Terror Stalks journalists in the East - RSF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 17:48 GMT]
The French media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) said Tuesday in special report on threats faced by journalists in Sri Lanka's eastcoast: "The impunity which prevails in cases involving the murder and assault of journalists is seriously jeopardizing press freedom and the peace process in Sri Lanka."
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SLA objects to hoisting Tiger flag

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 12:05 GMT]
Tension prevailed between the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army and members of the public Monday evening in Vathiri area in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district over the question of hoisting Tiger flag in a public function when organizers refused to bring down the flag, residents said.
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CFA is in jeopardy- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 03:30 GMT]
"...Ceasefire agreement [CFA] itself is in grave jeopardy, and without the ceasefire, there cannot be a peace process at all," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian from Jaffna district, when TamilNet caught up with him in Washington D.C. and asked him for his views on the steadily deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka. Gajendrakumar is currently on a U.S. tour meeting with U.S. officials and addressing Tamil expatriates in different States.
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Petersen says ‘too early’ to predict talks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 July 2004, 12:09 GMT]
It is "too early" to say when the peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers would start again, Norway's Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, said last week in an interview to The Hindu newspaper. Mr. Petersen expressed confidence that the two year old cease-fire would continue to hold but said “it would probably be unrealistic to think that we will not have any more incidents.”


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"Kollupitya bomb blast won't affect peace process"- SLFP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2004, 17:38 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a major constituent in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance government said in a statement issued Wednesday evening that the suicide bomb blast in the Kollupitya police station will not cause any adverse impact on the peace process and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, political sources said.


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"LTTE emerged militarily strong because of Black Tigers"- Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2004, 05:08 GMT]
"Because of the sacrifice by the Black Tigers, the LTTE has emerged as a strong liberation force in the world and even now we prepared to face a war if it is thrusted on us. However we do not want to be responsible for the outbreak of the fourth Eelam War," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE addressing the Black Tigers Day celebrations held in the Trincomalee Sivankoviladi grounds Monday night.
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LTTE warns Security Forces to stop East killings

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 July 2004, 19:50 GMT]
"Once more, fully aware of our people's desire for peace, we emphasise our continued commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding. We also want to express in no uncertain terms that if war is thrust on us, we are prepared to respond," said a press release issued by the LTTE's Political Division of Batticaloa-Amparai, following two shooting incidents in Batticaloa Monday morning.
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Talks prospect dim, sustaining CFA uncertain - Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 July 2004, 15:54 GMT]
Mr.C. Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Saturday that recent talks between Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Norwegian facilitator Mr. Erik Solheim gave no indication that the stalled peace process would resume in the near future. "Instead sustaining the current envioronment of peace is becoming uncertain," said Mr.Elilan addressing the 'Sangamam' event organized by the Thamileelam Resurgence Forum in Nilaveli, about 8 km off north of eastern port town Saturday.
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Kumaratunga says talks should restart without delay

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 July 2004, 12:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga Thursday told Norwegian facilitators of the the island’s peace process that peace talks between her government and the Liberation Tigers should be resumed without further delay. She denied accusations by the Liberation Tigers that the SLA was engaged in activities in support of renegade commander Karuna in the eastern province.
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The cease-fire’s weakest link: Tamil paramilitaries

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 June 2004, 17:50 GMT]
When Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim flew into Sri Lanka this week, he was well aware that the problems that have bedeviled his government’s peace process thus far have now been eclipsed by new and far more severe one: a weak link in the formal ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers has finally snapped.
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Sri Lanka FCA holds exhibition of war and peace photos

