MP denies embezzling legal aid, wants museum in Jaffna Fort

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2003, 11:40 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) take steps to transform the Jaffna fort into a museum, said northern Parliamentarian Mr. M. K Sivajilingam, speaking to the press Friday. He said the TNA will strongly oppose any move by the SLA to build a camp in the Jaffna fort. Mr. Sivajilingam denied reports that he had misused assistance sent by well wishers in England to needy families of Tamil political prisoners in Sri Lanka’s Kalutara prison. Controversy surrounds allegations in the Tamil press that lawyers had embezzled monies collected and sent from UK for the welfare of Kalutara prisoners.
Full story >>

CID told to produce Nimalarajan murder suspect

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 02:59 GMT]
Jaffna district court Judge T. Vignarajah warned the officials of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that failure to produce, Nepolean, the military head of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) who is a key suspect in the Nirmalarajan murder case, will result in the court taking disciplinary action against the CID, local press in Jaffna said.


Full story >>

EPDP refuses to hand over RRAN vehicles

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 19:19 GMT]
The local government ministry of the North-East provincial council and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority for the North (RRAN) are in a dilemma to find ways to recover the pickup vehicles supplied to ten local bodies in the Jaffna district when the paramilitary group Eelam People's Democratic Party administered them, government sources said.
Full story >>

Mosques step in to keep peace in Batti-Amparai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 12:50 GMT]
Mosque trustee board officials Sunday foiled attempts to spread unrest in several Muslim towns in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts. Anonymous Islamic groups issued inflammatory leaflets Saturday in the two districts urging Muslims to protest against recent incidents in Mutur. “It caused concern that attempts were afoot to instigate violence in these parts too”, a Mosque official said.
Full story >>

EPDP cadre shot dead in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 08:49 GMT]
An unidentified gunman shot dead a prominent member of the EPDP in Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Friday around 11.45 a.m. Sri Lankan Police sources in the southeastern coastal town said. The EPDP cadre, Mr. Marimuthtu Rajalingam, 42, was the chairman of the Aalaiyadivembu Pradheshiya Sabha.
Full story >>

EPDP member's body found in pit

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 16:51 GMT]
The bullet ridden body of a member of the para military group Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) was recovered Monday morning from an abandoned sewage pit at Soorawatte American School in Chunnakam area in the Jaffna district, sources said.
Full story >>

PA-JVP said closer to formula for capturing power

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2003, 16:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties said Friday they were closer to striking a deal on forming an alliance to bring down Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government. The People’s Alliance and the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had discussions on formulating the crucial clauses of a memorandum of understanding to cement the alliance at the President’s House in Colombo Friday.
Full story >>

Court orders arrest of key suspect in Nimalarajan murder

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2003, 17:44 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Mr.R.T.Viknarajah Thursday afternoon ordered the Police to arrest and produce a key suspect Napoleon in court in connection with the murder of journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan. Earlier the same day the Magistrate ordered the release of Napoleon when he was present in court in connection with the Naranthanai murder and assault case, legal sources said.


Full story >>

SLA vacated schools in HSZ still closed

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2003, 23:31 GMT]
The Eluthumadduval North Maruthankulam Government Tamil Mixed School in the northern Jaffna district has not started functioning even after the Sri Lanka Army troops who occupied the school premises have vacated. Villagers complain that the school authorities are unable to repair the damaged buildings and restart the school, as the school is located in the Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone (HSZ).
Full story >>

Minister orders return of RRAN vehicles

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 12:17 GMT]
Rehabilitation Minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene Monday instructed Jaffna's Government Agent to take back all vehicles handed over to the chairmen of local authorities by the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority for the North (RRAN) when elected councils administered these institutions, district secretariat sources said
Full story >>

Weapons in Nimalarajan murder case sent to govt. analyst

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 February 2003, 18:06 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate, Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, hearing the case of the murder of the journalist Nimalarajan, Tuesday allowed an application made by the Police to forward the five 9 m.m. pistols with several rounds of live bullets, which had been recovered by the Sri Lanka Army from the paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), to the Government Analyst for analysis and report.


Full story >>

SLA, SLN uniforms, weapons recovered from Jaffna EPDA office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 February 2003, 12:20 GMT]
Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Sunday morning forcibly opened the abandoned office of the Eelam People Democratic Alliance (EPDA), a breakaway group of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) at Vembadi area in the heart of Jaffna town and recovered weapons and uniforms belonging to State armed forces, police sources said.
Full story >>

District-wide protests in Batticaloa over Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 February 2003, 15:33 GMT]
Massive processions and a campaign of wearing black waist-belts were held Wednesday in all Tamil regions of the Batticaloa district to protest the attack on February 12 in Manipay, where the Sri Lanka Army personnel and the paramilitary EPDP group assaulted unarmed women political cadres of the LTTE, civilians and journalists
Full story >>

No confidence motion against Defence Minister defeated

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 February 2003, 17:21 GMT]
The no confidence motion moved by the opposition against the Defence Minister Mr.Tilak Marapane was defeated by a majority of forty-two votes Tuesday. 84 opposition parliamentarians voted for the motion and 126 parliamentarians against the motion, said parliamentary sources.


Full story >>

Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.


Full story >>

Protesters in Jaffna burn effigies, condemn Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Protest demonstrations were held Friday condemning the attack on LTTE women cadres, members of public and journalists at Manipay by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), aided by members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Effigies of President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Jaffna area commander of the SLA, Major General Sarath Fonseka, were taken in processions and burnt down in Jaffna town, Udupiddy junction, Malisanthai junction and Methaikadai junction, sources said.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka military 'jeopardizing' peace talks - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 06:29 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers this week condemned the attack Wednesday on their unarmed female cadres in Manipay by Sri Lankan soldiers and warned that such incidents would "seriously jeopardize" the Norwegian peace process, the London based Tamil Guardian reported.
Full story >>

'Manipay incident will not be repeated-' Jaffna SLA commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Sarath Fonseka assured at the conference summoned by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Wednesday evening that he would take appropriate steps not to repeat incidents that had taken place at Manipay Wednesday morning in which SLA soldiers assaulted eight LTTE women cadres with knives, sources said.
Full story >>

Human Rights Sub Committee formed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 February 2003, 16:36 GMT]
In a conference organized by the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) held at the Jaffna office of the UNHCR, Sunday, representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF and HRC appointed a sub committee to ensure better human rights situation in the Jaffna peninsula, sources said.
Full story >>

HRC to record Nelliady Police OIC's statement

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 February 2003, 18:52 GMT]
The Jaffna regional office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRC) is to record the statement of the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Nelliady Police regarding the clash that took place on December 10 last year where several Tamil civilians were injured, HRC sources said.
Full story >>