PA-UNP agreement draws criticism

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 March 2000, 11:37 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government and the main opposition party discussed and agreed upon some modifications to the procedures for appointing governors to regions as spelt out in the draft constitutional proposals of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) of 1997 today during their third round of talks on working out a consensus to solve the ethnic conflict. Reacting to the PA-UNP communique this afternoon, Tamil parties in Colombo said that "this is an agreement to further water down the basis for devolving power to the proposed Regional bodies envisaged in the 97' proposals".
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UNP protest petroleum hike

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2000, 18:22 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) organised a protest march and a rally in Colombo today, protesting against price hikes in petroleum products and increased coast of living.
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Deportation issue raised with German Envoy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2000, 18:50 GMT]
Batticaloa District Member of Parliament, Mr. Selvarajah, has appealed to the German Envoy in Colombo not to deport Sri Lankan Tamils who have sought asylum in Germany as it would endanger their lives in the hands of Sri Lanka security forces, said sources in Colombo.
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JVP demonstration

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2000, 21:15 GMT]
(Photographs) TamilNet correspondents' views of the demonstration organised by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Colombo today.
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Demonstration against Norwegian involvement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2000, 10:56 GMT]
Nearly ten-thousand people demonstrated in Colombo today, protesting against Norway's role in resolving Sri Lanka's's conflict. The protestors also urged the government to make public its dealings with the opposition and the Norwegian government about starting negotiations with the Liberation Tigers.
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Sinhala extremists protest against Norway

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 March 2000, 20:43 GMT]
A group of extremist Sinhala Buddhist organizations picketed in Colombo protesting against the Norwegian peace initiative seeking a political solution to the island's ethnic conflict.
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Foreigner with mini-plane arrested

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 March 2000, 11:54 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police arrested yesterday a German national in Thalahena in Negombo, north of Colombo, who had been assembling a two-seater ultra light aircraft. The mini-plane was in a factory owned by the German and was fitted with a 60 horsepower engine Police sources said.
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JVP to agitate against Norway's role

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2000, 17:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, (JVP) the Marxist party that led two unsuccessful insurrections to capture state power in Sri Lanka, threatened today to hold country wide demonstrations against Norwegian mediation to end the island's ethnic conflict.
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Police hand over killed LTTE suspect

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2000, 13:59 GMT]
Police handed over a body of a youth with gun shot injuries and burn marks on his chest to the Mannar hospital yesterday. Police officials claimed the youth was a member of a Liberation Tigers killed near 'Sector 11' near Uyilankulam in the Mannar District.
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Student released on bail

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2000, 13:51 GMT]
Shanmugalingam Arjun, a student of Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College detained in connection with a suicide bomb blast that took place on March 2 in the town, has been released on surety bail by the Magistrate today.
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Six Tamils arrested over Friday attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 March 2000, 11:05 GMT]
Six Tamils have been arrested in Colombo by the investigations arm of the Sri Lankan Police in connection with the suicide attack by a commando group suspected to be of the Liberation Tigers on the main route to the Parliament on Friday, March 10.
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Police say recovered clues

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2000, 22:49 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police sources said this evening that they recovered some clues, including national identity cards of the gunmen suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers committed suicide following a heavy fire-fight in which four soldiers were wounded.
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Remove security posts near schools - CTTU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2000, 17:26 GMT]
Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Association (CTTU) has appealed to the North East Governor Maj.Gen.Asoka Jayawardene (Ret.) to take steps to remove immediately all military camps and police posts now found in school premises or in their close vicinity in the north east province.
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Four attackers commit suicide

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2000, 07:56 GMT]
Four gunmen, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers who had taken up positions in apartment building near the scene of the fighting in Colombo yesterday committed suicide as the Sri Lankan army special forces broke into the building this morning after several hours of fighting Police sources said.
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Police search Batticaloa MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2000, 07:55 GMT]
Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, Member of Parliament for Batticaloa district and the Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Tamil United Liberation Front was subjected to severe search at Mannampity security post today morning.
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Govt. info Department confirms shootout

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2000, 17:30 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Governemnt Information Department's central news desk issued a communique on the incident in Borella this evening. The communique indicated that there had been fighting in the area following the explosion.
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Firing continues near blast site

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2000, 14:09 GMT]
At least fourteen people, including five Sri Lankan policemen were killed and thirty six others wounded in an explosion was near Borella, a suburb of Colombo around 6 pm Friday, hospital sources said. Gunfire which broke out at the same time was continuing an hour later, residents said.
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Bomb explodes in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2000, 12:45 GMT]
An explosion was reported near Borella, a suburb of Colombo around 6 pm today.
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Assault victim identifies one

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2000, 12:03 GMT]
The victim in a sexual assault incident, a male Muslim student, identified one of the police constables accused of attacking him at the identification parade held at Trincomalee courts before acting Mutur Magistrate on Friday.
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UNP, PA meeting-"talks on Talks"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 March 2000, 09:10 GMT]
"Both side survived and we will meet again this month" said Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe coming from a two hour meeting with the President Chandrika Kumaratunga and seven of her senior cabinet ministers this afternoon around 1.30 a.m. "The first meeting went off well" he added.
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