International Aid groups meet LTTE in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 September 2003, 16:09 GMT]
A team of representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Plan met with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the Political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday, sources in the Vanni said.


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UNICEF launches programme on HIV/AIDS for NE

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 September 2003, 07:08 GMT]
The UNICEF organized five-day training of trainers programme for a group of trainees on Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) on HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention among young people affected by the conflict in the northeast province concluded last week in Trincomalee. The trained resource personnel would begin their training programme in their respective areas in the province in the coming weeks to take forward the LSBE on HIV/AIDS at the grass root level organizations, UNICEF sources said.


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Batticaloa weekly celebrates 25th publication

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 September 2003, 20:31 GMT]
The Eastern Journalists' Union organized a research conference Saturday at the Batticaloa Devanayagam Co-operative Arts Theatre to celebrate the 25th publication of 'Thamil Alai (Tamil Wave),' a weekly published from Kokadichcholai in Batticaloa district.
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SLN arrests returning Sri Lankan Tamil refugees

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 September 2003, 16:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy Saturday arrested 21 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and 2 boatmen transporting them from Tamilnadu in South India to Mannar, and the Mannar Magistrate, Mr. N M.M.Abdulla, remanded the boatmen and directed the resettlement of the refugees, legal sources said.
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Thileepan's death remembered in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 September 2003, 02:09 GMT]
The commemoration of the death of Lt. Col. Thileepan, a senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who fasted unto death in a campaign during September 15-26, 1987, is being observed fervently in all major towns in Jaffna, including in schools and Sri Lankan government offices, despite threats from the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.
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First stage of final oral polio immunization held in NE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 September 2003, 19:27 GMT]
The first stage of sub-national final oral Polio immunization programme in the northeast province with the assistance of UNICEF was held Saturday at several centres in the eight districts of the province inspite of the strike of the Health Sector Trade Unions Federation Alliance, provincial health ministry official said.
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Muslim delegation meets Col. Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 September 2003, 12:18 GMT]
LTTE’s senior commander for the Batticaloa–Amparai District, Col. V. Karuna, Saturday had discussions with a delegation of Muslim community leaders and civil society activists at ‘Thenaham’ conference center in Karadiyanaaru, 24 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa. “The discussion was a further step in cementing and deepening the traditional bond between Tamils and Muslims in the east,” an LTTE official in Batticaloa said.
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Southern sports coaches in Jaffna return home

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 September 2003, 02:44 GMT]
Coaches engaged in training Jaffna sportspersons in preparation to the planned National Peace Sports Festival have now returned to their home stations in the south of the country as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has told the Sri Lankan authorities concerned that it could extend its co-operation to the event only after the resumption of the stalled peace talks, district secretariat sources said.
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Sri Lanka's AG suspends withdrawal of PTA cases

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 20:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Attorney General has directed all state counsels appearing in high courts in the country not to withdraw indictments filed under the prevention of terrorism Act (PTA) any more until they receive further direction in this regard, human rights sources said.
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‘Claims of 13 camps after MoU totally unfounded’ -LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 19:29 GMT]
The Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Col. Pathuman, and the district political head, Mr.Thilak, Friday jointly made an appeal to the Sinhalese and Tamil journalists in the Trincomalee district to inform the international community and people of the country that there was not an iota of truth in the allegation spread by anti-peace elements that the LTTE had constructed thirteen new camps in the government controlled areas in the district since the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
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Canadian High Commissioner meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 17:58 GMT]
The Canadian Highcommissioner in Sri Lanka, Ms. Valerie Raymond, met with the Political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Friday, and encouraged the LTTE “to move forward steadfastly [in finding a negotiated political settlement to the ethnic conflict] in spite of any obstacles that are usually expected in such protracted conflict resolutions,” sources said.
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Vavuniya MP says SLA disrupts Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army in Vavuniya has beefed up its checkpoint outside the Pongu Thamil (Tamil Upsurge) office, and SLA personnel are checking and video taping those who visit the office. Such actions are intended to disrupt the Pongu Thamil event in Vavuniya, said Mr.N.Sivashakthi Anandan, the Vanni district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Thursday.
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Karachi displaced given resettlement grants

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 15:08 GMT]
7130 of the displaced families from Karachi in Kilinochchi district who had applied for resettlement grants have been given financial assistance ranging from Rs. 25000 to Rs.3000, said Secretary of Karachi Pradeshiya Sabai, Pon.Nithyananthan.


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Veteran sportsman Anandarajah dies

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 00:35 GMT]
Mr.J.S.N.Anandarajah, senior co-ordinator for the promotion of football under the Youth Development Programme in the North East province, passed away Monday night at a private nursing home in Colombo after a brief illness. His funeral was held Thursday at Kanatte cemetery in Colombo, attended by a large crowd, sources said.
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Thai army completes de-mining training in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2003, 14:07 GMT]
A ten member team of the Royal Thai Army Thursday completed a three week special training in de-mining equipment handling for forty five personnel of the Humanitarian De-mining Unit of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) in Kilinochchi. The Royal Thai army team leader Lt. Col. Suchart presented certificates to the HDU personnel who took part in the special training program.
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Tamil wins Oslo municipal elections

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2003, 11:04 GMT]
Yogaraja Balasingham (Baskaran) contesting on the Labor party ticket became the first Tamil ever to win a seat in the municipal council elections for Oslo, Norway, sources in Norway said.
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Police bans Thileepan commemoration in Jaffna school

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 19:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police in Point Pedro in the Jaffna district Wednesday ordered the principal of Puloly Methodist Tamil Mixed School that he could not organize any event that is connected with the activities of LTTE in school premises without the permission of the police, civil sources said.
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Norwegian peace team arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 15:34 GMT]
Norwegian deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo Wednesday around 9.30 a.m. The visiting Norwegian envoys are scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Wednesday night and will proceed to Kilinochchi to meet the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Thursday, media sources said.
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UNICEF's training on mine risk concludes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 13:47 GMT]
The integrated Training of Trainers under the UNICEF sponsored Mine Risk Education (MRE) programme, which commenced in April this year, concluded Tuesday at the Hotel Club Oceanic in Trincomalee, with the awarding of certificates to participants who are field officers of non-government organizations, the White Pigeon, Sarvodaya and Tamil Refugees Rehabilitation Organization in the northeast province, UNICEF sources said.
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Sports competitions mark women’s upsurge day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 08:26 GMT]
Sports competitions are being held in the Vanni among women’s brigades of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to mark the remembrance of 2nd Lieutenant Malathy, the first woman LTTE fighter to die, and the women’s upsurge day, sources in the Vanni said.
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