Socioeconomic development will aid ethnic reconciliation - NECORD Director

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 September 2002, 12:39 GMT]
"Trincomalee is one of the worst affected districts in the island due to the ethnic war. It is estimated that a minimum sum of ten billion rupees is required to resettle and rehabilitate the displaced population and to rebuild damaged and destroyed infrastructure," said the Project Director of the North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD), Mr.T.Lankaneson. He was addressing a seminar in Trincomalee Saturday, Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Colombo Mid-City and Trincomalee.
Full story >>

Vanni MPs slam SLA for blocking resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 22:54 GMT]
"If Mannar and Vavuniya districts are to be developed the Sri Lanka armed forces have to vacate our homes, and agricultural lands. We are not asking for houses or buildings in Anuradhapura and Madawachchiya. We are only asking permission to go back to our homes, to the lands of our forefathers," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan addressing a conference held Friday at the Mannar district secretariat on resettlement.
Full story >>

China pledges to assist rebuilding north

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 16:40 GMT]
The Chinese government Friday promised that it would offer financial assistance to rebuild houses destroyed by war in the Jaffna district. "My government is developing a rehabilitation programme for implementation in the north," said Chinese ambassador in Colombo, Mr.Jiang Quizheng, addressing a conference at the Jaffna district secretariat Friday. The Ambassador during his visit to Jaffna inspected the Point Pedro jetty, which is in the high security zone of the Sri Lanka Army.
Full story >>

SLA discusses fishermen grievances

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 15:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday held a discussion with representatives of Vadamarachchi fisheries societies regarding their grievances. The conference held at the headquarters of the 52-4 Brigade of the SLA. assurances were given at the conference that the SLA would take up the question with higher authorities to allow displaced Vadamarachchi fishermen now in LTTE held Vanni region to travel by sea in their boats for resettlement in their villages.
Full story >>

Chinese Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 September 2002, 23:00 GMT]
The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jiang Qinzheng, met the head of the Liberation Tigers’ Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilchelvan Thursday, sources said. The discussions were held at the LTTE’s political headquarters in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

Soosai readies for road opening

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 September 2002, 19:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will push for immediate action to rehabilitate the Pt. Pedro-Maruthankerni Road on Jaffna’s southeastern coast and will promptly send teams to de-mine the blocked parts of the route, said Mr. Soosai, the commander of the Sea Tigers, addressing a gathering of more than 150 Sri Lankan government officials, representatives of local civil society groups, community leaders and local LTTE officials at the Maruthankerni Hindu School Thursday morning.
Full story >>

US, UK hail successful talks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 September 2002, 15:25 GMT]
(News Feature) The United States and Britain Thursday welcomed the successful conclusion of the first round of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers in Thailand this week. Comments by both governments are the latest in a series of supporting statements by several countries including China, South Africa and Iran. The negotiations which took place with Norwegian facilitation at a Thai naval base in Sittahip lasted Monday through Wednesday.
Full story >>

SLA says no to IDP resettlement in Vavuniya north

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 September 2002, 02:42 GMT]
A team comprising government officials, officers of the Sri Lanka Army, officials of Liberation Tigers and civilians Tuesday visited Iranai Illupaikulam and Kalmadu in the Vavuniya district to make an assessment for resettling of internally displaced persons and to recommence paddy cultivation in fields in the region abandoned due to military operations.


Full story >>

UNP politician opens LTTE office

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 September 2002, 23:33 GMT]
The ruling United National Party organiser in Trincomalee and a former parliamentarian of the district, Mr. Sunil Shantha Ranaweera, unveiled the name board of the Tampalakamam political office of the Liberation Tigers during the opening ceremony this Wednesday. Tampalakamam is a traditional Tamil agricultural village in the district twenty-seven km northwest of Trincomalee town.
Full story >>

Preliminary steps towards interim administration agreed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 September 2002, 17:53 GMT]
Preliminary steps towards an interim administration for the Tamil areas of the island were agreed as part of the first direct Norwegian facilitated talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, the chief negotiators of both sides told a press conference in Sittahip, Thailand Wednesday.
Full story >>

