EPDP preparing to rig Jaffna poll -Maheswaran

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 October 2001, 17:21 GMT]
The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) is preparing to rig the polls in Jaffna with the connivance of a government official, said Mr. T. Maheswaran, ex-MP and chief candidate of the United National Party in Jaffna, addressing a campaign meeting in Nallur, a suburb of the northern town, Wednesday. ‘The EPDP is a quisling army of the Sri Lankan government. The struggle led by the leader of the Tigers, Pirapaharan, and all the sacrifices made for its progress would be demeaned internationally if members of the EPDP are elected to the Parliament from Jaffna,’ the UNP candidate said.
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Fuel ship sunk off Pt. Pedro - VoT

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 October 2001, 21:10 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy supply ship, 'Thukinda,' carrying hundreds of tons of fuel to troops in the northern Jaffna peninsula was attacked and sunk Tuesday when it, and its escort of gunboats, was intercepted by the Liberation Tigers off the coast of Pt. Pedro, the Voice of Tigers radio said in its evening broadcast. Several army and nevy personnel and four Black Sea Tigers were killed in the fighting, the radio said.
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IMF displeasure threatens loans - paper

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 October 2001, 19:54 GMT]
Concern expressed by the International Monetary Fund over the 'election handouts' by the Sri Lankan government has resulted in $800 million of pledged loans being withheld, the Island newspaper said Tuesday, quoting IMF sources. As a result of the freezing of these foreign loans and the unlikelihood of the government being able to raise the full amount of the required money locally, a situation would result of rising interest rates and the printing of money, thereby fuelling inflation, the paper said.
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Sea Tiger attack in seas off Pt. Pedro

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 October 2001, 14:07 GMT]
A ship escorted by the Sri Lanka Navy was hit by Sea Tigers in the seas off Pt. Pedro Tuesday around 5.40 p.m. military sources in the northern peninsula said. The vessel was carrying fuel. More than eight soldiers on the ship were killed and several navy sailors may also have perished, the sources added. The ship blew up and is burning in the sea, according to residents in the coastal parts of Pt. Pedro town.
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Clustered booths enable rigging -TULF

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 October 2001, 19:33 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has complained to the Commissioner of Elections that adequate attention has not been paid to the difficulties of Tamil voters when deciding upon polling stations in the Trincomalee district. Several polling stations are to be clustered near Mahindapura Sri Lanka Army camp and at Muttur Al Hidaya Maha Vidyalayam (school) for about 14,000 Tamil voters, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, the party's Secretary General.
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Bomb blast in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 October 2001, 09:41 GMT]
Three people, including a police man were killed and at least 20 others were wounded in a bomb blast in Colombo, around 2.30 p.m. Monday, police sources said. The incident occurred at Narahenpita, a suburb of capital.
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"Tamil parties' alliance formed to support liberation struggle"-TULF

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 October 2001, 18:45 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front said Sunday that the Tamil parties' alliance has been formed to muster support of the Tamil people and their political forces for the freedom-struggle of the Liberation Tigers in and out parliament and not aimed at elections."The time has now come for all the Tamil political forces in the northeast to unite under one banner to give full support for the militants who are involved in the freedom struggle," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the chief candidate of the Tamil parties' alliance for the Trincomalee district addressing alliance activists Sunday morning at his residence.
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Police enforce curfew in Mutur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 October 2001, 13:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces declared unofficial curfew in Mutur, south of Trincomalee from 5 p.m. Sunday evening following tension in the eastern town over the death of two Muslim youth in cross fire Friday during a clash between the Liberation Tigers and the army and Police. Tamils in Mutur have sought asylum in the town’s Methodist Church and St. Anthony’s church and a Tamil orphanage fearing reprisals by Muslims. Meanwhile, four Muslims, including a 2 year old, were found murdered near the Navaladi Sri Lanka army camp, 34 kilometres north of Batticaloa.
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4160 candidates contest parliamentary elections

