Tigers hand over 16 SLA bodies

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 1999, 16:16 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers handed over today bodies of 16 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers killed in the north of the island, to the ICRC representative in Mallavi, the spokesman for the organisation in Colombo, Harsha Gunawardene said.
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Fate of half Jaffna's missing unknown: NHRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 1999, 12:54 GMT]
The fate of about 50 percent of the 147 persons, who were reported missing to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the Jaffna Dsitrict, in 1999,are not known, according to human rights sources in the northern town.
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Investigate gangrape/murder of young mother: President

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 1999, 12:57 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has told the Defence Secretary to conduct an investigation into rape and murder of a young mother, allegedly by the security forces, said sources in Colombo.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 1999, 04:51 GMT]
Villagers forced to stay home, SLA bans cremation at Kanapitty, SLA permits food lorries into Mannar, Court holds inquiry into rally explosion, Youth commits suicide.
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SLA fortifies Jaffna islands

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 December 1999, 12:34 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops on the islands west of Jaffna peninsula, have been put on alert as the Liberation Tigers have intensified their attacks on the strategic SLA base at Elephant Pass, security sources in the northern town said today.
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CID to study blast film

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 December 1999, 18:40 GMT]
Colombo Chief Magistrate D.G.Kulatileke ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to review the video film relating to the bomb blast at the last election campaign meeting of the People's Alliance at the Town Hall at which 24 people were killed and several others, including the President were wounded.
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Election observers make recommendations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 December 1999, 08:41 GMT]
The International Observers Group which monitored Sri Lanka's Presidential election held last Tuesday, has submitted fifteen recommendations to the government to ensure a free and fair poll in future. The IOG tabled its report, at a press conference held Friday in Colombo's Hilton Hotel. Specific recommendations were made with regards to elections in Jaffna.
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Heavy fighting near Iyakkachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 07:41 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted yesterday between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers in Sangaththaar Vayal and Koil Vayal, close to Iyakkachchi, north of the Elephant Pass base complex sources in Jaffna said.
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Bomb discovery forces evacuation

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 06:09 GMT]
A powerful bomb was disovered this morning around 10.30 in the Ceylinco Towers in downtown Colombo, Sri Lankan Police sources said. The building has been evacuated and it is being being searched by bomb squads, they said.
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Elections 'most fraudulent ever' - UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 14:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Presidential elections held last Tuesday were the most fraudulent in the history of the country, declared Mr . Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) today at a press conference.
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'General' rigging in Jaffna claimed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 10:55 GMT]
The large number of votes garnered by fringe and extremist Sinhala political parties based in the south in the presidential polls held in Jaffna, indicated general rigging had been conducted, officials in the northern town said Wednesday.
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Curfew imposed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 17:22 GMT]
A curfew from 11 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m tomorrow morning was announced by the Sri Lankan government this evening as counting began in hundreds of centres across the island. Colombo imposes a curfew soon after polling at general and Presidential elections.
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PA intimidates opposition, voters in the hills

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 11:36 GMT]
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), an independent polls observation group said this afternoon that it has received complaints that Lohan Ratwatte, the son of Sri Lanka's deputy minister for defence, General Anuruddha Ratwatte, was involved in intimidating and scaring away voters, threatening the polling agents of the other parties and rigging the polls in Wattegama and surrounding areas in the Patadumabra electorate in the central province.
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Voting said smooth, sporadic incidents

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 09:02 GMT]
Polling this morning was reported to be trouble-free in most parts of the island where elections are being held, with independent monitors reporting isolated incidents of violence. According to Additional Commissioner of Elections a voter turn out of 40 percent had been recorded by noon today.
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Amnesty condemns rally attacks

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 20:22 GMT]
Amnesty International, the London based human rights group Monday condemned last Saturday's attacks on two political rallies in and near Colombo in which at least 25 civilians were killed. The attacks, within hours of each other, took place at the rally of the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) and that of the opposition United National Party (UNP).
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One killed, 8 wounded in poll violence

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 16:10 GMT]
(Correction) A civilan was killed and 8 persons including six policemen were wounded when a group of policemen were fired at from the residence of a ruling party politician at Araichikadu in Chilaw, about 65 km. north of Colombo, around 7 p.m. his evening sources said.
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Prayers for President's recovery

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 15:55 GMT]
Three Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG) of police were among those wounded in the bomb blast at People's Alliance (PA) rally in Colombo on Saturday night in which 24 people were killed, police sources said. DIG, Colombo District, T.N.de Silva was killed in the blast. Meanwhile prayers were said for the recovery President Chandrika Kumaratunge, who was wounded in the blast.
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SLA denies withdrawals

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 12:42 GMT]
A spokesman for the Sri Lankan military, Brigadier Sunil Tennekoon said at a press conference today that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has "rearranged" its defences at Vettilakerni only. He also said the attacks on both the People's Alliance and United National Party (UNP) rallies were caused by suicide bombers.
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UNP MP says rigging planned

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 00:20 GMT]
The office of Ravi Karunanayake, an opposition parliamentarian of the United National Party (UNP), at Sri Jeyawardenepura was attacked allegedly by supporters of the ruling Peopleís Alliance around 8 p.m. Sunday evening, UNP sources said.
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Separate commissions to investigate blasts

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 00:18 GMT]
The body of a woman who is believed to have caused the blast at the Peopleís Aliance (PA) rally in Colombo on Saturday has been identified as a junior employee of the Colombo Municipal Council, the police said Sunday.
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