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 June 2004, 06:35 GMT]
The Foreign Correspondents’ Association (FCA) of Sri Lanka will hold an exhibition of photographs by five photojournalists starting Wednesday at the Barefoot Gallery in Colombo. “The photos are of war and peace in the island, taken over the many years of conflict as well as in the past two-and-a-half years since the Tigers and Colombo signed a cease-fire”, the FCA said. The five photojournalists are members of the FCA.
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‘SLA intelligence behind Batticaloa murders, confusion’ - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 June 2004, 13:08 GMT]
“We have very reliable evidence now that the Sri Lanka army is using Karuna as a pretext to murder and to create mayhem in Batticaloa. We have indubitable proof that he is working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence. The Liberation Tigers will not recommence meetings with the Sri Lanka army while the Sri Lankan government and its military continue to harbour Karuna and continue to instigate murder and confusion in Batticaloa. We made this clear to the head of the monitoring mission today”, said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan speaking to the press Monday in Kilinochchi.
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SL propaganda aims to create fear psychosis in East- Ramesh

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 June 2004, 15:02 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Special Commander to Batticaloa-Amparai district, Col.Ramesh denied recent reports in Sri Lanka Government media on fighting in Thoppigala jungles in Batticaloa district, and dismissed the reports as propaganda to create a fear psychosis in the minds of eastern Tamils, during an interview with United Kingdom based Vectone Broadcasting network, Sunday.


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Black Sea Tiger Major Puhalini remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 2004, 00:10 GMT]
Major Puhalini, member of the Black Sea Tiger wing of the Liberation Tigers, who died on 30 July, 2003 in a boat mishap in international waters, was remembered Sunday evening in Muttur east in Trincomalee district. Her mother Ms Vadivelu unveiled the memorial plaque constructed at Alankulam Heroes Cemetary, sources said.
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Kumaratunga hints at "an effective compromise" with the LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2004, 15:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, in a prime-time TV address, has indicated that she is "seeking an effective compromise" to overcome the dragging differences with the LTTE that delay peace talks. The LTTE has been insisting on negotiating its interim administration proposals first, while the government wanted to have parallel talks on the final solution to the conflict. In her nation-wide telecast Saturday night Kumaratunga hinted at her readiness to "prioritise" the LTTE demand while not openly abandoning the government's position to have parallel talks on the final settlement.
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Sri Lanka President urged to establish ISGA immediately

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2004, 20:33 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday told Sri Lanka President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge that Tamils couldn't depend any more on the Sinhala political leadership to enjoy their rights. ''The Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) should be established in the northeast without delay so that Tamils could enjoy self rule in their homeland,'' Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group, told the President during a discussion held Thursday night in the Presidential House at the latter's invitation, TNA sources said.
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Danish Refugee Council assists resettled Swamimalai villagers

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 June 2004, 00:02 GMT]
The Trincomalee District Development Association (TDDA) under its Integrated Rehabilitation Programme (IRP) with the funding of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has provided infrastructure facilities to the resettled Tamil village, Swamimalai, in Thampalakamam Divisional Secretariat division. Swamimalai is located along Trincomalee-Kandy highway, about 24 km northwest off east port town.


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Donors warn Sri Lanka on peace process, economic reforms

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 June 2004, 11:06 GMT]
Following their meeting in Brussels Tuesday, the co-chairs of aid donors to Sri Lanka issued a statement warning the Colombo government that there should be "no drift and no delay in resuming and taking forward the peace process" and pointing out that "the peace process and the development process are mutually reinforcing and interlinked." The co-chairs called for "the establishment of effective delivery mechanisms for donor-financed development activities in the North and East."
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Solheim meets Kumaratunge, sides no closer to agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 01:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday evening held two hour long discussion with the visiting Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim on the prospects of holding peace talks. Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers are not close to an agreement on the time and modality of resuming the peace process, political sources in Colombo said.
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Kalutara Tamil prisoners put off fasting campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2004, 22:04 GMT]
Mr. Sivanathan Kishore, the Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament from the Vanni, who visited the Kalutara prison Thursday, said that the Tamil youths at the prison have put off their planned fasting campaign, following assurances that the TNA would take up their plight with Sri Lanka’s Attorney General and the Minister of Justice. Arrested under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), many youths have been languishing in jails for several years without their cases being brought to court.
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