SLA hands over Nelliady occupied lands to owners

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 July 2004, 16:45 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) after eight years of its occupation Sunday handed over a section of the agricultural land used for cultivation of subsidiary crops located in Nelliyady area in the Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district to their owners in the presence of representatives of Nelliyady Farmers Society led by its President Mr.S. Ratnasabapathy. SLA official T.Jayantha of 52-4 Brigade located in the area participated in the event, civil sources said.
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LTTE slams Colombo for open support to renegade

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 July 2004, 14:44 GMT]
Head of the Liberation Tigers' political division for Batticaloa, Mr. E Kousalyan, Sunday slammed the Sri Lankan government for "openly promoting" renegade commander Mr. Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna) by "providing him state radio facilities to attack the Tigers with the obvious aim of destroying the mutual goodwill on which the cease fire is based."
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Sharp drop in tourist arrivals

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 July 2004, 10:52 GMT]
The outbreak of the dengue epidemic in Sri Lanka has resulted in a sharp drop in tourist arrivals this week, The Sunday Leader quoted government officials as saying.


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Claymore mine recovered near Jaffna secretariat

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2004, 17:21 GMT]
A live claymore mine was discovered by members of public Saturday afternoon near an abandoned Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp situated near the Jaffna district Secretariat. On receipt of information the SLA bomb disposal squad rushed to the site and removed the explosive, civil group sources said.
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SLN refuses students entry to explore Mandaitivu Corals

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2004, 14:04 GMT]
Advanced level students from Vembadi Girls school, Jaffna, and teachers who were on a science expedition to study coral developments along shallow waters along Mandaitivu beach were refused permission to enter the shores by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) checkpoint at the Mandaitivu junction Thursday, Jaffna daily Uthayan reported.
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Voter turn out low for PC polls

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2004, 08:52 GMT]
Voter turn out for elections to six provincial councils in Sri Lanka on Saturday was the lowest in the island's polls history, officials said. ''Only 45 percent of the voters cast their votes today'', a senior election official in Colombo said. "Disgust with the current political confusion appears to be the cause behind this voter apathy", said a columnist for a Sinhala daily in Colombo. TamilNet confirmed with the election officials the final voter turn out for the elections was 45 percent.
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HRC commences investigation into SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2004, 18:13 GMT]
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Thursday commenced inquiry into complaints made by resident-fishermen of Kovilakandy in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district against the harassment by Sri Lanka Army soldiers (SLA) located in the area, civil sources said.


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Court issues notice to SLA official

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2004, 16:57 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Subramaniam Friday issued notice on the first respondent, Sri Lanka Army official Dumminda Keppetipola, in a Habeas Corpus application through SLA counsel to appear on the next date without fail. The Magistrate made this order when it was brought to his notice Mr. Dumminda Keppetipola had failed to appear in court for the last six months, legal sources said.
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Navaly massacre of 147 Tamil civilians remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2004, 13:26 GMT]
The ninth death anniversary of 147 Tamil civilians including men, women and children who were killed in the indiscriminate bombing by the Sri Lanka Air Force bombers and artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army on Navaly St Peters Church and Navaly Murugamoorthy Kovil in the Jaffna district falls Friday. Several commemorative events were held Friday in Navaly by relatives of those dead and other civil groups in these areas, sources said.
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Two Karuna militants executed

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2004, 12:51 GMT]
Two militants belonging to the Karuna group were executed by the Liberation Tigers in Illupadichchenai in Batticaloa, local Tamil media said.


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"LTTE emerged militarily strong because of Black Tigers"- Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2004, 05:08 GMT]
"Because of the sacrifice by the Black Tigers, the LTTE has emerged as a strong liberation force in the world and even now we prepared to face a war if it is thrusted on us. However we do not want to be responsible for the outbreak of the fourth Eelam War," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE addressing the Black Tigers Day celebrations held in the Trincomalee Sivankoviladi grounds Monday night.
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LTTE releases surrendered SLA soldier in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2004, 03:09 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army who surrendered to the Liberation Tigers in Jaffna on Tuesday was handed back to the SLA by the LTTE through the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the Human Rights Commission, reports from Jaffna said.
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District Ayurveda Hospital opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 July 2004, 03:31 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), speaking after the ceremonial opening Monday of the Trincomalee District Ayurveda Hospital said that he was pleased that the opening was held on Black Tigers Day which he said was an important day for the liberation struggle of Tamil people. The Ayurveda Hospital is located at Kappalthurai, a resettled Tamil village along the Trincomalee-Colombo highway, about eight km off the east port town.
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Trinco Rotary Club appoints new President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 July 2004, 00:14 GMT]
Mr.S.I.R.Croos, a Civil Engineer was appointed as the 26th President of the Trincomalee Rotary Club Saturday night at an event held in Hotel Club Oceanic in Allesgarden Trincomalee. Mr.R. Renganathan, Deputy Chairman of Seylan Bank was the chief guest and the Trincomalee District Government Agent Mr. Gamini Rodrigo was the keynote speaker, according to sources who attended the event.


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Japanese doubts about Indian deminers - report

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 July 2004, 23:18 GMT]
The Japanese government has turned down a request for additional funds for two Indian mine clearing organisations - Sarvatra and Horizon - citing doubts about their competence, The Island newspaper reported Sunday. The funds were requested from Japan by the Milinda Moragoda Institute for People’s Empowerment (MMIPE), the paper said.
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Arrests over Halo Trust vandalism

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 July 2004, 23:14 GMT]
Six former employees of the HALO Trust have been arrested over their involvement in the recent attack on the British mine clearing agency’s vehicles in Jaffna, The Island newspaper reported Sunday.
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LTTE warns Security Forces to stop East killings

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 July 2004, 19:50 GMT]
"Once more, fully aware of our people's desire for peace, we emphasise our continued commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding. We also want to express in no uncertain terms that if war is thrust on us, we are prepared to respond," said a press release issued by the LTTE's Political Division of Batticaloa-Amparai, following two shooting incidents in Batticaloa Monday morning.
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Talks prospect dim, sustaining CFA uncertain - Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 July 2004, 15:54 GMT]
Mr.C. Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Saturday that recent talks between Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Norwegian facilitator Mr. Erik Solheim gave no indication that the stalled peace process would resume in the near future. "Instead sustaining the current envioronment of peace is becoming uncertain," said Mr.Elilan addressing the 'Sangamam' event organized by the Thamileelam Resurgence Forum in Nilaveli, about 8 km off north of eastern port town Saturday.
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‘Jailed Karuna associate in SLA psy-ops’ - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 July 2004, 07:18 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa Sunday charged that the Sri Lanka army intelligence was providing telephone facilities to an associate of renegade commander Mr. Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan (Karuna) who is in prison in the eastern town for possessing weapons illegally. “We have clear proof now that ‘Satchi Master’ is giving phone interviews from his cell in the Batticaloa jail to a Tamil weekly and a radio station which are backed by Sri Lanka military intelligence," a senior LTTE official in the eastern district said Sunday.
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MP highlights woes of garrisoned island

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 July 2004, 10:32 GMT]
Three hundred families living in Mandaitheevu are still suffering without basic ameneties and ready access to drinking water despite two years of peace and promises by Sri Lankan military authorities to ease their burden, an MP who visited the area told TamilNet Friday. Mandaitheevu is an island south of Jaffna town heavily garrisoned by the Sri Lanka Navy since 1990.
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