Monks urge Sinhala unity over Karuna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 June 2004, 11:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s hardline monks’ party, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), has called on the Sri Lankan government and opposition to work together in supporting the renegade LTTE commander, Karuna, “in the interests of national security.”
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MRE week programme in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 June 2004, 04:20 GMT]
Over 700 children from 10 children's clubs in mine affected areas throughout the Batticaloa education zone marched from Eastern University, Chenkaladi junction to Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam in Eravur Saturday as part of the cultural day dedicated to Mine Risk Education (MRE) week activities organized by the Batticaloa UNICEF and Sarvodhaya, UNICEF sources said.
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SLA role in renegade affair said scuttling peace effort

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 June 2004, 18:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will take up the question of the Sri Lanka army backing renegade commander ‘Karuna’ with the Norwegian facilitators when they meet them next, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said Saturday. “The Sri Lankan government should come clean on this matter if it wants to preserve the bona fide on which the peace talks are based," they said.
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Major fire at Sri Lanka govt. press

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 June 2004, 13:27 GMT]
A major fire broke out at the Sri Lanka Government Printers in Colombo Saturday evening. Fire fighters were struggling to put out the fire and bring the situation under control, Police said. "We are not sure whether it is sabotage or an accident," a Police source in Colombo said.
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Batticaloa turns nightmare for local journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 June 2004, 10:28 GMT]
A journalist in Batticaloa went into hiding Friday, fearing for his life after persons suspected to be members of a paramilitary group working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence threatened him with death, family members told TamilNet. The journalist, Mr. Thanthiyan Vedanayagam, was working as the Batticaloa correspondent for the independent Tamil daily ‘Thinakkural’. Two journalists fled the eastern town earlier this month after they too were threatened with death by persons suspected to be members of a paramilitary group working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence.
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Students grieve over death of school children in the South

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 June 2004, 03:08 GMT]
The Trincomalee district branch of the Thamileelam Students Forum Friday issued a statement expressing grief over the tragic deaths of two Sinhalese students who were killed by a passenger bus Wednesday morning in Polgahawela while they were on their way to school, sources said.
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Opposition leaders to meet Speaker Monday

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 June 2004, 20:17 GMT]
Leaders of opposition parties, United National Party (UNP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) are to meet the Speaker Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara Monday before discussing the strategy to adopt to present a co-ordinated front to the actions of the ruling minority UPFA government when the parliament meets on July 20, sources said.


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Jaffna students' savings highest in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 June 2004, 13:57 GMT]
In Sri Lanka, school students save most in Jaffna, a senior state bank official in the north said Friday. Mr. S. Ilampirainathan, special executive of People's Bank, northern region , said Jaffna school children have 157.8 million rupees in savings accounts in his bank. Private and state banks in Jaffna say savings are highest in Jaffna despite two decades of war that has left the northern peninsula in tatters.
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Mine Risk Education week in progress in NE

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 June 2004, 01:05 GMT]
Exhibitions, plays, processions, demonstrations and other activities are being held as part of UNICEF supported Mine Risk Education (MRE) Week between 21 June and 27 June across the NorthEast province. In addition MRE stickers, key tags and T-shirts with messages advocating a total ban on mines have also been produced and are being distributed during this week, UNICEF sources said.
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HALO Trust’s vehicles burnt in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 June 2004, 12:21 GMT]
Several vehicles belonging to the ‘Halo Trust’ in Jaffna were burnt or damaged by unidentified men in the early hours of Thursday, police officials in the northern town said. The Halo Trust is a British demining charity engaged in mine clearing activities in Jaffna
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SL Government admits SLA complicity in Karuna affair

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 June 2004, 10:39 GMT]
Contradicting Defense Secretary Cyril Herath who denied Monday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) gave shelter to renegade commander Muralitharan (alias Karuna), Information Minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Mangala Samaraweera, admitted to the press today that the SLA helped Karuna "escape and wage a covert war of attrition against the Tamil Tigers" according to a BBC report from Colombo today.
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Jaffna university employees' strike to be called off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 June 2004, 04:17 GMT]
Nine days old strike of the Jaffna University employees is likely to be called off Thursday following an agreement reached between the union leadership and the Vice Chancellor at a discussion held Wednesday afternoon on several demands of the strikers, sources in Jaffna said.
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Sri Lankan Tamil refugees rescued in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2004, 16:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Wednesday morning rescued 26 persons from seven Tamil refugee families returning from Rameswaram in South India from a sandbank in Talaimannar Sea.
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UNP said investigating Moulana

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2004, 14:21 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) in a press release Wednesday reiterated its policy of non-interference in the internal matters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UNP leadership Wednesday clarified its stand amid revelation that one of its national list parliamentarian Mr.Ali Zahir Moulana Seyed helped LTTE renegade commander Karuna safe passage to Colombo from east on April 11 following the outbreak of Karuna revolt, sources said.


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Opposition to urge reconvening parliament before PC elections

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2004, 03:59 GMT]
Leaders of opposition parties are scheduled to meet Wednesday in the parliamentary complex to decide on the next course of action taken in regard to safeguard the parliamentary democracy. The Leader of the Opposition and main opposition United National Party (UNP) Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe is to preside over the meet, political sources in Colombo said.
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SLMC reiterates conditional support to UPFA government

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 17:05 GMT]
Mr.Rauff Hakim, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) told media persons in Kandy Monday that his party is prepared to consider supporting the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government if it decided to abandon its attempt to revert the parliament into a constituent assembly and accommodate a separate Muslim delegation in the future peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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One accused in Bindunuwewa massacre case acquitted

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 13:37 GMT]
Specially constituted five-member bench of the Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court comprising Justices Asoka de Silva, T.B.Weerasuriya, Nihal Jayasinghe, N.E.Dissanayake and Raja Fernando Monday acquitted the fifth accused Sub-Inspector of Police Mr.Tyronne Roger Ratnayake who was sentenced to death along with Inspector of Police Mr. Senaka Jayampathi Karunasena and three civilians in the Bindunuwewa massacre case, for want of evidence, legal sources said. The inquiry into the appeals of four other accused-appellants is continuing.
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"UPFA government will prove parliamentary majority"- PM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 05:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse Monday declared that his United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government would prove its majority in parliament when it meets on July 20 after elections to six-provicincial councils, scheduled to be held on July 10. "UPFA is prepared to face the challenge of the common opposition if it claimed to have a majority in parliament," said Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse addressing the first election rally in support of UPFA candidates contesting the North Central Provincial Council.
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Tamil author writes on Third world's financial woes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 00:49 GMT]
The release of research book "Monetary Exploitation" written in English by Tamil scholar Mr.A.R.Arudpragasam took place in Trincomalee Town Hall Sunday evening with the Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Professor C.Mohanadas as the chief guest.
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Tamil cultural activities in Trincomalee to be revived

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 June 2004, 15:10 GMT]
Poet Puthuvai Ratnathurai, Head of the Arts and Cultural Association of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said his leadership is prepared to open a Fine Arts Academy in the Trincomalee district to develop arts and literary activities. As a prelude Mr. Ratnathurai during the weekend at an event held in Trincomalee handed over some carnatic musical equipments to LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Elilan.
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