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 October 2001, 10:08 GMT]
4610 candidates are contesting the forthcoming general elections scheduled to be held on 5 December to elect Sri Lanka's 12th parliament. Of them 3196 candidates have been fielded by registered political parties in the twenty-two electoral districts in the country. The rest are candidates nominated by independent groups, the Election Secretariat said Sunday.
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Fifteen parties, 6 independent groups contest Trincomalee district

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 October 2001, 22:18 GMT]
Fifteen registered political parties including People's Alliance, United National Party, Tamil United Liberation Front, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party, Sihala Urumaya, Sinhala Nationalist Party, Sri Lanka Muslim United Liberation Party, Sri Lanka Muslim 'Kadchchi' (party) and six independent groups Saturday submitted nominations at the Trincomalee district secretariat to contest the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district.
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Sihala Urumaya, JVP, UNP enter fray in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 October 2001, 07:50 GMT]
The Sinhala Nationalist party, Sihala Urumaya, and the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the People’s Liberation Front of Thamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Tamil national alliance filed nominations for the general elections on 5 December at the Jaffna District Secretariat (Kachcheri) Saturday. The chief candidate for EPDP in the northern district is Mr. Nithiyanandan ‘Douglas’ Devananda and for the Tamil alliance, Mr. V. Anandasangaree. The EPRLF (Varathar faction), JVP, UNP and two minor left groups, the New Left Front and the Democratic Left Front, have also filed nominations to contest the general elections in Jaffna on 5 December.
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Tamil Alliance files nominations in East and Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 October 2001, 16:42 GMT]
The Tamil national alliance filed nominations for the electoral districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and the Vanni Friday. The Alliance could not file nominations in Jaffna because its list of candidates for the northern electorate has not been finalised, Tamil party sources said.
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Soldiers, civilians injured in Mutur clash

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 October 2001, 06:12 GMT]
One military trained police constable was killed and two Sri Lanka army soldiers and a ‘Police security assistant’ were wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked the security forces post near the Central College in Mutur town, south of Trincomalee Friday morning around 8 a.m. with small arms and mortars. Two civilians were killed and three were wounded in retaliatory fire and shelling, residents said.
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Major parties start submitting nomination lists

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 October 2001, 21:42 GMT]
Major political parties have started submitting their lists of candidates for the forthcoming parliamentary elections from Thursday. The ruling People's Alliance Thursday submitted its list of candidates contesting the Hambantota electoral district. The main opposition United National Party submitted its lists of candidates for the Gampaha and Moneragala electoral districts.
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Eastern PA strongman joins UNP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 October 2001, 18:45 GMT]
The People's Alliance strong man in the east, Mr.Somasundaram Ganeshamoorthy, joined the United National Party (UNP) Wednesday. He said that the PA had cheated the Tamil people by not doing anything to solve the Tamil problem. Earlier in the day the state run Tamil daily denied speculation that he was about to cross over.
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TID arrests four in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 October 2001, 18:41 GMT]
The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police Tuesday arrested four persons, including a woman, in Batticaloa. A special team that came from Colombo made the arrests. The four were taken to Colombo for detention and inquiry, Police sources said Wednesday.
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"First internal study of LTTE" published

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 October 2001, 11:00 GMT]
A new book, The Will to Freedom, released this week, provides the first internal study of two decades of the Liberation Tigers' campaign and its leadership, the publishers said in a statement this week. Written by Adele Balasingham, who has lived and worked in India and Sri Lanka for than twenty years with the LTTE, the 400-page book "will be of interest to all those who want to study the inside story of the Tamil resistance movement," Fairmax Publishing Ltd. said.
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Claymore hits SLA vehicle in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 October 2001, 06:04 GMT]
Seven Sri Lanka army personnel, including a Lt.Colonel were killed in a powerful claymore blast near the Vallai junction on the Nelliyadi-Pt. Pedro road in Jaffna around 10.30 a.m. Wednesday. The soldiers and the officer were travelling in a vehicle near Kunjar Kadai Chanthi (junction) when the claymore fixed to a wall was triggered off, sources said.
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Eight civilians wounded, 2 killed in shelling

