Six arrested entering Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 August 2002, 17:09 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam police arrested six people who entered LTTE-held Vanni without permission in two separate incidents on August 4, Tamil press reports said Monday. Among those arrested were three weapon-carrying Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers who attempted to infiltrate into LTTE-held areas.
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TNA to coordinate with LTTE offices

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 August 2002, 21:51 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Sunday that it would exert pressure on the United National Front (UNF) government to fully implement the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers. "We will inform foreign envoys in Colombo the urgent need for the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement by the UNF government," TNA parliamentarians told reporters.
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US teams train Sri Lanka navy, army

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 August 2002, 11:30 GMT]
A team from the US Navy special forces, the SEALS, will provide combat training for Sri Lankan Navy commandos this month whilst a US Army team has completed a course for Sri Lanka Army troops, the state-owned Sunday Observer reported this week.
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EPDP man remanded in Nimalarajan murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 August 2002, 20:49 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Friday ordered remand for a member of the Eelam People's Democratic party (EPDP) in connection with the murder of journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan on 19 October 2000.
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SLA restricts devotees to high security zone temple

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 July 2002, 20:52 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Wednesday informed the Hindu Affairs Minister that only eight devotees and a priest would be allowed daily to visit and conduct rituals at the Rajarajeswary Amman temple, which is in the high security zone in Valikamam North.
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Meeting lends ‘fresh cause for optimism’ - paper

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 July 2002, 15:06 GMT]
In the wake of the landmark meeting Saturday between Sri Lankan cabinet Minister Milinda Moragoda and the Liberation Tigers’ chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, prospects of a meeting later this year between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan have been raised, a Tamil expatriate newspaper reported this week.
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Teachers union deplores correspondence in Sinhala

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 July 2002, 18:08 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) Tuesday criticised education officials for sending letters and circulars to persons working in the Northeast in the Sinhala language despite a pledge by Colombo not to do so. "The Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs directed the relevant officials in his ministry to correspond with Tamil medium schools in Tamil or English. But education officials still correspond only in the Sinhala language," said Mr.S.Thandauthapani, President of the CTTU.
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TNA to meet Ranil before Vanni visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 July 2002, 16:44 GMT]
The Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians for an important discussion about the current state of the peace process. The meeting comes a day ahead of the last deadline mentioned in the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) between the Liberation Tigers and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe's government.
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T. E, S. L Police investigate Madhu murder

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 July 2002, 12:21 GMT]
The Tamileelam Police service Sunday afternoon handed over to the Sri Lanka Police the bodies of three persons from Kandy, suspected to have been murdered in the Madhu region last week. The Government Agent for Vavuniya arranged the transfer, officials said. Mr. Manikavasakar Ilancheliyan, the Vavuniya district judge who inspected the bodies Sunday at the Vavuniya hospital, directed the Police to seek, through the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, evidence, productions, witnesses and suspects arrested in connection with the murder in the LTTE controlled Vanni region.
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New Colombo Archbishop exhorts national unity

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 July 2002, 16:14 GMT]
"All Sri Lankans should join hands to find a lasting solution to national issues irrespective of communal, religious and other differences," said the newly installed Archbishop of Colombo Most.Rev.Dr. Oswald Gomis. The Canonical installation of the eighth Archbishop took place Saturday at the Cathedral of St.Lucia, Kotehena in Colombo.
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Tamileelam Police escorts Jaffna prisoners

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 July 2002, 15:19 GMT]
Prisoners from the Jaffna were taken on the A9 highway to the Anuradhapura jail Saturday for the first time in twenty years, Sri Lankan prison officials said. The Jaffna prisoners were escorted by the Tamileelam Police service from Muhamalai in Jaffna to the Sri Lanka army's Omanthai entry point, according to them.
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Students demand demilitarisation of school environs

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 July 2002, 18:25 GMT]
More than a thousand protesting students blocked the A9 highway near the Chavakachcheri town in Jaffna Friday, demanding that their school environments be made free of Sri Lankan military presence and that Colombo should fully implement the cease-fire agreement. The protesting students stalled military and civilians traffic on the A9 for more than an hour.
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Legislators trade blows in parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 16:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliamentary sitting was suspended Wednesday morning for about fifteen minutes when a group of ruling and opposition members exchanged blows in the well of the House. Pandemonium erupted when the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, made a statement calling for an apology from, and the resignation of, Commerce Minister Mr. Ravi Karunanayake on the grounds that he had accused the President of carrying a bomb in her handbag.
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Tigers’ armed struggle for justice - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 00:17 GMT]
The armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers has just objectives, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader said Tuesday addressing a gathering at the conclusion of one day token fast held in Trincomalee Monday evening in protest at the continued detention of Tamil Nadu politician Mr. V. Gopalasamy.
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CJ names three judges to hear Ratwatte case

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 July 2002, 18:22 GMT]
The Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N.Silva Monday named a three-member bench of the High Court to hear the Udathalawinne massacre case. In this case the former deputy defence minister General Anuruddha Ratwatte, his two sons Lohan and Chanukah and twelve other persons have been charged on 72 counts, including conspiracy to murder and murder.
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Defence Ministry Secretary concludes Jaffna visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 July 2002, 10:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry Secretary Mr. Austin Fernando accompanied by the Sri Lanka Army commander, Lt.Gen. Lionel Balagalle and Sri Lanka Navy commander, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri concluded his two-day visit to Jaffna district Sunday.
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Velanai committee concludes Jaffna hearing

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 July 2002, 16:39 GMT]
The three-member committee of inquiry probing the assault of LTTE political activists at Velanai on June 20 concluded its sittings in Jaffna Friday. The Colombo sitting of the committee of inquiry is to commence at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall on July 21 and will continue till July 24.
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EU delegation meets LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 July 2002, 10:22 GMT]
Ambassadors and Deputy Heads of Mission of six European Union countries visited the Vanni Wednesday, and held discussions with the head of the Liberation Tigers’ political section, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan. The delegation was headed by Mr. Salvatore Zotta, Ambassador of Italy and Chairman of the EU Heads of Mission in Colombo.
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Charles Anthony remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 July 2002, 18:11 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are sincerely implementing the ceasefire agreement with the Sri Lanka government, Mr. A. Ruban, the head of the LTTE's political wing in Trincomalee said Tuesday. "We will not allow the Tamils to be blamed for the derailment of peace process,î" he said. Mr. Ruban was speaking at the nineteenth annual commemoration of the death of Lieutenant Seelan (Charles Anthony) held Monday evening in the Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College's grounds.
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SLFP power struggle goes to court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 July 2002, 15:55 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Tuesday issued a restraining order on the senior leaders of the main opposition, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) preventing them from suspending the party membership of Colombo district parliamentarian Mr.A.H.M.Fowzie. The District Judge said that his restraining order will be valid till 31 July this year. The SLFP is the major constituent of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA).
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