Opposition slams government over attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 22:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reconvene the prorogued parliament immediately. Both parties made this appeal in the wake of Liberation Tigers’ dawn attack on Katunayake airbase in the early hours of Tuesday morning. " The government is in breach of its duty to protect Katunayake international airport," said the UNP leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, addressing a press conference Tuesday evening.
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Tension after dawn raid

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 08:47 GMT]
Thirteen air crafts including two Kfir jet fighters, one MI-24 Helicopter gun ship and one MIG-27- jet fighter were destroyed in the predawn attack on the Katunayake air base, about 35 km. north of Colombo, by members of the Liberation Tigers, according to official military sources in Colombo.
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President outlines "Constitutional Revolution"

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 July 2001, 15:34 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunge said Sunday that the present Constitution could be amended even without a two-thirds majority in parliament if the government obtained a clear mandate at next month's referendum. "How this could be done would be revealed in due course," she told activists and representatives of the ruling People's Alliance who attended a special meeting at the racecourse in Colombo.
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Govt. not to re-table last year's draft Constitution -President

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 July 2001, 22:53 GMT]
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge said Friday that the draft Constitution tabled in parliament in August last year and later withdrawn will not be considered in preparing the new constitution. The President told a group of special representatives of the Joint Trade Unions' Federation that the new constitution will be presented within a short period, after seeking opinions of the clergy -including the Mahasangha, minorities, minor political parties and intellectuals.
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Amnesty condemns police killings, ban on demonstrations

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 July 2001, 19:55 GMT]
"The death of at least two people from bullet wounds and the injuring of well over 30 more as a result of police action against a predominantly peaceful demonstration in Colombo on Thursday constituted the use of excessive force on the part of the police," Amnesty International said in a press release today.
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Opposition parties condemn attack on demonstrators

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 July 2001, 20:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition parties condemned the police attack on anti-government demonstrators that left two people dead and about 70 wounded. UNP sources said the police attacked demonstrators led by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. The UNP Leader escaped unhurt due to the prompt action of his bodyguards. Mr.Wickremesinghe accused the police of trying to assassinate him.
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Massive opposition protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 July 2001, 06:57 GMT]

A Sri Lankan policeman swings his baton at a protester in Colombo, Thursday. Sri Lankan police fired teargas and rubber bullets on Thursday to try to enforce a ban on rallies and force back thousands pouring into the capital for a huge opposition protest against the suspension of parliament.(Photo: Reuters)

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Grenade attack on SLMC MP's house

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 July 2001, 20:36 GMT]
The house of Mr.U.L.M.Mohideen, Ampara District SLMC Parliamentarian, was attacked with grenades around 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. Three policemen guarding the MP's house in Samanthurai were injured. The MP was away in Colombo when the attack took place, police sources said.
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"Opposition processions illegal" -IGP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 July 2001, 16:04 GMT]
Sri Lankan police Wednesday banned protest rally by the joint opposition against the prorogation of parliament by President Kumaratunga. The rally had been planned for Thursday in Colombo.
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Journalists demand action against PSD

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 July 2001, 15:50 GMT]
Journalists and opposition parliamentarians Tuesday demonstrated in front of the Fort Railway station in downtown Colombo, urging the Government to act against "intimidation" from the Presidential Security Division (PSD).
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Impeachment of the President considered

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 July 2001, 18:09 GMT]
The opposition parties Monday decided to bring an impeachment motion against President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. Briefing the press on Monday, Mr. Ranil Wicremasinghe (UNP), the Leader of the Opposition, said that constitutional experts are studying the charges and an impeachment motion will be filed with the Speaker within two weeks.
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"Colombo's embargo targets schoolchildren"- official

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 July 2001, 19:09 GMT]
More than a thousand students in a Vanni school were found to be suffering from malnutrition, an official in the department of education in the northern region said Saturday. He said many students in the Vallipunam high school were also diagnosed for acute malnutrition.
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High security zones declared in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 July 2001, 16:56 GMT]
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge Saturday proclaimed some parts of the Colombo City as high security zones. "This proclamation has been made under Section 27 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act No.48 of 1979" a presidential secretariat release said.
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Rape protest shuts down North and East

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 09:47 GMT]
Shops, schools, offices, courts and banks were closed and streets were mostly deserted in Sri Lanka's northern province, in the Tamil, Muslim majority areas of the eastern province and in the Tamil towns of the central province Friday in response to a call for a general shut down by the alliance of eleven Tamil parties and by Tamil trade unions to protest against the rape of Tamil women by Sri Lankan security forces. The Tamil parties held a protest demonstration in downtown Colombo Friday.
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Tamil parties criticize Colombo for re-imposing ban

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 05:45 GMT]
Tamil parties Thursday criticized the Sri Lankan government for re-imposing the ban on the Liberation Tigers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The legislation proscribing the Liberation Tigers lapsed Wednesday with the Emergency Regulations.
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PM's statement to reveal new strategy for ER extension

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 July 2001, 11:03 GMT]
The Government announced Thursday that the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake will issue a special statement in the parliament tomorrow morning about the extension of State of Emergency in the country, amidst speculation in Colombo political circles that Attorney General Department is very busy in drafting alternate legislation instead of Emergency Regulations (ER), to give more teeth to the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to deal with Liberation Tigers.
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PA sees 'capitalist conspiracy' in no-faith motion

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 July 2001, 11:36 GMT]
Hundreds of workers of pro-government trade unions demonstrated at the Lipton's circus roundabout near downtown Colombo Wednesday. "The working classes have confidence in the PA government. Businessmen and millionaires cannot be allowed to overthrow the present government which came to power with the support of working community", demonstrators told state media units covering the protest.
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New dates for no-confidence motion debate

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 July 2001, 09:50 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government Wednesday said that the opposition's no confidence motion against it would be debated in the parliament for four days from 7 August. "The government's decision was announced at the party leaders' meeting held this morning" Mr.Richard Pathirana, Leader of the House told Parliament.
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Tamil teachers join protest against rape

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 July 2001, 18:57 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) has appealed to its members and Tamil school children throughout the island to boycott schools on Friday 6 July to protest against the rape of a Tamil woman by policemen at a check post in Maradana, in capital Colombo on 24 June. A coalition of ten Tamil political parties and trade unions are planning to hold a protest rally in Colombo, and a general strike in the Northeast and the hill towns of the island. The twenty thousand member strong CTTU will be one of the trade unions joining the protest.
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Demonstrators demand govt's resignation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 June 2001, 20:25 GMT]
Several hundred supporters of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) held demonstrations in all 38 electorates of the Western Province, including capital Colombo, Saturday, demanding the resignation of the People's Alliance Government. "The Government has no moral right to be in power anymore as it has lost the confidence of the people. We will force this government out of power with the support of the masses," said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing picketers at Armour Street junction in Colombo.
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