US Tamils call for an end to East violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 12:00 GMT]
Condemning the recent killing of LTTE's Political Head of Batticaloa-Amparai Mr Kausalyan and others in the East, a group of expatriate Tamil organizations in the US called upon Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga "to suspend immediately the military officers who were in charge of Welikanda and Punnai, where this inhuman act took place...[and to take] swift actions and measures to prevent similar atrocities in the future," in a press release issued Tuesday.
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ER can arbitrarily deny Personal Liberty, Rights- NESOHR

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 12:42 GMT]
The Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) in a media release issued Monday said that it "views with serious concern recently declared Emergency Regulations (ER) under the Public Security Ordinance," and pointed out that "people of Northeast of the island [Sri Lanka] have valid fear that these regulations may be applied against them arbitrarily to deny their personal liberties and property rights."
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SLA stops post-tsunami project on Jaffna coast

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka army Monday stopped a ten million rupee project to clear Jaffna's Vadamaradchi coast of coral rocks ripped off the seabed by the Tsunami. Since the Tsunami hit Jaffna fishermen on this coast have been urging Sri Lankan government authorities and NGOs to help them remove the coral debris and make mooring points for their boats.
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Clinton expresses hope on joint mechanism for Tsunami reconstruction

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 10:37 GMT]
Expressing hope on a joint mechanism for reconstruction of Sri Lanka's tsunami-shattered coastal areas, US ex-president Bill Clinton Monday said that he was informed Sunday night that the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Government were working together to create such a mechanism for tsunami relief. "My experience is, whether it is Middle East or Northern Ireland, whenever people work together on specific issues, it helps to resolve the differences," media sources said Clinton as saying. The ex-US presidents met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga Sunday night.
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Police should remove language barriers, says Trinco Bar President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 February 2005, 16:13 GMT]
Mr.Kasinather Sivapalan, newly elected President of the Trincomalee District Bar Association (TDBA) said he would request the police to appoint Tamil speaking personnel in all police stations in the Trincomalee district to record complaints in Tamil language and also to submit reports in courts of law at least with Tamil translation.
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17 SLA recruits hospitalized, force fed plastic explosives

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 February 2005, 03:20 GMT]
Seventeen Sri Lanka Army (SLA) new recruits were transported to the Anuradhapura General Hospital by special helicopter after being admitted to the Vavuniya Hospital emergency ward with suspected food positioning, medical sources said. The soldiers are from the Kokkoveli army camp in Vavuniya district.
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Protest march against Government discrimination continues in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 February 2005, 14:30 GMT]
Jaffna district Thursday witnessed another protest march in a series of such agitations held against the discrimination shown by the government in providing relief to tsunami victims and condemning the killing of LTTE senior political leader Mr.Koushalyan on February between two Sri Lanka Army camps in the Pollonnorawa district in the north central province. The Federation of District Fisheries Co-operative Societies, Displaced Persons Welfare Societies, and several other civil groups jointly organized Thursday agitation, sources said.
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Bhikku Front protests against Annan's statement on Kousalyan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 19:21 GMT]
Hundreds of saffron-robed Buddhist Monks belonging to the National Bhikku Front (NBF) on Wednesday launched a protest rally opposite the United Nations office in Colombo to condemn the recent statement by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan over the slaying of Head of LTTE's Political Wing in Batticaloa-Amparai district, E.Kousalyan and his team in the Sri Lanka government-controlled areas in the Eastern province.
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Thamilchelvan arrives in Sampoor on three-day visit

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 16:02 GMT]
Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday evening around 4 p.m. arrived from Batticaloa to Sampoor Maha Vidiyalayam grounds in the LTTE controlled Muttur east, south of Trincomalee district by a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) special helicopter, sources in Trincomalee said. Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander and Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head received him on his arrival, sources said.


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Employees of CWE demand pay increase

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 12:03 GMT]
Employees of all Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) outlets held islandwide demonstrations between 10 am and 12 pm Wednesday opposite their respective Retail Outlets demanding an increase of their salaries. Mr S Charles, an employee at the CWE Vauvuniya said: "With diminishing stocks in our outlet employees are concerned about their future and the Government of Sri Lanka is ignoring our plight."
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Sri Lanka President warns main coalition partner

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 February 2005, 16:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga Sunday warned her main coalition partner that it can leave her government if it continues to obstruct her politically. In a hard hitting speech at the opening of a Multi Purpose Co-operative Society in Attanagalla, her home electorate in Sri Lanka’s western province, she warned the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP): "If they want to leave, let them leave. I cannot rule like this. They threaten to leave the government even over paltry issues. They are more interested in getting rid of me than doing away with Pirapaharan".


