HRC inquires into new army camp construction in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 18:43 GMT]
The representatives of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in Jaffna Thursday visited the Potpathi village in Vadamarachchi east, Jaffna district, where the Sri Lanka Army last week commenced the construction of a military camp, sources said.
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SLA releases a fifth of the paddy fields in Thenmaradchi HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 15:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday said it has released about one thousand acres from the high security zone in the Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district for paddy cultivation. The area declared as HSZ in Thenmaradchi by the SLA in 1999, and in effect since then, girdles more than five thousand acres of paddy fields, farmers’ association sources said.
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SLA,Vadamarachchi fishermen to meet with SLMM help

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 01:05 GMT]
The Sea Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in the Jaffna district have arranged a meeting between the representatives of the fisheries co-operative societies in Vadamarachchi and Sri Lanka Army officials, and the discussion will be held on August 3, Sunday, at the 524 SLA brigade headquarters located in the Point Pedro town, SLMM sources said.
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SL Army soldiers assault civilians in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 19:13 GMT]
Tension prevailed near the Puttur--Meesalai junction in the Thenmaradchi area of the Jaffna district Tuesday night when Sri Lanka Army soldiers came in a motor bike and assaulted N.Subramaniam,63, when he was walking towards his home on foot, civil sources said.
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'SLA's HSZ in Nagarkovil prevents resettlement'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 02:03 GMT]
The Hindu Cultural Affairs Minister in the United National Front government of Sri Lanka, Mr. T. Maheswaran, and the Jaffna government agent (GA), Mr. S. Pathmanathan, Monday morning visited the Nagarkovil area in the Jaffna district to inspect the conditions for resettlement in the area, and said that the conditions there are not yet conducive to resettling people, sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE’s political office in Vavuniya attacked

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 18:19 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers’ political officer for Vavuniya Town was wounded when a grenade was lobbed at the LTTE’s political office in the northern border town Monday night around 11.30 p.m. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, the Sri Lanka army and Police rushed to the spot upon being informed of the grenade attack on the LTTE’s political office in the town.
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Civilian robbed at Muhamalai checkpoint

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 15:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Monday agreed to hold an identification parade to identify the army soldier who is alleged to have robbed cash from a Tamil civilian at the Muhamalai checkpoint on his way to Jaffna from Mullaitivu through the A-9 highway, and at the intervention of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the 55th Brigade officials of the SLA later agreed to hold an identification parade, HRC sources said.
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Thamilchelvan says doors to peace wide open

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 06:42 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are keenly studying the proposal for an interim administrative structure sent by the Sri Lankan government although it fails to meet the expectations of the Tamil people”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan addressing more than five thousand troops of the LTTE’s southern front forces on the grounds of ‘Meenaham’, a sprawling military base complex in Tharavai, about 40 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, late Sunday night.
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‘Federalism is a beguiling serpent’ – H. L de Silva

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 04:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s leading Sinhala constitutional lawyer, Mr. H. L de Silva, addressing a seminar on Indian federalism Sunday in Colombo, described a federal solution to end the island’s ethnic conflict as a snake a drowning man clutches in his desperation to stay afloat. In a cogently argued critique of Colombo’s efforts to formulate a federal concept as the basis for a solution to the conflict, Mr. Silva said, “One wonders whether for Sri Lanka federalism is that beguiling serpent, which by its fatal sting will bring about the death of the Republic”.
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SLA allows devotees into Ottahapulam Church after 14 years

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 21:16 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Sunday allowed Christian devotees to hold religious observances at the Ottahapulam St James' Church, located in the high security zone about one thousand meters away from the Palaly military base in the Jaffna district, for the first time in fourteen years, civil sources said.


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Two more suspects to be arrested in Nimalarajan murder

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 06:15 GMT]
The Chief Inspector of Police in Jaffna, Mr.Ranjith de Silva, Friday informed the Jaffna Magistrate, Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, that the police are on the trail of two more suspects who are moving around Puttalam and Mannar areas and who are said to be members of the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party, in connection with the murder of journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, legal sources said
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SLA constructs new camp at Potpathi in Vadamarachchi East

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 18:03 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday commenced constructing a large camp at Potpathi, a fishing hamlet in the Vadamarachchi East division in Jaffna district, where about one hundred fishing families reside, and civil sources said that hundreds of villagers immediately launched a sit-in-protest campaign in front of the new camp demanding its removal, civil sources said.
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No need for public apology for July’83 pogroms - Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 15:52 GMT]
Though the July 1983 pogroms against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka have left an “indelible scar,” no purpose would be served by making a public apology or regret by the United National Front government for it, said Mr. G. L. Peiris, the Sri Lankan Cabinet spokesman, in response to a question from a foreign correspondent in Colombo, the Jaffna-based Tamil daily, Uthayan, reported Friday.
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Eight SLA officers may be investigated in Habeas Corpus case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2003, 16:49 GMT]
The Appeals court of Sri Lanka has ordered the District court of Vavuniya to investigate the eight Sri Lankan military officers in connection with the Habeas Corpus application of a Puthukudiyiruppu villager arrested on August 25, 1995 and still languishing in jail, and submit a report to the Appeals court, sources said.
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Vadamaradchi fishermen complain of SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2003, 03:10 GMT]
The Vadamaradchi Federation of Fisheries Co-operatives (VFFC) Tuesday requested the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to take immediate steps to stop the Sri Lankan government security forces from registering their boats, saying that their crafts had already been registered by the Department of Fisheries, federation officials said.
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Hartal in the East for the second day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 20:54 GMT]
The hartal (general shutdown) observed on Monday in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts continued for the second day Tuesday, and normal life came to a standstill again, sources said.
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Undergrads, public prevent holding of EU function

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 14:48 GMT]
Jaffna undergrads and the public Tuesday prevented an European Union function attended by Sri Lankan cabinet minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene from being held at the Kailasapathy auditorium, Jaffna University, for handing over fifty five schools renovated with the funds provided by the EU, saying they would not allow any Sri Lankan minister to hold any function inside the university premises until students in the peninsula were allowed to pursue their studies free of military pressure of the Sri Lankan government, education department sources said.
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Slow progress in supplying electricity to Omanthai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 03:03 GMT]
Work is currently underway to supply electricity to the Omanthai Sri Lanka Army checkpoint complex, but so far only 20 % of the project has been completed, said Mr. S. Pirabhakaran, Engineer, Vavuniya Region, the Ceylon Electricity Board.
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US demining team to collaborate with SLA in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 19:39 GMT]
The US de-mining team RONCO is to recommence its de-mining work in the Jaffna district with effect from August 15 in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Army, team leader Mr.Don Smith told TamilNet Monday.
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French army officer visits Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The French army attaché for Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives visited Batticaloa Monday and met with the military, Police, the Catholic Bishop, Muslim civil society leaders and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Sri Lankan Police sources in the eastern town said.
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