P-TOMS Court action, a true tragedy - Prof Plate

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 July 2005, 15:52 GMT]
Expressing his view that that the stay order by Sri Lanka's Supreme Court suspending four key provisions of the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) "a true tragedy," Prof Tom Plate of University of California, Los Angeles, told TamilNet that he is optimistic that aid dollars will still go to NorthEast.
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Kumaratunge meets Tokyo co-chairs

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 July 2005, 15:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga met with diplomatic representatives of the four Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference Monday to discuss the current state of the peace process and the status of the CeaseFire Agreement (CFA), a media release issued by SL President's Office said. On 15 July the co-chairs issued a statement expressing alarm at the escalating violence, and called on the LTTE to stop killings, and the Government of Sri Lanka to disarm all paramilitaries and to guarantee security to unarmed LTTE cadres.
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Disarming paramilitaries vital for peace - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 10:34 GMT]
LTTE's Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, after meeting with a Norwegian delegation Wednesday morning in Kilinochchi told the press that the ceasefire monitors did not bring any new message that will improve the deteriorating ground conditions in the NorthEast. He accused Colombo and the Sri Lankan armed forces for nurturing and promoting paramilitary groups in the SLA held areas of the NorthEast in violation of clause 1.8 of the CFA. "We stressed to Norwegian delegation the urgency of disarming the paramilitaries according to the terms of the CFA," Thamilchelvan told the reporters.
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A9 travellers checked at gunpoint

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 14:40 GMT]
Passengers reaching Jaffna from Colombo Tuesday evening said that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were checking the travellers on A9 at gunpoint at a newly constructed checkpoint at Arasankulam, 1 km. south of Omanthai checkpoint.
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Peace co-chairs call for end to violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 11:25 GMT]
In a press release issued by the US Embassy in Colombo Tuesday, the Co-chairs for Sri Lanka Peace Process expressed alarm at the escalating violence called on the LTTE to stop killings, and the Government of Sri Lanka to disarm all paramilitaries and to guarantee security to unarmed LTTE cadres.
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Colombo's political drama shatters hopes for peace- LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 July 2005, 03:14 GMT]
"As Tamil people have repeatedly witnessed in their tortuous history of the past several decades, Colombo has shown its reluctance to provide remedies to Tamil people even after humanitarian disasters of colossal proportions. Sinhala leaders under severe international pressure, signed the deal after dragging for six long months, the Sinhala chauvinists then staged protests to derail the deal, and when all techniques were exhausted Sinhala nationalists engaged the willing apex court to use constitutional reasoning to scuttle the deal," said S P Thamilchelvan after a 4-hour long meeting with the TNA leaders in Kilinochchi Sunday.
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Security beefed up in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 July 2005, 10:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka President's Official residence and adjoining streets have been declared as high security zone, The Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) Poojitha Jayasundera who is in-charge of the Colombo's security said that the declaration of the high-security zone areas around the President's official residence has been already gazetted last Friday.
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Bodies of LTTE cadres buried in Alankulam cemetery

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 July 2005, 01:34 GMT]
Bodies of Lieutenant Colonel Dikkan alias Vengai, Second Lieutenant Ilampuli and Anushan Kulasingham of the National Auxiliary Force who were gunned down by an armed group Sunday at Chelvanayakapuram in Trincomalee were buried at Alankulam cemetery in LTTE controlled Muttur east Tuesday evening with full military honours, sources said.
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Trinco mourns deaths of LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 10:11 GMT]
"The ceasefire now in operation has become a question mark because of the complicity and collusion of a section of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) with paramilitaries in attacking unarmed LTTE cadres doing political work in army controlled areas," said Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head Monday evening at the meeting held in Trincomalee esplanade to pay last respects to LTTE cadres killed in the Sunday Chelvanayakapuram attack, sources said.
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Colombo responds to LTTE ultimatum

