LTTE rejects government offer as 'calculated ploy'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 August 2001, 09:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Thursday rejected the Sri Lankan government's offer of a "mutually agreed ceasefire" as "a calculated political duplicity to divert the attention of the people and the world from the deepening crisis in Colombo." Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political advisor of the LTTE told TamilNet Thursday that "the LTTE is not prepared to enter into negotiation with a corrupt, inefficient, unstable government which does not have a majority in Parliament."
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SC orders compensation to Tamil youth under detention

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2001, 20:46 GMT]
The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered the State to pay Rupees Twenty five thousand as compensation to a Tamil youth, upholding his fundamental rights application that his arrest and detention by the police was unlawful. The Jaffna Police arrested the petitioner last December, saying they had information that he underwent arms training from the LTTE.
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TULF urges main parties to be "realistic"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2001, 00:25 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front in a statement issued Monday reminded the two main political parties-ruling People's Alliance and main opposition United National Party that it would be "unrealistic" to think of "partial constitutional reforms in certain areas to ensure political, economic and social stability of the country until a just and durable solution is found to the Tamil national question."
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LTTE denies warning to Tamil MPs

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 August 2001, 18:09 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Monday denied issuing a note circulating in the Jaffna peninsula warning Tamil MPs to quit the Sri Lankan Parliament and purported to originate from an organisation which the government says is a front of the LTTE. A notice issued by the ‘Sangiliyan Padai’ (Sangiliyan Army) on Saturday said those who refused “would not have an opportunity to regret their action.”
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Fighting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 August 2001, 00:46 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted in the Muhamalai area, in the southern sector of the Jaffna peninsula when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops backed by tanks, artillery and air cover launched an operation along A-9 main road. The SLA offensive that began at around 5.30 a.m. Sunday was repulsed, the Voice of Tigers radio said.
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Tigers attack SLA at Kokkuthoduvaai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 August 2001, 06:32 GMT]
Thirteen Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 24 wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked forward defence lines of the Kokkuthoduvaai camp south of Mullaithivu, in the north-eastern coast, around 3 a.m Thursday. Ten SLA soldiers have been reported 'missing' in the attack, army sources said. Six LTTE members were killed in the fighting, the sources added.
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Attack said to mark Koneswary rape and murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 August 2001, 04:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa said that Tuesday's attack on the Sri Lanka Police detachement in the island's eastern province was carried out to mark the death of Koneswary Murugesapillai, a thirty five year old mother of three who was gang raped and murdered in front of her family allegedly by a group of Policemen from the Central Camp Police station on 21 August 1997. Koneswary was killed, according to her family, when the Policemenmen exploded a grenade on her lower abdomen to destroy evidence of the rape. None of the perpetrators of the woman's rape and murder have been brought to book so far.
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"Government has ignored LTTE's Peace efforts" -Thmail Chelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 August 2001, 23:03 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers observed a four-month ceasefire with the intention of bringing an end to the war, but the Sri Lankan government ignored our ceasefire. It is unfortunate that our efforts to bring peace did not succeed," Mr. S.P.Thamil Chelvan, political wing leader of the LTTE, has told Mr. A.P.Nanayakkara, leader of the Association of Families of Servicemen Missing in Action (AFSMA), who spoke at a news conference in Colombo on Tuesday.
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PM seeks talks with Opposition Leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 August 2001, 17:25 GMT]
The Prime Minister Tuesday invited the main opposition United National Party for official talks for the formation of a national reconciliation government, in a fresh bid to bring the present political crisis to an end. "Early talks could be held if the United National Party agreed to the proposals of the People's Alliance Government," said Prime Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, in a letter to Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Leader of the Opposition.
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Tigers overrun Police camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 August 2001, 03:20 GMT]
At least twenty military trained policemen were killed and 20 wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked and destroyed the main Police station at Central Camp, Monday night, police sources in Ampara said. Seven others were reported missing in the attack, the sources said. Central Camp is a Sinhala settlement, about 35 kilometers south west of Batticaloa near the district's border with Ampara.
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Jaffna students urge Colombo to stop bombing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 August 2001, 16:11 GMT]
The Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) appealed to international community "to intervene and safeguard the lives of Tamil students and civilians in the northeastern province from the continuing reprisal aerial attacks by the Sri Lanka Air Force". The JUSU in a statement issued Sunday said "aerial attacks targeting civilian positions such as schools and residential areas in northeast, particularly in Vanni and other Tigers controlled region are taking place almost daily. These indiscriminate aerial attacks have caused deaths and destruction to lives and properties of Tamil civilians".
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'Mole' kills leader of SLA penetration team

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 August 2001, 00:35 GMT]
A soldier of a Sri Lanka army deep penetration group was killed in the early hours of the morning Saturday when he was shot by another trooper of the unit that was lying in ambush at Kurinjamunai junction inside the area held by the Liberation Tigers west of Batticaloa town. The trooper got away with the weapons of his dead team leader. Both men are from the SLA's National Guard. Military sources in Batticaloa said that the trooper who got away was an LTTE 'mole'.
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Controversial weapon meant for genocide alleges MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 August 2001, 14:26 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan government is going to deploy chemical weapons against the Tamils in the island's north and east. The aim is to annihilate them totally. The use of this dangerous chemical weapon against the Tamil people should be strongly condemned," said Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Batticaloa, addressing legislators who gathered Friday in the Sri Lankan Parliament and decided to press ahead with the no confidence motion against President Kumaratunga's government.
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LTTE condemns Sri Lankas purchase of chemical weapons

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 09:17 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in a statement issued from its headquarters in Vanni, northern Sri Lanka today, warned the Kumaratunga government of disastrous consequences if it inducted the recently acquired weapons with chemical warheads into the north-eastern theatre of war.
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Tigers, SLN clashes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 07:56 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Navy personnel were killed and two wounded in an ambush by the Liberation Tigers at Kallarawa in Kuchchaveli police area, 36 km. north of Trincomalee town, around 8 a.m. Thursday. Four LTTE members were killed in the ensuing gun battle, naval sources said.
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LTTE denies talks with Sri Lankan minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 August 2001, 09:58 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday denied claims by the Sri Lankan government that the organisation had met and held talks with a Sri Lankan cabinet Minister during his visit Monday to the Roman Catholic shrine in Madhu, a town held by the LTTE. When contacted by telephone, the LTTE’s chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, told TamilNet Wednesday that Aviation Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had merely met with the LTTE’s border security guards.
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France refutes visa denial claim

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 August 2001, 20:48 GMT]
The French Foreign Ministry Friday denied claims by the Sri Lankan information department and state media that it had denied entry to the Liberation Tigers‚ chief negotiator Anton Balasingham and other individuals alleged by Sri Lanka to be linked to the LTTE. A spokesman for the French government, quoted the Foreign Minister Hubert Verdrine, said "We have not banned any particular persons or members of any particular organisations from entering France."
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Army warns of assault on LTTE in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 20:02 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces in Batticaloa Thursday issued a press note warning about a major offensive assault in the eastern district, and urged civilians to move 4 km. away from the camps of the Liberation Tigers.
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Over 100 arrested in combined search

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 17:18 GMT]
More than one hundred Tamils were arrested during a major cordon and search operation in Kochchikade, about 50 km. north of Colombo Thursday morning. More than one thousand Army and Police personnel were deployed during the operation, police said.
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TULF urges President to start talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 07:00 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge to pursue the Norwegian peace initiative and commence negotiations with the Liberation Tigers before framing a new constitution. A press statement issued by the TULF, after meeting the President on Wednesday, said that the party had urged the President to "reconvene Parliament and also not to proceed with the referendum."
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