Sri Lanka Police quibble over spent ordnance

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2003, 16:57 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police Thursday produced in the district court of Mannar a person arrested allegedly for transporting empty casings of artillery shells. Police told court that they had found six empty casings, each two feet long, in a lorry bringing scrap metal from the Vanni at the Uyilankulam entry point in Mannar. Legal sources in the Mannar courts, however, said expended ordnance was not illegal.


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SLRC provides assistance to Trinco displaced eye patients

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2003, 19:28 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) Wednesday launched a special project 'Sight Restoration and Vision Correction Programme-2003' with the financial assistance of the UNHCR to provide specialized treatment to the displaced people in Trincomalee district who suffer from eye diseases, sources said.


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Workers in Colombo walk out against privatisation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2003, 19:23 GMT]
Hundreds of workers in state run banks and major public enterprises walked out of their offices in Colombo Wednesday to protest against plans by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front government to privatise their institutions. The protesting workers also demanded better wages.


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Farmers’ protest brings civil admin to standstill in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2003, 13:38 GMT]
More than 1500 farmers in Mannar demanding fair prices for their rice harvest and the removal of Sri Lankan armed forces units which continue to occupy fields and buildings in the region blockaded the District Secretariat Wednesday and brought all government administration in the Northwestern island town to a standstill.
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Monks demonstrate demanding consultation with Maha Sangha

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 March 2003, 04:31 GMT]
"Constitutional reform of any form should be carried out in consultation with the Maha Sangha and should satisfy the aspirations of the Sinhala nation. The Sanga Sammelanaya will institute a National Constitutional Reform Commission to fulfill this task," said spokesperson for the Buddhist Monks who held a religious demonstration in Colombo Saturday afternoon.


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Anti-war protests in Colombo, North-East.

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 20:11 GMT]
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Colombo, after Friday's Jummah prayers, protesting the US-led war on Iraq. Government and opposition parliamentarians, including those from the Janata Vimukti Peramuna, took part in the protest, sources said.
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Hakone talks focus on federalism, security concerns at sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 12:02 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegations in their sixth session of peace talks agreed to have their senior naval and political personnel meet to 'workout effective arrangements for the operation of naval units.' The parties also agreed to present a complete plan at the seventh session on the steps to be taken towards negotiating a federal solution for Sri Lanka.


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Japan deepens Sri Lanka peace role

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 11:55 GMT]
Along with hosting the sixth round of direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, Japan this week signaled its determination to play a leading role in bringing peace to the strife-torn island when one of its top diplomats joined Norwegian officials at the negotiating table. Japan’s deepening involvement in the peace process was this week welcomed by the Liberation Tigers.
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Tamil political prisoners cases to be expedited

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 04:01 GMT]
Attorney General (AG) of Sri Lanka, Mr.K.C.Kamalasabeyson, has instructed district court judges to expedite the hearings of cases of Tamil prisoners arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER), legal sources said. The only evidence against majority of Tamil political prisoners, many languishing in jails for several years, is self-confession obtained under threat of violence or torture, according to legal sources.


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LTTE to attend Japan peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 17:38 GMT]
The delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will leave Colombo on Sunday night to attend peace talks in Hakone, Japan, scheduled to commence on March 18, said Mr.Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician, Saturday, addressing a press conference held at Killinochchi Peace Secretariat, sources said.
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'Minister’s argument feeble' - Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 17:27 GMT]
“We wish to express our great displeasure and dispute the feeble argument you advanced to justify and legitimize the unwarranted and impulsive action taken by the Sri Lanka Navy in attacking and destroying our merchant vessel on the international waters,” said Mr.S.P.Thamilselvan, political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in a letter to the Defence Minister Mr.Tilak Marapane Saturday.


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SLN gets coast guard frigate from USA

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 16:57 GMT]
The leader of the Government of Sri LAnka (GOSL) peace team and Minister Mr. G.L.Peiris addressing a seminar for principals of national schools in Colombo Friday said that the United States of America (USA) has gifted a coast guard frigate to the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), sources in Colombo said.
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'Destruction of LTTE ship is a grave ceasefire violation' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 19:40 GMT]
The interception and destruction of the Liberation Tigers' merchant cargo vessel in international waters by the Sri Lankan Navy is a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and contravenes international law, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's political advisor and chief negotiator, told a delegation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Kilinochchi on Wednesday, according to Mr. Balasingham, who spoke to journalists after the meeting.
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SLMM head holds talks with senior LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 17:35 GMT]
The new head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Mr.Triggve Teleffsen Wednesday arrived in Killinochchi to hold discussions with senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regarding the attack by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on a LTTE merchant vessel off Mullaitivu Monday, sources in Vanni said. The LTTE had earlier condemned the attack as "a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and warned that “this grave incident will have far reaching implications for the peace process.”


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'We are committed to peace' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 00:22 GMT]
The political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.Anton Balasingham said that the LTTE will not allow the peace process to become a trap to weaken the Liberation Tigers. "Despite provocations and attacks on us we are determined to participate constructively in the peace process. We want to convince the world, particularly the Sinhala people, that we are committed to peace," said Mr.Balasingham addressing a gathering, which followed the opening of the main court complex of the Thamileelam judiciary in Killinochchi Tuesday morning, sources said.


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US Ambassador visits Jaffna, meets civil group leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Ambassador for United States of America in Colombo, Mr.Ashely Wills, paid a one-day visit to Jaffna Tuesday and held discussions with representatives of Jaffna civil groups and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, sources said.
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Opposition holds peaceful demonstration against peace process

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 11:51 GMT]
The joint opposition demonstration with hundreds of thousands of people wearing red caps, buddhist monks, and front line leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and the National Unity Alliance (NUA) participating, commenced around two p.m. from Campbell place in Colombo and arrived at the Town Hall by five p.m. without any incidents. The Police provided tight security along the route of the demonstration, sources said.
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Commission to investigate attacks on Tamil Journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 01:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has ordered to form a Commission consisting of retired judges to investigate into incidents in the NorthEast of attacks against Tamil journalists by the police and security forces, Government Information Department said in Colombo according to sources.
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Colombo put on red alert to face opposition demonstration

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 18:22 GMT]
The city of Colombo has been put on red alert from Sunday and more than two thousand armed police personnel have been deployed at strategic junctions and near key buildings to thwart any disturbances when the joint opposition procession comprising the Sri Lanka freedom party (SLFP), Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and, National Unity Alliance (NUA) is scheduled to commence Monday around 1 p.m., sources in Colombo said.
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IGP orders probe of Jaffna journalist torture complaint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 14:10 GMT]
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has ordered an inquiry into the complaint of torture by a Jaffna based Tamil journalist Mr.A. N .S. Thiruchelvam when he was under detention at the Terrorist Prevention Division of the police during the year 2001. The Inspector of Point Pedro Police Mr.K.Sihappu Arachchi Sunday conveyed the decision of the IGP to Mr. Thiruchelvam, sources in Jaffna said.
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