Vaakarai suffers under SLA restrictions

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 February 1999, 15:38 GMT]
(News Feature) More than eight thousand Tamils who eke out a living on incomes less than 14.50 US dollars a month in the northern corner of the Batticaloa district may soon face semi famine conditions say aid workers in the east.
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'Cancel NWP polls' - Buddhist Council

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 February 1999, 20:08 GMT]
The National Sangha Council has called for the cancellation of the scandal-ridden Wayamba provincial council election held last month in which the ruling party, People's Alliance won 33 seats out of 52.
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PA ally calls for fresh elections

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 February 1999, 22:29 GMT]
The Leader of the United Lalith Front, Mrs Srimani Athulathmudali in a statement issued today said:"I believe that the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge would win the confidence of the voters if she were to ask the Governor of the Wayambe to dissolve the newly elected north western provincial council and call for fresh elections".
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Rigging said underway in PC elections

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 January 1999, 08:45 GMT]
Supporters and thugs of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) rigged polls and intimidated Tamil voters in many parts of the northwestern province this morning said election officials in Kurunagala.
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Governor passes verdict on the market

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 22:18 GMT]
(News Feature) Hopes that the impasse over the opening of the new Trincomalee market might be resolved by the recently appointed North-eastern Province Governor, Maj.Gen..Asoka Jayawardana, were dashed today. The market was built by the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC). The project ran into problems when it was obstructed by senior Army officials and other Sri Lanka Government servants.
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Arrest warrant for MP issued

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 January 1999, 15:14 GMT]
The Puttalam district court issued an arrest warrant today on a ruling party Member of Parliament for not appearing before it in connection with three cases against him on several occasions. The People's Alliance (PA) MP for Puttlalam Mr.D.M Dissanayaka has been accused in many cases involving violence and arson.
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Religion, commerce and intolerance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 December 1998, 00:23 GMT]
(News Feature) A project by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism to build a temple to the Hindu god Ram at Seetha Eliya near Nuwara Eliya in the island's hill country with a view to attract Indian pilgrim tourists now hangs in the balance following a strong protest yesterday by forty Buddhist organisations.
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Army shoots traders violating embargo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 November 1998, 20:05 GMT]
Four civilians were shot dead by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) at the Uylankulam forward defence lines on Friday night around 8.00, said sources in Mannar. Three of the dead have been identified as residents of the Kilinochchi district who had sought refuge at Madhu Church in the Vanni.
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Scandal surrounds Attorney General

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 October 1998, 17:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Attorney General (AG) Sarath N Silva had a tough time defending himself against charges of adultery and obstruction of justice at the weekly cabinet press briefing today. The embarrassed AG was helplessly cornered by the press with evidence of his alleged misconduct, despite interruptions by Media Minister Mr.Mangala Samaraweera in his support.
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A historic defeat?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 October 1998, 12:14 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka's opposition MP Mr. Ronnie De Mel, speaking on the extension of the island wide emergency in the parliament yesterday, said that the debacle of the Sri Lankan army in Kilinochchi is the greatest defeat suffered by the Sinhalese in history after the conquest of Anuradhapura by the Cholas.
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Civilians killed in cross-fire

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 September 1998, 17:04 GMT]
Two civilians were killed and three were wounded when the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in Vakarai opened fire with mortars and machine guns in the direction of Kandalady this morning around 7.30 a.m. Kandalady is a settlement that forms the northern part of the Vakarai village, 59 kilometers north of Batticaloa.
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Paramilitary encroachments threaten water supply

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 September 1998, 11:49 GMT]
SLA sponsored Tamil paramilitaries in Batticaloa are principally distinguished by their remarkable resourcefulness to make life unbearable for the much harassed local civilian population. And now they are standing in the way of supplying adequate running water to the people of this war battered eastern town.
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New access road to Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 September 1998, 00:07 GMT]
A new access road to the LTTE controlled part of the Vanni from Vavuniya was opened today through Poovarasankulam on the Mannar road. The new accessroad, according to Vavuniya Kachcheri officials, will greatly ease the difficulties faced by NGOs, hospitals and the Kachcheri in traveling to andfrom the LTTE controlled part of the Vanni currently through Uyilankulam near Mannar.
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Media minister faces confidence test

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 August 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A motion of no confidence brought against the media minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweere by the main opposition party, the Unite National Prty (UNP) was rejected in the Sri Lankan Parliament today. One hundred and twenty two members voted against the motion and eighty voted for it.
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UNP leader sends warnings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Except the President , Mrs Chandrika Kumarathunge, and the Prime Minister, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake, all of the other government ministers are corrupt, said Mr. Anura Bandaranayake, UNP parliamentarian, brother of the President and son of the Prime Minister while speaking at the UNP's parliamentary committee meeting yesterday.
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Two die of cholera

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two people have died of Cholera recently in Mannar and six new cases have been detected said Medical Health Officer (MHO) of Mannar Dr. Kathirkamanathan. The dead patients are Aarumukam Subenthira, 18 from Vaddakkandal and Ameer Jameela, 35, mother of four, from Erukkalampiddy.
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Editor's home shot at

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The home of Lasantha Wickramatunge, controversial editor of the Sunday Leader newspapers, was sprayed with bullets last night around 11:30 p.m., by an unidentified gang, said journalist sources.
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Burning of Jaffna Library Remembered

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
People in Jaffna will wear black ribbon today to mark the burning of the Jaffna Public Library 17 years ago, said PLOTE and EPRLF sources in Jaffna. The library, burnt to the ground on the 1st of June 1981 by Sri Lankan Police, contained the largest collection of Tamil literature in Asia, a collection that included many irreplaceable manuscripts.
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Security forces celebrate Wesak

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A Wesak lantern competition began last night at Batticaloa's Weber Stadium with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka AirForce (SLAF) and the Sri Lankan police participating, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Mine wounds three

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two SLA soldiers and a woman police were wounded when the jeep in which they were traveling hit a claymore mine in Kondavil, north of Jaffna town, yesterday around 12.00 noon, said police sources in Jaffna.
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