LTTE calls for De-escalation of conflict as necessary condition for peace talks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 February 2000, 09:13 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has urged the Government of Sri Lanka to take constructive measures to remove the conditions of oppression of the Tamil people to create conducive atmosphere for peace talks.
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POWs call off hunger strike

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 February 2000, 14:21 GMT]
Fifteen POWs in the custody of the Liberation Tigers have called off their hunger strike said Harsha Gunawardene, the Spokesman for the ICRC in Colombo, today. However, he declined to reveal further information about why they have called off their strike.
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Press release on Norwegian visit

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 February 2000, 23:54 GMT]
The foreign ministries of both Sri Lanka and Norway released statements about Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek's visit to Sri Lanka yesterday. Mr Vollebaek met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinge and President Chandrika Kumaratunga during his one day visit.
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Vollebaek meets Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2000, 16:11 GMT]
The Sri Lankan opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe told the visiting Norwegian Foreign Minster Mr. Knut Vollebaek that a solution to the ethnic conflict in the island has to be found through a reasonable political system, UNP sources said.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2000, 07:28 GMT]
The Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek who arrived in Colombo today had a two-hour long discussion with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Lakshman Kadirgamar this morning.
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TULF will oppose budget -Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 February 2000, 12:46 GMT]
"The millennium budget of the PA government is a war budget. The TULF will therefore oppose it when it comes up for vote in Parliament," said TULF MP for Batticaloa Joseph Pararajasingham.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister meets Anton Balasingham in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 February 2000, 10:44 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Knut Vollebaek met Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor and theoretician of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in London yesterday and held talks on the possibility of Norway assisting peace talks between Sri Lanka government and the Tamil Tigers. The talks lasted for nearly two hours, the LTTE sources in London revealed.
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STF member killed in claymore blast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2000, 21:16 GMT]
A member of the Special Task Force(STF) was killed in a claymore mine blast in Periya Kallar 35 km south of Batticaloa town at noon today. Another STF member was seriously injured and was admitted to Amparai hospital, police sources said.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister to visit Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2000, 16:17 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek is set to visit Sri Lanka on February 16. He will arrive in the capital Colombo early on the 16th morning and leave late the same night, Ingvard Havnen, spokesman for the Norwegian Foreign Ministry told TamilNet.
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Ponnambalam's funeral held

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 January 2000, 06:25 GMT]
The funeral of Mr.Kumar Ponnambalam took place in Colombo today. His body was cremated at Khanate Hindu cemetery around 1 p.m. this afternoon. His son Gajenthirakumar set fire to the pyre.
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Tamils mourn Ponnambalam's death

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 January 2000, 23:59 GMT]
The killing of Kumar Ponnambalam on January 5 has triggered a wave of emotion across the Tamil Diaspora. Sadness and anger has been expressed by Tamil community organisations and individuals in statements and messages on bulletin boards. Ponnmabalam's death has arguably been the main topic of conversation amongst Tamils recently - as is his last public letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the latter's recent stern warning to supporters of the Liberation Tigers.
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Kalutara wounded "being neglected" - MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 January 2000, 12:34 GMT]
A Tamil parliamentarian who visited the detainees wounded in the violence at Kalutara prison and admitted to Nagoda hospital told TamilNet that they had not received medical care in the hospital and are being kept chained to their beds. Meanwhile reports say one more detainee has succumbed to his injuries, bringing the death toll to 3.
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1000 arrests in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 January 2000, 00:23 GMT]
Over one thousand Tamils were arrested during a massive search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Airforce and Police in Colombo and its suburbs after the enforcing of a curfew from midnight. The curfew was relaxed at 12.30 p.m., one-and-a-half hours earlier than announced.
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SLA tractor smashes shop

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2000, 11:33 GMT]
Four women selling vegetables were injured when a Sri Lanka Army tractor speeding through the market area in Valaichenai went off the road around 12.15 p.m. Thursday, said eyewitnesses. The SLA soldiers who were riding on the tractor fired into the air to disperse crowd that had surrounded the vehcicle, they said.
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Sri Lanka denies Paranthan loss

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 11:22 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) today denied the southern defences of its base complex at Elephant Pass had been overrun by the Liberation Tigers and said "the claim is part of the LTTE disinformation campaign to deceive the local and international community."
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Elections 'most fraudulent ever' - UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 14:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Presidential elections held last Tuesday were the most fraudulent in the history of the country, declared Mr . Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) today at a press conference.
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'General' rigging in Jaffna claimed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 10:55 GMT]
The large number of votes garnered by fringe and extremist Sinhala political parties based in the south in the presidential polls held in Jaffna, indicated general rigging had been conducted, officials in the northern town said Wednesday.
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Kumaratunge vows relentless battle against 'hatred'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 1999, 15:52 GMT]
(NEWS FEATURE) Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, after being sworn in as Sri Lanka's fifth Executive President this afternoon at her official residence Temple Trees before the Chief Justice, vowed to "rid this land of death and destruction." Political commentators said it indicated her speech heralded a stronger effort to defeat the Liberation Tigers militarily.
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Tigers step up Elephant Pass assault

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 1999, 12:04 GMT]
Heavy fighting close to the southern defences of the Elephant Pass base complex was reported today as the Liberation Tigers pressed on with their assault on the northern garrison.
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Low voter turnout fuels malpractice in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 12:01 GMT]
Tamil voters living in the LTTE held areas of the eastern province have failed to show much interest in exercising their votes in today's presidential election TamilNet correspondents in the region said. As a result widespread impersonation is taking place in some areas, they say.
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