Former Norwegian PM visits Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 August 2000, 21:45 GMT]
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik will arrive in Colombo on a two day visit Wednesday afternoon. During his stay in Colombo he will have talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunge, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.
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UNP meeting attacked, fifteen wounded

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 August 2000, 17:09 GMT]
Fifteen people were wounded when a masked gang attacked an opposition rally this morning near the Gampaha town, about 40 kilometers northwest of Colombo. The condition of three is serious said Police sources in Yakkala. A gang of masked men had come in a van armed with clubs and had attacked people who had gathered to march in a procession in support of Mr.Karu Jayasuriya, the chairman of the United National Party, near Gampaha town. Mr.Jayasuriya is to be nominated as the UNP's chief candidate in the district of Gampaha which is the family stronghold of the Sri Lankan President. A UNP spokesman charged that the masked men were thugs of the ruling People Alliance.
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Over 40 casualties in clashes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 August 2000, 05:51 GMT]
Five military trained policemen, including an officer, were killed and 20 Sri Lanka Navy personnel, nine police men and two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded in three separate attacks by the Liberation Tigers Wednesday morning, security sources said. 16 civilians were also wounded.
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Conspiracy theory as vote adjourned

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 August 2000, 21:19 GMT]
Two Ministers Sarath Amunugama and Mahinda Wijesekara raising a point of order told Parliament today that there was a conspiracy to prevent Parliamentarians from voting for the Draft Constitution Bill. They informed the Speaker K.B.Ratnayake that some parliamentarians were sent abroad.
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Government abandons constitution bill

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 August 2000, 09:04 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government abandoned Tuesday its effort to introduce a new constitution. Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka, Minister for Public Administration and Plantations, informed the party leaders' meeting in Parliament today that the new constitution bill will not be further debated nor put to vote. The decision is yet to be announced on the floor of the house by the speaker.
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Numbers game worries PA

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 August 2000, 18:24 GMT]
A government MP joined the opposition Monday in protest against the new constitution bill. Mr.Dixon J. Perera MP said that he is leaving the government because he believes that the bill will harm the nation. Meanwhile, Mr. P.P Devaraj of the Ceylon Workers Congress spoke critically of the bill in Parliament today, giving rise to speculation that he too might vote against it despite his party's pledge to support the government. Dharmalingam Sidarthan, the leader of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) told the Parliament that his group finds major aspects of the new constitution bill totally unacceptable.
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Protesting monk begins fast unto death

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 August 2000, 18:21 GMT]
A Buddhist monk began a fast unto death Monday to protest against the new constitution at a temple in downtown Colombo. Many Buddhists organsisations will organise protests in support of the fasting monk sources said. Other monks are expected to join the fast tomorrow at the Raja Vihara in Pettah in down town Colombo.
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JVP continues agitation against bill

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 August 2000, 16:36 GMT]
Thousands of radical leftist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) cadres Monday protested in several parts of Sri Lanka against the new constitution bill. The JVP demonstrated against the new system of elections proposed by the government in front of the supreme court in Colombo. Protests by the party against the constitution bill were held today in downtown Colombo and the provincial towns of Kandy, Galle and Matara.
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City of Trinco sails under ICRC flag

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 August 2000, 15:55 GMT]
The passenger ferry "City of Trinco" sailed from Trincomalee Monday evening under the protection of the International Committee of the Red Cross transporting 350 civilians to the Jaffna peninsula. Mr.Harasha Gunewardene, Information Officer of the ICRC said that the organisation has received written security assurances from the Liberation Tigers and the Government for safe passage during the voyages.
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Government MP resigns in protest

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2000, 17:35 GMT]
A Sri Lankan government politician Friday resigned from his seat in Parliament in protest against the new constitution bill. Sources close to him said that his resignation will come into effect from midnight Friday. Jayasena Rajakaruna, the People's Alliance MP who represented the Bingiriya electorate in the Kurunagala is currently in Colombo.
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Package votes secure in Colombo hotels

