Cushnahan clarifies discussion with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 February 2004, 00:01 GMT]
Mr. John Walls Cushnahan, Member of the European Parliament, clarified to TamilNet Wednesday details regarding his discussion with Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, political leader of the Liberation Tigers, when he met him on February 6, 2004. “I said that I fully understood the dangers of their [LTTE’s] supporters becoming disillusioned with the peace process if it was not perceived to be delivering improvements to the quality of life in the North East and in this regard I appreciated the difficulties caused by the current political stalemate [in Colombo],” Mr. Cushnahan said in his clarification.
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Sports activities in Muttur given a boost

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 2004, 02:31 GMT]
One hundred and fifty thousand worth of sports gear and other related equipment were distributed to forty one youth service and sports clubs in the Liberation Tigers-held villages in the Muttur east in Trincomalee district during the past weekend. "The supply of sports gear would certainly give a boost to the development of sports activities in rural areas in the Trincomalee and to produce sport persons achieving national level," a sports official said.
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EU assures support to North-East development

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 2004, 15:22 GMT]
Mr. John Cushnahan, Member of the European Parliament, Friday assured the visiting delegation of the Liberation Tigers’ political division in Brussels, Belgium, that the European Union would provide support for the rehabilitation and development of the North-East, LTTE sources said.
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"No back-door link with LTTE"- Harim Peiris

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 2004, 17:13 GMT]
"The President is not trying to establish a back-door link with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," said Sri Lanka President's spokesperson Mr.Harim Peiris commenting on a report that Defense Ministry Secretary Mr. Cyril Herath has written a letter to LTTE Peace Secretariat head Mr.Pulithevan, media sources said.


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World Vision funds Ferry Service, Model Farm

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 2004, 00:01 GMT]
Mr.Yu Hua Li, National Director of World Vision International, Friday, inaugurated two projects, a ferry costing Rs.3.5 million in Mandoor, and a new Model farm costing Rs.20m in Thampalavattai, civil sources in Batticaloa said. Both projects were funded by World Vision which is Christian Relief Organization.


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Ten youths from UNICEF list sent to Kilinochchi Transit Center

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 18:04 GMT]
A Committee, appointed by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), while reviewing the UNICEF underage list has so far found four boys and six girls to be under 18 years old, LTTE's media co-ordinator, Daya Master, told TamilNet. The youths are being sent to the Kilinochchi Children Transit Camp today. They were all found to have feigned their ages by submitting false papers when they joined the movement, Daya Master added.
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Thondaman raises questions on alliance call

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 13:15 GMT]
Arumugam Thondaman, Leader of Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), responding to Minister Chandrasekaran's call to form a national alliance with NorthEast Tamil parties, said that there are fundamental questions related to the need for such alliance, local media in Jaffna reported.


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‘Donors can assist through local organisations’- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 10:39 GMT]
“During our visit, we will explain to European governments that the immediate humanitarian needs of our people require urgent attention. We will explain to them that the political impasse in Colombo should not delay this anymore. Therefore donor nations can disburse funds for urgent humanitarian needs through organisations here and through our own mechanisms”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE’s political division, speaking to the press in Kilinochchi before flying to Colombo on Tuesday for a visit to Europe.
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LTTE expresses 'serious concern' over Indo-Lanka defence pact

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 14:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has expressed serious concern over the envisaged Indo-Sri Lankan Defence Agreement (DCA) arguing that it could have far-reaching negative consequences for the current peace process, sources told TamilNet Monday.
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Rule of Law, values said basis of Tamil society

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 2004, 10:02 GMT]
“Foreigners who visit the Vanni assume that two decades of war would have torn apart the fabric of our society. They expect a total break down of law and order; that crime and corruption would be rife as in societies ravaged by war in other parts of the world. They tell us they are surprised that, instead, they see a society where the Rule of Law prevails, where high social, moral and cultural values are still earnestly upheld. ”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, addressing the fourth convocation of the Tamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi in Sunday.
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UNICEF underage list under review - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 20:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), responding to a report released by UNICEF which expressed concern in the use of "children as soldiers," said that only about 10% of the individuals listed by the UNICEF as below 18 years have birth certificates and that a 3-person committee is reviewing UNICEF's list, taking steps to ascertain the ages of the rest of the individuals.


