Protest against VVT murders shuts down Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 06:11 GMT]
Shops were closed and roads were mostly deserted in Jaffna Saturday in protest against the killing of two youth who were playing football in Valvettithurai Friday evening. Protestors burnt tires and blocked roads in several parts of the peninsula. Some clashed with troops and Police. A man identified as Mr. Manikkam Sundaram, 38, was wounded when Police and military opened fire on the protestors.
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Jaffna undergrads urge India not to support Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 17:47 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) Friday wrote to the Indian Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh not to extend his Government's support to Sri Lanka government in its attempts to crush the freedom struggle of Eelam Tamils by providing financial assistance for the implementation of the Palaly airbase runway project in Jaffna district, sources in Jaffna said.


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Jaffna prepares for Heroes' Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 17:16 GMT]
Students, public servants and members of public are giving a new look to Heroes' cemetaries in Jaffna district in preparation for the Maveerar Day which falls on November 26, sources said.


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UNP to oppose SL government budget

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 05:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) decided Thursday evening to oppose the maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, UNP sources said.
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Ex UNP minister joins UPFA government

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 13:18 GMT]
Mr. Rohitha Bogollagama, ex United National Party (UNP) minister, crossed over to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Thursday, while the UPFA's maiden budget was being presented in Parliament. He was immediately sworn in as Minister for Advanced Technology and National Enterprises. The cross over of the powerful UNP Parliamentarian from the Kurunagala district has further strengthened the UPFA's position in the Sri Lankan legislature.
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SL Budget, home grown, people friendly- Amunugama

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 11:39 GMT]
Dr.Sarath Amunugama, Finance Minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government which came to power in April 2nd general election this year began his maiden budget speech Thursday around 2.30 p.m. amid expectation in the trade union circles an impressive salary increase for public servants as promised during the hustings, parliamentary sources said.
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SLA military intelligence operative, Karuna cadre killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 10:31 GMT]
A Sri Lanka military intelligence operative and a person suspected to be a member of the paramilitary, 'Karuna Group' were shot dead by a gunman in Kaduruwela, a satellite town of Polannaruwa, 85 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, around 1.30 p.m. Thursday, Police said. The men were riding a motorbike in the predominantly Sinhala town when they were shot by a person with a handgun. The Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, Lance Corporal Ajith Dassanayaka was killed on the spot and the Karuna Group cadre died on admission to the Polannaruwa hospital, according to Police.
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JVP slams WB, IMF on eve of Sri Lanka budget

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 14:07 GMT]
A trade union of the Marxist, Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s main coalition partner, put up thousands of posters in Colombo Wednesday warning that her government’s maiden budget, which is to be presented Thursday in Parliament, should not fall prey to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The JVP is stridently opposed to the influence that World Bank and IMF have had on Sri Lanka’s fiscal policies since the country’s economy was deregulated in 1977.


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Army driver remanded in Kodikamam fatal accident

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 17:17 GMT]
Mr.M.Kandasamy, acting Chavakachcheri Magistrate Sunday night remanded Mr.Mudiansalage Wijeyasiri, bowzer driver of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), till November 17, when the driver was produced by the Kodikamam police in connection with the death of Hindu priest Mr.Varatharajakurukkal Harihara Sarma on Sunday morning in a road accident, legal sources said.


