Colombo to recruit 1600 for STF

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 June 2002, 17:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister for Interior, Mr. John Amaratunga, told troops frontline in Mannar Thursday that his government will recruit 1600 to the Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the island's military. Speaking among STF commandos and military trained Policemen manning forward defences on the border separating the Vanni region held by the Liberation Tigers at Kannatti, Mr. Amaratunga dismissed rumours that Colombo intends to downsize the elite counter insurgency force.
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Paramilitary, Navy assault LTTE political worker

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 June 2002, 12:01 GMT]
A group of armed persons suspected to be troopers of the Sri Lanka Navy and cadres of a paramilitary group working with it in the islands off Jaffna assaulted and attempted to abduct the head of the Liberation Tigers' political division in Kayts, Mr.Semmanan, Thursday night, LTTE sources in Jaffna said. The armed persons had attempted to force Mr. Semmanan into a vehicle at the 'Bus Company' near the Velanai junction Thursday night around 9.15 p.m.
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Sri Lanka to expand paramilitary auxiliaries

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 June 2002, 10:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's government said this week that paramilitary forces working alongside the military in the eastern province are to be expanded. The home guards will be given additional training and the force will be expanded from its current strength of 23,000 members, Interior Minister John Amaratunga said Monday.
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Jaffna humanitarian agencies slam Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 June 2002, 16:17 GMT]
The Council of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) in Jaffna Thursday slammed the Sri Lankan government for ignoring the plight of thousands who want to resettle in their villages in the northern peninsula. "In Jaffna, restoring normalcy as promised in the cease-fire agreement means the resettlement of internally displaced people.
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Protests as SLAF expands airbase

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 22:56 GMT]
There were massive protests Wednesday in Batticaloa demanding an end to the occupation of zone 'C' by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF), the continued occupation by the Sri Lankan armed forces of schools, temples and public buildings and the continued blocking of public travel on several important roads. The SLAF has begun expanding its base in Batticaloa, incorporating a nearby temple and school and triggering outrage amongst locals.
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Tamils, Sinhalese welcome LTTE in Nainativu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 22:38 GMT]
Tamil residents of Nainativu and Sinhalese who are there on pilgrimage gave a rousing welcome to the Liberation Tigers when they entered Nainativu Wednesday. The Liberation Tigers began political activities in Nainativu, one of the main islands off the Jaffna peninsula, Wednesday.
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25,245 Vanni children not getting schooling

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 20:34 GMT]
Due to the poor education facilities in the Vanni region, 25,245 students in five education zones in the region are not attending school regularly. Prior to the research conducted by the Rural Economic Research and Development Corporation during education awareness week, the number was assumed to be 21,000.
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"cease-fire agreement has not conferred normalcy on Tamils in northeast" -TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 19:24 GMT]
"The cease-fire agreement signed by the government with the Liberation Tigers 120 days ago, has not yet conferred on all the Tamil people of the Northeast all the freedoms to carry on a normal life, freedoms that have been conferred on all other people in all parts of the country, including the Northeast," the Tamil National Alliance delegation Wednesday told the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at a conference held at the parliament complex.
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Tigers begin political work in Delft

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 June 2002, 19:56 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Tuesday entered the islet of Delft in the Jaffna district for political work. A large number of residents gathered to receive the Tiger cadres, who were led by the head of the LTTE's political section in Delft, Mr.Kannan.
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"End discrimination against Tamils in education" -CTTU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 June 2002, 19:14 GMT]
The Ministry of Education under the United National Front (UNF) government continues the discrimination of Tamil people in the sphere of education, the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) has told an advisor to the Prime Minister (PM).
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Tigers start political work in Jaffna islands

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 June 2002, 20:32 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers began political work in the islands of Jaffna Monday amid objections and hindrances by the Sri Lanka Navy. They were delayed at Allaipitti, the main entry point to the islands when the Sri Lanka Navy objected to the LTTE's women fighters wearing belts and refused to let them pass. The public welcomed the Tigers near the entry point when the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission resolved the issue.
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India to train Sri Lanka Special Forces

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 June 2002, 12:07 GMT]
India is to provide combat training to special forces of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) following a request from the Colombo government, the Sunday Times reported this week.
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SLA reinforces Nagarkovil base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 June 2002, 03:07 GMT]
The Nagarkovil Sri Lanka Army (SLA) base, which is part of the military's Forward Defense Line (FDL) in Vadamaradchi East, is being expanded with additional troops moved from SLA positions in Eluthumadduval, Muhamalai and Mirusuvil in the Thenmaradchi sector, the Thinakural reported Saturday.
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Nine thousand SLA devices destroyed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 June 2002, 02:12 GMT]
The civilian demining unit of the Liberation Tigers in a single week unearthed and destroyed almost nine thousand active mines and pieces of ordnance left behind by the Sri Lankan Army in Vavuniya North.
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SLA stops fishing boats coming ashore

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 June 2002, 14:22 GMT]
Fishermen in Inparutti near Pt. Pedro in Jaffna blocked the main coastal road Saturday when the Sri Lanka army refused to let more than 24 catamarans and 12 boats come ashore as these had not obtained permits from the military to fish in the sea. Fishermen in Inparutti said that they had set out to sea Friday evening without obtaining permits from the SLA because Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence had promised Thursday to lift draconian controls on fishing following an agitation by the Federation of Fisheries Co-op Societies in Northern Province last week.
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Military harassment continues in east

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 June 2002, 11:30 GMT]
Police personnel manning the checkpoint in Kaddaiparicchhan, Muttur in the Trincomalee district have again started harassing Tamil youths, local press reports said. People traveling from Muttur East are stopped and questioned at the checkpoint and those not carrying sufficient identification are barred from crossing, the Uthayan reported last week.
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MP lists occupied temples and schools in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 June 2002, 22:10 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Jospeh Pararajasingham Friday sent a list of places of worship, schools and public buildings now being occupied by the Sri lankan armed forces in the Batticaloa district to the Prime Minister. According to the list, 8 schools, 5 temples and several public buildings in Batticaloa are either occupied by government forces or situated within the perimeter of their camps.
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SLA occupies more Jaffna homes

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 June 2002, 11:13 GMT]
The Sri Lankan armed forces are expanding and bolstering a chain of sentry posts along the Jaffna coastline, the largest circulating daily in the peninsula, the Uthayan, reported Thursday. Meanwhile, in Nunavil East, the SLA has taken over more than ten homes for their camp, and is constructing bunkers, residents told TamilNet.
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Navy blocks resettlement of Tamil families in Thiriyai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 June 2002, 21:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday refused permission to a group of displaced Tamil families to enter their destroyed village, Thiriyai- a Tamil village about 42 km north of Trincomalee town- to make preliminary arrangements for their resettlement.
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Navy builds Karampon base

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 June 2002, 10:27 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Navy is constructing a new base in Karampon, Kayts, near the Kannaki Amman landing point, a central location from where boat services are conducted for people traveling to Analaitivu, Eluvaitivu, Nainativu and other islands, the Jaffna based daily Uthayan reported on Tuesday.
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