MP lists occupied temples, schools in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 June 2002, 16:10 GMT]
Trincomalee parliamentarian R. Sampanthan Monday sent a letter by fax to the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe listing schools, places of worship, private lands and public buildings in the Trincomalee district which have not been vacated by the State armed forces even one hundred and fifteen have passed after signing the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers on February 23. The list included five places of worship, twelve schools and eighteen public buildings and private lands which are still in the hands of State armed forces.
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Navy should completely move out of Thiriyai - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 June 2002, 22:33 GMT]
"The Sri Lanka Navy should vacate Thiryai village completely, enabling the displaced Tamil families to resettle in the area. No resettlement or rehabilitation is possible with the presence of a large number of SLN personnel in the village," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian, speaking at a conference held Wednesday evening at the office of the Kuchchaveli Divisional Secretariat.
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PM to meet TNA over government cease-fire violations

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 June 2002, 22:31 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for talks on June 19 at the Parliamentary complex. The invitation was sent to Mr.R.Sampanthan, the leader of the TNA parliamentary group.
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Navy blocks resettlement of Tamil families in Thiriyai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 June 2002, 21:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday refused permission to a group of displaced Tamil families to enter their destroyed village, Thiriyai- a Tamil village about 42 km north of Trincomalee town- to make preliminary arrangements for their resettlement.
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Thamilchelvan, Tigers pay homage to 'Siva'

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 June 2002, 16:44 GMT]
The body of Mr. Murugesu Sivasithambaram, the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, was taken to Kilinochchi Friday afternoon. The head of the LTTE's political division Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan and other members of the organisation paid their last respects to 'Siva' at the Thooyavan College for Political Studies where the cortege lay this afternoon for homage by the public.
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LTTE ban to go ten days before Thailand talks - PM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 June 2002, 11:48 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe Wednesday assured the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will be removed ten days ahead of the commencement of the peace talks in Thailand. The Prime Minister met a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for a discussion on the peace process held Wednesday morning at his office in the parliament.
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"LTTE too taking risks with peace" -TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 June 2002, 18:01 GMT]
"There must be no assumption that it is only the government of Sri Lanka which is taking risks; it must be realized that even the LTTE is taking risks when it is engaged in the peace process," said Mr.Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group when moving an adjournment motion Tuesday in the Sri Lankan parliament. He appealed to the international Community on behalf of the Tamil National Alliance not to take any step that would prejudice the legitimate struggle of the Tamil people for equality of this country.
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Parliament to debate TNA motion on cease-fire agreement

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 June 2002, 22:21 GMT]
The adjournment motion submitted to the Speaker by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is scheduled to be taken up for a three-hour debate in the parliament Tuesday morning. The motion urges the United National Front government to take immediate steps to fully implement the confidence building measures embodied in the cease-fire agrement signed by the government and the Liberation Tigers in order to ensure that the objective of the agreement of finding a negotiated solution to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is fulfilled.
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Norwegian Deputy FM in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 May 2002, 18:09 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgessen, arrived Colombo Saturday early morning ahead of meetings with Sri Lankan government and opposition officials. He was accompanied by Mr. Jon Westborg, Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka who also returned after two weeks in Oslo, sources said.
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TNA awaits action despite assurances

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 May 2002, 14:30 GMT]
(News Feature) An alliance of four Tamil parties said Friday that Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, had “responded positively” to the three key issues they had raised: the deproscription of the Liberation Tigers, setting up of an interim administration in the northeast province and the full implementation of the cease-fire agreement before the commencement of the direct peace talks. Despite the Premier’s assurances the Tamil delegation said they remained concerned about his government’s ability to meet the promises.
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Proactive TNA role seen essential

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 May 2002, 19:20 GMT]
Nineteen civil society groups in Trincomalee Wednesday urged the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to play a proactive role in bringing to light continuing violations of the ceasefire by the Sri Lankan security forces and to take concerted steps to counter the efforts of Sinhala nationalists to discredit and scuttle the peace talks to end the conflict.
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TNA delegation meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 May 2002, 22:07 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Saturday requested the Tamil National Alliance to pressurise the Sri Lankan government for the speedy implementation of the permanent cease-fire which came into effect on February 23.
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Monks' protest leads to suspension of Temple reconstruction

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 May 2002, 07:10 GMT]
Reconstruction work of the centuries old Kanniya Pillaiyar temple has been suspended by the Trincomalee Government Agent on representations made by some Buddhist priests, who claim that the bricks found at the site belonged to the Anuradhapura period.
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PA leader slams truce agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 00:49 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka’s main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) party Thursday launched a bitter attack in Parliament on the permanent ceasefire signed by the ruling United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers in February, accusing the international truce monitors of being biased towards the Tigers.
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'Hartal' in Mutur condemning Navy atrocities

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 May 2002, 21:06 GMT]
More than fifteen thousand people took part in demonstrations and public rallies held Saturday in Mutur east, south and west protesting against the shooting incident by the Sri Lanka Navy in Nilaveli, about 14 km north of Trincomalee town, wounding two Tamil women on April 29th night. A 'hartal' (general shut down of shops and other institutions) was also observed Saturday in the Mutur and Eechilampattai divisions covering LTTE held areas and army controlled areas, sources said.
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Large crowd at Koneswaram temple water-cutting festival

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 April 2002, 14:13 GMT]
The water-cutting ('Theertha Thiruvilah') festival of the historic Koneswaram Temple in the eastern port town of Trincomalee was held Sunday - the Tamil new year day- at the holy well 'Papanasachunai' (spring of evil destruction) which is in the custody of the Sri Lanka Army's Gajaba Regiment stationed in the Fort Frederick. The Sri Lanka Army, however, allowed devotees to use the holy well Sunday.
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"LTTE-TNA decide to work united"-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 18:47 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have accepted the need to work unitedly,"said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group Saturday evening in a statement on his return to Colombo from Vanni. Mr.Sampanthan told Tamilnet that the three and a half hour meeting with the LTTE leader was a historic event.
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"NE neglected in educational development"-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 April 2002, 19:00 GMT]
"Educational development projects which have been funded by the World Bank and other countries are being implemented only in Sinhala areas. No foreign funded educational development program has been implemented in Tamil areas. This is a shameful situation. It is a blatant and disgraceful discrimination of Tamil medium schools and Tamil medium education in this country," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader speaking at the committee stage debate on the votes of Ministry of Education in parliament Monday.
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SLA opens road to Trinco's southern interior

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 April 2002, 19:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army reopened the main road linking the LTTE held southeastern interior of the Trincomalee district Friday following protests by the public. The main road, which runs close to Mahindapura army camp, was closed down for several years by the Sri Lanka Army. The reopening of this main road now enables thousands of Tamils living in more than ten villages in Eachilampathu area, southeast of Mutur to travel without getting down at Mahindapura army checkpoint from buses and other vehicles and walk through along a muddy track, Mutur sources said.
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SLA harassment continues -Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 March 2002, 19:57 GMT]
Tamil civilians residing in villages in the Eachilampathu division of the Trincomalee district, held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were being subjected to severe body checks and interrogation by government troops stationed at the Sri Lanka Army checkpoint at Mahindapura said Mr R Sampanthan, who personally witnessed these activities Saturday.
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