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Sinhala leaders didn't understand power sharing -Rupasinghe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 18:49 GMT]
"Sinhala leaders have no understanding of the Tamil question. They did not understand how to share power since 1948 (when the island was granted independence by the British). Power has been Sinhala. Sri Lankan armed forces are 99 percent Sinhala. Tamil is not implemented as an official language. How can we transform a Sinhala hegemonic state into a federal one? This is the challenge before us" said Mr. Kumar Rupasinghe, a leading peace activist in Sri Lanka.
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Inter faith group meets in Jaffna to discuss Peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 12:09 GMT]
Three-day workshop on Inter Faith Collaboration on Peace Process in Sri Lanka began Saturday at the Jaffna Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) auditorium located in Chundikuli, a suburb in Jaffna town. Dignitaries of all faiths participated in the inaugural event, sources said.
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SLA, Police tear gas assault protestors in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 06:13 GMT]
Tension prevailed near Kodikamam town in Jaffna Sunday morning as military and Police fired tear gas and assaulted civilians protesting against an accident on the A9 highway in which a Sri Lanka army vehicle knocked down and killed a young Hindu priest. Hundreds of protesting civilians in the area blocked the highway and set fire to the Sri Lanka army vehicle and two military motorbikes. Two journalists who were covering the incident were also assaulted by Police and SLA troopers.
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'Will come to power soon' proclaims JVP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 17:57 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Sri Lanka's powerful Marxist Sinhala nationalist party and President Chandrika Kumaratunga main coalition partner, Saturday marked the 15th death anniversary of its founder Rohana Wijeweera with a massive public meeting at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.Addressing the meeting, Mr. Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the JVP, lambasted the United National Party, accusing its leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe of conspiring with the Liberation Tigers to divide the island nation. JVP is stridently opposed to granting regional autonomy to Tamils.
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TNA MPs, LTTE activist attend Ifthar in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 05:42 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians from the Trincomalee district, Mr.M.S.Thowfeek, former parliamentarian and a leading member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Mr.Puratchi, head of the Trincomalee District Thamileelam Students Unit of the Liberation Tigers participated at the 'Ifthar' function held Friday evening at the Trincomalee Mohaideen Andavar Mosque, sources said.
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Jaffna SLA officials complain of promotion irregularities

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 18:09 GMT]
Two army officials based in the Palaly military base of the Sri Lanka Army have lodged complaints with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HCRSL) that they have been deprived of their legitimate promotion by the SLA command, human rights sources said.


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Tigers, SLA discuss security of LTTE political workers

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 13:37 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers met Sri Lankan armed forces representatives Friday at the truce monitoring mission office in Batticaloa for discussions on the security of their political activists who are working in the eastern town. At the meeting, the Tigers pointed out that LTTE members are, contrary to the spirit of the cease fire agreement, harassed by Sri Lankan armed forces when they show their official identity cards. This hinders the LTTE's political work in areas controlled by the Sri Lankan government in Batticaloa, the Liberation Tigers told Sri Lankan armed forces delegation.
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"Tamils have right to make their own constitution" – Mavai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 08:52 GMT]
“The objective before us is to make our own constitution on the basis of our sovereignty, which is inalienable. We have the right to do it. The signing of the ceasefire agreement between the leader of the Tamil nation and the Prime Minister of the Sinhala nation proved that there are two states on this island”, said Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speaking at the opening of the new building of the Thamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi Wednesday. The Thamil Eelam Law College was declared open by Ms. Adele Balasingham.
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Balasingham, Solheim arrive in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 01:44 GMT]
Mr.Anton Balasingham, political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) arrived in Colombo Tuesday morning around 5 a.m. Mr.Erik Solheim, Norwegian special peace envoy arrived in Colombo after midnight Tuesday, political and diplomatic sources said.


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Mannar Bishop slams Kumaratunga's stand on Indian poaching

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 18:46 GMT]
Mannar Fishermen Monday temporarily gave up their protest against Indian poaching after Maj. Gen. Parami Kulatunga, Sri Lankan security forces commander for Vanni, promised them that he would take measures within two weeks to stop Indian fishermen from entering the seas off the Mannar coast. A conference to discuss Indian poaching was held Monday at the Bishop House in Mannar. "I have raised this matter with the President on several occasions. And everytime I was told that Indians cannot be antagonised on this score", Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph said, addressing the conference.
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Jaffna SLA assault case transferred to Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 18:29 GMT]
The case against two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who were indicted for causing grievous injury to a paper seller boy and a bus conductor by firing at them in Jaffna bus stand during early part of this year has been transferred from Jaffna to Vavuniya Magistrate Court on the orders of the Court of Appeal, legal sources said.


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