Thousands displaced, stranded by floods in Batticaloa-Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 December 2002, 23:23 GMT]
Continuing torrential rain in Batticaloa-Amparai has affected 94549 families, 8577 families have abandoned their homes and sought refuge in schools, temples and public buildings, 1406 homes have been damaged and thousands of acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by flood water, officials in Batticaloa said.


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Vadamarachi Palm Co-ops demand return of Thikkam distillery

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 December 2002, 17:21 GMT]
Several hundred people Wednesday launched a picketing campaign in front of the Palmyra Development Board office in Jaffna demanding that the distillery at Thikkam in Point Pedro area should be returned to the administration of the Federation of Vadamaradchi Palm Co-operatives Societies, sources said. Presently the Thikkam Distillery is under the administration of the Palmyra Development Board (PDB).


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Mahen Ratwatte surrenders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 December 2002, 18:17 GMT]
Mahen Ratwatte, third son of former Deputy Defense Minister General Ratwatte, Tuesday evening surrendered to the Colombo Fort Magistrate in connection with the alleged assault on a leading singer Sunil Perera Saturday early morning at a five star hotel, police said. He was later released on surety bail of Rupees Twenty five thousand by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, legal sources said.
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Maldives keen to host Lanka-LTTE talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 December 2002, 12:27 GMT]
The government of Maldives Monday said it was keen to host the peace talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) during a two-day visit to the atoll nation by Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom wished success for the peace talks to end Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict during official talks with Mr. Wickremesinghe in Male, the main atoll that is the country’s capital.
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Japanese envoy unveils key Secretariat in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 17:58 GMT]
The secretariat of the Sub-Committee for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Northeast was opened in Kilinochchi Sunday morning, according to the Voice of Tigers radio. Japan’s ambassador for Sri Lanka unveiled the secretariat’s name board while Norway’s ambassador cut the ribbon to ceremonially open the building, according to the VOT.
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Muslims rights will be safeguarded - Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Sunday assured the Muslim community that his government would do everything in its power to safeguard the rights of Muslims in the eastern province when finding a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and would never let down Muslims at any stage of the peace talks, when he addressed the gathering in Madwela, Kandy, sources said.
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SC Judge to address Human Rights celebrations in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 16:53 GMT]
A full day programme to celebrate the International Human Rights Day will be held in Trincomalee on December 19 and Mr.C.V.Vigneswaran, Judge of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court will deliver the keynote address on the topic "Human Rights and Peace," sources in Trincomalee said.
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'Our choice is between Prosperity and War'- Ranil

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 00:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said that the country has entered a critical stage and people of Sri Lanka have to choose between prosperity and war while addressing the forty eighth annual general meeting of the United National Party (UNP), the main constituent of the United National Front (UNF) government Saturday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.
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Bomb blast damages Batticaloa TRO Office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 14:18 GMT]
Investigations are in progress on the bomb blast that damaged the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) building in Batticaloa town Thursday alleged to have been carried out by groups opposed to Liberation Tigers (LTTE) operating in Batticaloa area, sources from the Eastern town said.
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AG urged to file appeal against Mylanthanai acquittal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 13:05 GMT]
A delegation of leading human rights lawyers led by President Counsel Mr.Desmond Fernando requested the Attorney General (AG) to consider filing appeal against the acquittal order by the Colombo High Court in the Mylanthanai massacre case in which eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were charged with murder, attempted murder of thirty five Tamils including men, women and fourteen children under twelve years, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Appeal Court confirms Rauff Hakim leadership

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 December 2002, 15:13 GMT]
The Court of Appeal Friday rejected an appeal challenging the legality of the ruling by the Colombo District Judge who revoked his earlier enjoining order which restrained Mr.Rauff Hakim from functioning as the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), legal sources in Colombo said. The appeal was filed by Mr.S.Subairdeen who claimed to be the leader of the SLMC and twelve others including Minister Mr. A.L.Athaullah.
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'War imminent if federal solution is rejected'- Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 December 2002, 18:39 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Monday said if the attempt to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict through a federal constitution is rejected then there is high likelihood of war breaking out again. "Instead of amending the clauses of the present constitution, the government has decided to table a new constitution that will embody the new political framework," said Professor G.L.Peiris, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and cabinet spokesman at a press briefing Monday in Colombo.


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Athaullah group expelled, Hakim leadership strengthened

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 December 2002, 03:57 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Minister Mr.Rauff Hakeem Monday consolidated his position by expelling rival leaders from the party politburo permanently during a five-hour politburo meeting Sunday early morning at party headquarters Darussalam in Colombo and filled the vacancies created by the expulsion with his close confidantes, SLMC spokesman said.
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Hakim canvasses Tamil support to defeat party saboteurs

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 December 2002, 23:53 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Mr.Rauff Hakim said Friday that Muslims should be allowed to enjoy the same rights and privileges provided to Tamils in the merged northeast province when a political solution is found to the ethnic conflict. Mr.Rauff Hakim was given a rousing welcome in Mutur town in the Trincomalee district Friday when he paid his first visit after he regained the leadership of the SLMC on the order of the Colombo District Court Thursday.
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Courts allows Hakeem to function as SLMC leader

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 20:04 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Thursday vacated the enjoining order restraining Minister Mr.Rauff Hakeem from functioning as the president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.
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TNA demands better facilities for Mutur villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 19:56 GMT]
"More than twenty Tamil villages in Mutur east held by Tamil Tigers are without electricity supply and most of the roads in these villages cannot be used by motor vehicles," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham participating in the committee stage debate for the budgetary allocations of the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Ministry of Transport held Wednesday and Thursday.
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MPGA picketing cripples Jaffna civil administration fourth day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 December 2002, 16:28 GMT]
The picketing by the members of the Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) crippled Jaffna District Secretariat, the main administrative centre in the northern province for the fourth day Wednesday. The MPGA members demand the government expedite the investigation into the disappearance of hundreds of youths after being arrested by the Sri Lankan government troops, in Jaffna peninsula in 1996 and 1997.
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Court restrains Hakim functioning as SLMC leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 December 2002, 14:39 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Tuesday issued restraining order on Minister Rauff Hakim preventing him from interfering with the leadership of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and its high command. After considering a petition filed by Minister Mr. A.L.M.Athaullah and eleven others including the new President of the SLMC Mr.Subairdeen the Additional District Judge Mr. Leslie Abeyagunaratne issued the said restraining order, legal sources in Colombo said.
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SLMC Leader Rauff Hakim asserts his position

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 December 2002, 14:04 GMT]
"I am still the leader of the Muslims and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress," declared Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim Tuesday at a hurriedly arranged press conference held at party headquarters Darussalam in Colombo on his return from Oslo. Mr.Hakim identified the present situation in the SLMC "as an act of opportunist conspiracy to change the balance of power in parliament."
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Third round of peace talks open in Oslo

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 December 2002, 16:32 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) began the third round of peace talks to end Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict at the Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel in downtown Oslo Monday afternoon.
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