Jaffna SLA comment on Kilinochchi battle

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan security forces headquarters in Jaffna has released a statement about the situation in Kilinochchi-Paranthan-Elephant Pass following the attack on army positions here on February 1. The statement is addressed to the people of Jaffna in Tamil and was issued by Major C.P.J. Fernando on behalf of the Jaffna security forces commander.
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Pararajasingham protests over new abductions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham TULF MP for Batticaloa district protested against the abduction of Tamil youth in Batticaloa by unidentified members of the Sri Lankan security forces and Tamil paramilitary groups in a fax to the Deputy Minister for Defence Mr. Anuruddha Ratwatte.
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SLFP Jaffna treasurer fired

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Three ex-militant Tamil groups, the EPDP, DPLF and EPRLF, are opening branch offices in all the electorates in the Jaffna peninsula, in anticipation of Provincial Council elections in June this year, said sources in Jaffna.
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New temples to be built

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The government laid the foundation for a twin Hindu and Buddhist temple complex in the Muthurajawela marshlands about 15 kilkometers northwest of Colombo this morning to seek divine support to bring peace in Sri Lanka.
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SLA patrol fires on civilians

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A woman and her one year old child were wounded today when an army route patrol from the Peythalai SLA camp fired indiscriminately along the road in the village of Peythalai near Valaichenai, 30 kilometers north of Batticaloa.
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Blast near Batticaloa checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A bomb concealed in the cross-bar of a bicycle exploded today near a Sri Lankan police check point in Kaluwanchikkudy, about thirty kilometres south of Batticaloa town.
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Valaichenai shelling kills one

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A man was killed on the spot and his four year old daughter was seriously wounded last night around 7.30 p.m. when the Valaichenai Police fired shells into the Puthukkudiyiruppu village.
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Identity cards confiscated

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
150 civilians were arrested last evening around 4 p.m. in Thuraineelavanai, 30 kilometers south of Batticaloa, by the Special Task Force (STF). All were taken to the STF camp in Karaitheevu in the Amparai district, about 14 kilometers further south of Thuraineelavanai.
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650 Tamils expelled from Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police closed down three lodging houses in downtown Colombo this morning leaving about 650 Tamils from the north-east stranded on the roads. The Police told them to leave immediately to the north or east.
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TELO delays assuming office

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) is to postpone assuming office in the newly set up local government bodies in the Jaffna Peninsula for 100 days. Instead, the ex-militant group is to mobilise opinion for an immediate end to the military conflict and the beginning of talks without conditions, said K Sivajilingam, leader of the organisation.
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Tigers damage main battle tank - Radio

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers said this morning that fierce fighting broke out between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan army north of Kilinochchi from morning yesterday. The radio said that many SLA troops were killed and wounded in this fighting and that one SLA main battle tank was damaged.
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EPDP, PLOTE to attend state banquet

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The leaders of the EPDP and the PLOTE will attend a state banquet to Prince Charles this evening said party sources.
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Tigers consolidate captured areas - radio

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its morning news bulletin that the Liberation Tigers are consolidating the areas captured by them in Kilnochchi and its surroundings.
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Veeramunai's perpetual fear

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
On the night of 3rd January, continuous firing by Muslim home guards could heard by the residents of Veeramunai village in the Ampara District.
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Massive Canadian rally said 'significant'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A large number of Tamil people participated in a march and rally Toronto Sunday, to condemn the Sri Lankan government. According to the organizers, the Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils, this was one of the largest attendance of their rallies, with about 25,000 people taking part.
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Skirmish in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A confrontation took place this morning between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), which was on a patrol at Navatkadu, 3 km west of Batticaloa, said sources in Batticaloa. The SLA was accompanied by the ex-Tamil militant paramilitary unit, known as the Mohan Group.
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Children injured in grenade blast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two children in Kalkudah, 32 km north of Batticaloa were injured when a grenade they were playing with exploded. David Jayaseelan (12) and his brother David Varatharajan (11) had discovered the grenade in their garden. Jayaseelan is warded at Batticaloa hospital, while Varathrajan has been admitted to Valaichenai hospital.
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Assaults over Lion flags

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two auto-rickshaw (three wheel taxi) drivers were assaulted by the police this morning in Batticaloa town, for not flying the Sri Lankan national flag on their vehicle. The Sri Lanka Government has ordered all Government buildings and private citizens in the country to display the national flag tomorrow as a mark of patriotism. Tomorrow is Sri Lanka's fiftieth independence anniversary.
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Independence celebrations overshadowed by conflict

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Events in other parts of Sri Lanka have rendered the golden jubilee of national independence, and its celebration tomorrow in Kotte, the country's administrative capital, almost a non-event.
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Protests over police massacre

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 3500 people demonstrated this morning in the premises of the Puthukkudiyiruppu church against the massacre of fifteen youth yesterday in the village of Pokkuruni near Thambalagamam in the Trincomalee district. The death toll of the massacre was seven according to reports reaching Trincomalee town last morning.
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