More LTTE activists in Trinco

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 May 2002, 05:52 GMT]
The second group of Liberation Tigers authorised to engage in political activities in government held areas under the permanent ceasefire agreement arrived in Trincomalee by sea from Mutur on Monday. The group comprising twelve LTTE members, including four women, was headed by District Political Secretary Mr.A.Ruban.
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LTTE slams "grave" truce breach by Navy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 May 2002, 10:19 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Sunday accused the Sri Lankan Navy of a “grave and serious violation” of the indefinite ceasefire when gunboats destroyed several civilian fishing vessels and killed two Muslim fishermen in the seas near Vaharai, Batticaloa on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan Navy is “deliberately creating conflictual situations to disrupt the peace process,” the LTTE said. “We call upon the Sri Lanka government to prevail upon the naval authorities to abandon its hostile attitude and strictly follow the peace agreement,” the Tigers said in a statement.
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Thousands at May Day rallies in Northeastern province

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 May 2002, 19:05 GMT]
More than ten thousand people took part in the May Day rally in Kumarapuram in southern Trincomalee Wednesday afternoon. Thousands also gathered for May Day rallies in Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna. Mr. Karikalan hoisted the flag of the Liberation Tigers at the rally of more than fifteen thousand in Palugamam, 30 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa.
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Civilians wounded in navy fire

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 April 2002, 23:41 GMT]
Two Tamil civilians were wounded in gunfire blamed on Sri Lanka Navy personnel lying in ambush in Nilaveli in the Trincomalee district, at 9.30 p.m. Monday night. Complaints have been lodged with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), in the eastern town. The Norwegian head of the SLMM in Trincomalee, Ms Victoria Lund, told TamilNet that steps have been taken to investigate into the complaint.
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Navy commander declares islands ‘military zones’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 April 2002, 02:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy is defending its denial of access to the Liberation Tigers’ political cadres from the islets around the Jaffna peninsula, press reports said Saturday. In a letter to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), a senior SLN commander declared the islets, which are home to many Tamil civilians, as military zones and hence off limits to the LTTE’s political cadres, the Virakesari newspaper reported.
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Jaffna SLMM discusses complaints over military action

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 April 2002, 13:26 GMT]
The head of the international peace-monitoring mission promised Wednesday to bring the tension prevailing in the islets around Jaffna to the attention of the Sri Lankan government, press reports in the northern peninsula said Thursday. Norwegian General (Retd) Trond Fuhrhovde made his comments at a meeting of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials in Jaffna, the Uthayan reported.
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War not over until normalcy returns - JCC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 April 2002, 19:03 GMT]
In the view of the people on the peninsula, the war is not over, the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce (JCC) told a group of Colombo businessmen Tuesday. The JCC stressed that until life returned to normal for Jaffna civilians, entrepreneurs from other parts of the island should not rush to exploit the lack of facilities on the peninsula.
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Norwegians discuss LTTE ban with Kumaratunga

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 April 2002, 23:43 GMT]
(News Feature) The Norwegian peace delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgessen, Friday met Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga and discussed at length matters related to Oslo's peace initiative, including the ban on the Liberation Tigers. President Kumaratunga, an opponent of lifting the proscription of the LTTE appeared to soften her stance earlier this week, but insisted on a time frame for talks in exchange, which the Tigers have in the past refused to accept.
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SLA urged to reopen Nagarkovil main road

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 April 2002, 19:13 GMT]
The Divisional Secretary (DS) of Point Pedro and education officials in the Vadamaradchi area in Jaffna district have appealed to the Sri Lanka Army to reopen the main road from Point Pedro through Nagar Kovil to Aliyawallai to enable smooth functioning of schools and to allow free movement of resettled families.
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Thenmaradchi residents demand SLA vacate their houses