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 13:46 GMT]
Eight civilians, including an infant, were wounded and two were killed in shelling by the Special Task Force, an elite arm of the Sri Lankan security forces, on the villages of Ambilaanthurai and Thumbankerni, south west of Batticaloa town Tuesday.
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'Lift ban or let us go to Vanni'- Jaffna fishermen

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 13:40 GMT]
More than three thousand fishermen and women demonstrated in Pt. Pedro town Tuesday against Sri Lanka Army restrictions on fishing in the seas off the Jaffna peninsula's Vadamaradchi coast. The fishermen demanded that the SLA should either lift the restrictions and ban or allow them to leave Jaffna and to settle in the LTTE controlled Vanni region.
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CWC,UPF to contest under UNP's symbol

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 13:35 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry People's Front (UPF) Tuesday decided to contest the forthcoming general election in alliance with the main opposition United National Party (UNP). "Candidates of both parties would contest under the UNP's election symbol 'Elephant', CWC and UPF sources said.
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Grenade attack in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 11:15 GMT]
Three policemen were wounded in a grenade attack by Liberation Tigers at Koomankulam in Vavuniya around 11.30 a.m. Tuesday. The police said two of the attackers were killed and another escaped with injuries when they retaliated.
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STF, SF operation in LTTE held villages in east

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 05:59 GMT]
The Special Task Force and Sri Lanka army Special Forces began an operation into areas held by the Liberation Tigers southwest of Batticaloa town from the early hours of morning Tuesday. Two main groups of Sri Lankan security forces moved into the villages of Palugamam, Periyaporathivu, Kovitporathivu and Munaithivu, sources said. A timber shed was set on fire amid sporadic gunfire in areas which the STF and SF entered this morning. No major confrontation was reported until noon.
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Grenade lobbed at UNP headquarters

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 October 2001, 02:28 GMT]
Unidentified assailants lobbed grenade at the United National Party headquarters in Colombo in the early hours of the morning Tuesday. An office security guard was wounded in the explosion. The UNP headquarters is in Pitakotte, an outer suburb of the city.
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Policeman, home guard killed in claymore blast

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 October 2001, 07:36 GMT]
A policeman and a home guard were killed when a tractor in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore mine blast at Dutuwewa, in the Vavuniya district, around 10.30 a.m. Monday, police sources said.
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UNP to contest as UNF with elephant symbol

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2001, 21:51 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) will contest the forthcoming general election scheduled to be held on 5 December under the name of the United National Front (UNF). However the election symbol will be 'elephant'. A motion to this effect was unanimously approved at the special convention of the UNP held Sunday at Colombo Town Hall.
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Sea battle off Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2001, 21:44 GMT]
A sea battle broke out in the seas off Mullaithivu in the north-east of Sri Lanka when Sea Tigers engaged Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) patrol boats, Sunday morning, the Voice of Tigers radio said this evening. Two SLN crafts were damaged and five LTTE members died in the battle, the radio said.
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Self-determination is 'might is right'-Thamilmaran

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2001, 14:20 GMT]
"A people's right of self determination is not always recognised by the international community because it is inherently just. It is more often the case that it is accepted only when a people succeed in their armed struggle to secede. When a people lose the war to gain independence the international community rejects their right of self-determination. This was the experience of Biafra. It lost the war for independence from Nigeria and its people's right of self determination was not recognised," said Mr. V.T Thamilmaran, senior lecturer in law in the University of Colombo delivering the Mylvaganam Nimalarajan commemoration lecture in Batticaloa Sunday. The lecture 'The challenges to the State in the 21st Century' was organised by the East Lanka Journalists' Association and the International Broadcasting Corporation (Tamil).
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Tamil parties sign MOU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 October 2001, 17:42 GMT]
Leaders of the Tamil parties' alliance Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to contest the forthcoming general election under one symbol. Mr.R.Sampanthan on behalf of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Mr.N.Kumarakuruparan on behalf of All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Mr.N.Sri Kantha on behalf of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and Mr.Suresh Premachandran of behalf of Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF-Suresh wing) have signed the MOU.
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UNP Muslims threaten to quit over 'SLMC deal'

