SLA firing exercise disrupts fishing in Thondamanaru lagoon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 June 2004, 04:01 GMT]
Fishing in Thondamanaru lagoon in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district has come to a standstill for about a week following beginning of live firing exercise by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). Representatives of fisheries societies in the division told military officials at a conference held in SLA's 52-4 Brigade Head Quarters located in Point Pedro high security harbour area that they would launch an agitation campaign if the firing exercise in the lagoon area is not stopped, fishery sources said.


Full story >>

"SL President's duplicitous politics threatens peace"- MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 June 2004, 03:08 GMT]
Delays in resumption of peace talks due to Sri Lanka President Ms Kumaratunge's continually shifting positions on the peace process, and suspected Sri Lanka Government's complicity in destabilizing the Batticaloa district, portend imminent danger to prevailing peace, said Joseph Pararajasingham, Senior Vice President of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Member of Parliament (MP), talking to TamilNet from Colombo, Sunday morning.
Full story >>

"SLA is giving shelter to Karuna"- Ramesh

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 June 2004, 14:17 GMT]
"We have confirmed reports that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is giving shelter to Karuna and that the Sri Lanka military is trying to use him against the Liberation Tigers," said Special LTTE Commander for Batticaloa- Ampara, Col.Ramesh speaking to reporters at a press conference held in Thenagam in Kokkadicholai Saturday evening.
Full story >>

Norway persists as stalemate deepens

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 2004, 01:04 GMT]
The stalemate in Sri Lanka’s peace process continued this week, and even as Norwegian diplomats vowed to continue their shuttle diplomacy, President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government hardened its stance on the agenda for talks.


Full story >>

Tigers slam Sri Lankan state media for vicious propaganda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 June 2004, 10:01 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday expressed serious concern about ‘malicious and false propaganda’ in Sri Lanka’s state controlled media regarding the situation in the Batticaloa district, during discussions with the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo. “If the Sri Lankan Government is honest in taking the LTTE as a sincere partner in the peace process, this type of clandestine media activity should stop forthwith”, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan told the ambassador. There is yet no agreement on restarting the talks the ambassador told the press at the conclusion of the meeting.
Full story >>

Pakistan-based Islamic group eyes eastern Sri Lanka - analyst

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 2004, 12:17 GMT]
Pakistan’s plans to appoint a former Director of its Intelligence Bureau (IB) as Ambassador to Sri Lanka "could have serious implications for the national security of India" a senior Indian analyst said this week, citing Colombo's importance as a base for Pakistani agents and a Pakistan backed militant group's increasing activities in Sri Lanka's eastern districts.
Full story >>

Mannar town paralyzed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 2004, 04:54 GMT]
Normal life of Mannar town was completely paralyzed Tuesday when civil groups launched one day general shut down (hartal) protesting against the assault on civilians by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday evening.
Full story >>

Mannar tense following SLA interrogation of LTTE activists

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2004, 13:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning the checkpoint at the entrance to the Mannar town Monday afternoon at about 1.30 p.m. stopped two leading political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Ms V.Nilavarasi, Mannar District Political Head of Women's wing and her deputy Ms Kavimani and subjected them to severe interrogation when they arrived from LTTE controlled Vattakandal area.
Full story >>

Kumaratunga hints at "an effective compromise" with the LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2004, 15:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, in a prime-time TV address, has indicated that she is "seeking an effective compromise" to overcome the dragging differences with the LTTE that delay peace talks. The LTTE has been insisting on negotiating its interim administration proposals first, while the government wanted to have parallel talks on the final solution to the conflict. In her nation-wide telecast Saturday night Kumaratunga hinted at her readiness to "prioritise" the LTTE demand while not openly abandoning the government's position to have parallel talks on the final settlement.
Full story >>

SLA - fishermen clash in Katkovalam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2004, 14:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday did not allow hundreds of fishermen of coastal village, Katkovalam in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district to go for fishing following an altercation between a soldier and a fisherman, civil sources said.
Full story >>

Two SLA personnel reported missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2004, 16:05 GMT]
Second Lieutenant W.A.S.Wikremaretna and soldier private Mr.Joseph Thomas Peter Karunaratne of the Sri Lanka Army are reported to be missing since June 8 from the 551 Brigade of the SLA which is located in Nagarkovil in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district, security sources said.
Full story >>

US Pacific Commander arrives in Jaffna on two-day visit

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2004, 10:34 GMT]
United States Commander for Pacific Region, Lieutenant General James L. Campbell, currently on a visit to strengthen relationship between Sri Lanka and the U.S., Friday morning arrived in Palaly Sri Lanka Army (SLA) military base and held discussions with the Commander of Sri Lanka Northern region Major General Susil Chandrapala and other senior SLA officers, security sources said.
Full story >>

Salvage operation of Mig-27 underway

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2004, 11:13 GMT]
The salvage crew recovered the blackbox, or flight data recorder, of the ill-fated Mig-27 that plunged into the Negombo lagoon after taking off from Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday, according to media reports in Colombo.
Full story >>

LTTE Senior political cadre assaulted by SLA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2004, 15:33 GMT]
Head of the LTTE’s political wing for the Puthukkulam area in Vavuniya district, Mr. Alakarasan , was assaulted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, Wednesday morning , sources in Vavuniya said.
Full story >>

SLAF Mig 27 crashes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2004, 09:28 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Mig 27 aircraft crashed near the Colombo international airport, around 9 a.m., Wednesday, military sources said.
Full story >>

Rehabilitated NE Provincial council, no substitute for ISGA- Paper

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2004, 00:22 GMT]
”Sri Lanka Government appears to think that by strengthening the NorthEast provincial council and Center for Rehabilitation it could weaken LTTE’s claim for ISGA and convince the International Community to start disbursing the allocated aid money. This back door diplomacy will not work. The mandate of 90% of NorthEast Tamils should be recognized and the Government can ignore Tamils demand only at its own peril,” said Thinakkural, a popular Tamil daily in its editorial Tuesday.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka's parliament adjourned for July 20 after disruption

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 2004, 10:22 GMT]
Speaker Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara Tuesday adjourned the Sri Lanka's parliament for July 20 after failing in his attempt to resolve the issue of administering oath to newly nominated parliamentarian JHU parliamentarian Venerable Akmeemana Dayaratna Thera. The Speaker announced his decision to postpone the parliament when it resumed its sitting Tuesday afternoon at about 2.30 p.m, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>

Krishanthy case accused to turn witness

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 June 2004, 17:38 GMT]
Mr.Rajapakse, one of the accused who was sentenced to death in the Krishanthy Kumarasamy rape and murder case and now kept in prison in the South has appealed to the Jaffna High Court through his lawyer to cite him as a witness instead of respondent in the 12 Habeas Corpus applications which are pending in court for inquiry, legal sources said.


Full story >>

Self Governance, main focus of TNA Thamilchelvan Meet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 June 2004, 13:56 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians met with Leader of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan Saturday in the LTTE political head quarters in Kilinochchi for a four hour long meeting. The issues and the urgent need for institutionlizing self governance for NorthEast based on LTTE's Interim Self-Governing Authority proposals were discussed in the meeting, , LTTE peace secretariat website said.
Full story >>

SLA soldier kills superior, commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 June 2004, 13:06 GMT]
Mr. Ratnayake Mudiansalagae Seneviratne, a twenty-year-old soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday shot dead his 37-year-old superior Sergeant Mr. Gunaratne Vasantha Liyanage and then committed suicide by shooting himself. He left a letter stating that he had killed his superior, as he was unable to tolerate his punishment, police said.


Full story >>