Prorogation of Parliament undemocratic - Speaker

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2003, 05:57 GMT]
In a landmark ruling, the speaker of the Sri Lanka's Parliament, Mr. Joseph Micheal Perera Wednesday stated that the prorogation of Parliament by President Chandrika Kumaratunga was "undemocratic". "The Parliament has the authority to assemble and activate its legislative powers" he said. Sri Lanka's national legislature reopened Wednesday morning 10 a.m.
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Hospital destroyed by SLA, IPKF reconstructed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2003, 04:59 GMT]
The central dispensary and hospital located in the village of Mahilavettuvan, 30 km West of Batticaloa town in territory controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Batticaloa district, which was damaged by the military actions of the Sri Lanka Army in 1987 and destroyed later the same year by the Indian Peace Keeping Force, recommenced operation Tuesday, sources said.
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Landmines continue to impede resettlement in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 November 2003, 18:44 GMT]
Many parts of Jaffna still remain unsuitable for resettlement and human habitation due to landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), according to statistics gathered by Sri Lankan government officials in the northern peninsula. The officials told TamilNet Tuesday that of the 1179953 square metres in Jaffna considered infested with landmines and UXOs, only 260168 sq. metres have been cleared so far since 1997.
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SLA said dumping human waste in residential area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 November 2003, 05:11 GMT]
During the last few days, the Sri Lanka Army has been dropping human waste from the lavatories of its camps in the Batticaloa district in a residential area near Santhiveli, 26 km north of Batticaloa town on the Batticaloa-Valaichenai road, and this has created a serious health hazard, the residents of the area have complained to health officials.
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Two villagers in remand for entering HSZ in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2003, 17:35 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate, Mr.P.Subramaniam, Monday ordered the court registrar to inform the parents of Mr. Mahalingam Ratnarajan of Tharmapuram in the Kilinochchi district, that he has been in remand for the last two months in Jaffna prison, legal sources said.
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SLA refuses permission to TNA MP to visit civil office

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2003, 15:18 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Monday refused permission to the Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr. Mavai Senathirajah to pay an official visit to the office of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for Jaffna district which is housed in a portion of the Thellipalai Cancer Hospital which is located in the high security zone. The Thellipalai Cancer Hospital has been allowed to function since the signing of the ceasefire agreement by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, civil authorities said.
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SLA prevents Maveerar Day preparations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2003, 14:42 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Tuesday prevented Tamil civilians renovating the welcome arch made of concrete across the junction where the Kachchai and Kandy roads meet in the heart of Chavakachcheri town in Jaffna district. The Chavakachcheri Urban Council (UC) constructed this welcome arch and it was destroyed in the military operation launched by the SLA in the year 2000, UC sources said.
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French style compromise considered - Peiris

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2003, 14:35 GMT]
The United National Front government’s media spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Mr. G.L.Peiris, Monday said a conducive situation has been emerging for making decisions regarding the defense of the country. "The UNF has taken into consideration the French style constitutional arrangements in regard to defense of the country," said Mr.Peiris, addressing a press briefing Monday, media sources said.
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Committee completes Jaffna SLA accident report

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 November 2003, 18:59 GMT]
The high level committee appointed by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Chief of Defense Staff Lt.General Lionel Balagalle to inquire into the recent spate of accidents involving army and civilian vehicles in the Jaffna district is to submit its report Monday, security sources said.


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SLFP- JVP electoral alliance to be decided Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 November 2003, 18:26 GMT]
An emergency meeting of the central working committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), chief constituent of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) will be held Monday at the President House to decide on forging a political and electoral alliance with Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and to decide the future course of action to solve the current political crisis, political observers said Sunday.


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Vadamarachchi fishermen refrain from going to sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 November 2003, 11:31 GMT]
Fishermen from the northern coastal villages in the Vadamarachi sector on the Jaffna peninsula say that they are unable to go out to sea as they fear their boats would crash against coral reef found around fisheries landing points. They say the coral reef should be removed to deepen the fishing landing points, but the Sri Lankan military (SLA) is obstructing their efforts, according to fisheries officials.
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STF, LTTE meet in Amparai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 November 2003, 12:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) officials and political wing leaders of the Liberation Tigers in the east of the island met at the local office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) at Akkaraipattu in the Amparai, around 10 a.m., Saturday.
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SLA reneges on agreement in Vadamarachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2003, 15:35 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Friday failed to honor its promise to civil authorities that it would hand over the central dispensary and maternity home building located in Amban village and the sub office building of the Point Pedro Pradeshiya Sabah in the Vadamarachchi east division to the respective government departments. These buildings are located in the high security zone and occupied by SLA soldiers, civil sources said.
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Villager remanded for entering HSZ in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2003, 15:29 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate, Mr.B.Subramanian, Friday remanded a villager, Mr.Jeyathasan Selvarajah, when he was produced on a report that he had entered the high security zone of the Sri Lanka Army located in Nagarkovil in Vadamaradchi east division in the Jaffna district, legal sources said.
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Norway temporarily withdraws from peace process

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2003, 06:09 GMT]
"Peace talks could have started tomorrow, provided there were clarity about who is holding political authority and responsibility on behalf of the Government to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire agreement and the resumption of peace negotiations. Until last week there was such clarity. Today there is no such clarity. Until such clarity is re-established, there is no space for further efforts by the Norwegian government to assist the parties.", Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen told reporters at a press conference held at Hotel Hilton at 11 a.m today.
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SLA said attacking Kiran villagers

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2003, 04:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army personnel at the Kumburumoolai SLA camp in the Batticaloa district are attacking Tamil civilians following the recent death in nearby Kiran village of a soldier attached to the camp, who was part of a gang of soldiers engaged in several robberies in the village, sources said.
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IFJ calls for maintenance of freedom of press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 2003, 17:19 GMT]
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appealed to the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to maintain freedom of the press and respect for the independence of journalists, particularly in the state-owned media, during the current political uncertainty in the island. The IFJ also appealed for the establishment of an independent media commission to oversee the state-owned media institutions, to ensure that the Government withdraws from the editorial process in Sri Lanka's state-owned media.


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Political stability necessary for talks - Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 2003, 06:33 GMT]
"Mr. Pirapaharan sought guarantees from the Norwegians that the Sri Lankan government would continue its commitment to the cease fire and for the safety of the LTTE’s political activists in areas controlled by the Sri Lanka army," Mr. Thamilchelvan said, after the meeting between the Norwegian delegation and the leaders of the Liberation Tigers concluded in Kilinochchi Thursday morning.
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SLA, Police harass TRO officer

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 November 2003, 16:26 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army and Police in Batticaloa stopped the vehicle in which the executive director of the Tamils’ Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in the Batticaloa district, Mr. Kingsley Rajanayakam, was traveling on the Station road at about 7 p.m. Monday, and subjected him and his TRO vehicle to intrusive search and harassment, sources said.
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SLA order: no Tiger flags in schools

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 16:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army's Jaffna area commander, Major General Sarath Fonseka, has instructed all the five zonal directors of education in the Jaffna district not to allow any public events to take place in school premises during school hours. The circular issued in this regard has asked all education officials not to allow students and teachers to attend events in public places in school uniforms, education sources said.
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