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 October 2001, 18:18 GMT]
United National Party organisers in the Muslim dominated coastal electorates of the Ampara district Friday decided to contest as an independent group if their leadership in Colombo were to go ahead with its seat sharing arrangement with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. “Under the agreement that our party appears to have tacitly reached the only Muslims candidates on the UNP list in the Ampara (Digamadulla) Electorate would be members of the SLMC. We fought against great odds at the last elections to keep the UNP flag flying in the Muslim electorates of the Ampara district. But now our party is ready to jettison us to accommodate the SLMC candidates on its list here,” one of the chief Muslim organisers of the UNP told Tamilnet in Kalmunai Friday.
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Sellasamy goes back to CWC

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 October 2001, 14:13 GMT]
Mr. M.S Sellasamy, a veteran trade unionist joined the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Friday amid moves to bring the main Tamil parties and unions in the island’s plantation sector under one umbrella to contest the general elections on 5 December. The CWC and the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) are holding talks on forming a broad front to contest in districts outside the island’s northeast, particularly in the central province where there are substantial numbers of Tamils. “We are exploring the possibility of strengthening our position in the hill country by coming to an arrangement with the United National Party,” a CWC leader said.
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Jaffna journalist's murder investigation said abandoned

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 October 2001, 04:45 GMT]
In an open letter Friday to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga, drafted by the Free Media Movement, the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance and the international press freedom watchdog Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), more than 200 journalists, media workers, media organisations, trade unions, international and local NGOs, academics, protested at the lack of progress in the inquiry of the brutal murder of Jaffna journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan on 19 October last year.
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Claymore blast in LTTE held region

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2001, 19:32 GMT]
A civilian was injured in a claymore mine blast in Kadukkamunai, a village in the western hinterland of the Batticaloa district which is under the control of the Liberation Tigers around 11.45 a.m. Thursday. The claymore was hidden in a culvert on the interior road and was aimed at a vehicle of the LTTE which had passed the point seconds before the blast, according to residents of Kadukkamunai who came to the eastern town Thursday evening.
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Sampanthan leads Tamil parties' alliance in Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2001, 19:11 GMT]
The Trincomalee branch of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Thursday unanimously decided to nominate Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the party as the lead candidate of Tamil parties' alliance for the Trincomalee district at the forthcoming general election.
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Jaffna NGOs call for common election programme

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2001, 16:54 GMT]
Non-governmental organisations in Jaffna Thursday called on all politicians and parties intending to contest the general elections in the northern peninsula to come under one umbrella based on a common programme. The statement issued jointly by 47 NGOs operating in Jaffna, urged political parties to formulate the common agenda on the basis of the Tamil people’s right of self determination, the lifting of the ban on the Liberation Tigers and the resumption of the peace talks with third party mediation.
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Six wounded in Trinco attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2001, 02:58 GMT]
Four military trained police personnel and two Sri Lankan army soldiers were seriously injured around midnight Wednesday in a attack by the Liberation Tigers on the combined security post at Neduntheevu in the Kinniya division, about eighteen kilometres southwest of Trincomalee town, defense sources said. One of the injured policemen is reported to be in critical condition.
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Tamil parties form alliance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 October 2001, 20:37 GMT]
The main opposition Tamil parties in Sri Lanka agreed Wednesday to form a Tamil nationalist alliance to contest the general elections on 5 December 2001. The agreement was reached late Wednesday night following protracted negotiations over the week. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) decided to cement the alliance by signing a memorandum of understanding on Friday.
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Vanni farmers file FR case in Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 October 2001, 15:45 GMT]
The Supreme Court Wednesday entertained a fundamental rights violation application filed by six Tamils against the imposition of control in transporting kerosene and fuel to Vanni region which is now not under the control of state armed forces.
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Fire-fight in Welikanda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 October 2001, 10:00 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed in an ambush by the Liberation Tigers in the Welikanda region in the boarder between Batticaloa and Polonaruwa districts, around 7.15 a.m. Wednesday. Two civilians were killed and two others wounded in the ensuing fire-fight, police sources said.
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SLMC with UNP, NUA with PA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 October 2001, 20:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) led by former Kandy district parliamentarian Mr.Rauff Hakeem has decided to contest the forthcoming general election alone in some districts and in alliance with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in other districts under the symbol 'Elephant', party sources said. Ms Ferial Ashraff's National Unity Alliance (NUA) has decided to contest the forthcoming general election under the People's Alliance banner.
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Three SLA soldiers killed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 October 2001, 16:21 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and another wounded in a claymore mine attack by the Liberation in the Manal Aaru (Weli Oya) region in the north-east of the island, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said in its news bulletin Tuesday.
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Trinco group warns against fragmenting Tamil vote

