Indian FM meets minority parties

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 June 2000, 12:00 GMT]
The Indian Foreign Minister Mr.Jaswant Singh held separate meetings with the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a group comprising representatives of three hill country Tamil parties and five ex-Tamil militant groups at India House, the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Monday Afternoon. The brief discussions mainly centered around India's role as a mediator, devolution, the plight of civilians in the war zone and the need for a ceasefire. Mr. Singh reaffirmed India's stand on the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka to the Tamil and Muslim delegations during his discussions with the minority parties this afternoon.
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Eight youths arrested in round up

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 June 2000, 10:26 GMT]
Eight youths were arrested when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police conducted a cordon and search operation in Kokkuvil, a village 4 km. north of Batticaloa this morning.
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Hartal in Batticaloa to protest killings

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 May 2000, 13:00 GMT]
Shops and schools were closed, few reported for work in government offices and roads were generally deserted Wednesday in Batticaloa, Valaichenai and other towns in the eastern district. This hartal was in response to a call by a student organisation to protest against the indiscriminate shooting by Sri Lankan security forces on May 17 in which scores of civilians were killed and wounded. The Police failed in the morning to compel shops in Batticaloa town to open up for business.
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(Photos) Journalists condemn attacks

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2000, 09:01 GMT]
The Vanni Journalists Association has condemned recent attacks on journalists, a news statement said. On Sunday a grenade was thrown at the house of a senior journalist in Batticaloa Mr Aiyathurai Nadesan, and yesterday, BBC's Sinhala Service correspondent Elmo Fernando was assaulted in Colombo. The association has urged the government to take immediate steps to prevent violence acts on media personnel.
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SLA arrests seven in east

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 March 2000, 19:05 GMT]
Seven Tamil villagers were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) this morning near the district border between Ampara and Batticaloa. Eight persons including an eight year-old boy were travelling in a tractor from 13th milepost towards Malayarkadu in Ampara district for work. The SLA arrested the seven adults near Malayarakadu. The eight-year old boy was abandoned alone at the spot.
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TULF meets President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2000, 20:24 GMT]
A six member delegation of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) held discussions with the Sri Lankan President after waiting more than five hours to meet her. The TULF delegation had urged President Chandrika Kumaratunga to resettle people in Waligamam north in Jaffna, restore Thirukketheeswaram, the temple of Shiva in Mannar, allow a Norwegian aid program in Batticaloa and to upgrade the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat.
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Police search Batticaloa MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2000, 07:55 GMT]
Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, Member of Parliament for Batticaloa district and the Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Tamil United Liberation Front was subjected to severe search at Mannampity security post today morning.
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TULF will oppose budget -Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 February 2000, 12:46 GMT]
"The millennium budget of the PA government is a war budget. The TULF will therefore oppose it when it comes up for vote in Parliament," said TULF MP for Batticaloa Joseph Pararajasingham.
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Details of talk between PA and Tamil parties

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2000, 16:26 GMT]
The Government has agreed to vest all state lands to regional councils in the respective regions including forest reserves and excluding tea, rubber, coconut and teak plantations, research farms and national parks, according to Tamil party sources.
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Missing youth not arrested: SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 February 2000, 19:49 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has informed the Government's Anti Harassment Committee that they had not arrested Vinasithamby (Vinayakamoorthy) Vijeyarajah, 22,who has been reported 'missing' since January 3. Relatives say the youth was arrested by the SLA soldiers from the Harbour View camp.
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No Tamil selected for Administrative Services: Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 February 2000, 19:46 GMT]
None of the Tamil Language candidates who sat for the Limited Competitive Examination for the Sri Lanka Administrative Service held in July, 1999 were successful, according to a letter sent to the Sri Lankan President by the TULF Parliamentary Group Leader Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham.
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Controversial pass system suspended

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 February 2000, 11:33 GMT]
A proposed travel pass system will not come into effect as scheduled from February 15 in the Batticaloa district, according to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eastern Range.
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Stop transfer of detainees to Anuradhapura - MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 January 2000, 17:32 GMT]
Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, MP for the Batticaloa district has made an urgent appeal to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge to direct the Defense Secretary and the Commissioner of Prisons to stop the transfer of 46 Tamil political prisoners to Anuradhapura from Batticaloa.
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Scrap pass plan, says Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 January 2000, 19:38 GMT]
Joseph Pararajasingham, Batticaloa district Member of Parliament, has appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to withdraw a proposed pass system for travelers from the Batticaloa district.
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TULF meets Canada foreign ministry officials

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2000, 20:33 GMT]
Joseph Pararajasingham, Parliamentary Group Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, told the visiting Canadian official from the South East Asia Department of the Canadian Foreign Ministry, Robert Burley, that any resolution to the Tamil problem should fulfil the fundamental demand of the permanent merger of the northern and eastern provinces.
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MP urges inquiry into shootings

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 January 2000, 19:17 GMT]
The Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Tamil United Liberation Front, Mr.Joseph Pararajasinghan has appealed to the President to order an impartial inquiry into the killing of a 10-year-old girl, Sellathamby Pushpalatha, and a 14-year-old boy, Vijeyan, by the SLA at Morakoddanchenai, a village 20 km north of Batticaloa.
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Discrimination against northeast doctors: Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2000, 13:30 GMT]
The Parliamentary Group Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham has brought to the notice of the Minister of Health the discrimination in paying special incentive allowance to medical officials and specialists working in the war torn northeast province.
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Three detained in Vaakarai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 January 2000, 11:12 GMT]
Three youths were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army during a search operation at Kandhalady, about 5 km. from Vaakarai this morning. Vaakarai is 64 km. north of Batticaloa.
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Pararajasingham urges end to prison attacks

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 January 2000, 19:09 GMT]
Tamil United Liberation Front, Paliamentary leader, Joseph Pararajasingham, has called on the President to halt recent attacks on Tamil inmates detained at Kalutara prison.
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Youth missing after arrest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2000, 08:40 GMT]
A 22 year old youth arrested by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from the Valaichenai Harbour View camp has been reported 'missing' according to his parents. SLA officials, when contacted by Batticaloa parliamentarian Mr.Pararajasingham, has denied the arrest of the youth.
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