Doubts over bodies identities

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 June 1999, 14:05 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) handed over 36 bodies to the Mannar base hospital this afternoon around 3.30 p.m. amidst speculation that at least some of these may belong to civilians. The SLA said the bodies were those of Liberation Tigers killed in the fighting near the Pallamadu junction two days ago.
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SLA shells Vidathalthivu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 June 1999, 17:11 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stationed at Thallaady has been shelling Vidathalthivu since 6.30 p.m. this evening said sources.
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Food convoy to Vanni resumes tomorrow

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 1999, 16:54 GMT]
About a thousand civilians from the LTTE held areas of the Vanni were allowed to come into the army held areas of Mannar and Vavuniya today through a new road opened at the 10th mile post along the Mannar - Pooneryn Road in the Paappamoddai area, said government officials in Mannar.
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Tension between Batticaloa doctors over strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 June 1999, 14:55 GMT]
Heated arguments ensued between the Tamil and Sinhala medical officers of the Batticaloa hospital today at a hurriedly summoned committee meeting of the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) branch, said sources.
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Relatives identify body of killed civilian

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 June 1999, 03:50 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and another was wounded in a confrontation with the Liberation Tigers near Santhiveli SLA camp, 27 km. north of Batticaloa, around 8.30 p.m. yesterday, said army sources.
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Journalists taken to Rana Gosa areas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 1999, 20:36 GMT]
(News Feature) The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) took more than 30 local journalists on a guided tour of the areas captured during the latest phase of Operation Rana Gosa on the northern parts of Mannar mainland on Tuesday, June 15.
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Rights violations continue says Amnesty

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 1999, 18:18 GMT]
(News Feature) The human rights pressure group, Amnesty International, said in the Sri Lanka section of its international review of events in 1998 that human rights violations continued to occur in the of context of ongoing armed conflict between the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Police checkpoint attacked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 1999, 09:25 GMT]
Two policemen were killed and another wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked the Chenkaladi check point, on the Batticaloa-Trincomalee trunk road, 12 km. northwest of Batticaloa, this morning around 8.30 a.m. police sources said.
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Chemmani witness speaks of killings, names officers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 June 1999, 15:17 GMT]
Investigators digging at Chemmani, a location in the Jaffna peninsula, where mass graves of civilians are alleged to be buried have found what appears to be the remains of human knee, said sources. Meanwhile, Somaratne Rajapakse, a key witness has given details of the killings of people who he says were later buried in the graves.
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New mass grave claims

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 June 1999, 10:54 GMT]
The inquiry into the alleged Chemmani mass graves in Jaffna took a dramatic turn today when a key witness, former Sri Lanka Army soldier Somaratna Rajapkse told the Special Magistrate, M.Illancheliyan that he could identify more places where bodies of civilians were buried, in addition to his earlier disclosures, court sources said.
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Stranded civilians to return to Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 1999, 11:22 GMT]
Arrangements are underway to transport about one thousand stranded civilians at Kaathankulam, north of Uyilankulam, to the LTTE held areas in the Vanni today, officials in Mannar said.
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GA visits villages north of Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 1999, 02:12 GMT]
The Mannar Government Agent, S.M.Crooz, with the approval of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), travelled up to Paappamoddai, located 12 km. south of Vidathaltheevu and 8 km north of Mannar, on the Mannar-Pooneryn road yesterday. The GA said that 175 persons belonging to 45 families are currently living there.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 1999, 11:26 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Deputy Defence Minister Ratwatte visits forward areas of Operation Ranagosa, a time bomb explodes at a Valaichennai checkpoint and Amnesty International's officials to arrive in Jaffna today.
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SLA operation to take Vidaththaltheevu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 1999, 18:53 GMT]
The SLA started an operation this morning in the direction of Vidaththaltheevu, on the coast northeast of Mannar, said sources in the north. Troops moved from SLA positions in Thallaady, Uyilankulam and Madhu towards Vidaththaltheevu junction on the coastal road from Mannar to Jaffna. Sources said that today's operation appears to be aimed at gaining a strategic hold on the Mannar - Jaffna highway.
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Three Jaffna civilians missing

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 1999, 06:51 GMT]
Three Tamil persons have "disappeared" in the Jaffna peninsula on June 9 and 10,according to complaints made to the Human Rights Commission, Jaffna Unit. Relatives of the disappeared persons have made these complaints, Commission sources said.
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Heavy fighting on Paranthan-Pooneryn road

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 1999, 16:53 GMT]
Sixteen SLA personnel, including two officers, were killed and 29 wounded in fighting that erupted east of Pooneryn today when the Liberation Tigers attacked troops advancing from the Elephant Pass-Paranthan Base complex today. The SLA said that 45 Tigers were killed in the confrontation and that it has captured 2.5 kilometres on the Paranthan Pooneryn road.
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SLA interrogates reporter

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 1999, 15:32 GMT]
A reporter for the Tamil dailies, Veerakesai and Thinakkural, working in the Vadamaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula was interrogated by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at its Manthikai camp yesterday.
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Roundup in Vavuniya town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 1999, 10:15 GMT]
About three hundred civilians in Vavuniya town area were rounded up and taken to the public grounds of the Vavuniya Urban Council this morning by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for security checks, said sources.
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Two civilians shot dead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 1999, 03:15 GMT]
Two Sinhalese villagers who had gone hunting in the Suriyawewa jungles which lie along the border between the Batticaloa and Polannaruwa districts, were shot dead by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers yesterday morning.
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Protection for family of Chemmani witness

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 1999, 09:25 GMT]
The chairman of the Sri Lankan government funded Human Rights Commission (HRC) said security will be provided for the family of the key witness in the Chemmani mass grave case, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse, following death threats sent to his wife.
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