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 October 2001, 18:50 GMT]
The three opposition Tamil parties, Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), should join hands to regain the Tamil parliamentary representation in Trincomalee district which was lost in October 2000 general election, said a statement issued by the People Development Association (PDO) in Trincomalee Monday. The EPDP, however, says that it will contests the elections alone, in the eastern districts.
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ACTC disrupts Tamil unity moves again

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 October 2001, 19:40 GMT]
Hectic negotiations to cement a common Tamil front ran aground again Sunday night when Mr. Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy, the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) refused to contest the general elections on 5 December under a common symbol in Jaffna. The ACTC leader told a private radio station earlier in the day that his party had decided to contest as a constituent of a Tamil national alliance. However, when the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation and the Tamil United Liberation Front met the ACTC Sunday night to finalise details of the Tamil alliance, Mr. Vinayagamoorthy insisted that his party cannot contest under a common symbol in Jaffna. "That's where the need is greatest for us to stand united as one nationalist force in order to defeat the anti-Tamil forces which are spreading their tentacles in the peninsula," said Selvam Adaikalanathan, the leader of the TELO.
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Sinhala domination in N-E Youth Camp criticised

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 October 2001, 21:21 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim youths participating in a youth camp organized by the Sri Lanka National Youth Federation in collaboration with the North-East Provincial Council inaugurated Saturday in Trincomalee protested against the organisers for not giving due place to the Tamil language and Tamil culture.
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EPDP demands 50 million from Batticaloa daily

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 October 2001, 15:53 GMT]
Mr. Douglas Devenanda, the leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party, a major partner of the People's Alliance, has demanded 50 million rupees in damages from Thinakathir, the Tamil daily newspaper published in Batticaloa.
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Muslims burn effigies of Bush, Blair in east

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2001, 17:39 GMT]
Thousands of Muslims burnt the effigies of US President George Bush and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair after Jummah prayers in six towns in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts Friday. The largest protest was held in Kattankudy, the large bustling Muslim town, eight kilometres south of Batticaloa town. More than seven thousand protestors carrying photos of Osama Bin Laden marched through Kattankudy Friday afternoon. The protestors in the eastern towns of Oddamavadi, Kattankudy, Kalmunai, Saainthamaruthu, Sammanthurai and Akkaraipattu burn the national flags of the US, Britain and Israel. The organisers of the protests called on Muslim youth in the east to join the 'holy war' (Jihad) against the Americans in Afghanistan.
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Tamil unity talks continue, Joseph, Vinayagamoorthy stall

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2001, 12:34 GMT]
Negotiations between the main opposition Tamil political parties to form a common front to contest the general elections to the Sri Lankan Parliament which commenced Thursday are still inconclusive, despite appeals and memoranda sent by supporters and general interest groups urging unity, political sources said. Mr. Appapillai Vinayagamoorthy, the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress announced as soon as the Parliament was dissolved that his party would go it alone. However, following deliberations late last night, Mr. Vinayagamoorthy said that the ACTC would refrain from dividing the Tamil vote outside the Jaffna electoral district. Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham ex- MP for Batticaloa said he was not in favour of his party forming an alliance with the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO).
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Three school boys arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2001, 09:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police arrested three schoolboys in Jaffna Thursday. The three are students at the Sri Parvathi Maha Vithiyalayam in Nayanmaarkattu near Jaffna town. Their parents informed the Human Rights Commission about the arrests today. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Unit of the Police Thursday produced in the Mannar courts a youth who had been taken into custody for possessing a mobile phone. The Sri Lankan government prohibits the use of mobile phones in the northern and eastern parts of the island. Tamil civilians from other parts of the island are, however, allowed to carry their mobile phones when visiting the army controlled parts of the east or the Vavuniya town.
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Tamil parties urged to unite