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Chandrasekaran calls for a Joint Tamil Front

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 13:41 GMT]
Mr.Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, Leader of the Upcountry People's Front and a Member of Parliament for the Nuwara Eliya district appealed to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to join forces with parties of upcountry Tamils to strengthen the political power of Tamils. "Tamils should unite to consolidate their political power if we are to effectively confront the re-emerging unification of Sinhala chauvinist forces," said Mr.Chandrasekaran talking to reporters after meeting LTTE's Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi today.
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'Singhalese should reject chauvinist forces'- LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 11:25 GMT]
“If the Sinhala people elect racist political leaders at the next election then Tamils might have to decide their own future. The Sinhala people should identify and reject chauvinist forces among them. It is in the hands of the Singhalese to prevent another bloodbath in this island," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the Liberation Tigers political division during a goodwill meeting with journalists from the northeast in Kilinochchi Friday.
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JVP-SLFP MoU introduces new complexity- Akashi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 07:54 GMT]
"We declined to accept Mr. Akashi’s invitation to participate in Sri Lanka donors’ conference in Colombo tomorrow because there is no political stability and unified leadership of government in Colombo now. Our participation in this circumstance would cause doubts in the minds of the Tamil people," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, speaking to the press at the conclusion of his meeting with Japan’s special representative to Sri Lanka Thursday in Kilinochchi. Mr. Akashi told presspersons the JVP-SLFP MoU ''introduces a new complexity to Sri Lanka."
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Akashi, Thamilchelvan discuss NE development, peace crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 06:32 GMT]
Mr. Yashushi Akashi, Japan's special representative to Sri Lanka began discussions with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers on development strategies for Northeast and recent political developments in Colombo in Kilinochchi Thursday from 11.30 a.m.
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Thamilchelvan deplores Sri Lanka President's 'arbitrary action'

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 10:40 GMT]
The Sri Lankan "governing apparatus that should take forward the peace process with commitment and sufficient strength is in shambles. This no doubt is an imminent threat to the maintenance of the ceasefire with due integrity," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division addressing the conference of northeast donors Monday in Kilinochchi. He said that "the arbitrary action" of Sri Lanka’s President "has created problems of vast magnitude vis-à-vis the integrity of the CFA and the progress of the political negotiations."
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Northeast donor conference begins in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 06:25 GMT]
The donor conference on northeast development and rehabilitation began as scheduled at the Planning Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers in Kilinochchi at 11.30 a.m. Monday, LTTE officials said. Diplomats and officials from Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Germany, France European Union, ADB, World Bank, JICA, JBIC, UNDP, UNICEF and CIDA are taking part in the meeting. Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of political division, is leading the LTTE team at the conference, officials in Kilinochchi told TamilNet.
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‘Sinhala leaders not interested in peace proposals’ - Ilamparuthy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 18:00 GMT]
“Events which followed the submission of our proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA)- take over of ministries, the campaign to whip up Sinhala extremism- showed that Sinhala leaders are not interested in negotiations,” said Mr. C. Ilamparuthi, head of the LTTE’s political division in Jaffna, addressing a meeting in Oslo Saturday to mark the eleventh death anniversary of Col. Kittu, a senior Tiger commander. He urged India to come forward to develop a positive relationship with the LTTE.
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NE development conference to be held in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 06:11 GMT]
The political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, is to preside over a high-level development conference at the Kilinochchi Development Secretariat on Monday, January 19, sources said. The representatives of the Sri Lanka donors' summit held in Tokyo in Japan last year are scheduled to meet in Colombo on January 23 to review the present political situation in Colombo, and the Kilinochchi conference will be a prelude to that meeting, the sources said.
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Tigers await Colombo outcome, vow to observe truce

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 00:07 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have given a solemn pledge to the Norwegian facilitators of the peace process in Sri Lanka that their organization would abide by the terms and conditions of the two year old cease-fire agreement and maintain peace, irrespective of the continuing turmoil in Colombo.
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