Doubts over SLA claims

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Radio, the commercial broadcast of the Voice of Tigers, said in its evening broadcast today that the fighting in the Paranthan Kilinochchi area continues to rage for the second day. Hence, no clear details of the battle are available as yet it said. The Radio said that the SLAF is continuing with retaliatory strikes against civilian targets in the Vanni today.
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Heavy fighting continues at Paranthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Latest reports from Sri Lankan Army sources said that heavy fighting continues in the Pranthan sector. Contrary to earlier reports, government troops have not regained control of the southern sector of the Paranthan base.
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Large Tamil rally in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Thousands of Tamil people staged a march and rally in London today, condemning the Sri Lankan government and expressing support for the LTTE. The event was organised by the United Tamils Organisation to "mark fifty years of oppression by Sinhala Sri Lankan governments" according to a press release issued by it earlier today.
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Amnesty concerned over Indian convictions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Amnesty International said that it "is concerned that 26 people sentenced to death by a special court in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on 28 January 1998 may not have received a fair trial according to international standards for fair trial", in a statement released by the London based human rights organisation last thursday.
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Tigers attack SLA truck

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Four SLA soldiers were killed and four were wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked a military truck near the 18th mile post on the Vavuniya - Mannar road last night around 9.00 p.m.
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New publications in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two Tamil weeklies will begin publishing from Jaffna from next month said sources in Jaffna today. One is expected to be named 'Sooriyakanthi' and the other 'Kaalaikathir'.
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Palai hospital short of equipment

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An average of 90-95 patients suffering from Malaria come daily for treatment to the hospital in Palai, south east of Jaffna town, says the TamilNet's Jaffna correspondent who visited the area today.
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Kattankudy youth shot by police

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A civilian was injured when a bomb exploded at Katankudy around 10.00 p.m. last night, said sources in Batticaloa. No details are yet available. Kattankudy is a booming Muslim town six kilometers south of Batticaloa town.
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Civilians injured in pre-poll shelling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Five civilians, including a 12 year old child, were injured when the Sri Lankan Army shelled Gurnagar, an area by the lagoon in Jaffna town yesterday around 10:45 p.m., said the Jaffna TN correspondent.
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Voters said trickling in

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Jaffna town said that people have begun venturing out to vote at the polling booths in Jaffna town in very small numbers by noon. There is an average of 25-30 people at some polling centres in the town which the TamilNet correspondents visited around 11.30 a.m.(05.30 GMT).
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Low turn out at clustered booths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Jaffna said that polling was very low in Kokkuvil,Maruthanaamadam, Inuvil, Sankaanai, Sandilippai, Uduvil, Vaddukkoddai and generally in Waligamam west.
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Rigging said underway in deserted Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The streets of Jaffna remained largely deserted except for the vehicles of the Tamil groups contesting today's polls which were seen running about transporting supporters to the polling booths.
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Low turnout in quiet polls

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An official at the independent election monitoring group's office in Jaffna town said this evening that today's polls were generally free of any incidents of violence. Voter turn out was generally very low said TamilNet reporters in Jaffna.
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Police rampage in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Anarchy reigned at Akkaraipattu town last evening around 6.30 p.m., as policemen, incensed at the killing of two of their number, fired indiscriminately in the market place killing two people, burning Tamil shops and causing mayhem in the town, said sources in Akkaraipattu.
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Voter numbers come in

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Low polling was recorded at the local government elections held in the Jaffna peninsula with voting in the Jaffna Municipal Council dipping to 25%, said the TamilNet correspondent. Voting in the islands off the Jaffna peninsula has also been very low.
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Army bans civilians from leaving Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The government decided to completely ban civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni unless for very special reasons according to new strict regulations which came into affect from today. No civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni will henceforth be permitted to enter Vavuniya.
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Suresh granted deportation stay order

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A Canadian Provincial court issued a stay order on the deportation of Tamil activist, Mr.Manickavasagam Suresh today. The stay order is effective until Mr. Suresh's constitutional claims are resolved.
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Polls overshadowed by developments elsewhere

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Civilian activity on the roads of Jaffna came to a virtual standstill today, the eve of local government elections, as residents stayed at home through fear, said sources in the peninsula. What was seen on the roads were buses, specially brought from Colombo for the polls, transporting officers on election duty, ballot boxes and ballot papers, under heavy armed guard by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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Civilians killed by SLA fire

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two civilians were killed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) last night around 8:30 p.m., when soldiers mistook them for members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), at Kiran near Valaichenai, 30 km north of Batticaloa.
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Unemployed graduates to protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Members of the Unemployed Graduates Union of Batticaloa (UGUB), will do a 'sit-in' demonstration before the Gandhi statue in Batticaloa town tomorrow morning because the police has refused to grant them permission to hold a mass rally, said K Udayakumar, the deputy leader of the organisation.
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