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 October 2001, 20:00 GMT]
Prominent Tamil citizens and organizations in the eastern province have already started sending memorandums to the Tamil political parties to form an alliance to contest the forthcoming general election scheduled on December 5, and to thereby prevent the split of Tamil vote.
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Parties seek allies for December polls

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 October 2001, 19:58 GMT]
Main political parties in Sri Lanka are having talks to form alliances to contest the December 5 general election. The group of ruling People's Alliance dissidents who crossed over to the opposition has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the main opposition United National Party to contest the forthcoming general election.
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"Will oppose any govt. if no solution to Tamil problem" -Selvam

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 21:04 GMT]
"This government has been waging a relentless war on my people without solving their problem. We have therefore been trying to bring this government down. Today the time is ripe for it. We would take the same stand against any government in Sri Lanka that tries to wage war on our people", said 'Selvam' Adaikalanathan, MP, the leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation, commenting on the current political crisis in the island, Wednesday evening.
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Parliament dissolved, election on 5 December

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 19:10 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President dismissed the Parliament Wednesday midnight by a special gazette notification. Fresh elections to the legislature have been fixed for 5 December. Nominations for the general elections would called from 20 October to 27 October, senior government officials said.
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CWC leaves, govt. fumbling for survival options

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 08:45 GMT]
A senior cabinet minister of Sri Lanka's People's Alliance government, Mr.Arumugam Thondaman resigned from his ministerial post Wednesday. MPs of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) also resigned from their positions in the government. The CWC, a major coalition partner of the PA regime has four members in the house including Mr.Thondaman.
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S.L govt. faces collapse as more desert

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 06:19 GMT]
The Peopleís Alliance regime was plunged into crisis as eight government MPs crossed over to the opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament Wednesday morning. The government may not have the required number of votes to defeat the no confidence motion against it by the opposition Thursday, sources said. The government members who crossed over today are: former cabinet ministers Prof. G.L Pieris, Mr. Mahinda Wijesekera and S. B Dissanayaka and Wijepala Mendis, Ananda Munasingha, Ediriweera Premaratna, Jeyasundara Wijekon and Bandula Nanayakkara. The desertion has reduced the PA-JVP alliance to 111 in the 225 member Parliament. A ruling party MP crossed over Tuesday.
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Tigers overrun Velvery airforce camp in Trinco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 04:10 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers overran the Sri Lanka Air Force camp at Velvery, about 12 km northwest of Trincomalee town off the high way to Anuradhapura, Tuesday night around 11.30 p.m. Four SLAF men were killed and 17 are reported missing in the attack, military sources in the eastern port town said. The SLAF and the Sri Lanka army shelled the overrun camp till the early hours of the morning Wednesday. The Liberation Tigers withdrew from the overrun camp before the crack of dawn. SLAF jets were also called to bomb the area, sources said.
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Jaffna judge remands students again

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 17:53 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police Tuesday produced Krishnasamy Thivviyan, the Jaffna University undergraduate who has been detained since 2 July, and the Santhiraraj Niroshan, 21, the Kopay Christian College student who was arrested on 18 September before the Jaffna district judge. The judge remanded the both students until 23 October. School students in Kopay in Jaffna were to begin a protest campaign against the arrest and detention of Santhiraraj Wednesday.
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Parliament will not be dissolved says SLFP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 17:30 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the main constituent of the Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance has categorically declared that parliament would not be dissolved before the no-confidence submitted by the main opposition United National Party against the government is taken up for debate on Thursday as scheduled.
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Sinhalese appointed to deceased SLMC MP’s position

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 17:21 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance has nominated a Sinhalese to the vacancy created by the death of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarian, Mr.Risvie Sinnalebbe. Former assistant secretary of the Presidential Secretariat S.Rampukala was sworn in as the new parliamentarian before the Speaker Mr.Anura Bandaranaike, Tuesday morning.
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Vadamaradchi fishing restrictions tightened further

