LTTE complains of SLA ceasefire violation in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 11:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made a complaint to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has violated the ceasefire agreement by attempting to enter Kurankupanchchan area, which is in under LTTE's control, LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Tilak told Tamilnet Thursday.


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Jaffna’s crippled fisheries industry strapped for cash

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 02:18 GMT]
Two decades ago the Jaffna district was Sri Lanka’s main fisheries producer, accounting for 37 percent of the island’s total catch. Today Jaffna’s ‘fisheries belt’ lies inside the Sri Lanka army’s largest high security zone in the northeast, its once prosperous coastal villages virtually razed to the ground.
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JVP presses with campaign against peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) held another massive demonstration and rally Wednesday near downtown Colombo denouncing peace talks between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers. More than five thousand party activists and members marched through a busy part of the city shouting slogans against the LTTE and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mr. Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe’s government.
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Jaffna undergrads complain of SLA intimidation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 12:38 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union Tuesday complained to the regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers intimidated its members when they were making preparations for the Pongu Thamil, which is to be held Friday at the Jaffna Medical faculty premises, sources said.


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VVT fishermen protest against SLA search

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 11:47 GMT]
Hundreds of fishermen of Valvettithurai, in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district Wednesday did not go out to sea as a protest against the search conducted on their boats in their absence on Tuesday night by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). Engine rooms of all boats beached in the shore were forcibly opened by the army soldiers causing damages to fishing gear and other accessories during the search operation, fisheries cooperative sources said.
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South African human rights activist visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2003, 14:11 GMT]
An activist from the South African Human Rights Commission, Mr. Nagendran Kolappan, arrived in Jaffna Tuesday morning and held discussions with the representatives of Humanitarian Agencies, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, People’s Organizations and local media persons at the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, sources said.
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SLA constructs barbed wire fence along northern coast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 June 2003, 18:23 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has started constructing an eight-kilometer long barbed wire fence along the northern seashore from Potpathi to Kudathanai villages curtailing the freedom of movement of fishermen in Vadamarachchi division, Potpathi Fisheries Co-operative Society said Saturday


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Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary visits Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2003, 19:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, Mr. Austin Fernando, and Secretary to the Finance Ministry, Charitta Ratwatte, were in Vavuniya Saturday to assess the current security situation and resettlement activities in Vavuniya and surrounding areas, military sources said.
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LTTE condemns SLA's intimidating behaviour in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2003, 17:44 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are intimidating its members and public in Jaffna district, sources said.


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Point Pedro workers protest against body checks by SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2003, 17:40 GMT]
Point Pedro harbour workers in the Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district Saturday struck work protesting against the body check by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers bringing the unloading of cargo from two vessels anchored in the harbour to a standstill, district secretariat sources said.
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Negotiating Tamil sovereignty

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2003, 00:52 GMT]
“Tamils have only had very compelling political and moral reasons for not acceding their sovereignty to the Sri Lankan state since Britain gave independence to this island. Therefore no road map to peace in Sri Lanka should be allowed to compromise the Tamil people’s sovereign and inalienable right to decide their political status in the land of their forebears," said Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance MP for Vanni, reacting Friday to suggestions that the Liberation Tigers should agree to a peace road map in return for workable interim administration for the northeast.
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Peace ceremony shifted to Vavuniya due to protests

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2003, 17:05 GMT]
A ceremony to honour personalities who have dedicated themselves to promote peace and harmony in the country and scheduled to be held in Jaffna University Kailasapathy Auditorium Saturday morning has been shifted to Vavuniya due to protests by civil groups, sources said.


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SLA conducts house-to-house search in Vadamarachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2003, 16:30 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Friday conducted house-to-house search in Thumpalai east and Moorkam villages in the Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district, civil group sources said.


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SLA bars students from entering Point-Pedro schools after hours

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2003, 15:10 GMT]
524 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) located in Point Pedro Friday ordered no students and teachers should enter the Hartley College and Methodist Girls College after three p.m. These two leading educational institutions in the Vadamarachchi division are located inside the SLA 524 brigade complex, sources said.


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Jaffna Islanders extend support to Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2003, 10:49 GMT]
Island Peoples' Welfare Association ( IPWA) in Jaffna district Wednesday extended its wholehearted co-operation to the success of Pongu Thamil celebration, which is scheduled to be held on June 27 in Jaffna, sources said.


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Chankanai Secretariat employees demand release of abducted GS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 June 2003, 15:48 GMT]
Chankanai Divisional Secretariat in Jaffna district did not function Thursday as its employees picketed the office demanding the release of a Grama Sevaka Officer (village level officer) Mr.Nagalingam Kumarakurunathan who had been abducted on June 10 by unidentified persons, civil sources said.


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SLA constructs new camps, sentries in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 June 2003, 15:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday commenced constructing new camps and sentries in Amban, Kudathanai and Manalkadu areas in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district, civil sources said.


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SLMM action sought on stopping new SLA camps in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2003, 19:13 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday asked the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to take immediate steps to stop the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from establishing new camps in the peninsula and disrupting the normal life of the people in the name of strengthening security, sources said.
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Pongu Thamil organisers receive death threats

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2003, 13:13 GMT]
Organisers of a mass protest in Jaffna next week calling for the withdrawal of Sri Lankan troops from homes, schools and public places are facing death threats, student leaders said this week. There have also been attempts on the lives of some organisers of the ‘Pongu Thamil’ event scheduled for June 27, they said.


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New checkpoints added, more troops deployed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 17:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna district is establishing new checkpoints and strengthening its existing camps and sentries, civilian sources in Jaffna said. Additional troops have been deployed in Vadamarachchi and Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district, sources added.


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