Security to be tightened for Ratwatte trial

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 14:08 GMT]
The trial-at-bar inquiry into the Udathalawinne massacre case has been put off for May 5 for security reasons when the defence brought to the notice of the three-member bench of High Court Judges when the case resumed Tuesday that the life of one of the accused, former deputy defence minister General Ratwatte, is under threat, legal sources said.
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Speedy relief essential for success of talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 11:26 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front (UNF) government to formulate and implement a new approach that could provide speedy relief to the grievances of several thousands displaced Tamils without further delay fulfilling the justifiable expectations of Tamils since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, sources said.


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Ratwatte’s final attempt at bail turned down

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:12 GMT]
The trial-at-bar comprising three High Court Judges Wednesday rejected a motion by the fifteen accused in the Udathalawinne massacre case, including the former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudha Ratwatte and his two sons, seeking permission to file a bail application at the Supreme Court against a previous order refusing bail, legal sources said.
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SLA puts up sentries on Vadamaradchi reef

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2003, 15:14 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army has tightened security along Jaffna’s Vadamaradchi coast by setting up sentry points in the sea, fishermen said. The sentries have been built on the reef which runs parallel to this coast, at the openings through which fishing boats enter shallow waters near the beach for mooring.
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SLA soldier commits suicide in Eluthumadduval

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 15:37 GMT]
A corpse without skull, found at an army sentry point in Eluthumadduval in the Thenmaradchchi area of the Jaffna district, was identified as that of a soldier of the 554 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army by his fellow soldiers at the inquest held by the Chavakachcheri Magistrate Tuesday, legal sources said.
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SLA relocates Sarasalai camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 15:35 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army on Monday relocated its camp from Sarasalai area in Thenmaradchchi to another site in a coconut grove near Kanagan Puliady junction, sources said.


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TNA opposes locating SLA camps in populated areas

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday reiterated its stand to the Prime Minister that the Sri Lanka Army should not be allowed to establish or relocate its camps and main bases in densely populated places in the Northeast province, TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, said in a press release issued Thursday evening.
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Fasting Sri Lankan soldiers demand fair treatment

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2003, 07:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan armed force soldiers who are on a hunger strike in front of the Fort Railway Station in downtown Colombo in protest against their dismissal from service said Wednesday they would fast unto death in batches of four until their grievance is addressed by the Ministry of Defence. This is the first time that soldiers of the Sri Lankan armed forces have aired grievance in a public protest.
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JMPGA to meet Justice Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 10:48 GMT]
The Jaffna Missing Persons' Guardian Association (JMPGA) Sunday decided to meet Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice, Law Reform and National Integration Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara regarding several hundreds disappeared Tamil youths after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) following 1995 military operation, sources said.


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Chariot festival at Koneswaram after 350 years

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 00:20 GMT]
For the first time after more than 350 years chariot ('Ther') festival was held in the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple Thursday morning. The chief deity of Koneswaram temple Lord Konesar and Maathumai Ambal was taken around the temple in the newly built chariot while deities Vinayagar and Murugan, two sons of Lord Siva were taken ahead amid chanting by thousands of devotees.


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Sri Lanka peace talks a travelling circus says President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Tuesday that the peace talks between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government and the Liberation Tigers are like a travelling circus (Thaninthana natana circus kandayama). She was addressing a function at the President’s House Tuesday evening to honour and assist disabled soldiers and the families of the war dead and missing of the Sri Lankan armed forces.


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SLA soldier injured in shooting incident

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2003, 01:08 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was admitted to the Palaly military hospital Friday morning with grievous gunshot wounds obtained in a shooting incident allegedly by another soldier, security sources said.


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Hakone talks focus on federalism, security concerns at sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 12:02 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegations in their sixth session of peace talks agreed to have their senior naval and political personnel meet to 'workout effective arrangements for the operation of naval units.' The parties also agreed to present a complete plan at the seventh session on the steps to be taken towards negotiating a federal solution for Sri Lanka.


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Vavuniya hartal condemns SLA sinking of merchant vessel

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 12:44 GMT]
Shops were closed, transportation came to a stand still and black flags were seen flying across the town as Vavuniya district observed hartal (general shut down) Thursday to mourn the eleven cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who died when a merchant vessel belonging to LTTE was sunk by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and to express protest against the SLN's action, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Jaffna mourns death of eleven LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 17:29 GMT]
Black flags were hoisted on public buildings, business houses and educational institutions and a day of mourning was observed in Jaffna district Wednesday for the death of eleven senior cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), civil sources said.


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Minister addresses Security forces in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 13:54 GMT]
"Our government is committed to and working hard to finding a political solution through peace talks. Every citizen of this country should be able to live with dignity and freedom and enjoy equality of status. Based on this premise, we are engaged in talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, to find a solution that provides extensive devolution of political powers within a united Sri Lanka," said Prof. G.L.Peiris, Minister of Political Affairs, Government of SriLanka, while addressing security forces in Vavuniya, Sunday, sources said.
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SLA soldier dies from gunshot wounds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 February 2003, 12:25 GMT]
Jayatillake Arachige Wijeratne (23) belonging to 8th Gemunu division of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was found dead at the guard post close to the Koliyar Kulam checkpoint in Vavuniya, Monday, sources said. Wijeratne who is from Thenuwara region in Puttalam had gun shot wounds to his head.


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SLN frequently intrudes LTTE areas in Trinco north- Tilak

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 February 2003, 18:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee Sunday intervened to diffuse the tension between the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following an attempt by the SLN personnel to arrest cadres of the LTTE at Kallampathai, a LTTE held area, about forty km north of Trincomalee town, sources said.


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SLA, SLN uniforms, weapons recovered from Jaffna EPDA office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 February 2003, 12:20 GMT]
Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Sunday morning forcibly opened the abandoned office of the Eelam People Democratic Alliance (EPDA), a breakaway group of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) at Vembadi area in the heart of Jaffna town and recovered weapons and uniforms belonging to State armed forces, police sources said.
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SLA tightens security at Muhamalai, Uyilankulam checkpoints

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 17:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning Muhamalai check point have tightened their checks and interrogation after the Manipay incident in which LTTE women cadres, civilians and journalists were assaulted by the SLA soldiers and police, sources said.
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