SLA restores Anagarika’s propaganda vehicle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 September 2002, 15:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army said Tuesday that soldiers of its Electrical and Mechanical Engineer Regiment (SLEME) restored the propaganda vehicle used by the Sinhala Buddhist revivalist and nationalist, Anagarika Dharmapala, to “its pristine glory” upon a request by Buddhist clergy. Many Sri Lankan social historians say that Anagarika Dharmapala was the main architect of militant Sinhala Buddhism in Sri Lanka, of the idea that the Singhalese are the only rightful owners of the whole island.
Full story >>

People's predicament first says LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 22:19 GMT]
(Feature) The first round of formal peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) began Monday in the Sattahip Thai Naval base on a positive note though the head of Colombo’s negotiating team laid down in his opening speech non-negotiable elements which, according to him, should be constant in “determining the parameters of the negotiations." The Liberation Tigers, however, desisted from any reference to ‘irreducible principles.’
Full story >>

Islanders complain navy harassment

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 22:16 GMT]
The Island Peoples’ Welfare Society (IPWS) Monday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and Human Right Commission in Jaffna district that people living in islets are once again subjected to severe checking and harassment at the hands naval personnel stationed at Allaipitty and Ponnalai SLN camps. The SLN camps at Allaipitty and Ponnalai have re-introduced stringent checking earlier withdrawn with the signing of a cease-fire agreement between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, society sources said.
Full story >>

Can't wish away suspicion, antipathy overnight - G. L

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 06:46 GMT]
"A reservoir of suspicion and antipathy, which has filled to the brim over extended periods, can scarcely be wished away overnight," said Prof G. L Peiris, head of the Sri Lankan government delegation, addressing the inaugural session of the peace talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka in the Thai naval base Sattahip Monday.
Full story >>

'We are optimistic' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 06:17 GMT]
Addressing the opening ceremony of the first round of formal talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka in Thailand Monday, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor of the LTTE said "We are optimistic that the peace talks will succeed because Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the LTTE and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, have genuine will and firm determination to resolve the conflict through the process of dialogue."
Full story >>

SLA opens Chavakachcheri-Kachchai road

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 00:21 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri- Kachchai road in Jaffna district was opened Sunday morning after a period of six years. Priests, leading citizens and members of public attended the function held in connection with the opening of the road. The road was closed for public from 1996 by the SLA due to military operations in Thenmaradchi sector of Jaffna peninsula by the Sri Lanka Army.


Full story >>

Mankerni residents tell SLA to stop harassment

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 September 2002, 17:15 GMT]
Residents of Mankerni, 47, kilometres north of Batticaloa, said Sunday that the Sri Lanka army should move out its camp from the centre of village and stop harassing them. The village school, the local Roman Catholic Church, nursery, the village library, three shops, ten homes and a privately owned coconut estate are inside the SLA camp in Mankerni.
Full story >>

Anti War Rally to be held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 September 2002, 10:37 GMT]
The National Anti-War Front (NAWF) Saturday announced that it would hold a mass rally and prayer meeting in Colombo on September 16 to invoke blessings for the historic peace talks at Thailand. "The people of Sri Lanka has been offered a new opportunity to end the twenty year old brutal war through negotiation," said the NAWF in a special message issued Saturday.
Full story >>

SLA arrests another Pt. Pedro fisherman

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 September 2002, 21:09 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army arrested a fisherman in Pt. Pedro Friday night around 9. 30 p.m. sources said. Ponnuchchami Jeyartnam, 59, was at the Munai beach near Pt. Pedro town when soldiers from the 52-4 Brigade took him into custody. Human rights lawyers said the situation is serious because the Sri Lanka army, which has no legal power whatsoever to make arrests after the Emergency lapsed last year, is continuing to take civilians into custody in Pt. Pedro.
Full story >>

SLA meets LTTE’s Northern Forces Commander

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 September 2002, 17:08 GMT]
(Adds: Photo) The commander of the Northern Front Forces of the Liberation Tigers, Col. Theepan, had discussions with the commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Jaffna, Major. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Thursday evening to discuss the opening of the Pt. Pedro – Maruthankerni Road on Jaffna’s east coast and the positioning of Forward Defence Localities in the Nagar Kovil sector.
Full story >>