All 20 TNA Parliamentarians issue joint statement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2004, 04:42 GMT]
"In view of the speculative reports in the media, all Members of Parliament elected from the North-Eastern region in the name of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi emphatically state that we are unequivocally and irrevocably committed to the political aspirations of the Tamil people for over the past fifty years for self rule in a unified north-eastern region, which has been the acknowledged as the area of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people," said 20 Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians in a joint statement issued Wednesday night after two days of discussions held in Colombo.
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‘TNA should speak up for upcountry Tamils’ – UPF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 April 2004, 19:49 GMT]
The leader of the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF), Mr. Periyannan Chandrasekaran, speaking to the Press after he met with the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, on Tuesday, said that on behalf of the UPF, he would request the 22 Tamil National Alliance MPs to speak up about the problems of the Upcountry Tamil people, and that he would come to an understanding with the TNA in Sri Lanka's parliament without supporting any Southern parties, sources said.
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Western province Tamil leader meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 April 2004, 19:09 GMT]
The leader of the Western Province People’s Front (WPPF), Mr. Mano Ganesan, who has been elected MP in the general elections held on April 2, met with the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at the latter’s secretariat in Kilinochchi at 5:00 pm on Tuesday and held discussions on wide ranging issues, including the Southern political situation in the aftermath of the elections and on taking forward the peace process, sources said.
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Pongu Thamil calls on UN to recognize Tamil aspirations

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 April 2004, 15:27 GMT]
At the Pongu Thamil event held Monday in front of the United Nations' Offices in Geneva, Switzerland, the participants from the Tamil Diaspora pointed out the Tamil aspirations endorsed by the Tamil people in the General Elections on April 2 by an overwhelming majority, and called on the U.N. and the international community to recognize the aspirations in finding a lastintg solution to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka.
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Massive Pongu Thamil Convergence of European Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 April 2004, 12:39 GMT]
The Pongu Thamil event started at 14:40 European time on Monday at the Central Railway station in Geneva, Switzerland, with a speech by Mr. V. Rudrakumaran, the legal advisor of the Liberation Tigers, and the number of participants exceeded the organizers' expectations, sources said.
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Geneva Pongu Thamil expects more than 10,000 participants

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 April 2004, 11:08 GMT]
In a press conference held at Hotel Warwich in Geneva at 11.15am today, the organizers of Pongu Thamil (Tamil uprising) said that they expect around 12000 participants in the rally set towards UN Buildings in Geneva from the Railway station of Geneva. Because of the tightened security due to the recent terror-attacks in Europe, the organizers expect delays for participants from various parts of Europe arriving at the venue, sources in Geneva said.
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Vanni election results released

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 April 2004, 17:56 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance scored 90834 votes in the Vanni electoral district, according to results released by its chief returning officer, Mr. K. Ganesh, Saturday evening. The total number of valid votes polled in the district is 140377. The TNA got five of the six Parliamentary seats of Vanni. The United National Front got the sixth seat by polling 33540 votes.


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TNA leads by massive majorities in Jaffna electorates

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2004, 23:45 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is leading all the electorates of the Jaffna District by vast majorities, elections officials in the north said in the early hours of Saturday morning. In the Udupiddy electorate of Jaffna, for which results were made available, the TNA (contesting as Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi) got 24176 votes. The paramilitary group EPDP polled 874 votes and the Independent Group No. 1 led by Mr. V. Anandasangaree got only 362 votes in the Udupiddy electorate in Jaffna.
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"Thanthai” Chelva remembered on 106th birthday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 March 2004, 04:15 GMT]
The 106th birthday of the late Tamil leader and the founder of the Federal Party (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi -ITAK), Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam, falls on Wednesday. Tamils in the country, who still fondly remember Mr. Chelvanayakam as “Thanthai (father) Chelva,” will celebrate the late leader's birthday Wednesday at a time when the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is contesting the forthcoming general elections on the ITAK ticket, with its HOUSE symbol revived after 37 years, political sources said.
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Shadow Internet edition of Tamil Alai launched

