Athaullah and Hafrath attend parliament

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 December 2002, 14:54 GMT]
Although suspended from Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) party positions by the SLMC leader Rauf Hakim, Athaullah, party's Chairman and Minister of Highways, and M. Hafrath, General Secretary, attended the parliament today and occupied their seats, sources in Colombo said.
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Road blocks remain in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 21:32 GMT]
Speed barriers and road blocks in Batticaloa district roads are still obstructing traffic in many roads in Batticaloa causing severe hardship to residents in several areas of Batticaloa, sources in the east said. Assurance given by the Sri Lanka military chiefs during the meeting of the Sub-Committee on De-escalation and Normalization held in Vavunathivi 20 October that efforts will be taken to remove these barriers still remains to be fulfilled, sources said.
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Hakeem suspends SLMC Chairman, General Secretary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 17:19 GMT]
Rauff Hakeem, Minister in Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and President of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) suspended the party's Chairman A.L.M.Athaullah and the General Secretary Dr.M.Hafrath for allegedly plotting to upstage him in his absence violating the party discipline, SLMC sources in Colombo said.


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Children in Armed Conflict and the United Nations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2002, 03:21 GMT]
It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently participating in fighting in more than 35 countries. 25 million are uprooted from their homes, while millions more have their lives severely affected by the deprivations of war. Dealing with 'impact of war on children' is high on United Nation's agenda, with an annual Security Council debate, several resolutions addressing the problem and an office of the Secretary General devoted to the topic. Sri Lanka does not figure prominently in the deliberations of the UN, but the outcome of UN decisions has been felt in Sri Lanka.
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PTA accused freed after seven years in prison

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 November 2002, 19:18 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Friday discharged an accused in a Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) case when the State Counsel withdrew the indictment on the instruction of the Attorney General. The accused had been in prison since his arrest seven years ago in the hill town of Nuwaraeliya.
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Karuna Oslo bound

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 November 2002, 12:14 GMT]
Colonel Karuna, Senior Commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) took off from Batticaloa in an Sri Lanka Airforce helicopter to Colombo at 9.30 am today on his way to the next round of peace talks between LTTE and Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to be held in Oslo, Norway 2 December, sources said.
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LTTE leader calls for autonomy and self-government for Tamil homeland

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 November 2002, 12:17 GMT]
In a radical move to clarify the policy orientation of his organisation, Mr Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) declared that he would favourably consider a political framework that offers substantial regional autonomy and self-government to the Tamil people on the basis of their right to internal self-determination. The text of Mr. Pirapaharan’s annual Heroes’ Day address was released to the media in an official statement.
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CID submits confidential report on Chemmani mass graves

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 November 2002, 10:43 GMT]
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted its confidential report on the Chemmani mass graves' exhumation to the Colombo Chief Magistrate Tuesday afternoon, legal sources said. Further inquiry in regard to the Chemmani mass grave continues, CID officials told the Chief Magistrate.
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All Sinhala jury acquits Mylanthanai accused

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 16:29 GMT]
All the eighteen accused in the Mylanthanai massacre case were acquitted by the High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah when the Sinhalese speaking Jury brought a unanimous verdict of not guilty Monday around eight thirty p.m. In this case the Attorney General had indicted eighteen Sinhala soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army with the murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians including fourteen children in the Mylanthanai village in Batticaloa district on August 9 1992.
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UNHCR help sought to resettle refugees in TamilNadu

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 02:10 GMT]
When officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Commission on Human Security met Mr. S. P. Thamilselvan, head of the Liberation Tiger's (LTTE's) Political wing in Kilinochchi Friday, Thamilselvan requested the UNHCR to take action as soon as possible to resettle Tamil refugees from NorthEast currently living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, India, sources said.
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Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.
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‘Col. Karuna’s approach very positive’ -Maj. Gen. Kottegoda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 13:25 GMT]
“I think Col. Karuna’s approach is very positive. If we continue in this manner we should be able to sort out a lot of issues pertaining to de-escalation and normalisation,” said Maj. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda of the Sri Lanka army, speaking to the press Wednesday at the conclusion of the meeting of the Batticaloa District Committee of the Sub-Committee on De-escalation and Normalisation held in Vavunathivu, 5 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa, near the line of control.
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Muslim youth shot dead in Galle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2002, 18:06 GMT]
Karzi Mohammed Rameez,a 22 year old Muslim youth was shot dead and three other Mulims and four police officers were injured when police opened fire to quell disturbance in Galle-Katugoda area 18 November night, sources said. Curfew has been imposed in Galle municipal area according to sources.
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TULF commends Norway, International Community

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 November 2002, 19:21 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), while commending Norway and International Community for their support to the peace process, made an appeal to Tamils from making statements that will have adverse impact on the peace process. People who have rarely stood up for the human rights or democratic rights of the Tamil people cannot make any honest contribution to the Tamil question, said the Secretary General of the TULF Mr.R.Sampanthan in a press release at the conclusion of the central committee meeting held Sunday in Colombo.
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Trinco journalists briefed on torture victim rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 November 2002, 18:33 GMT]
The Family Rehabilitation Center (FRC) in Trincomalee Saturday held a one-day seminar for local journalists on rehabilitating torture victims. "The main objective of the FRC is to rehabilitate the victims of torture physically and psychologically and make them to lead normal lives in the society," said Dr.Gnanagunalan, medical officer of the FRC when addressing the seminar held at Trincomalee Town Hall Saturday morning.
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PA slams international aid conference

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 November 2002, 12:03 GMT]
(News Feature) As Norway confirmed the participation of US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, British Secretary of State for International Development Claire Short and European Union Commissioner Margot Wallstrom at a high level aid conference for Sri Lanka to be held in Oslo on November 25, the main Sri Lankan opposition party Friday condemned the event as "rewarding terrorism."
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Ratwatte released on bail

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 14:00 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Friday allowed all the fifteen accused in the Udathalawinne murder case in a sum of five hundred thousand rupees personal bail and fixed the trial for January 20 next year. The accused included the former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudha Ratwatte and his two sons Lohan and Chanuka.
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Access to quality education is Children's Right - UNICEF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 November 2002, 22:18 GMT]
"The prolonged conflict has affected the education system badly in the northeast and as a result too many children are still not in school. However getting children back to school is not enough. We also have to remember to look into the environment of the school and quality of the teaching," said Mr.Jean Luc Bories, Chief project Director of the UNICEF in Colombo when he addressed the concluding session of the two-day North East Education Exhibition, "Towards a new Era," at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Thursday evening.
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Insurrection fears as JVP commemorates dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 22:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, the third largest party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, Wednesday commemorated in Colombo its founder leader Mr. Rohana Wijeweera and party cadres who were killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces during two unsuccessful but bloody insurrections in 1971 and 89 to capture state power.
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Vavuniya Children with Special Needs excel in sports

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 18:57 GMT]
Kirupananthamoorthy Nitharshan and Raveendran Thanusha, students at the Empowerment Campus in Vavuniya district, obtained medals in a nationwide sports meet for children with special needs organized by the Colombo Metropolitan Rotary Club, held earlier this month.
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