Jaffna GA denies TamilNet report

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2003, 11:01 GMT]
In a letter sent to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and forwarded to TamilNet "on advise of the Hon. Minister Prof. Jayalath Jeyawardena, MP," the GA, Mr. S. Pathmanathan categorically denied stating that the government of Sri Lanka “had not spent a red cent for rehabilitation and development in Jaffna for the last two years” at a meeting in Chavakachcheri on 27 December. The TamilNet correspondent who covered the meeting and took photographs of the event said he stands by his story.
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Teacher shortage imperils NorthEast education - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 December 2003, 19:21 GMT]
"The quality of education in Tamil medium schools in the North East province is very adversely affected from the level of primary education through the level of secondary education as a result of the severe shortage of Tamil medium teachers," and dismal student performance at the GCE (advanced level) examination is a direct result of this shortage, said the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance Mr.R.Sampanthan in a six page letter sent to the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Monday.


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Postmortem of xenophobia

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2003, 18:10 GMT]
The preliminary report by the Sri Lanka Police on the rioting at the funeral of the Buddhist monk, Ven. Gangodawila Soma, was handed over to the Inspector General of Police this weekend. Five persons were severely assaulted by angry Sinhala Buddhist mourners at the funeral. Four of these were attacked because they looked like Tamils. But all of them were later confirmed to be Sinhala Buddhists, Police sources said. The crowd assaulted the fifth after it identified him as a Christian.
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Sri Lanka PM office delegation visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2003, 11:34 GMT]
A delegation of officials from the Sri Lankan prime minister's office held a conference at the Jaffna district secretariat Monday to identify development and rehabilitation priorities in the war devastated peninsula. Funds for development and rehabilitation in Jaffna would be allocated by ministries in Colombo next year, according to officials who were at the meeting Monday.
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Jaffna missing persons's parents protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2003, 10:23 GMT]
Parents, wives and children of persons who went missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka army in Jaffna in 1996-97 demonstrated in front of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Justice Monday. In a memorandum to the Minister of Justice they allege that the disappearances were part of a “well planned plot” by the Sri Lanka army “in conjunction” with a Tamil paramilitary group. Mr.S. Satkunam, the secretary of the Missing Persons Guardian Association, was questioned by Sri Lanka Police who wanted the demonstrators to disperse.
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Parents of Jaffna Missing to Protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2003, 16:13 GMT]
Fifty four mothers and fathers who are Members of Jaffna Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) and Jaffna Mothers Front (JMF) will picket in front of the Justice Ministry and Offices of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in Colombo on Monday and Tuesday, said Subbu Satkunam, president MPGA.
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Jaffna fishermen want 19th century lighthouse rebuilt

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2003, 14:22 GMT]
“We need two lighthouses on this coast to help the deep-sea fisheries industry that’s trying to find its feet now - after dwindling to nought during 20 years of Sri Lanka army and navy imposed bans, restrictions and neglect”, spokesman for the Vadamaradchi East Federation of Fishermen’s Co-operative Societies told TamilNet Sunday. The only lighthouse on this long fisheries coast in Jaffna was destroyed when the Sri Lanka army bombed it in 1996, according to local fishermen. The British built the Vettilaikerni lighthouse in 1870.
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‘Colombo hasn’t spent a cent on Jaffna’s development’- GA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 16:34 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government did not allocate a red cent for rehabilitation and development in Jaffna for the last two years said the Government Agent for Jaffna, Mr. S Pathmanathan, addressing a consultation meeting Saturday on rehabilitation and development work planned for 2004 in the Thenmaradchi Division of the northern peninsula. The GA said that all rehabilitation and development work in the peninsula in the last two years was carried out with international aid.
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Rejection of ISGA reflects sad pattern of Sri Lankan conflict - Prof.Oberst

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 15:07 GMT]
In a 'written extended version' of a talk presented at the International Center for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, a full text of which was sent to TamilNet, Prof.Oberst of Nebraska Wesleyan University says that rejection of LTTE's Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal by a number of political parties reflects "a sad pattern of Sri Lankan conflict." He adds that several issues raised in ISGA are "relatively easy to resolve," and other serious issues need to be resolved during negotiations between the two sides.
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Health employees to launch black band campaign