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 March 2004, 15:38 GMT]
A shadow edition of Tamil Alai, a newspaper controlled by the renegade Karuna group in Kokkadichcholai in Batticaloa, appeared on the internet on Monday with the name “Thamil Alai,” competing with the Karuna group’s internet edition and signaling growing disenchantment in the East with the renegade group, sources said.
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Thampalakamam residents march in support of TNA

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 March 2004, 01:11 GMT]
Hundreds of villagers including women and children participated in a four km procession in Thampalakamam, Sunday afternoon carrying photographs of the LTTE national leader Mr.Velupillai Pirapaharan and shouting slogans in support of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidates, sources said.
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Navy prevents TNA candidate from entering Mandaitivu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 March 2004, 23:37 GMT]
The General Secretary of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and the lead candidate of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the Jaffna electoral district, Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, has requested the Commissioner of Elections to make necessary arrangements for TNA candidates to visit areas close to the high security zones in the Jaffna peninsula.
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US Tamils call for show of unity

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 March 2004, 02:46 GMT]
"It is the duty of every Tamil speaking person in Sri Lanka, regardless of his/her political alignment, religious affiliation, region of residence, or even personal biases, to set aside all such considerations and support this hard earned Tamil unity...[We] wish to humbly and earnestly request ALL Eelam Tamils to exercise their franchise on April 2nd, 2004, conscientiously," said United States-based expatriate Tamil organizations in an appeal issued Tuesday.
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Brattskar, Harrold meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 March 2004, 11:10 GMT]
Mr. Peter Harrold, Country Director for World Bank in Sri Lanka and the Ambassador for Norway Mr. Hans Brattskar met with Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing in its Head Quarters in Kilinochchi Tuesday. The meeting focussed on issues related to NorthEast development, current political situation and forthcoming general elections, sources said.
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TNA holds record election meetings in Muttur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 March 2004, 10:35 GMT]
"The current ceasefire has been signed and peace talks commenced with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when the successive governments in Colombo failed to destroy the LTTE militarily. This should be clearly borne in every one's mind," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the lead candidate of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) contesting the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district when addressing a series of election meetings held in Muttur division from morning till late in the night of Sunday.
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Women, key to nation building - Ms.Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 March 2004, 00:26 GMT]
"I feel our freedom is near our door-step. Tamil men and women have a duty to welcome this freedom and fully engage themselves in nation building activities. Particularly our women have a significant role to play in building our nation," said Pathmini Sithamparanathan, first woman candidate standing for elections in Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ticket in Jaffna, talking to the Canadian Tamil Radio, Monday.
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Sampanthan to address TNA election rallies in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 March 2004, 18:31 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Mr.R.Sampanthan is scheduled to attend several election rallies in Jaffna electoral district Tuesday. He will fly to Palaly from Colombo Tuesday afternoon after meeting the ambassadors of the member countries of the European Union (EU), TNA sources said.


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Jaffna voters urged to elect woman candidate

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 March 2004, 13:19 GMT]
"About sixty percent of our cadres who crushed the military operation "Ginihera" of the Sri Lanka Army in Muhamalai area were women. The credit for the Muhamalai victory goes to our women cadres," said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Jaffna district political head, Mr.C.Ilamparuthi, introducing Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan at an election meeting held Saturday in Jaffna Veerasingham Hall, sources said.
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Anandasangaree case postponed

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 March 2004, 16:19 GMT]
The Colombo District Judge Mr.D.Ganepola gave time till May 10 for the two respondents, Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, Secretary General and Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) respectively, to file their objections to the petition filed by the President of the TULF Mr. Veerasingham Anandasangaree, legal sources said.


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Pongu Thamil demonstration to UN

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 March 2004, 13:02 GMT]
The International Co-ordinating Committee of the Liberation Tigers is organizing a 'Pongu Thamil (Tamil Uprising)' march to the United Nations Head Office, Geneva on 5 April, and has called support of expatriate Tamils. "This is the time when the united strength of the Tamils is poised to become the decisive factor in Sri Lanka's history. Once again it has become a vital necessity for the Tamils of the world to show their united strength," the organizers said in a memorandum released to the press Friday.
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