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 14:04 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army banned fishing at all times in Munai, a coastal village near Pt. Pedro from Tuesday. The army has also banned fishing in the coastal waters off the villages of Suppar Madam, Inparutty and Sakkottai in the Pt. Pedro area from 7 October. Fishing has also completely been banned from Thikkam to Thondamanar on the coast of the Vadamaradchi division of the Jaffna peninsula. The Sri Lanka Navy, meanwhile seized two catamarans from fishermen at sea off the Munai coast Monday night. The fishermen were arrested but released later.
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Two killed in Nagar Kovil

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 10:11 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka army soldiers was killed and at least four were wounded in an engagement with the Liberation Tigers ahead of the Forward Defence Line in Nagar Kovil on Jaffna’s southeastern coast Tuesday morning. The SLA and the LTTE exchanged artillery and mortar fire from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. The Tigers directed mortar fire on the Nagar Kovil SLA garrison and the military radar station in Kottodai.
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Government MP crosses over to opposition

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 06:33 GMT]
A coalition MP of the Sri Lankan government Tuesday crossed over to the opposition in the Parliament. Mr. Bandula Gunawardena, MP, is a member of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), a Sinhala nationalist party, charged that the President is surrounded by a coterie of ministers who are misguiding her. In an address to the house Tuesday morning, Mr. Gunawardena said that the PA is conspiring with the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to destabilise the country. The MP is the brother of the Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena, the leader of the MEP, is a senior cabinet minister.
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Three arrested in Cheddikulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 October 2001, 12:48 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police arrested a woman and her two sons in Cheddikulam, south west of Vavuniya, Monday. The three have been detained. Police sources in the area claimed that some rolls of wire were recovered from the woman’s house. They said that the arrests were made on suspicion that the family has links with the Liberation Tigers. The woman’s third son is a patient in the Anuradhapura hospital. The woman was assaulted during the arrest, sources in the area said.
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PA strongman removed amid cross over fears

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 October 2001, 08:15 GMT]
Mr. S. B. Dissanayake, a former cabinet minister and one time close confidante of the Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge was removed from his powerful post of General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which is the major constituent of the ruling Peoples' Alliance. The executive committee of the SLFP unanimously resolved Monday morning amid strong speculation that Mr. Dissanayake would cross over to the opposition with several ruling party parliamentarians when the no confidence motion of the United National Party against the government is taken up for debate on Thursday. Mr. Maithiripala Herath, the Mahaweli Development Minister has been appointed the acting general secretary of the SLFP with immediate effect.
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TULF to back no-confidence motion

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 October 2001, 20:39 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Sunday unanimously decided to extend its support to the no-confidence motion moved by the main opposition United National Party against the People's Alliance (PA) Government. The TULF further decided to move an amendment to the main no-confidence motion of the UNP which reads "This House declares that it has no confidence in the Government since it is demonstrably clear that it cannot solve the pressing problems of the country and its people".
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Tigers attack SLA ambush group

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 October 2001, 06:53 GMT]
A Sri Lanka army soldier was killed and two were wounded in a counter ambush by the Liberation Tigers at Miyankulam junction on the Batticaloa-Colombo highway Saturday night around 11 p.m. military sources in the eastern town said. The soldiers were in an ambush party that had set out from the Miyankulam SLA camp to interdict a crossing point used by the Liberation Tigers. The camp is one of the eight military detachments that guard A 16 – the SLA’s Main Supply Route to the district.
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Tamils propose Prof. Sivathamby too for council

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 October 2001, 20:00 GMT]
Tamil opposition parties in Sri Lanka's Parliament Saturday night proposed the names of Prof.Karthigesu Sivathamby, Dr.Devanesan Nesaiah, former judge Mr.T.Suntharalingam and former Treasury Secretary Mr.A.Shanmugalingam after a legal hitch precluded the nominee they selected Thursday. The three parties told the Prime Minister to appoint one from among the four names proposed by them to the constitutional council.
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Youth taken off bus, detained in Welikanda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 October 2001, 17:12 GMT]
A youth was arrested by the Sri Lankan Police at Welikanda, 60 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, Saturday morning. The youth was taken off a bus from Batticaloa to Trincomalee by the Police at the Welikanda checkpoint. Police sources said that the youth was detained as he did not have a Sri Lankan security forces ‘clearance pass’ to travel outside Batticaloa.
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FAC hit in sea battle off Mullaithivu -VoT

