SLA conditions delay school reconstruction in Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 2004, 13:13 GMT]
The rehabilitation of war destroyed schools which are located inside the high security zones in Jaffna district are getting delayed due to stringent conditions of the Sri Lanka Army in transporting materials to sites of reconstruction. Hence the contractors are fighting to keep the deadline, education sources said.
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"Army harasses LTTE political activists in Trinco" - Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 2004, 20:54 GMT]
"Sri Lankan Army soldiers are engaged in a planned way to disrupt our political activities in the Trincomalee district", Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE, Mr. S. Elilan, told TamilNet Wednesday from Eachchilampathu by telephone. He said that he and his group were delayed more than three hours at the Kaddaiparichchan Sri Lankan Army (SLA) checkpoint when they were on their way to LTTE controlled Muttur east Saturday. They were again stopped at Mahinthapura SLA checkpoint Wednesday, he said.
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Human-chain protest held in Kaithady

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 2004, 11:17 GMT]
The second phase of the human chain demonstration was held Wednesday morning at Kaithady in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district demanding the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to resume peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals of the latter. Traffic through A9 highway was not obstructed. Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who are located in sentries in the vicinity were withdrawn during the period of agitation. Policemen were deployed at the site to maintain law and order.
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UNP's protest campaign draws 30 000 protestors in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 2004, 16:48 GMT]
Around thirty thousand protestors joined in a big protest rally organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in Colombo Tuesday, demanding the release of Mr.S.B.Dissanayake, a UNP parliamentarian who was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court recently, on being found guilty on contempt charge.
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The price of peace for the Sinhala rural poor

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 2004, 19:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s recent massive defence budget allocation, whilst preparing the military for a renewed war against the Liberation Tigers, has another vital role in domestic politics: the economy of the Sinhala rural poor is three times more dependent on military remittances than official poverty alleviation schemes. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s ruling party and the main opposition party, in a rare show of unity, joined together to vote in favor of the country's defense allocations for 2005. Only the main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance, opposed the defence budget.
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"LTTE important component in NE affairs"- Tyronne Fernando

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 December 2004, 15:08 GMT]
"Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a very important component in the North East affairs. The LTTE is not prohibited in the island. As such there is no reason to oppose for working with that organization" said Mr.Tyronne Fernando, newly appointed Governor of North East Province Thursday when addressing provincial secretaries, heads of provincial departments and other related officials for the first time after he assumed office Wednesday.
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Suspects allowed bail in transporting mines to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 21:53 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Subramaniam Tuesday allowed three persons on personal bail in a sum of ten thousand rupees each in a case in which they have been charged for allegedly transporting anti-personnel mines and landmines in a vehicle through Muhamalai army checkpoint to Jaffna town, legal sources said.
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SLA corporal commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 19:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) corporal, Mr.Ajantha Bandara, 21, committed suicide by shooting himself with a T-56 gun Monday night around 8.30 p.m. in a sentry point which is located in Colombagam within the municipal limits of Jaffna town, police said.
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Women protest against new army sentry points in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 December 2004, 04:42 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil women in Trincomalee Thursday protested in front of the Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) demanding the removal of new sentry points established by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) following the violent incidents on 2 December in the east port town, sources said.
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Two youths accused of transporting mines

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 December 2004, 18:23 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Tuesday remanded two youths till December 21,when Kodikamam Police produced them for allegedly transporting four anti-personnel mines and a landmine through Muhamalai army checkpoint, legal sources said.


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Jaffna High Court to hear HC applications

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 December 2004, 16:31 GMT]
Jaffna High Court Judge Mr.K.P.S.Varatharajah Tuesday gave a final date to Lance Corporal Somaretna Rajapakse to file his objections in the six Habeas Corpus applications in which he and two other army officers were cited as respondents by six petitioners that their sons disappeared after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army in Ariyalai-Chemmani areas in the Jaffna town during 1997-1997 period, legal sources said.


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CHA advocates signing Landmine ban treaty

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 December 2004, 00:16 GMT]
"Sri Lanka government is not a signatory to the Ottawa convention on banning of land mines, but the Landmine Ban Advocacy Forum (LABF) sees the government participation at a recent review meeting as a step toward signing and complying with provisions of the conventions," said The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) in a media release issued Friday.
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Massive rise in Sri Lankan firepower amid peace

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 2004, 19:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s armed forces substantially expanded their offensive capability after the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers was signed in February 2002, a book published by a senior United States military analyst says. The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has doubled its manpower and acquired twenty new aircraft, while the Army (SLA) has tripled its tanks and doubled its artillery firepower.
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SLA suspends passes on loss of free fish

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 2004, 14:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in coastal area of Kachchai in Thenmaradchi division Thursday withdrew passes from four fishermen of the Kachchai village for not supplying free fish to the SLA camps daily, sources said. Fisherman have been regularly providing free fish provisions to SLA camps in a 'mafia' style extortion arrangement by the SLA, residents of the village said.


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Army imposes new restrictions in Vadamaradchchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2004, 14:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army has ordered residents of Vadamaradchchi East, which comes under control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to get passes from the SLA military base located in Palaly to take generators to their villages from the government controlled areas, civil sources complained


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Vepankulam shooting, gross misuse of power- Judge

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 08:53 GMT]
Vavuniya district Judge M Ilancheliyan issued orders on Monday to Sri Lanka Army Commander of Vanni region and to the 211st Division Commander to assist the Police investigations relating to the shooting at the Tamil Marty’s Day celebrations in Verpankulam , legal sources said. Use of T-56 type weapons to disperse crowds when the Emergency Regulations is not in force will be seen as ''gross misuse of power,'' the Judge said.
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Court delays Mirusuvil massacre inquiry

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 01:20 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar inquiry into the Mirusuvil massacre case which was to resume Monday, 22 November, is to be delayed further with the murder of the High Court Judge Mr.Sarath Ambepitiya, legal sources said.


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Two injured in Kaithady attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 18:56 GMT]
Two persons believed to be members of the Intelligence Wing of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacked by unknown assailants were rescued from an isolated area about five hundred meters from Nunavil Junction in Chavakachcheri with serious knife inflicted wounds, around 7pm Friday, security sources in Jaffna said. The injured were admitted to the Palay Army Hospital.
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Police use teargas to disperse JVP protestors

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 12:32 GMT]
Trincomalee Police used teargas to disperse a group of about three hundred Sinhala demonstrators led by Trincomalee district Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Mr.Jayantha Wijesekara in front of the Trincomalee Police Headquarters, police sources said. A curfew imposed Friday afternoon around 2 p.m. in Trincomalee town after the incident but was lifted around 5 p.m. the same day.
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Tamils celebrate Pirapaharan's 50th birthday

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 11:53 GMT]
Tamil people in the NorthEast and countries across the world are celebrating the 50th birthday of the Leader of Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, Friday, 26 November. There were special prayers in churches and temples. Pirapaharan has led the Tamil struggle through three Eelam wars since he founded Tamil New Tigers in 1972, at the age of 18, and later renamed the organisation as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1976.
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