Massive demonstration in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 January 2001, 12:28 GMT]
(News Feature) More than ten thousand people in Jaffna comprising university students, high-school students, residents and representatives and members of civil organisations demonstrated Wednesday, urging the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate the Liberation Tigers unilateral ceasefire and negotiate with the movement. Thousands more people were turned away by Sri Lankan security forces at check points set up along the major roads leading to the university, residents said. Reporters were not permitted into the university either.
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SLA offensive threatens peace process - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 January 2001, 13:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Tuesday that their troops were fiercely resisting a major offensive by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the Jaffna peninsula. The LTTE also said in a statement from its London offices that the organisation had earlier informed the Norwegian peace envoy of the impending offensive and requested him to impress upon the Sri Lanka government that such military action will intensify the conflict and seriously impair the current peace initiatives.
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SLA firing injures two

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 January 2001, 07:23 GMT]
A 11-year old girl and another woman were injured in indiscriminate firing by Sri Lanka Army at Pillaiyaradi, 4 km. north of Batticaloa, around 10 a.m. on Monday said sources.
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Mannar citizens’ committee lists killed, missing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 January 2001, 17:43 GMT]
Thirty two civilians were killed due to the actions of the Sri Lankan security forces while twelve were reported missing in Mannar from January to December 2000 according to statistics released Saturday by the Citizens’ Committee for the district. The Committee said that hundred and forty three civilians were arrested by the Sri Lankan security forces in this period and that only 70 of these have been released so far.
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Will not permit student demo- Jaffna commander

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2001, 20:56 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army's objective is not recapturing Elephant Pass but ensuring the protection of Jaffna and its people said Major. General Anton Wijendra, the Security Forces Commander for the northern peninsula, addressing a press conference for foreign and local journalists flown in Wednesday by the military at his headquarters in Palali. He charged that students of the Jaffna University are engaging in political agitation with the backing of the Liberation Tigers and vowed to stop demonstration the undergraduates are planning to hold on 17 January.
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Peace activists slam SLA warning

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2001, 16:44 GMT]
The Bishop of the Trincomalee -Batticaloa diocese of the Catholic Church, Rt.Rev.Kingsley Swampillai protested against the Sri Lanka Army's proclamation that it will punish people urging the Sri Lankan government to start peace talks with the Liberations Tigers when he met the military Co-ordinating Officer for the Batticaloa district, Brigadier V.R.Anthonis Thursday. "It is a dangerous development that people who say the war ought to be stopped and call for peace in Sri Lanka should be considered offenders by the army", the bishop said.
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No peace campaigns warns SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2001, 16:42 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army on Wednesday issued hand-bills and announced over radio in Batticaloa, appealing to people not become offenders by organising rallies or protests demanding a cease-fire. In a similar announcement last week, the army said that severe action would be taken against those who participate or organise peace rallies.
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Urge President too, suggests British HC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2001, 22:11 GMT]
Britain welcomes the unilateral cease-fire by the Liberation Tigers as a positive move in the right direction towards finding a negotiated political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem, the British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Ms Linda Duffield, told a delegation of Tamil political parties that met her Wednesday in Colombo. The Tamil parties urged the British HC to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to positively respond to the cease-fire unilaterally declared by the Liberation Tigers as a goodwill measure last month.
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Trainee SLA soldier raped and murdered

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2001, 14:45 GMT]
A Sri Lanka army trainee was found raped and killed Tuesday near his detachment in Mirusuvil in Jaffna. SLA military Police sources said that a lance corporal identified as Wijeyananda and a private have been arrested in connection with the rape and murder. The trainee soldier, K.R.K Karunaratna, was reported missing after a party at the armoured corps unit in Mirusuvil on 6 January, according to the Military Police.
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Tamil detainees appeal for safety guarantees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2001, 13:00 GMT]
Tamil Political detainees held at Kalutara prison have appealed to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to take measures to guarantee their security in the prison. The detainees have also complained about quality of food, medical facilities and prolonged detention.
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"Stop war, start talks" - TULF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2001, 21:49 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Tuesday demanded the Sri Lankan Government immediately stop the war and commence negotiations with the Liberation Tigers so as to find a political solution to the island's protracted ethnic conflict. Mr. V. Anandasangari, Vice President of the TULF was speaking at the swearing in of Nadarajah Raviraj as the new Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council.
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Tamil parties seek Dutch pressure

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2001, 21:48 GMT]
A deputation comprising representatives of several Tamil political parties met the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Colombo Tuesday morning and appealed to him to use his good offices to exert pressure on the Sri Lanka government to reciprocate the unilateral cease-fire offered by the LTTE, Tamil party sources said.
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Two more suspects identified in Mirusivil

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 January 2001, 12:27 GMT]
Two more Sri Lanka Army soldiers (SLA) accused of murdering eight Tamil civilians, including a 5-year old boy, at Mirusuvil on 19 December were identified by the prime witness, Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, during an identification parade held Thursday. Three SLA soldiers, including an officer, were identified by the witness on Wednesday.
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Witness picks out murder accused

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 January 2001, 16:50 GMT]
Three of several Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, including an officer, accused of murdering eight civilians in Mirusuvil in Jaffna on 19 December were identified by the prime witness, Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, during an identification parade held Wednesday. Thirteen government troops including two officers have been arrested in connection with the massacre. Seven of them appeared for the identification parade.
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'Jaya Gold' resumes humanitarian mission

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 January 2001, 23:01 GMT]
The vessel 'Jaya Gold' chartered by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has recommenced its weekly humanitarian voyages, transporting patients from Jaffna peninsula for specialized medical treatment in Colombo hospitals, sources said.
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Marxist women protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 January 2001, 16:12 GMT]
A mass protest against the rising cost of living in Sri Lanka was led Tuesday in downtown Colombo by the women's wing of the radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP - People's Liberation Front). Hundreds of women carrying placards and shouting slogans gathered in front of the city's main railway station in Fort, Colombo's bustling business hub from 4 p.m. this afternoon for the protest. The cost of living in the island shot up when the cash strapped Sri Lankan government devalued the rupee and hiked up fuel prices last month in addition to taxes and heavy borrowing to finance a massive war budget.
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Shots fired to mark New Year celebrations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 December 2000, 19:22 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops fired several volleys of shells towards LTTE held western hinterland of Batticaloa and opened up firing from its camps and sentry posts in Batticaloa town to celebrate the dawn of the new year said sources in Batticaloa.
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Mirusuvil massacre accused to stand in identification parade

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 December 2000, 09:12 GMT]
The six Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers accused of murdering eight Tamil civilians and burying their bodies in Mirusuvil North, Jaffna were ordered to be kept in remand prison until 10th of January and to appear in an identification parade on the 3rd of January by the Chavakachcheri District Court Judge A. Premshankar Friday evening, said sources in Jaffna.
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SLA offensive in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 December 2000, 13:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Government troops launched a fresh offensive Saturday morning and have taken control of Navatkuly bridge, about 3 km. east of Jaffna town, army sources said. TamilNet sources in Jaffna said there were no signs of heavy fighting in the area, except sounds of shelling.
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Bodies of missing civilians found

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 December 2000, 16:52 GMT]
The bodies of eight Tamil civilians, including a five year old child, who were reported 'missing' after being arrested by Sri Lanka Army soldiers on 19 December were unearthed from a grave in Mirusuvil area in the Thenmaradchi Monday, said police and hospital sources in Jaffna.
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