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2000, 12:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition charged Friday that the ruling People's Alliance (PA) is making "horse deals" to bribe members of Parliament to vote for the new constitution bill on 9 August. Opposition sources claimed that forty Parliamentarians, including cabinet ministers and some United National party MPs have been put up by the government at the Taj Samudra Hotel and the Oberoi Hotel in downtown Colombo until the date of voting. The government needs 150 votes in the Parliament to pass the constitution bill. There are 225 seats in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
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Opposition MPs heckle President, tear bill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2000, 07:04 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President spoke on the controversial constitution reform bill in Parliament Thursday morning amidst much clamour in the opposition ranks. The bill was tabled by Justice Minister Prof.G.L Pieris. United National Party members tore copies of the bill in protest and threw them at government members in the house sources said.
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Thousands protest against constitutional reforms

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2000, 06:39 GMT]
More than four thousand protestors demonstrated against the constitutional reform bill Thursday morning from 9 a.m on the approach road to the Sri Lankan Parliament near Colombo. The large demonstration was organised by the radical leftist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front). Heavily armed riot Police blocked off the approach road at a junction two kilometers from the Parliament. The draft bill containing the constitutional reforms is expected to be tabled in the national legislature later in the morning.
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SLAF searches suburbs of Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2000, 13:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel and police sealed off Puthunakar, Sethukudha and Veechukalmunai, suburbs of Batticaloa, and conducted a house to house search operation from 5 a.m. till 11 a.m. Wednesday.
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Buddhist monks urge Sinhalese to oppose 'package'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 August 2000, 14:54 GMT]
More than 1500 Buddhist monks marched in the Colombo suburb of Maharagama Tuesday afternoon to protest against the constitutional reforms that will be tabled in the Sri Lankan Parliament Thursday. A large number of lay people also took part in the march which wound its way through the populous suburb to the National Youth Council Auditorium where a protest meeting was held.
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SLA searches for deserters in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 July 2000, 16:21 GMT]
Units of the SLA's 23-2 Brigade in Valaichenai searched the villages of Kalmadhu, Kannankiramam, Karuwakerni, Sungaankerni and Kinnaiyadi, 30 kilometers north of Batticaloa Monday for two soldiers who had deserted their positions Sunday evening. Sources in Valaichenai said that the army had come by information that the two deserters had run away from the kalkudah SLA camp through the villages that were searched today. The SLA has grounds to believe that the two soldiers may have escaped across the lagoon to the hinterland controlled by the Liberation Tigers, a source said.
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SLA announces another amnesty for deserters

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 July 2000, 15:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA), hard-pressed for manpower, announced yet another general unconditional amnesty for thousand of soldiers who have deserted its ranks. The amnesty will be in effect for 24 hours from 2 August 6 a.m. to 3 August 6 a.m SLA headquarters sources in Colombo said. Critical manpower shortages continue to plague the SLA despite amnesties announced at regular intervals every year. SLA sources estimate that 18000 to 25000 soldiers are still at large.
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Cabinet resolves to take package to Parliament

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 July 2000, 12:53 GMT]
The Sri Lankan cabinet resolved unanimously Monday to table the government's constitutional reform proposals in Parliament this week. The speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament has been informed to summon a emergency Parliamentary meeting on 3 August for the purpose government, sources said. The debate on the draft bill containing the constitutional reforms will begin on August 8, according a cabinet spokesman.
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SLA prevents devotees from Shiva temple

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 July 2000, 17:17 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army refused permission to Saivite devotees to pray at the ancient Shiva temple in Thirukketheeswaram in the Mannar district on Sunday for the Aadi Amavaasai festival. A section of the 21 Division of the SLA is camped in the precincts of the temple. More than five hundred devotees had applied through the temple trustee board for permission to pray at the temple tomorrow.
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SLA needs undermine Jaffna public transport

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2000, 21:10 GMT]
Public transport in the Sri Lanka army held parts of Jaffna is in dire straits due to a shortage of buses, a government official said Friday.
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