Date set for 5 PC polls

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 February 1999, 10:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections, Mr. Dayanantha Dissanayaka, announced today that the polls to the five provincial councils, which were postponed last year by the PA regime, would be held on April 1. The Sri Lankan government postponed the elections by a special presidential proclamation under the emergency regulations of the Public Security Ordinance.
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'No new evidence' - Koneswary inquiry

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 February 1999, 23:59 GMT]
The Kalmunai Magistrate Mr.Anton Balasingham at the conclusion of the re-opened magisterial inquest proceedings into the death of a mother of four children, Murugesapillai Koneswary of Central Camp, Ampara district, reaffirmed his earlier verdict of homicide.
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South African journalists visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 February 1999, 12:29 GMT]
The team of journalists from South Africa who are currently in Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission visited various parts of Jaffna today, accompanied by Col. 'War' Gunawardana from the Sri Lankan security forces headquarters for Jaffna at Palaly.
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Ten Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 January 1999, 19:50 GMT]
(CORRECTED) Ten Liberation Tigers were killed in a confrontation with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) at Mankerni, 48 km. north of Batticaloa, the LTTE said today in Vanni.
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Census planned for Vanni region

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 January 1999, 20:19 GMT]
A plan to establish the exact number of people living in the Vanni region was formulated at a meeting of Government Agents of the northern districts with the Department of Census and Statistics held in the Vavuniya Kachcheri today.
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Two Tigers killed - VoT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 January 1999, 03:03 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said that two members of the Liberation Tigers were killed on the 28th (Thursday), in two separate incidents in the Vanni.
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Amnesty says 4 'disappeared' located

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 January 1999, 23:33 GMT]
Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog said it has recently learned that Mylvaganam Jayaseelan, one of those listed as missing after being arrested by the PLOTE was released on 3 January 1999 from the Kovilkulam PLOTE camp. Amnesty says it believes he may have been tortured in custody.
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Violence threatens poll cancellation

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 January 1999, 12:09 GMT]
Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakkara, a senior politician and parliamentarian of Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), a constituent of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) called on the Sri Lankan government to cancel the Northwestern Provincial council elections this afternoon, reacting to reports of widespread rigging and violence perpetrated by members and supporters of the main partner of the alliance, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
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Journalists fired on amid election violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 January 1999, 10:36 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the vehicle in which a group of foreign and local journalists and photographers were travelling at Chillaw-Aanamaduwa road last night. However, no one was injured.
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Casualties in Vanni clashes

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 January 1999, 17:24 GMT]
The Operational Head Quarters of the Ministry of Defence said today that five suspected members of the Liberation Tigers were killed in an engagement north west of Mankulam yesterday (January 20).
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Nine LTTE casualties - VoT

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 January 1999, 23:42 GMT]
Six members of the LTTE were killed in two separate clashes with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) yesterday (January 18), in the north, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said in its night transmission.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 January 1999, 12:39 GMT]
Search operation in Pt.Pedro, the Pt.Pedro jetty SLA camp relocated; a house built of bamboo washed ashore in Jaffna and Jaffna displaced get spoilt milk powder.
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Many mediation offers are not genuine - Kadirgamar

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 January 1999, 14:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said that sixteen countries are keen to mediate in the island's ethnic conflict. But only a few of these are genuine Mr. Kadirgamar added while speaking to journalists at a press conference in his ministry this afternoon.
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Police intimidate Muslim villagers

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 January 1999, 11:32 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police and home-guards have been intimidating the residents of a small farming village in Aaleemsenai, in the eastern district of Ampara, said villagers.
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PLOTE detainees' relatives visit -Amnesty

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 January 1999, 13:24 GMT]
Amnesty International says it has learned that relatives of Subramaniam Atpudarasa (17)and Selvarasa Tamilchelvam (16), who "disappeared" last year after being arrested by the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) were allowed to visit them at one of the ex-militant group's camps.
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NLF chief candidate assaulted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 08:46 GMT]
The chief candidate of the New Left Front (NLF) which is contesting elections to Sri Lanka's Northwestern Provincial Council was seriously injured last night when they were severely assaulted by group PA members and supporters near Waariyapola in the Kurunagala district.
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Two civilians wounded in shelling

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 January 1999, 11:18 GMT]
Two civilians, K.Tharumaratnam, 47 and his daughter T.Asoka, were injured when a shell fired by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) stationed at the Usanaar Eththam, hit their house at Kaayaankerni yesterday morning around 4.30 a.m.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 January 1999, 12:00 GMT]
Electricity supply to several Sri Lankan Army camps in Vanni was disrupted after an electricity pylon was blasted last night; Sri Lankan Customs arrest two Indian nationals at Colombo airport; Five policemen and civilian feared drowned in boat accident.
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Four Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 January 1999, 14:02 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said that four of their members died in two separate incidents in the Vanni on 7 and 8 January.
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Aptitude tests to determine GS promotions?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 1999, 16:25 GMT]
The Minster of Administration and Local Governments, Ratnasree Wickramanayake, has sought advice from the Attorney General (AG) whether promotions of 'Grama Sevakas' (GS) can be based on specially conducted aptitude tests.
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