More civilian traffic expected

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 1999, 23:19 GMT]
Five hundred stranded people in the LTTE held areas of the Vanni are expected to cross Mankulam access route with an escort of ICRC delegates tomorrow, officials in Vavuniya said today.
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Amnesty concerned for Tamil politicians

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 1999, 23:14 GMT]
Amnesty International, the London based human rights group said today it is concerned for the lives of several politicians belonging to Tamil political parties represented in Sri Lanka's parliament who are said to have received threats from the Liberation Tigers.
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Government to provide food for malnourished students

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 1999, 14:42 GMT]
The Presidential Secretariat announced today that free milk biscuits will be distributed among grade one students in four districts of the island.
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Views of Mankulam crossing

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 August 1999, 22:25 GMT]
(Photographs) TamilNet correspondents' views of the movement of civilians from the LTTE held areas of the Vanni region to Vavuniya today.
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Vanni stranded civilians to arrive in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 August 1999, 03:56 GMT]
Five hundred civilians are expected to arrive in Vavuniya on Monday from the LTTE held areas of the Vanni region said K.Ganesh, the Government Agent in Vavuniya. He said the Liberation Tigers have also informed that another 300 are planning to travel to Vavuniya on Wednesday.
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Kumaratunga promises political solution in 2000

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 August 1999, 16:35 GMT]
A political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict will be found in the year 2000 said President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing a massive rally of party members and supporters this evening in Colombo organised to mark the fifth anniversary of her People's Alliance coalition.
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South Asia land mine seminar concludes

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 1999, 16:09 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's war zones have the highest number of mines planted in the South Asia" said Lt.General (rtd) Gordon Reay, former commander of the Canadian army addressing a press conference at Wadduwa, south of Colombo today at the conclusion of a three day South Asia regional seminar on landmines organised by the ICRC. He said that alternatives to land mines in war fighting is being researched and developed by some countries such as Canada.
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Lanka Muditha to resume service

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 1999, 22:14 GMT]
The Divisional Secretariat in Trincomalee today announced that about 1500 Jaffna bound civilian passengers and 1000 refugees would be shipped to Kankesanthurai on August 23 and 26 by the cargo ship 'Lanka Muditha'.
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SLA says ready to open route to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 1999, 17:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has informed the Liberation Tigers that it is prepared to open a safe passage between Jaffna and the Vanni through the Paranthan-Elephant Pass base complex.
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News In Brief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 1999, 22:23 GMT]
A civilian was killed and a SLA soldier was wounded in clashes, a Vavuniya youth goes missing, a bulldozer is blasted and cash shortage hits Vanni health officials.
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Madhu Feast proceeds peacefully

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 1999, 14:21 GMT]
Over fifty thousand devotees participated in the Madhu Feast which took place today, said church sources. The Bishop of the Ratnapura diocese conducted the festival mass in Tamil and Sinhala at 6.30 a.m. this morning, along with Rev.Fr. A. Xavier Croos, the Vicar General of Mannar and Rev.Fr.D.B.Derarajah.
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Bishop wants demilitarized zone for feast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 1999, 05:53 GMT]
The Bishop of Mannar Dr. Rev. Rayappu Joseph called on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers to declare Madhu church and its precincts as a demilitarized zone for holding the annual feast.
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Most Vavuniya stranded back home

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 August 1999, 20:04 GMT]
The arrangements to return the people from the Vanni who became stranded in Vavuniya and Mannar due to the closure of the access route to the Vanni will conclude on Monday August 16, said sources.
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Impromptu crossing of paths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 1999, 09:41 GMT]
A group of Liberation Tigers met a troupe of artists campaigning for peace accompanied by journalists returning yesterday after a performance in Sri Lanka Army controlled Thatchanamaruthamadu, northwest of Vavuniya, and told them that "Peace cannot be brought about easily because the President is determined to wage this war."
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ICRC marks Geneva Conventions' 50th. anniversary

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 1999, 03:47 GMT]
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the modern Geneva Conventions, which falls on August 12, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched the 'people on war' project said the ICRC in a press release issued in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo today.
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Views of Vanni crossing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 August 1999, 10:01 GMT]
(Photographs) TamilNet correspondents' views of the movement of civilians through the newly established crossing point between areas held by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers (LTTE).
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Crossing completed at Mankulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 August 1999, 16:10 GMT]
Ten lorries carrying essential supplies were sent under ICRC escort to the Vanni this afternoon by 4.30 p.m. Supplies from lorries that came from Vavuniya were unloaded and reloaded onto lorries from the LTTE held areas of the Vanni which came through the safe passage on the A9 at Mankulam around 3 p.m.
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Travellers use new access route

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 August 1999, 10:30 GMT]
Seven seriously ill patients from the Vanni came through the safe passage opened today at Mankulam on the A9. The 500 civilians who were taken from the Vavuniya for the crossing are in the process of moving through the safe passage to the side held by the Liberation Tigers now said sources.
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Further details of Vanni crossing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 August 1999, 14:47 GMT]
Five hundred stranded travellers from the Vanni who are currently housed in the 'Kolikoodu' transit camp in Vavuniya will be in the first batch allowed to return to the LTTE controlled areas on Monday, said officials in the northern town of Vavuniya.
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Access route to be opened on Monday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 August 1999, 17:02 GMT]
A safe route to the LTTE controlled areas of the Vanni will be opened on Monday and the first batch of 500 civilians, out of the 2000 who are stranded in Vavuniya, will be allowed to cross over along with 10 truck loads of food, said K.Ganesh, the Government Agent in Vavuniya.
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