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Youths burn SLA post, Police retaliate in Thenmaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 14:14 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) post at Meesalai-Puttur junction in Thenmaradchchi was set alight by protesting youth provoked by SLA soldiers who attempted to remove roadblocks protesters setup as part of hartal. Police retaliated by ransacking a community center. Tension spread to Kodikamam when a Police vehicle injured a civilian while the vehilce was negotiating a roadblock during Saturday's hartal and protest, civil sources in Jaffna said.
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Pirapaharan honours slain TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 12:39 GMT]
Leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan Saturday posthumously honoured Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru as Maamanithar, the highest honour granted by the LTTE. The citation signed by the LTTE leader was given to Mr. Nehru's widow and son at a special ceremony in Pavattah, in the interior of Sri Lanka's southeast coast. Nehru's body, draped in the LTTE flag was taken from Thirukkovil to the LTTE conference centre in Pavattah, in the Kannjikudichcha Aaru region which is controlled by the Tigers.
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Jaffna, Vavuniya shut down in hartal, protesters clash with SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 10:05 GMT]
The entire districts of Jaffna and Vavuniya Saturday came to a standstill following a general shut down, condemning the killings of Mr.Kousalyan, LTTE political head for Batticaloa Amparai district, his colleagues and Mr.Chandra Nehru, former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Amparai district. In several areas civilians blocked roads and burnt tyres. Clashes took place at the junctions of Puttur and Kaithady in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district Saturday afternoon between groups of civilians and soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army when the latter attempted to remove the roadblocks. Soldiers fled from their sentry points when the angered civilians threw stones at them.
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Police sexual assault on student sparks protest in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 15:17 GMT]
Hundreds of people protested against Sri Lanka Police in Thaalvupaadu, a coastal village near Mannar town Friday evening, demanding action against constables who had sexually assaulted and grievously injured a school boy. The seriously injured student was admitted to Mannar hospital and then rushed to Vavuniya as his condition was serious.
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NorthEast Governor visits Kokkilai

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 11:27 GMT]
Governor of NorthEast Province, Mr Tyronne Fernando arrived Thursday morning in Kokkilai, a village resettled with Sinhala families from Negombo, to see the devastation caused by the tsunami, security sources said.
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Akashi to meet Thamilchelvan in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 09:55 GMT]
Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, will meet head of Liberation Tigers' politicial division, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, Saturday in Kokkaddicholai, 15 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa town, Japanese sources in Colombo said. Mr. Akashi will discuss Tsunami relief work and aid in the northeast and the current state of the island's long stalled peace process when he meets Mr. Thamilchelvan in the LTTE held region.
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Sri Lanka in danger of losing Tsunami Aid- Prof. Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 03:00 GMT]
Failure to reach consensus with the Liberation Tigers in setting up a mechanism that will ensure equitable distribution of aid will lead to Sri Lanka losing large amount of aid pledged by the International community, said Prof G L Peiris, United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian and former Minister of Constitutional Affairs, addressing a press conference held Thursday at the opposition leader's office.
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Thamilchelvan slams Colombo for Kousalyan's slaying

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 14:35 GMT]
"The cowardly act of the Sri Lankan government has taken away Kousalyan and his colleagues from us. Kousalyan came back to Batticaloa with many dreams. He came back with ambitious plans to rebuild this land, devastated by the Tsunami and impoverished by the war imposed by the Sinhala chauvinist state", said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division on Thursday, speaking at the funeral of Mr. E. Kousalyan, at Thandiyadi Martyr's Memorial in Batticaloa.
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Kousalyan, a symbol of Tamil unity - IFT

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 12:53 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT) recalling Mr. Kousalyan's address to thousands of Tamils from the Tamil diaspora in front of the United Nations Building last year, said in a press statement issued Thursday that Kausalyan was a symbol of Tamil unity. IFT appealed to International governments and donors to act decisively to prevent escalation of hostilities as it feared that continued "covert operations" will "wane the mutual trust, goodwill and confidence" between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka. IFT called upon the countries giving Sri Lanka military assistance to desist from doing so and instead to pressure them to seek a peaceful solution.
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