News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 23:05 GMT]
Sixty year old man wounded in Jaffna; Fire destroys sentry points and generator in Jaffna; LTTE member killed in confrontation and Injured PLOTE member dies in hospital.
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Access route to be opened on Sunday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 12:17 GMT]
The movement of civilians and food between the LTTE controlled areas of the Vanni and SLA controlled areas is set to resume on Sunday August 8, said government officials in Vavuniya today.
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Safe passage can be opened next week -Balagalle

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 13:15 GMT]
The commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in the Vanni, Maj.Gen. Lionel Balagalle, said this afternoon that the message from the Liberation Tigers regarding the opening of a safe passage for civilians through forward defence positions was received by the Sri Lankan army around 11 a.m. today. He said that a reply by the SLA to the LTTE's message consenting to open a passage at Mankulam on the A9 highway was sent forthwith.
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STF convoy attacked

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 07:11 GMT]
Ten Special Task Force (STF) commandos were killed and at least 22 wounded when a bomb exploded at Veppankulam, 3 km. north of Vavuniya around 12 noon today police sources said.
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LTTE agrees Vanni access point

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 1999, 23:40 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are agreeable to setting up a demilitarised zone on the A9 highway near Mankulam between the present forward defences of the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), said an official of the LTTE in London who was contacted by TamilNet tonight with regards to the SLA's latest proposals for an access route.
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"Deep concern over deteriorating situation"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 1999, 12:43 GMT]
The New York based international monitoring organisation, Human Rights Watch, yesterday urged the Sri Lanka government and the Liberation Tigers to" reach an immediate agreement which would guarantee safe passage of civilians and essential supplies" to the parts of the Vanni which are not under the control of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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New access routes proposed

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 1999, 13:28 GMT]
New proposals have been sent by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to the Liberation Tigers this morning regarding the opening of an access route to the areas held by the LTTE in the Vanni, Major General Lionel Balagalla the Chief of Staff and the Commandar for Vanni told a news conference held in Colombo this afternoon.
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Arrangements made for examinations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 19:04 GMT]
Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, the leader of the Political section of the LTTE held a discussion with the head of the ICRC and UNHCR delegations at Mallavi, in Vanni, at around 10.00p.m. last night, said the VoT in its night new bulletin.
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Sea route arranged for serious Vanni patients

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 16:21 GMT]
The ICRC commenced today the transport of serious patients via a sea route from the areas held by the LTTE to Mannar hospital, said sources.
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SLA operation in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 11:30 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a limited military operation today towards Paduvankarai, an area administered by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), from Batticaloa.
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Vanni protests suspended

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 11:22 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said last night that the picketing campaign around the offices of the UNHCR and the ICRC in Mallavi in the Vanni had been temporarily called off last evening.
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Examination papers to arrive via sea route

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 20:59 GMT]
Stationery and question papers for the GCE Advanced Level to the areas held by the LTTE will be sent tomorrow from Mannar via a sea route, said sources.
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Colombo students demonstrate

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 1999, 12:11 GMT]
Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala students of the Art faculty of Colombo University have been jointly staging a demonstration in front of their faculty today, demanding the Sri Lankan government take steps to hold GCE examinations in the Vanni, when schools elsewhere sit for papers.
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'SLA used civilians as human shield'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 18:16 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in a statement issued today said that they had thwarted an attempt yesterday by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to advance using civilians as a human shield through the SLA forward defence lines at Moondumurippu-Nattaangkandal.
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Amnesty condemns Thiruchelvam killing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 16:50 GMT]
The London based human rights organisation, Amnesty International, strongly condemned the assassination of Neelan Thiruchelvam today by a suicide bomber in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, and paid tribute to him as "a politician who contributed greatly to his country".
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Teachers and students protest in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 16:50 GMT]
Several teaching uniouns picketed outside the Education Zonal offices in Vavuniya today demanding full payment of risk allowance and the balance of salary arrears for shool principals.
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ICRC 'not involved in convoy crossing'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:58 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was at no stage involved in the organisation or escort of the convoy which transported the Vanni residents who have been stranded in Vavuniya since last month due to the closure of the access route to the areas held by the Liberation Tigers said the organisation's spokesman in Colombo, Mr.Harasha Gunawardena this afternoon.
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Kilinochchi G.A urges President to open route.

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:43 GMT]
T.Rasanayagam, the Government Agent in Kilinochchi, has asked the Sri Lankan President to make immediate arrangements to open a land route to the LTTE held areas of the Vanni.
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Mr. Thiruchelvam killed in bomb blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 05:46 GMT]
Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam was killed in a bomb blast while travelling from his house at Rosmi Place to his office at Kency Road at 9.10 this mornig.
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Crossing cancelled as shots fired

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 1999, 16:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army General Lionel Balagalle the Chief of Staff and the Commander of Vanni region said today that the return home of Vanni residents stranded in Vavuniya since the closure of the access point was cancelled after shots were fired soon after the first batch had reached the area controlled by the Liberation Tigers.
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