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2001, 17:37 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Fast Attack Craft was damaged in heavy fighting with the Sea Tigers in the seas 36 kilometres off the Mullaithivu coast Friday, the Voice of Tigers radio (VoT) said in its night newsbroadcast.
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Tigers shell SLN supply reservoir, two killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2001, 12:17 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Navy ratings were killed and one injured in a mortar attack by the Liberation Tigers on Kalmuttiyaankulam, 16 kilometres west of Trincomalee, Friday morning around 10 a.m. Kalmuttyaankulam is a reservoir under the control of the SLN. It is the main water supply to the SLN's eastern command in Trincomalee.
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Tamils nominate lawyer, express reservations on council

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2001, 07:25 GMT]
The three opposition Tamil parties in the Sri Lankan Parliament Thursday night unanimously elected Mr. R. I. Thambiratnam, a leading lawyer, to represent the Tamil people of northeast province in the constitutional council. However, Mr. 'Selvam' Adaikalanathan, MP for the Vanni and the leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) said, "The constitutional council and the independent commissions on Police, elections, judicial services and public service are clearly aimed at clipping the powers of the executive presidency. They are intended to make the unitary state machine run more efficaciously. But the unitary state is the root cause of Tamil grievances. The council and the commissions would ensure more democracy for the Sinhala people but not the Tamils. One would have no illusions about this when one considers how these Sinhala parties which united to pass the 17th amendment dumped the equal opportunities bill."
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500 rounded up in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2001, 18:47 GMT]
A large number of people were rounded up and interrogated during a combined search operation by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police in Vavuniya town and its suburbs Thursday. No one was allowed to leave the town area during the operation which began around 11 a.m. and went on till 2 p.m., sources said.
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Investigators find more in Jaffna hospital grave

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 October 2001, 14:49 GMT]
Forensic investigators found more human skeletal remains in a pit dug near the mortuary of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital Wednesday. Medical-legal sources said that the bones appeared to be mostly those of young persons. Bones and teeth that were found in the pit today were taken in three boxes for further forensic examination. The Jaffna courts ordered an investigation after construction workers of the Jaffna Municipal Council who were digging at the site came upon human bones and a saree on 18 September.
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Fisherfolk killed in Batticaloa amid SLA ban

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 October 2001, 12:06 GMT]
A fisherman was killed Wednesday in shelling by the Sri Lanka army on Aalankulam, 36 kilometres north of Batticaloa. Nagamani Nagalingam, 25, father of one, was fishing in the Aalankulam reservoir around 1.30 p.m. when he was hit by mortar fire from the SLA camp in Navalady, 6 kilometres northwest of Valaichenai. The SLA imposed harsh restrictions on fishing in the district last month. A widow was shot dead by the SLA on Sunday, 30 September, while dredging for fish and prawns by the lagoon coast in Vavunathivu near Batticaloa town.
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Soldier robs jewels, two troopers die

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 October 2001, 17:06 GMT]
A soldier was killed when the Liberation Tigers attacked the Sri Lanka army’s Forward Defence Lines in Omanthai, north of Vavuniya town Tuesday morning. Another soldier who was seriously wounded in an ambush by the Tigers in the Parayanaalankulam area west of Vavuniya Monday night succumbed to his injuries this afternoon, military sources in the northern border town said.
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Fears for displaced children

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 October 2001, 19:13 GMT]
Several key officials of the North East Provincial Council (NEPC) Monday said that future of children of displaced people and refugees in welfare centers and orphanages in the Tamil dominated province is still uncertain due to the ongoing conflict. "The war is continuing resulting in the increase of refugees, displaced people and orphans," said Mr.S.M.Croos, Provincial Director of the Department of Social Welfare, presiding over the International Children's Day celebrations held Monday evening at Trincomalee Town Hall.
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