Tight security for SLMC convention

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 1999, 03:47 GMT]
Security has been tightened in Kalmunai in the southeastern district of Ampara where the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is planning to hold its 16th annual convention at Santhankerny stadium on Sunday, November 21 said sources.
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Refugees prevented from leaving Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 16:04 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army in Vavuniya is preventing Tamil civilians living in refugee camps close to SLA camps from leaving the northern town, said the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in a report submitted to the Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunge today. In addition no food supplies have been distributed to the displaced since they left, or allowed into the Vanni since November 1, the report said.
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Presidential nominations filed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 15:41 GMT]
Thirteen candidates have filed nominations for the Sri Lanka's Presidential elections next month said sources at the Elections Commissioner's office today. The number is a record they said.
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Gunfire at MP's office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 12:34 GMT]
Three persons were wounded when a group of gunmen fired with automatic riffles at the office of Ravi Karunanayake, a parliamentarian representing the United National Party (UNP) this morning said party sources. At least 42 rounds were fired at the office they added.
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President says mediation tried

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 1999, 08:49 GMT]
The Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunge said in a question and answer session on local television Saturday that her government was not opposed to peace talks with mediation. She was responding to a question why the government had not accepted an offer of mediation from Norway.
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Storm over casualty figures

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 1999, 11:54 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President today said that media reports of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sustaining heavy casualties in recent battles were "grossly exaggerated" and only 101 soldiers have been killed in the past week. However officials from Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party said that the SLA had suffered "terrible losses" of over 1000 killed and accused the government of concealing a "national disaster".
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Opposition leader wants public debate with President

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 1999, 15:47 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, has challenged the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunge to a series of public debates on live television and radio. He was responding to a letter from the President accusing the UNP of obstructing a solution to the island's conflict.
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Elections forced by IMF: Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 October 1999, 11:18 GMT]
The government has been forced to conduct the Presidential election due to the refusal by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to provide any financial assistance to the country until the war is brought to an end, said Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, M.P for the Batticaloa district.
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S.Thondaman dies

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 1999, 16:14 GMT]
Mr.Soumiyamoorthy Thondaman,86, the Minister for Rural and Industrial Development, and leader of the Ceylon Workers' Congress died at the Jeyawardenepura National Hospital around 8.10 p.m. this evening.
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Thondaman ill

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 1999, 11:12 GMT]
Sri Lankan cabinet Minister and veteran trade union leader Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman is reported to be seriously ill. He has been flown to Jeyawardenepura National Hospital in Colombo this morning according to sources.
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Solution for conflict in two years - President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 October 1999, 14:42 GMT]
Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, speaking at the first election campaign meeting held at Anuradhapura promised that her government would solve all problems in the country, including the ethnic conflict, within two years if she is elected as the next president.
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Independent in presidential elections: TULF M.P.

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 October 1999, 09:50 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) will not support any political parties in the forthcoming presidential election, said Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, M.P for the Batticaloa District. The party will play an independent role, he said, while commenting on President Kumaratunga's announcement yesterday to hold early elections.
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President: Mandate for another term

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 October 1999, 11:03 GMT]
The President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge today declared her intention of appealing to the people for a mandate to hold office for a further term, states a press release issued by the Information Department.
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UNP: Ready to talk, but no guarantees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 October 1999, 04:08 GMT]
The Leader of the Opposition and the President of the United National Party, Ranil Wickremasinghe, in his reply to the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge avoided stating his position in regard to the guarantees she felt were necessary to find a bipartisan solution to the ethnic problem.
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Government seeks opposition "guarantees" for peace

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 1999, 13:30 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge, in a letter to the leader of the main opposition United National Party, has sought "guarantees" which the President believes are prerequisites for a peace process to settle the island's conflict.
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Catholic Bishops to meet LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 October 1999, 11:47 GMT]
The Catholic Bishops of Jaffna, Mannar and Batticaloa are expected to visit the Vanni region shortly to meet the senior members of the Liberation Tigers church sources said.
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Amnesty condemns Amparai killings

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 September 1999, 21:24 GMT]
Amnesty International Monday condemned the killing of more than 50 Sinhalese civilians in a predawn raid on three villages in the Amparai district. In a statement issued today, Amnesty said the Liberation Tigers might have carried out the attack in retaliation for the deaths of 22 Tamil civilians at Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu district, in a bombing raid by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on 15 September.
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Amnesty questions Puthukkudiyiruppu bombing raid

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 September 1999, 10:39 GMT]
Amnesty International said today that the explanation proffered by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) for the bombing of the Puthukkudiyiruppu market on Wednesday "does not absolve it from its responsibility under international humanitarian law to take all possible precautions to avoid harming civilians"
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Trincomalee declared 'city of peace'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 1999, 13:15 GMT]
The eastern port town of Trincomalee has been declared a city for peace in Sri Lanka at a ceremony held this morning at Trincomalee St. Mary's College auditorium. The UNESCO had proposed the idea in collaboration with the United Nations' International Day of Peace.
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Jayalath accuses President of making false allegations

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 August 1999, 07:13 GMT]
In letters addressed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, an opposition (UNP) MP has accused the President of making false allegations about his visits to Vanni. TamilNet has received copies of two such letters.
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