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 April 2002, 22:03 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Thenmaradchi area in Jaffna district demonstrated Monday morning, demanding the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to vacate all houses they use as camps and checkpoints in the area. Several people who returned to their own villages to resettle following the cease-fire have found their houses are still being occupied by the SLA.
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Tamil political prisoners on hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 April 2002, 17:49 GMT]
More detainees held under the Prevention of terrorism Act (PTA) in the Kalutara prison, south of Colombo Monday joined in a hunger strike launched by one hundred forty seven Tamil suspects this weekend. The Tamil detainees begun this hunger strike Sunday demanding that the cases against them should be expedited or they be transferred to prisons closer to their home villages, prison sources said.
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LTTE political group arrives Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 April 2002, 15:40 GMT]
Four members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam arrived east port town of Trincomalee, Tuesday around noon by sea from Mutur. The LTTE members led by Trincomalee district political administrative secretary Mr.Iynkaran were given an emotional welcome when they landed at the town civilian jetty.
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Tumultuous welcome in Jaffna for Tigers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 April 2002, 11:58 GMT]
(News Feature) Residents in Jaffna gave the Liberation Tigers who entered the northern town Monday a tumultuous welcome, press reports in the northern peninsula said Tuesday. Over fifty thousand people thronged the Sri Lanka Army held northern side of the Muhamalai crossing point to meet the fifteen cadres from the LTTE’s political section, the Uthayan reported. Violence broke out as troops blocked the crowds from reaching the crossing point, the paper, Jaffna’s largest circulating daily said in a front page report Tuesday.
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A9 to Jaffna reopens

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 April 2002, 13:22 GMT]
The last closed section of the A9 highway running from Kilinochchi to Jaffna was reopened Monday in a joint ceremony by senior officers from the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers. Following the opening of the highway at Muhamalai, fifteen cadres from the LTTE's political section entered Army-controlled territory to travel to Jaffna where they are to begin work under the terms of the indefinite ceasefire signed between both sides on February 22. However, the Army prevented hundreds of civilians on both sides from crossing.
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SLA opens road to Trinco's southern interior

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 April 2002, 19:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army reopened the main road linking the LTTE held southeastern interior of the Trincomalee district Friday following protests by the public. The main road, which runs close to Mahindapura army camp, was closed down for several years by the Sri Lanka Army. The reopening of this main road now enables thousands of Tamils living in more than ten villages in Eachilampathu area, southeast of Mutur to travel without getting down at Mahindapura army checkpoint from buses and other vehicles and walk through along a muddy track, Mutur sources said.
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Crowd confronts SLA for delaying LTTE arrival

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 April 2002, 05:30 GMT]
The arrival of the Liberation Tigers in the Sri Lanka army controlled part of the Mannar district under the terms of the cease-fire agreement signed by Colombo and the LTTE in February was delayed Tuesday over the list of names sent to the army by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). The large crowd comprising community leaders, traders, civil society activists etc., from Mannar who were waiting at the SLA's Uyilankulam entry point to welcome the LTTE from 8.30 in the morning got into a heated altercation with the military over the delay in letting the Tigers pass through. A section of the public then came to blows with soldiers who trying to video film the crowd and attempted to grab the SLA's camera.
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SLA harassment continues -Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 March 2002, 19:57 GMT]
Tamil civilians residing in villages in the Eachilampathu division of the Trincomalee district, held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were being subjected to severe body checks and interrogation by government troops stationed at the Sri Lanka Army checkpoint at Mahindapura said Mr R Sampanthan, who personally witnessed these activities Saturday.
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Vadamarachchi public urge army camps' removal from schools, temples

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 March 2002, 11:57 GMT]
Several people's organisations have appealed to the Sri Lanka Army to vacate two Hindu temples, one church, two schools and about twenty houses in Vadamarachchi area in the Jaffna district, according to the cease-fire agreement signed by Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe and the LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan last month.
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SLA said exacerbating Vadamaradchi fishermen's suffering

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 March 2002, 20:39 GMT]
Spokespersons for fishermen's societies in Jaffna's Vadamaradchi division told TamilNet that the Sri Lanka army curtailed fishing hours Saturday to punish them for putting up posters and banners welcoming the Liberation Tigers to the northern peninsula. They said that the military intelligence unit of the SLA's 52-4 brigade removed the banners and posters and questioned civilians.
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Vavuniya prepares welcome for LTTE members

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 March 2002, 15:36 GMT]
Members of the Liberation Tigers' political wing will arrive in Vavuniya on Friday to begin work in the northern town, in accordance with the cease-fire agreement signed by the Sri Lanka Government and the LTTE. The eight-member team will be welcomed by the public at Omanthai, civilian sources in Vavuniya said.
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