SLA, Police step up patrols, checking in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 July 2003, 13:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka army and Police intensified checking pedestrians and motorists at key points and junctions in Batticaloa town, heightening apprehensions among residents that the war era atmosphere was returning to the eastern town. Combined army and Police units patrolled the town Thursday.


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Bindunuwewa massacre accused receive death sentences

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2003, 14:51 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan Police officers and three Sinhala civilians, accused of involvement in the gruesome massacre of 27 inmates of rehabilitation camp for young Tamil persons on October 2000, were sentenced to death Tuesday by a three member bench Trial at Bar, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Police-SLA arrest thirteen Tamils in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2003, 19:39 GMT]
Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) conducted cordon and search operation in Wellawatte, a predominantly Tamil suburb in Colombo Friday and arrested thirteen Tamil youths, security sources said. This joint operation took place as part of the new security measures now being carried out in the capital of the country since the gunning down of a police intelligence unit head in Dehiwala, police said.


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SLA constructs barbed wire fence along northern coast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 June 2003, 18:23 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has started constructing an eight-kilometer long barbed wire fence along the northern seashore from Potpathi to Kudathanai villages curtailing the freedom of movement of fishermen in Vadamarachchi division, Potpathi Fisheries Co-operative Society said Saturday


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Negotiating Tamil sovereignty

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2003, 00:52 GMT]
“Tamils have only had very compelling political and moral reasons for not acceding their sovereignty to the Sri Lankan state since Britain gave independence to this island. Therefore no road map to peace in Sri Lanka should be allowed to compromise the Tamil people’s sovereign and inalienable right to decide their political status in the land of their forebears," said Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance MP for Vanni, reacting Friday to suggestions that the Liberation Tigers should agree to a peace road map in return for workable interim administration for the northeast.
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Jaffna Islanders extend support to Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2003, 10:49 GMT]
Island Peoples' Welfare Association ( IPWA) in Jaffna district Wednesday extended its wholehearted co-operation to the success of Pongu Thamil celebration, which is scheduled to be held on June 27 in Jaffna, sources said.


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Unidentified men lob grenade at Jaffna LTTE political office

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 June 2003, 18:39 GMT]
Two unidentified men who came in a Hero Honda motorbike Thursday night around seven and lobbed a grenade inside the premises of the political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is located along Wyman Road in Jaffna town, civil sources said.
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New checkpoints added, more troops deployed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 17:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna district is establishing new checkpoints and strengthening its existing camps and sentries, civilian sources in Jaffna said. Additional troops have been deployed in Vadamarachchi and Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district, sources added.


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CJDPO condemns SLA violence against LTTE in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 05:51 GMT]
The Confederation of Jaffna District Public Organization (CJDPO) Sunday condemned several violent acts of the Sri Lanka government troops committed on Saturday and Sunday against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political activists and their offices in the Valigamam division, sources said.


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SLMM diffuses tension at Siththankerny checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 18:52 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Sunday evening diffused tension built up at Siththankerny-Pannakam road in Valigamam division in Jaffna district when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers stopped a LTTE cadre and attempted to check his bag he was carrying and grabbed his identity card, sources said.
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SLA's increased checking of Jaffna civilians violates MoU - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 18:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is violating the ceasefire agreement by checking civilians who pass through main checkpoints at Vallai on Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Ayam on Point Pedro-Chavakachcheri road and Mulli on Point Pedro Kodikamam road, sources said.


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Jaffna under tight security following Subathiran killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 17:45 GMT]
Additional government troops and police personnel were deployed Saturday in Jaffna town and its suburbs following the killing of a senior member of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Varathar wing Mr. Kandiah Subathiran alias Robert, sources said


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Road closure by SLA halts temple festival in Kalkudah

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 11:37 GMT]
Trustees of Munai Murugan temple in Kalkudah, 35km North of Batticaloa town, said Saturday that devotees have no access to the temple and that the popular annual temple festivals cannot be held due to the closure of the main road leading to the temple by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).


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SLN harrassment may lead to confrontation at sea- Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 03:48 GMT]
Thamilselvan, leader of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) General Tryggve Tellefsen who led a delegation of SLMM members to Kilinochchi Friday that increasing intereference with LTTE vessels in LTTE areas, investigation of these vessels, and continued harrasment of sea-tigers will inevitably lead to confrontation if these SLN activities are not checked, local papers reported.
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Hartal observed in Batticaloa and Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 11:33 GMT]
Batticaloa district Peoples Coalition organized a hartal (work stoppage) in Batticaloa and Amparai districts Thursday protesting the recent arrests of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political officials, increasing road checks on the civilians by the Security forces and the rise in random killings, sources in the eastern province said.


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Jaffna, East undergrads condemn arrest of LTTE official

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 01:57 GMT]
Undergraduates of University of Jaffna expressed their support to the protest fast being carried out by the fellow students of the Eastern University campus condemning the arrest of the Pulliyanthivu, Batticaloa district, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sathiyaraj by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), student union sources said.


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Grenade attack on Trinco EPDP office

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 June 2003, 11:14 GMT]
Unidentified men lobbed grenades at the Trincomalee office of the para military group Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP) Tuesday night, police said. The roof of the building was damaged, but no one was injured, according to police sources.


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Pongal festival celebrated in Vattapallai Amman Temple

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2003, 02:27 GMT]
Thousands of devotees from different parts of Northeast joined in the pongal celebrations held at Vattapallai Amman Temple, a popular hindu temple in Vanni, Monday. The prevailing climate of peace after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of SriLanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the reason for such large gathering of devotees at the temple festival, sources said.


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Jaffna educationists urge Lanka's Prime Minister to act on IA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 June 2003, 11:13 GMT]
The Jaffna District Council for Advancement of Education of Tamils (JDCAET) Wednesday appealed to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe to take immediate steps to set up an interim administration for the northeast province with adequate powers to uplift the standard of living of the people of the soil and rebuild the war ravaged province, sources said.


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Troop reduction in Jaffna imminent - SLA official

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 June 2003, 11:48 GMT]
"If the current climate of peace prevails longer there will soon be reduction of troops from current number of 40,000 to close to 10,000. We are preparing plans to introduce this reduction," said Colonel M.G.Ratnayake, special Public relations officer appointed by the Colombo Military Head Quaters, a leading Jaffna daily, Uthayan reported.


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