Court allows eight Tamil civilians on bail

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 February 2003, 17:47 GMT]
The Point Pedro Magistrate Monday allowed all the eight Tamil civilians arrested for detaining two soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the Kudathanai area on bail and also on condition that they should not enter their village until further notice, legal sources said.
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Women Tigers refused entry to Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) Omanthai check point refused to allow twenty three cadres belonging to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) women's wing to cross over to Vavuniya, objecting to the attire of the women tigers, sources in Vanni said.
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Police arrest eight Tamil youths in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2003, 20:09 GMT]
The Point Pedro Police Saturday arrested eight Tamil youths in the Kudathanai village in Vadamarachchi division following a dispute between the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA)and the members of the vigilant committee of the area. The arrest followed an incident Saturday morning when the vigilant committee detained two SLA soldiers who had forcibly entered a house and harassed the family living there, sources said.
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SLA suspects identified in attempted rape case

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2003, 02:47 GMT]
In the identification parade conducted today at the Vavuniya Courts associated with the attempted rape last Sunday in Ganesapuram in Vavuniya district, two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were identified as the alleged offenders by the witnesses, legal sources in Vavuniya said.
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Mirusuvil massacre accused remanded, warrant on witnesses

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 January 2003, 01:00 GMT]
The trial-at-bar comprising three judges of the Colombo High Court in the Mirusuvil massacre case Wednesday ordered remand for the five accused soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and issued warrant on four vital witnesses who had intimated through the State Counsel from Jaffna their inability to attend the trial due to fear, legal sources in Colombo said.
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SLA collects details of resettled families in Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 January 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday called for details of displaced persons returned from LTTE controlled Vanni region and have resettled in their own villages in Thenmaradchchi area in the Jaffna district after the opening of A 9 highway since the ceasefire came into force, civil sources said.


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SLA intelligence said bullying Mannar farmers

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 January 2003, 16:16 GMT]
The Mannar Farmers' Federation said Friday that soldiers from the Sri Lanka army's intelligence unit in the district were harassing and threatening local cultivators and agrarian officials to dissuade them from attending public functions in which representatives of the political and development divisions of the Liberation Tigers take part.
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Trial-at-Bar inquiry into Udathalawinne massacre begins

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 January 2003, 15:42 GMT]
The Trial-at-Bar inquiry into the Udathalawinne massacre case commenced Monday before a three-member bench of High Court. In this case former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudhha Ratwatte and his two sons, Rohan and Chanuka, and twelve Sri Lanka Army soldiers have been indicted on several counts, including conspiracy to murder and murder of ten Muslim youths on the general election day on December 5 last year at Udathalawinne in Kandy district.
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SLA blocks removal of Navalar Road land-mine

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 17:57 GMT]
Residents of Navalar Road and surrounding area east of Jaffna town are disturbed by the refusal by the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning a nearby checkpoint to remove an unexploded mine lying close to the Jaffna-Kandy road stating that the 512-th brigade head quarters of the SLA has not given permission to do so, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA ragging kills soldier, 16 remanded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 December 2002, 15:07 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri acting Magistrate Tuesday ordered sixteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to be held in remand in connection with the ragging death of a fellow soldier, S.Ratnayake (25) of Balangoda, legal sources in Jaffna said.
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AG urged to file appeal against Mylanthanai acquittal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 13:05 GMT]
A delegation of leading human rights lawyers led by President Counsel Mr.Desmond Fernando requested the Attorney General (AG) to consider filing appeal against the acquittal order by the Colombo High Court in the Mylanthanai massacre case in which eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were charged with murder, attempted murder of thirty five Tamils including men, women and fourteen children under twelve years, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Children in Armed Conflict and the United Nations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2002, 03:21 GMT]
It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently participating in fighting in more than 35 countries. 25 million are uprooted from their homes, while millions more have their lives severely affected by the deprivations of war. Dealing with 'impact of war on children' is high on United Nation's agenda, with an annual Security Council debate, several resolutions addressing the problem and an office of the Secretary General devoted to the topic. Sri Lanka does not figure prominently in the deliberations of the UN, but the outcome of UN decisions has been felt in Sri Lanka.
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Batticaloa Chapel Road opens after 12 years

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2002, 05:31 GMT]
Chapel Road in Batticaloa district which was closed for traffic last twelve years was opened yesterday morning by soldiers from the SriLanka Army (SLA), sources said.
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US calls to renounce violence, says ready to play its part

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 21:06 GMT]
Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, US, the highest ranking American official to visit Sri Lanka since the start of the conflict, said that his country will continue to support programs that promote peace and good governance in his address at the Oslo donor conference, 25 November. He called on the LTTE to renounce violence and secession. The presence of Secretary Armitage during Anton Balasingham's address later in the day sent a strong message of recognition of LTTE's growing legitimacy, analysts said.
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All Sinhala jury acquits Mylanthanai accused

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 16:29 GMT]
All the eighteen accused in the Mylanthanai massacre case were acquitted by the High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah when the Sinhalese speaking Jury brought a unanimous verdict of not guilty Monday around eight thirty p.m. In this case the Attorney General had indicted eighteen Sinhala soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army with the murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians including fourteen children in the Mylanthanai village in Batticaloa district on August 9 1992.
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First Heroes' Day Celebrations in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 19:00 GMT]
The 'Maaveerar Naal' (Heroes Day) celebrations to occur for the first time in the eastern port town of Trincomalee will commence Monday 25, November morning at the Cultural Hall venue, with the hoisting of Tamil Eelam national flag and the lighting the flame of sacrifice remembering the LTTE martyrs, sources said.
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Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.
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PM's meeting with TNA, EPDP, and PLOTE fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday evening held a one hour discussion with delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leaders of the para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) to diffuse the tension now prevails in the Jaffna peninsula following picketing campaign against EPDP presence in Neduntheivu.
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Picketing in Jaffna as EPDP stays put with armed forces' guard

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 November 2002, 14:40 GMT]
Several hundred people Thursday picketed the headquarters of the para military Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) located in Jaffna town, demanding their immediate withdrawal from the Neduntheivu (Delft) islet. Sources in Jaffna said Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and armed police personnel are now guarding the EPDP headquarters.
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Curfew re-imposed in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2002, 16:58 GMT]
Curfew which lasted from 6 pm yesterday to 6 am this morning in Puttalam-Mathurankuli area has been re-imposed from 2 pm today to 6 am tomorrow to prevent further violence due to prevailing tension between the Muslim and Sinhala communities, sources said.
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