of the Northeast all the freedoms to carry on a normal life, freedoms that have been conferred on all other people in all parts of the country, including the Northeast," the Tamil National Alliance delegation Wednesday told the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at a conference held at the parliament complex.
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'Thiriyai destruction deliberate' - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 15:47 GMT]
"The destruction of the Thiriyai Tamil village appears to have been deliberate: there were no attacks and counter attacks in the village in the course of which the destruction could have occurred. The destruction has also been total. Such a deliberate attack should have had a clear objective. It appears to me that the objective was to prevent the displaced Tamil people returning to Thiriyai," Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentarian from Trincomalee, told the Prime Minister Wednesday morning at a discussion between the delegations of the TNA and the United National Front government.
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