Large crowds attend final TNA election rallies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 December 2001, 23:25 GMT]
Large crowds attended the final election rallies of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Jaffna and Trincomalee held Sunday evening. About 15,000 people attended the TNA meeting held close to Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, said sources in the peninsula.
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EPDP fires on women's march, four injured

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 December 2001, 10:51 GMT]
Four supporters of the Tamil National Alliance were wounded when gunmen from the Eelam People's Democratic Party opened fire on a march by more than a thousand women at Vinayagapuram, 78 kilometres south of Batticaloa, on the island's southeastern coast Saturday afternoon. People in the villages of Thirukkovil, Thambiluvil, Vinayagapuram, angered by the attack, burnt tires across the main road and smashed an EPDP campaign auto rickshaw. The wounded persons were admitted to the Thirukkovil hospital. The march was organised by a women's group in support of the TNA.
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Explosion at Batticaloa EPDP office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 December 2001, 09:34 GMT]
At least twenty people were wounded in an explosion at the District Head Office of the pro-government Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) in Batticaloa town around 10.15 a.m. Saturday, said sources in the eastern town.
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Sri Lanka to wipe LTTE out ‘in three months’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 December 2001, 01:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Friday said his ruling People’s Alliance (PA) government, if returned to power, would wipe out the Liberation Tigers within three months, the state-owned Daily News reported Saturday.
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Jaffna Magistrate orders seizure of illegal weapons, vehicles

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 November 2001, 16:10 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Friday instructed the Police to seize all illegal weapons and vehicles which play without number plates in the peninsula. Mr.R.T.Viknaraja, Magistrate made the order at the conclusion of the inquests held into the deaths of two Tamil National Alliance (TNA) supporters by armed cadres ofthe Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP).
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NSSP leader wounded in attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 November 2001, 16:05 GMT]
Unidentified persons Friday morning attacked Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratna, the leader of the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), and his supporters at Wellampitiya in Colombo town when they were engaged in electioneering. Dr.Karunaratna was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, police sources said.
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General shut in NE against EPDP atrocity

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 November 2001, 08:32 GMT]
Schools, shops, government offices and banks were closed in the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna in response to a call by the Tamil National Alliance for a general shut down in the north and east to protest against the Eelam People's Democratic Party, a major coalition partner of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's regime, for killing two civilians and attacking and grievously wounding four TNA candidates in Kayts, an island off the northern peninsula.
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Hartal call after EPDP assault kills 2

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 November 2001, 00:13 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Wednesday appealed for a general shut down protest ('Hartal') in the northeast province condemning the brutal attack on its candidates and supporters at Naranthanai; Jaffna by armed cadres of the pro-government Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Mr. Anandasangaree, acting President of the Tamil United Liberation Front TULF), a constituent of the Tamil National Alliance made the appeal at a press conference held at the party's office in Jaffna at 3 p.m., Wednesday afternoon.
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Claymore blast in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 November 2001, 11:32 GMT]
A military trained policeman was killed and two others were wounded when the jeep in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore blast set off by the Liberation Tigers at Dutuwewa, about 10 km. east of Vavuniya twon, around 10.45 a.m. Wednesday, security sources said.
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Four TNA candidates wounded in EPDP attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 November 2001, 07:24 GMT]
A group of Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance candidates and supporters who had gone to Naranthanai in Jaffna for campaigning were attacked by armed cadres of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Wednesday morning around 11 a.m with knives and other weapons. One TNA supporter, an employee of the Jaffna University was killed and about twenty others, including four TNA candidates were wounded in the incident, police sources said.
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CTTU urges Tamils to vote for TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 November 2001, 12:30 GMT]
Twenty thousand member strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) has appealed to Tamil people to vote for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the forthcoming general election "As the policy of the four party Tamil National Alliance is based on the decision taken at the 27th annual convention of the CTTU held March this year, the CTTU has decided to support the TNA at the forthcoming parliamentary election," said a resolution unanimously passed at the special executive committee meeting of the CTTU held at Trincomalee Sri Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam Saturday night.
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Ten TNA offices attacked in Ampara

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2001, 12:04 GMT]
Ten campaign offices of the Tamil National Alliance in the Ampara district were attacked between 8 p.m. Wednesday night and 3 a.m. Thursday morning. Three were burnt. Mr. Henry Mahendran, spokesman for the TNA in Ampara blamed the Eelam People’s Democratic Party for the attacks. He said that the number plates of the vehicles in which the assailants came were covered. The TNA has complained to the Police in Kalmunai about the attacks.
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"Elections in the NE a referendum on TNA policies" -Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2001, 20:13 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Wednesday appealed to the Tamil people to consider the forthcoming general election in the Northeast province as a referendum in support of the policy of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that any future peace negotiations should be held with the Liberation Tigers only and no parallel talks should be held with any other Tamil groups.
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PM urges forces to defeat interim administration ‘conspiracy’

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2001, 05:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, this week called on the armed forces to defeat the peace strategy of the main opposition United National Party (UNP). “Your alert contribution is sought to defeat the conspiracy to divide the country by giving an interim administration to the North and East and guarantee the unity of the country,” the Premier said in a message to the armed forces. The notion of an interim administration is part of the UNP’s strategy to de-escalate the island’s protracted conflict.
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DIG says will consider Jaffna weapons issue

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2001, 11:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police said Friday that it has requested the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), a major coalition partner of the People's Alliance government, not to go about in the Jaffna peninsula with weapons during the 2001 general elections.
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PA rejects concept of Tamil homeland

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2001, 01:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremenayake, reiterated his People's Alliance (PA) government's opposition to the concept of a Tamil homeland, the state press reported Friday. "The PA Government has directly and indirectly opposed to accept the concept of Tamil homeland. Therefore our stand is clear," the Daily News quoted Wickremenayake as saying while addressing a meeting in Kalutara town hall.
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14,000 Tamils in Mutur denied booths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2001, 22:43 GMT]
The Returning Officer for Trincomalee district has turned down a request by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to set up clustered polling booths in Mutur south, enabling about 14,000 voters in the area to cast their votes on 5 December election. Instead, an additional bus service will be provided to the Tamil voters living in the region to travel to clustered polling stations set up near Mahindapura Sri Lanka Army camp and Muttur Al Hidaya School, he said.
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Sri Lanka rules out lifting LTTE ban

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2001, 02:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday categorically ruled out the possibility of lifting her government’s ban on the Liberation Tigers. Speaking at the presentation of her ruling People’s Alliance (PA) manifesto at her official residence, President Kumaratunga ruled out any truck with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the Island newspaper reported Wednesday. Commenting on reports of eroding support for the PA amongst the Tamil community, President Kumaratunga said the people of Jaffna were with her and the people under LTTE control were supporting the main opposition United National Party (UNP). "As for the Tamils in Colombo they are really not part of the Tamil community as a whole. They promote what is best for business," she said in derision, the Island reported.
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