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 14:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) Saturday announced that it would launch a black armband and black flag hoisting campaign in protest against the government's failure to resolve health sector salary anomalies.
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Colombo court calls for objection in “Sangaree case”

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 14:39 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Saturday called for objection through press advertisement published in three daily newspapers, Daily News, Thinakaran and Dinamina to the plaint filed by Mr. V.Anandasangaree against the Secretary General and Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham respectively for summoning the party central committee meeting without his written approval, legal sources said.
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Ministry of Internal Security declared in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2003, 21:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga haspromulgated a Ministry of Internal Security from Saturday, sources at the Presidential secretariat in Colombo said Friday night. The special gazette notification establishing the new ministry was signed and formally promulgated by the President at midnight Friday.


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Delays frustrate Colombo-Batticaloa train commuters

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2003, 20:37 GMT]
The re-established train service between Colombo and Batticaloa takes four hours more than the regular 10-hour trip causing severe hardship to regular passengers using the train service, sources said. Passenger said that Railway authorities' decision to use an old locomotive engine between the Galoya-Batticaloa leg of the journey was the root cause of the problem.


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Batticaloa hit by worst drought since 1938

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2003, 12:05 GMT]
Batticaloa has been hit by the worst drought to afflict this rice-producing district since 1938. Rice cultivation will be severely affected by the prevailing drought, agrarian service officials in the eastern district said. Thousands of acres were sown this season in expectation of the monsoon rains.


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Parents of missing Jaffna youth to meet Sri Lanka’s President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 14:13 GMT]
The parents and relatives of the young men and women who went missing after they were arrested by the Sri Lanka army in Jaffna in 1996-97 have been invited by President Chandrika Kumaratunga for a meeting with her on 31 December, a spokesperson for the Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) said Wednesday. Members of the MPGA and the Jaffna Mother’s Front will travel to Colombo in a bus provided by Sri Lanka’s Minister for Hindu Affairs, Mr. T. Maheswaran.
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Melee after monk's funeral, Police fire tear gas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 13:50 GMT]
Three persons wee injured in a clash between angry mourners and the Police at the funeral of the Buddhist monk, Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero, in Colombo city Wednesday evening. Police fired tear gas to disperse unruly mourners following the funeral. A photographer from the Daily Mirror, an English daily published from Colombo was assaulted in the melee.
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Colombo-Batticaloa train service restarted

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 00:00 GMT]
The train service between Colombo and Batticaloa has been restarted and the first train from Colombo reached Batticaloa Tuesday morning. The train started its return journey in the evening on the same day, sources said.
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MPGA seeks action on Jaffna disappearances

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 December 2003, 16:58 GMT]
The Missing Persons' Guardians Association (MPGA) in Jaffna, in a letter to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice, Mr. W.M.Lokubandara, has reminded him that no action has been taken on the disappereance of more than 600 persons in Jaffna after being arrested at checkpoints or abducted from their homes by the Sri Lanka Army in 1996, and demanded to know what happened to the youths.
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Colombo crisis danger to peace - Hakeem

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 December 2003, 16:09 GMT]
"The crisis gripping Government of Sri Lanka portends danger to future of peace. Uncertainty on the trajectory this crisis may take in the coming months is causing concern and fear in the minds of public. International community which took a keen interest in Sri Lanka's progress towards peace stands perturbed by the political chaos that shows little sign of subsiding," said Rauf Hakeem, Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, and Minister in the United National Front government, in a meeting in Amparai held Saturday, 20 December.


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Thamilchelvan outlines condition for future talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2003, 16:31 GMT]
“We are ready to negotiate with anyone who comes to power at a general election in Sri Lanka as long as he or she is a person ready to work towards an agreement on the political aspirations and expectations of the people living in the unified northeast region with commitment and sincerity,” said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the political division of the Liberation Tigers, during wide ranging discussions with a group of Muslim and Tamil journalists from the eastern province on Friday night.
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