JVP in massive protest march against ceasefire agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 February 2003, 16:25 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of antigovernment demonstrators in Colombo Thursday afternoon. The protest was organised by the Sinhala nationalist party, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, against the ceasefire agreement signed between with the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka.
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High cost of living brings protesters to Colombo streets

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 13:19 GMT]
Party members and parliamentarians of the main opposition party of Sri Lanka Parliament, People’s Alliance (PA) held a protest demonstration against high of cost of living under United National Front Government (UNF), on Monday afternoon in down town Colombo, sources in the capital city said.


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LTTE hands over soldier's body to ICRC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 14:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday afternoon handed over the body of the soldier of the Sri Lanka Army L. Dharmadasa (24) of Matale who was killed Saturday in gunfire at Kilali area held by the LTTE, to the Jaffna delegate of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), sources said.
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'Gopalapuram memorial, not a ceasefire violation'- SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Construction of the LTTE war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli village about 16km north of Trincomalee town cannot be cnsidered a ceasefire violation, four local members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee decided at their meeting held recently. The SLMM officials decided not to participate in the war memorial dispute in the future between the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the local security forces, sources in Colombo said.
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'Government troops are not for peace' - Trinco Tamils tell Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 18:43 GMT]
A Tamil delegation comprising of leading citizens of Trincomalee Friday told the visiting Japanese peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that Tamils of the east port district have lost confidence on the present peace process as they think the government troops are only preparing for war and not for peace, sources in eastern province said.
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JVP, PA, Muslims demonstrate against war in Iraq

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 13:11 GMT]
The marxist parliamentary group, Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP), opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) party members, and members of several muslim organizations held a protest march against the American war policy in Iraq, Friday afternoon in downtown Colombo, sources in the Sri Lanka capital said.
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Sole survivor in Mirusuvil massacre identifies army accused

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:54 GMT]
The sole survivor in the Mirusuvil massacre, Mr. Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, Thursday identified at the Colombo High Court all five soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) indicted for the murder of eight Tamil civilians when they returned to their Mirusuvil homes to look for belongings on 19th December 2000, legal sources said.
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Rising from the shambles of a counter insurgency campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The large Vadamunai-Tharavai region, northwest of Batticaloa, is struggling to rise out of the havoc wreaked by one of the most sustained text book counter insurgency campaigns waged by the Sri Lanka army. A few hundred of the thousands of families which were driven out of their villages by the SLA more than 12 years ago have begun venturing back to their homesteads and lands here. But there are no schools for their children, no medical facilities for the sick, no transport, no sanitation and no basic amenities in any of the villages in the region.
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Japanese special peace envoy meets Buddhist prelates

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 06:50 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy Mr. Yasusi Akashi arrived Colombo Wednesday early morning on a four-day visit. He immediately rushed to Kandy, capital of the central province and held vital discussions with the Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte Chapter Venerable Vipassi and Venerable Palipane Buddharakita Thera, sources said.
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France to send constitutional experts to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 19:00 GMT]
French foreign minister Dr.Renaud Muselier Wednesday said the people of Jaffna expect a political solution to their conflict with internal self-determination. French minister said this at media briefing Wednesday before leaving Colombo after a three-day visit to Sri Lanka.
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Human skeleton recovered in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 16:58 GMT]
A human skeleton was recovered in Chavakachcheri in Thenmaradchchi area in Jaffna district Monday by civilians who were clearing their lands for resettlement, sources said. On an application made the Chavakachcheri police, the Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.K.Ariyanayagam ordered the skeleton to be sent to the government analyst, legal sources said.


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French foreign minister to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 16:54 GMT]
French Foreign Minister Dr. Renaud Muselier Monday met President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and held a wide ranging discussions on several topics including the present peace process which has completed six rounds of talks towards finding negotiated political settlement for the ethnic conflict, sources said.
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Trawler blown-up while being towed by SLN - SLMM

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 12:15 GMT]
Clarifying the Delft sea incident, where three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres killed themselves, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in a press release issued from Colombo today, admitted to providing either incomplete or incorrect information during the early stages of the developments, and said that in a second inspection they found a new 23-mm gunbarrel and additional munition in the trawler, and that the trawler was blown up while it was being towed by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) boat towards a port in the SLN controlled area.


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Dr Heiberg appointed Advisor for Women Issues

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 February 2003, 11:59 GMT]
Dr. Astrid Heiberg, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oslo, who has a broad experience in human rights and humanitarian advocacy has been appointed for the sub-committee in gender issues, a Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release said.
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Negotiators in Berlin for fifth round

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 22:51 GMT]
Negotiators representing the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government as well as Norwegian facilitators arrived in Berlin Thursday to participate in the fifth round of direct talks between the two sides brokered by Oslo.
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Buddhist monks demand expulsion of Norwegian ambassador

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 February 2003, 21:57 GMT]
The National Bhikku Front (NBF) Wednesday held a demonstration in Colombo, demanding that the government put a halt to foreign mediation in finding a solution to the ethnic conflict, sources said. The protest march commenced at the Fort Bodhirajarama Buddhist Vihare Wednesday afternoon and ended at the Foreign Ministry office.
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Government peace delegation leaves for Berlin peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 February 2003, 18:34 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka Government peace delegation Minister Mr.G.L. Peiris Wednesday morning left Colombo accompanied by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Austin Fernando to attend the fifth round of peace talks between the GOSL and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which is scheduled to begin Friday at Berlin in Germany. The government delegation includes Ministers Milinda Morogoda and Rauff Hakim.
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'Independence celebrations not for Tamils' -JSU

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 February 2003, 23:04 GMT]
In a statement issued Monday on the eve of the country's fifty-fifth independence day, the Jaffna Students' Union (JSU) questioned the reluctance of the United National Front government in removing high security zones and rehabilitating the displaced people at a time when there is a peaceful environment in the country, and said that the Tamil people have been denied the benefits of independence the country gained 55 years ago.
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NorthEast Province receives 9 ambulances from WHO

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2003, 13:55 GMT]
The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday donated eight ambulances worth fifteen million rupees to the Tamil dominated northeast province to provide better medical services to the people in the remote villages who have suffered years with lack of medical attention, provincial health ministry sources said.
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SLA presence is ethnic cleansing in another form - MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 January 2003, 14:52 GMT]
“Deploying a Sinhala army in large areas after evicting Tamils from their towns and villages is another form of ethnic cleansing. An army occupying the homes and lands of our people cannot call itself their guardian. Only a foreign army will drive out people and occupy their towns and villages. I therefore consider the army occupying our lands as a foreign army," said Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan Tamil National Alliance MP for Vanni, sources said.
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