Vavuniya traders demand SLA to vacate public buildings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 04:20 GMT]
In a meeting convened at Vavuniya Urban council, the traders and business persons in Vavuniya requested the officers of the Police and security forces that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA)should immediately vacate the buildings owned by the Vavuniya paddy marketing board to allow immediate procurement of paddy from Vavuniya farmers at guaranteed prices to provide a stable livelihood for the area farmers, sources said.


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Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.


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Muhamalai soldiers interrogate Tamil student leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 15:25 GMT]
The President of the International Thamileelam Students' Forum, Mr.S.Gajendran, is alleged to have been subjected to intimidation and rigorous interrogation for more than two hours by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday at the Muhamalai SLA checkpoint, sources in Jaffna said.


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Sole survivor in Mirusuvil massacre identifies army accused

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:54 GMT]
The sole survivor in the Mirusuvil massacre, Mr. Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, Thursday identified at the Colombo High Court all five soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) indicted for the murder of eight Tamil civilians when they returned to their Mirusuvil homes to look for belongings on 19th December 2000, legal sources said.
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Sri Lanka military 'jeopardizing' peace talks - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 06:29 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers this week condemned the attack Wednesday on their unarmed female cadres in Manipay by Sri Lankan soldiers and warned that such incidents would "seriously jeopardize" the Norwegian peace process, the London based Tamil Guardian reported.
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TNA parliamentarian cautions Tamils about anti-peace forces

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 23:52 GMT]
Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan said Wednesday that Tamil should be careful about forces that are bent on sabotaging the present peace process. "We should thank the government and the LTTE for strengthening the peace environment that dawned with the ceasefire agreement an year ago", said Mr. Adailakalanathan while speaking at the annual inter house athletic meet of the Vavuniya Pandarikulam Vipulananda College held Wednesday.
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'Manipay incident will not be repeated-' Jaffna SLA commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Sarath Fonseka assured at the conference summoned by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Wednesday evening that he would take appropriate steps not to repeat incidents that had taken place at Manipay Wednesday morning in which SLA soldiers assaulted eight LTTE women cadres with knives, sources said.
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LTTE women cadres, civilians injured in SLA assault

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 11:12 GMT]
Four women members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and several Tamil civilians were injured when soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday unleashed violence at Manipay junction, about 13 km off Jaffna town following the refusal by LTTE women cadres to remove their waist-belt, sources said.
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Court issues warrant on LTTE Nilaveli leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 00:49 GMT]
Trincomalee Magistrate, Mr.S.Thiagendran, Monday issued warrant on the Nilaveli political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.Thooyavan, when the Kuchchaveli Police informed the court that they were unable serve the summons on him and moved that a warrant be served on him, legal sources said. The court said the warrant is returnable on March 17, legal sources said.


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Jaffna remembers late Tamil leader G.G.Ponnambalam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 February 2003, 16:30 GMT]
The twenty sixth-death anniversary of the late Tamil leader Mr.G.G.Ponnamabalam, the founder president of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) and a popular leader of Tamils in the 50s was observed in Jaffna today, according to sources in Jaffna.
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SLA bans LTTE women cadres from using waist-belts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 February 2003, 14:01 GMT]
Ms Kayalvizhi, the leader of the women wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Jaffna district, lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna, Sunday, against the ban imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on LTTE women cadres from using waist belts when they enter the army controlled areas in Jaffna district, sources said.


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War damage to Vavuniya school estimated at Rs.110 lakhs

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 February 2003, 04:15 GMT]
During operation 'Jayasikuru,' a military offensive launched by the Sri Lanka army (SLA) in 13 May 1997 to capture a9 highway and surrounding areas in Vanni, caused damages estimated at Rs 110 lakhs (Rs 11 million) to property and buildings of Nedunkerni Maha Vidyalayam in Vavunia district, principal of the school, Mr. Murugupillai Kugathasan, said.


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Only peace will permit development - Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 February 2003, 15:33 GMT]
Only because of the prevailing climate of peace and the progress that is being achieved in the on-going talks between the Government of SriLanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that we are able to visit here and actively engage in promoting industrial development, said Industries Minister Rohitha Bogollagama of the ruling United National Front (UNF) government, speaking at Manmuni North regional Secretariat in Batticaloa district, Friday, sources in the east said.


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News in brief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 February 2003, 01:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers continue to collect information on residents in Jaffna peninsula, Mullaitivu administrative secretariat moves to its former home, and Oddusuddan school damages due to war is estimated to be Rs 5 lakhs.
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Death anniversary of 22 LTTE cadres commemorated

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 22:40 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday commemorated the thirteenth death anniversary of their twenty-two cadres at an event held at the Trincomalee town political office, sources said.
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Kanniya Tamil School reopens after twenty years

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 13:41 GMT]
The Kanniya Government Tamil School Thursday re-opened after twenty years. Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Thursday morning ceremonially re-opened the school and inaugurated the distribution of schoolbooks donated by the UNICEF to newly admitted students.
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LTTE commanders, Parents meet

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 12:41 GMT]
Commanders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officially met with more than five thousand parents of LTTE fighters and martyrs in Palugamam, Batticaloa district, first time after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (Mou), sources in Batticaloa said.
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Grenades, ammunition recovered from Paranthan well

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 01:10 GMT]
Several hand grenades and different types of ammunition left behind by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were safely removed from a well in the premises of Paranthan Murugan Temple Wednesday by members of the landmine removal task force of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), sources in Vanni said.


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Protests in Vavuniya on Independence Day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 February 2003, 16:33 GMT]
Bills stating “Sri Lanka’s Independence Day is a sad day for Tamils” were found on the walls of the district secretariat and other buildings in Vavuniya town, and a silent procession by women protesters was held in the town today, 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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