Vanni MP alleges conspiracy to derail peace talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 17:48 GMT]
A leading MP of the Tamil National Alliance, Mr. 'Selvam' Adaikalanathan, alleged Friday that there is a conspiracy by anti-peace Sinhala nationalist elements in the opposition and in the Sri Lankan armed forces to destabilize the United Front Government and its peace efforts. He said that there are patently systematic moves in sections of the Sinhala media and in the armed forces to discredit the UNF's peace initiative among the Sinhala masses.
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Tamil fisherman wounded in navy firing

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 17:40 GMT]
A Tamil youth was Friday admitted to the Trincomalee general hospital with gunshot injuries in his stomach. Thirty five year old Vilvarajah Jeyakanthan of Thirukdaloor, a fishing hamlet made a complaint to the local Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that was shot and wounded by some navy personnel while he was fishing with two of his colleagues Friday morning around 9.30 a.m. in the Trincomalee sea close to Koneswaram temple, sources said.
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PA 'to oppose country's division'

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 01:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition People's Alliance Thursday vowed to step up its campaign against the Norwegian peace initiative, saying it was decided to oppose "the division of the country and suppression of fundamental rights of opposition political activists." Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, leader of the Opposition told a press conference held at his office Thursday that the cease-fire agreement currently in force is one sided and favoured the Liberation Tigers.
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Paramilitaries blamed for UNP candidates murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 00:58 GMT]
Members of a Tamil paramilitary group working alongside the Sri Lanka Army had shot and fatally wounded Mr.Thambiraja Jeyakumar, a United National Party candidate, during last December's parliamentary elections, an inquiry learnt Thursday. The Batticaloa Magistrate ordered that the firearms and ammunition recovered from those suspected of involvement in the murder should be sent to the Government Analyst.
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PA leader slams truce agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 May 2002, 00:49 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka’s main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) party Thursday launched a bitter attack in Parliament on the permanent ceasefire signed by the ruling United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers in February, accusing the international truce monitors of being biased towards the Tigers.
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SLA recruitment campaign in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 May 2002, 20:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army called on Muslim and Tamil youth in the eastern district of Batticaloa to join up from Thursday. The SLA campaigned for recruits in the villages of Eravur, Chenkalady, Vantharumoolai, Sithaandy, Mavadivembu and Kaluwankerny in vans fixed with loud hailers Wednesday urging youth to enrol in the military.
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Thamilchelvan says A9 should be open 24 hours, slams SLN

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 May 2002, 06:57 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers want the A9 road to be open 24 hours, on all days of the week, to ensure the free flow of goods between Jaffna and the other parts of the island," Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE's political division, told TamilNet Thursday.
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Spy planes return to Vavuniya skies

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 May 2002, 00:18 GMT]
Flights over Vavuniya by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF)caused surprise amongst residents this week, Tamil press reports said. The small reconnaissance drones were last seen in the area during the height of bitter fighting in the Vanni between Sri Lankan forces and the Liberation Tigers.
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Jaffna forces strengthen defences

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 May 2002, 23:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s security forces in Jaffna have strengthened their defences and increased their security checks on civilians, press reports said Wednesday. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) are building new defence lines and bunkers in the Thenmaradchi, Vadamaradchi and Valigamam sectors according to the Tamil language Thinakkural.
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Parliament to debate cease-fire agreement

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 May 2002, 22:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday agreed to hold a full day debate in Parliament with the main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) on the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), officials said. The debate will be held Thursday from 10 a.m. till 4.30 p.m.
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Islet residents protest military zone to SLMM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 May 2002, 15:26 GMT]
A community group representing residents in the islets off Jaffna has appealed to the ceasefire monitors to allow Tamil Tiger cadres there and to put an end to harassment by the Sri Lanka Navy stationed into the area. The Jaffna based Tamil daily Uthayan said the residents’ two demands are detailed in a report the islanders were to hand present to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in a meeting Tuesday.
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More LTTE offices open in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 May 2002, 15:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Monday opened an office in Vathiri in the Vadamaradchchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula, local press reports said. Another LTTE office to serve the Thenmaradchi sector was scheduled to open in Sangaththanai Tuesday. These and other LTTE offices are being set up in Sri Lankan government controlled territory under the terms of the permanent ceasefire signed between the two sides in February.
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More LTTE activists in Trinco

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 May 2002, 05:52 GMT]
The second group of Liberation Tigers authorised to engage in political activities in government held areas under the permanent ceasefire agreement arrived in Trincomalee by sea from Mutur on Monday. The group comprising twelve LTTE members, including four women, was headed by District Political Secretary Mr.A.Ruban.
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Pilots picked Balasingham’s flight path

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 May 2002, 12:20 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE’s chief negotiator and political advisor, Sunday denied reports in sections of the Colombo press that he had violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government by directing his seaplane over the Trincomalee seas on April 24 during a tense standoff between Sri Lanka Navy gunboats and Sea Tiger craft.
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LTTE slams "grave" truce breach by Navy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 May 2002, 10:19 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Sunday accused the Sri Lankan Navy of a “grave and serious violation” of the indefinite ceasefire when gunboats destroyed several civilian fishing vessels and killed two Muslim fishermen in the seas near Vaharai, Batticaloa on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan Navy is “deliberately creating conflictual situations to disrupt the peace process,” the LTTE said. “We call upon the Sri Lanka government to prevail upon the naval authorities to abandon its hostile attitude and strictly follow the peace agreement,” the Tigers said in a statement.
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'Hartal' in Mutur condemning Navy atrocities

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 May 2002, 21:06 GMT]
More than fifteen thousand people took part in demonstrations and public rallies held Saturday in Mutur east, south and west protesting against the shooting incident by the Sri Lanka Navy in Nilaveli, about 14 km north of Trincomalee town, wounding two Tamil women on April 29th night. A 'hartal' (general shut down of shops and other institutions) was also observed Saturday in the Mutur and Eechilampattai divisions covering LTTE held areas and army controlled areas, sources said.
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Muslim, Sinhala fishermen describe SLN attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 May 2002, 23:16 GMT]
"A shell fired by the Navy gunboat hit our trawler. Mohammed Sabeek was killed on the spot. The trawler blew up. Mohammed Hayath and I jumped into the sea and swam amid heavy firing by the Navy. Hayath who was seriously wounded in the attack died while swimming ashore around 1 a.m.
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Shun terrorism epithet says UNF minister

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 May 2002, 23:00 GMT]
"We must work hard to remove the word 'terrorism' from the dictionary. We should avoid using the word 'terrorism' in this atmosphere of peace", said Minister for Fisheries Mr. Mahinda Wijesekara, addressing fishermen in the Trincomalee Urban Council hall Friday. Minister Mahinda Wijesekara said he was able to visit Trincomalee without any security because of the cease-fire between the government and the Liberation Tigers.
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SLMM head discusses violations in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 May 2002, 22:51 GMT]
The head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Major General (Retd) Trond Furuhovde Friday held extensive discussions with officers of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Army in Trincomalee regarding complaints of alleged cease-fire violations in the district.
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SLA concedes on cyanide capsules

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 May 2002, 00:48 GMT]
Twenty-eight Liberation Tigers entered Jaffna last Monday under the terms of the permanent ceasefire, but only after disagreements with Sri Lanka soldiers manning the checkpoint at Muhamalai over body searches, press reports said this week. Following a heated argument over the LTTE cadres’ cyanide capsules, the Army commander has reportedly accepted that the carrying of these was henceforth not to be opposed.
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