UNP to contest as UNF with elephant symbol

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2001, 21:51 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) will contest the forthcoming general election scheduled to be held on 5 December under the name of the United National Front (UNF). However the election symbol will be 'elephant'. A motion to this effect was unanimously approved at the special convention of the UNP held Sunday at Colombo Town Hall.
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Sinhala domination in N-E Youth Camp criticised

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 October 2001, 21:21 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim youths participating in a youth camp organized by the Sri Lanka National Youth Federation in collaboration with the North-East Provincial Council inaugurated Saturday in Trincomalee protested against the organisers for not giving due place to the Tamil language and Tamil culture.
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Tigers say recruitment rising

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 September 2001, 23:27 GMT]
(NEWS FEATURE) The Liberation Tigers' Batticaloa and Amparai district political leader, Mr. Karikalan, said this week that his organisation was drawing large numbers of new volunteers and denied press reports of forcible recruitment. In an interview with Tamil language Uthayan newspaper published Tuesday, Mr.Karikalan said many recruits were coming forward with the support and encouragement of their parents amid active participation from many villages in the LTTE's recruitment drive. "There is a firm belief amongst the people that the struggle will succeed. This has given us a fresh impetus."
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HRC records bizarre torture by Ampara Police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 July 2001, 13:46 GMT]
The Investigation Officer of the Human Rights Commission, Mr.S.Sritharan, visited Boossa camp recently and recorded evidence from four persons who were detained and tortured by the Counter Subversive Unit of the Police in Amparai. He said the suspects bore clear marks of torture on their bodies.
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Mannar rape and torture suspects score one

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 June 2001, 21:11 GMT]
The Mannar judge M.H.M Ajmeer instructed the Superintendent of the Anuradhapura prison that the 14 Police and Sri Lanka Navy personnel accused in the rape and torture of two women in Mannar on 19 March need not be produced in court Wednesday following an interim order by the Court of Appeal, legal sources said Tuesday.
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ICRC dissemination for Batticaloa LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 June 2001, 18:26 GMT]
The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) conducted a dissemination program for the members of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa district on Saturday. "About 70 male and female members participated in the session", said an ICRC spokesman.
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Ex-SLA commander pays missing youthís parent

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2001, 15:53 GMT]
Lt. Gen. Cecil Waidyaratne, a former commander of the Sri Lanka army Thursday paid 100,000 rupees as directed by Sri Lankaís court of Appeal to the father of a Tamil youth who went missing after he was arrested by the army in the Ampara district in June 1990. The decision of the court of appeal in the Habeas Corpus application on Kandaiah Yoganayagam, 31, is the first instance in which the Sri Lanka armyís high command has been held responsible by the Court of Appeal for the disappearance of a Tamil youth in the Ampara district. Human rights activists and Peace Committees in the district say that more than six thousand Tamil civilians were massacred or reported missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka army and the Special Task Force commandos of the Sri Lanka Police in the Tamil villages and hinterland of Ampara between 1990 and 1993.
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Police name massacre victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2000, 06:20 GMT]
Sri Lankan police has released names of 13 Tamil detainees massacred at the Bindunuwewa detention center in Bandarawela on Wednesday. The police said many bodies are charred beyond recognition by the fire at the Centre.
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LTTE urges Muslims to be vigilant

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 June 2000, 15:18 GMT]
In a leaflet in Tamil titled "Dear Muslim brothers/sisters" distributed widely in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts this week, the political section of the Liberation Tigers calls on Muslims to be vigilant against a campaign to foment divisions between them and the Tamil people in the east. The LTTE leaflet says that Muslims need not be concerned about "the imminent war of liberation that is soon to engulf the east."
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STF member killed in claymore blast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2000, 21:16 GMT]
A member of the Special Task Force(STF) was killed in a claymore mine blast in Periya Kallar 35 km south of Batticaloa town at noon today. Another STF member was seriously injured and was admitted to Amparai hospital, police sources said.
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Judgement reserved on rights case

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 1999, 14:21 GMT]
Supreme Court reserved the order on a fundamental rights application filed by Liverpool Navigation Ltd challenging the refusal of security clearance to sail their cargo ship from Colombo to the Northern coastal seas.
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Religious leaders allay villagers' fears

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 September 1999, 15:54 GMT]
Catholic and Buddhist priests visited villages in the borders between Tamil and Sinhala areas today to console residents fearful of attack by other communities in revenge for the Puthukukiyiruppu and Konavila incidents, said sources.
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Police post attacked

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 September 1999, 03:51 GMT]
A policeman was wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked the Uthayapuram police post east of Ampara around 11.45 p.m. yesterday, police sources said.
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Amnesty condemns Amparai killings

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 September 1999, 21:24 GMT]
Amnesty International Monday condemned the killing of more than 50 Sinhalese civilians in a predawn raid on three villages in the Amparai district. In a statement issued today, Amnesty said the Liberation Tigers might have carried out the attack in retaliation for the deaths of 22 Tamil civilians at Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu district, in a bombing raid by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on 15 September.
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Teachers plan further protests

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:39 GMT]
Northeast province teachers and principals continued their action against what they as a discriminatory pay award for the third day running today.
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Teachers vow to continue protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 1999, 19:14 GMT]
The seven teaching unions decided to continue their picketing campaignuntilall teachers and principals in North east province are paid risk allowanceand salary arrears if full.
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Talks to end teachers dispute fail

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 July 1999, 14:50 GMT]
A conference convened to resolve the Northeast province teachers' protest against what they see as a discriminatory pay dispute failed when the Northeast Provincial Council Governor, Major General Asoka Jayawardene, said that he had no authority to change the Education Minister's decision regarding the settlement of arrears pay.
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Teachers strike blocks off official buildings

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 July 1999, 07:50 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala teachers and principals started picketing the offices of the Provincial Ministry of Education, the Department of Education and the Treasury Department in Trincomalee this morning.
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Teaching unions protest against discriminatory decision

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 1999, 20:35 GMT]
Seven Tamil and Muslim teaching trade unions unanimously decided today to picket the offices of the North east Provincial Ministry of Education and the Department of Education in Trincomalee on the Morning of July 26 to protest against what they see as a discriminatory pay award.
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Teachers fury over discrimination

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 1999, 19:27 GMT]
The Governor of the North East Province (NEPC), Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardana, today prevented provincial officials from banking a treasury cheque for 150 million rupees, when several teacher-trade unions protested to decision of Education Ministry to first pay risk allowance and arrears in full to Sinhala teachers in the Amparai area and then share the remainder amongst Tamil and Muslim teachers in other districts, NEPC sources said.
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