Remand extended for Indian fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2003, 16:35 GMT]
Four Indian fishermen arrested in Sri Lankan waters on March 6 were produced at the High court in Jaffna Friday, and were further remanded till August 6 by the High Court Judge, Mr. K.P.Varatharajah, court sources in Jaffna said.
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SL Police uses tear gas on demonstrating teachers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 21:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Thursday used tear gas and water cannon to disperse three hundred school teachers demonstrating in front of the Education Ministry in Colombo, in protest of what they said was the denial of salary increase and promotions and the Sri Lankan government's privatization policy in education, sources said.
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'Withdraw helicopter facility to Thamilchelvan' -SLFP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 16:17 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the chief constituent of the main opposition People's Alliance in Sri Lanka, Thursday demanded that the United National Front government of Sri Lanka immediately withdraw the helicopter facility provided to the Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, to tour the eastern province, political sources in Colombo said.
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Supreme Court to hear appeal in Krishanthy murder case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 18:52 GMT]
The appeal of six Sri Lanka Army soldiers sentenced to death by the High Court Trial-at-Bar in the Krishanthy Kumarasamy rape and murder case will be heard on November 4 this year before a five member bench of the Supreme Court, legal sources said, adding that the Chief Justice, Mr.Sarath N.Silva, said he would not serve in the bench for "personal reasons."
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Workers protest against factory closures, layoffs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 13:47 GMT]
Hundreds of dismissed workers in the private sector, unionized under the Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU) of Sri Lanka, held a demonstration in front of the World Trade Center building in Colombo Fort on Wednesday, protesting against the closure of 50 factories and companies of the Board of Investments and the dismissal of more than 25,000 workers since the United National Front government came to power, sources said.


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Sri Lanka’s President cancels Trincomalee visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 19:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, cancelled her scheduled Trincomalee visit on August 1 to hand over Millennium Scholarship grants to about four thousand poor students in the northeast province on the advice of the provincial governor, North East Provincial Education Ministry sources said.
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JVP declares 'war' against interim administration for NE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 15:11 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday vowed to fight tooth and nail against the establishment of an interim administrative council for the northeast province. " The proposed interim administrative council would divide the country for ever," said the JVP General Secretary, Mr.Tilvin Silva, addressing a press briefing Tuesday.
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Indian boatmen fast in Jaffna prison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 04:31 GMT]
Four Indian boatmen who have been in remand since the middle of March this year in Jaffna prison began fasting Sunday evening, demanding their return to their country without delay, according to Jaffna prison authorities.
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Thamilchelvan says doors to peace wide open

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 06:42 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are keenly studying the proposal for an interim administrative structure sent by the Sri Lankan government although it fails to meet the expectations of the Tamil people”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan addressing more than five thousand troops of the LTTE’s southern front forces on the grounds of ‘Meenaham’, a sprawling military base complex in Tharavai, about 40 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, late Sunday night.
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‘Federalism is a beguiling serpent’ – H. L de Silva

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 04:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s leading Sinhala constitutional lawyer, Mr. H. L de Silva, addressing a seminar on Indian federalism Sunday in Colombo, described a federal solution to end the island’s ethnic conflict as a snake a drowning man clutches in his desperation to stay afloat. In a cogently argued critique of Colombo’s efforts to formulate a federal concept as the basis for a solution to the conflict, Mr. Silva said, “One wonders whether for Sri Lanka federalism is that beguiling serpent, which by its fatal sting will bring about the death of the Republic”.
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Land Minister's Trinco visit cancelled, mobile service called off

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 21:07 GMT]
A four-day mobile service scheduled to be inaugurated at the Trincomalee district secretariat Saturday morning by the Lands Minister of SriLanka, Dr..Rajitha Senaratne, was called off at the last minute as a one-day hartal was observed in the eastern port town the same day, sources said.
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No need for public apology for July’83 pogroms - Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 15:52 GMT]
Though the July 1983 pogroms against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka have left an “indelible scar,” no purpose would be served by making a public apology or regret by the United National Front government for it, said Mr. G. L. Peiris, the Sri Lankan Cabinet spokesman, in response to a question from a foreign correspondent in Colombo, the Jaffna-based Tamil daily, Uthayan, reported Friday.
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German expert says ground water situation in Jaffna 'alarming'

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 14:56 GMT]
Speaking at a seminar held at the International Water Management Institute in Colombo on the potential of rainwater harvesting in the Jaffna peninsula, Mr. Herald Kraft, a consultant to the Jaffna Rehabilitation Project, funded by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), revealed that the ground water situation in the Jaffna peninsula is alarming, given the thin cover of soil over the ground water table that provides no protection against pollutants, a press release from the GTZ said on Friday.
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Eight SLA officers may be investigated in Habeas Corpus case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2003, 16:49 GMT]
The Appeals court of Sri Lanka has ordered the District court of Vavuniya to investigate the eight Sri Lankan military officers in connection with the Habeas Corpus application of a Puthukudiyiruppu villager arrested on August 25, 1995 and still languishing in jail, and submit a report to the Appeals court, sources said.
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Undergrads, public prevent holding of EU function

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 14:48 GMT]
Jaffna undergrads and the public Tuesday prevented an European Union function attended by Sri Lankan cabinet minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene from being held at the Kailasapathy auditorium, Jaffna University, for handing over fifty five schools renovated with the funds provided by the EU, saying they would not allow any Sri Lankan minister to hold any function inside the university premises until students in the peninsula were allowed to pursue their studies free of military pressure of the Sri Lankan government, education department sources said.
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French army officer visits Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The French army attaché for Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives visited Batticaloa Monday and met with the military, Police, the Catholic Bishop, Muslim civil society leaders and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Sri Lankan Police sources in the eastern town said.
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SL police constable commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 15:16 GMT]
Thirty five year old police constable Mr.Anura Hewawasam of Achchuveli Police in Jaffna district is reported to have committed suicide Wednesday night, police said.


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Norwegian envoy carries IA proposals to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 12:35 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr.Jon Westborg Thursday morning left Colombo to Killinochchi with Sri Lanka Government's proposals to establish an Interim Administrative (IA) structure in the northeast province, Cabinet Spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mr. G.L.Peiris said duirng his weekly press briefing in Colombo Thursday, sources said.


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Nathaswaram Vidwan Alaveddy N.K.Pathmanathan passes away

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 12:00 GMT]
The world renowned Sri Lankan Nathaswara Vidwan Alaveddy N.K.Pathmanathan passed away peacefully at the age of seventy one and his cremation was held in Jaffna Thursday morning at Kombayanmanal cemetery amid thousand of mourners praising his contribution to the Nathaswara music for about half a century in Sri Lanka. sources said.


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Sea Monitors to hold talks with Sea Tiger head next week

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 19:42 GMT]
The Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, who on Wednesday held key talks with the head of the Sea Tigers division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Colonel Soosai, in Mullaitivu, and concluded his three-day visit to the LTTE held Vanni region, told journalists that the SLMM’s Sea Monitors would visit Kilinochchi next week and hold talks with the Sea Tiger head, sources said.
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