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 July 2005, 13:43 GMT]
"...Government has requested SLMM personnel to be present on the buses with the LTTE cadres and SL Army escorts," said a media release by the Government of Sri Lanka in response to LTTE's request to ensure security to LTTE cadres when they are transported in the east. The LTTE also demanded a response before 15 July.
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Trinco to observe day of mourning, hartal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 July 2005, 18:11 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) Sunday appealed to Tamil people of the east port town to observe a day of mourning on Monday and a general shut down ('hartal') on Tuesday when the bodies of two LTTE members and two civilians who were gunned down in Chelvanayakapuram are expected to be buried at Alankulam LTTE war cemetery, sources said.
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TNA condemns Chelvanayakapuram killings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 July 2005, 17:14 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday condemned the Chelvanayakapuram killings and said that the motive of the attack is the disruption of the ceasefire agreement. "The government cannot be unmindful of its obligation to take the maximum possible measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur. It is necessary for the Government to take steps to erase the impression of collusion or complicity in such attacks," said in the press release signed by Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader.
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NorthEast Governor visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 July 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Fishermen from Pesalai and Talaimannar in Mannar district Friday complained to NorthEast Governor Mr.Tyronne Fernando that deepening of the Palk Straits under the Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) would destroy the breeding ground of fish in the sea territory close to Mannar shore. Mr.Tyronne Fernando during his one-day visit to Mannar Friday afternoon met with groups of fishermen in Pesalai and Talaimannar separately and inquired about their grievances and difficulties, Mannar district secretariat sources said.
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Australian envoy, Japanese officials visit Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 July 2005, 20:14 GMT]
Dr.Greg French, High Commissioner of Australia in Sri Lanka, Wednesday paid an official visit to Mannar district and held discussions with the Mannar Government Mr.V.Visvalingam. Australian envoy was accompanied by his Second Secretary (Political Section) Mr. Will Nankerrif and Mr.Alex Knox, Development Programme Specialist in the Australian Agency for International Development, sources said.
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LTTE issues 2 weeks ultimatum for ensuring travel safety

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 June 2005, 09:05 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday in a crucial meeting with members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) demanded that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) should provide a clear response on procedures to ensure safety of travel for LTTE cadres in the east. Head of LTTE Political Wing told Scandinavian delegation that Tigers will resume their own armed escort if the GoSL fails to provide satisfactory response within two weeks, sources from Vanni said.
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Welikande attack raises questions on Colombo's bona fides- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 June 2005, 05:36 GMT]
Pointing out the Welikanda attack on the LTTE convoy in the presence of SLMM members as a qualitative change for the worse in the shadow war in the East, Eelanaatham, the popular daily published in Vanni, said in its editorial Wednesday that the attack has shattered hopes of peace after the signing of the aid deal and has further endangered the survival of the fragile Cease Fire Agreement.
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Alternative to P-TOMS: abolition of CFA, return to war- Prof Oberst

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 June 2005, 22:44 GMT]
Warning that failure of P-TOMS will lead to a breakdown in CFA and possible return to war, Robert C. Oberst, Professor of Political Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University, said on the Muslim question, "Although the way in which the P-TOMS was created is an insult to the Muslim community, the actual document appears to enhance their power," when TamilNet asked for his views on the aid deal signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers.
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US welcomes signing of agreement on Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 June 2005, 09:02 GMT]
Welcoming the signing of the agreement to create a joint mechanism on tsunami reconstruction, Embassy of the United States of America in Colombo in a press release ssued on Monday said that the mechanism, if implemented properly, will help to ensure efficient and equitable reconstruction assistance to those whose lives were devastated by the South Asia tsunami in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The US statement urged both parties to take all possible steps to see that the ceasefire is observed and strengthened.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister welcomes signing of aid deal

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 13:49 GMT]
Congratulating the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for officially reaching agreement on the joint management structure for the effective and equitable reconstruction and development of the tsunami-affected areas in the North and East, Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr Jan Petersen, on Friday, urged the parties to rapidly establish the joint structure for the benefit of all affected by the tsunami, and to make judicious use of this opportunity to build mutual confidence to advance the peace process through their cooperation on reconstruction. Working closely with Muslims will key for effective implementation of the joint mechanism, Petersen said in his message.
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Amnesty condemns rights violations by GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 20:20 GMT]
Amnesty International accused the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) of torture in police custody, continued impunity for security forces against rights violations and for the presence of threat to religious minorities, in its report covering events from January to December 2004. Amnesty drew attention to the "dramatic increase in politically motivated killings," after renegade commander Muralitharan's split and accused the LTTE of continued recruitment of children, acknowledging the LTTE released "large number of child soldiers...."
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