SLMM stops Sri Lanka troops from checking LTTE Jaffna office

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 17:00 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) members in Jaffna were able to diffuse the tension built up in Chullipuram area in Jaffna district when soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday morning surrounded the LTTE political office located at Vallakambarai- Chullipuram and attempted to search it, sources said.
Full story >>

SLA, LTTE meet to discuss Batti-Amparai security

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 11:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commanders and Commanders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa secretariat 2pm Monday to discuss security issues in Batticaloa-Amparai district, security sources said. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) organized the meeting.


Full story >>

SLA vacates Thiruketheeswaram temple

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 11:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) which have been occupying the buildings of the Thiruketheeswaram temple in Mannar have vacated the premises last week, according to local reports.
Full story >>

CJDPO condemns SLA violence against LTTE in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 05:51 GMT]
The Confederation of Jaffna District Public Organization (CJDPO) Sunday condemned several violent acts of the Sri Lanka government troops committed on Saturday and Sunday against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political activists and their offices in the Valigamam division, sources said.


Full story >>

SLMM diffuses tension at Siththankerny checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 18:52 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Sunday evening diffused tension built up at Siththankerny-Pannakam road in Valigamam division in Jaffna district when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers stopped a LTTE cadre and attempted to check his bag he was carrying and grabbed his identity card, sources said.
Full story >>

SLA's increased checking of Jaffna civilians violates MoU - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 18:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is violating the ceasefire agreement by checking civilians who pass through main checkpoints at Vallai on Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Ayam on Point Pedro-Chavakachcheri road and Mulli on Point Pedro Kodikamam road, sources said.


Full story >>

Trinco Rotary Club selects new president

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 16:13 GMT]
A business executive in the east port town Mr.Ramanathapillai Rajarammohan was selected as the twenty- fifth President of the Trincomalee Rotary Club Saturday night at a function held at Hotel Club Oceanic in Uppuveli. Speaking at the function Mr. Rajarammohan said that "The Rotary club played a major role in setting up refugee camps to people in distress due to violence in 1983 and also has helped the displaced families to resettle in Trincomalee district by building houses with the support of international agencies."
Full story >>

SLA aircraft damaged on landing, troops escape injury

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 18:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force's (SLAF's) AN-32 aircraft carrying 55 soldiers from Colombo Ratmalana airport to Palaly airport in Jaffna veered off the runway during landing and crashed into a nearby a signpost Saturday injuring one soldier, said security sources in Jaffna.


Full story >>

Jaffna under tight security following Subathiran killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 17:45 GMT]
Additional government troops and police personnel were deployed Saturday in Jaffna town and its suburbs following the killing of a senior member of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Varathar wing Mr. Kandiah Subathiran alias Robert, sources said


Full story >>

Road closure by SLA halts temple festival in Kalkudah

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 11:37 GMT]
Trustees of Munai Murugan temple in Kalkudah, 35km North of Batticaloa town, said Saturday that devotees have no access to the temple and that the popular annual temple festivals cannot be held due to the closure of the main road leading to the temple by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).


Full story >>

LTTE demands release of cadre arrested one year ago

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 June 2003, 11:25 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday said it would release the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldier, Mr.S.T.Ruwankumara, who is in its custody in Trincomalee district in exchange of its cadre Kururathan now in remand for more than a year, sources said.


Full story >>

UN child rights body criticises Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 17:59 GMT]
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) said it is concerned that under Sri Lanka’s legal system societal discrimination persists against vulnerable groups of children, including children with disabilities, adopted children, children displaced by conflict, children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS and children of ethnic groups and religions.
Full story >>

Jaffna, East undergrads condemn arrest of LTTE official

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 01:57 GMT]
Undergraduates of University of Jaffna expressed their support to the protest fast being carried out by the fellow students of the Eastern University campus condemning the arrest of the Pulliyanthivu, Batticaloa district, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sathiyaraj by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), student union sources said.


Full story >>

Measles immunization programme to begin in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 00:15 GMT]
For the first time a national measles immunization programme is to be inaugurated in the northeast province on June 13, Friday. This programme would be extended to other provinces in the island from September onwards, provincial health ministry official said.


Full story >>

LTTE insists on draft framework for interim administration to resume talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 June 2003, 11:46 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in an official statement issued from its headquarters in Kilinochchi, northern Sri Lanka Wednesday reiterated its position that it would participate in the negotiating process only when the Sri Lankan government puts forward a clearly defined draft framework for an interim administrative structure for the Northeast.
Full story >>

NGO to assist farmers affected by HSZ

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 June 2003, 00:15 GMT]
An international non-governmental organization ACTIONFAIM has formulated a scheme to provide livelihood assistance to resettled villagers in Thenamaradchchi division in Jaffna district who are unable to cultivate their agricultural lands occupied by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), divisional secretariat sources said.
Full story >>

‘Let my people lead normal lives’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2003, 20:01 GMT]
“My people have endured great agony and suffering for twenty years. Let them lead normal lives like those in other parts of the country”, the Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph told a delegation of Sri Lankan armed forces and officials that is on a fact finding visit to the district on the island’s northwestern coast Tuesday. “It is imperative that they shouldn’t be made to wait any longer for their rightful share of the peace dividend which everyone outside the northeast has enjoyed for more than an year”, the Bishop said.
Full story >>

Pongal festival celebrated in Vattapallai Amman Temple

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2003, 02:27 GMT]
Thousands of devotees from different parts of Northeast joined in the pongal celebrations held at Vattapallai Amman Temple, a popular hindu temple in Vanni, Monday. The prevailing climate of peace after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of SriLanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the reason for such large gathering of devotees at the temple festival, sources said.


Full story >>

SLA allows re-opening of Gurunagar ice factory

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 June 2003, 16:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has agreed for the opening of Gurunagar ice factory when Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene Monday held discussions with Colonel Udawatte of 512 Brigade of the SLA located at Gurunagar in Jaffna district, security sources in Jaffna said.


Full story >>

Clearing mines in Northeast will take six years - Scottish Expert

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2003, 16:03 GMT]
A scottish technical expert in the field of mine clearing, Mr. Deim, said that it will take at least six year to clear all landmines buried in the Northeast. He also said that the estimate of a total of one million landmines is too low and that he suspects the number to be much higher, according sources in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>