Tamil journalists still face danger - RSF

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 May 2002, 19:02 GMT]
The Reporters Sans Frontiers, the French media watchdog, said in its annual report on press freedom released Wednesday that working conditions for Tamil journalists remain very dangerous in Sri Lanka, especially when they report on human rights violations. "They are easily accused of supporting the Tamil Tigers guerrilla movement. The 1998 Emergency Law allows security forces to arrest anyone suspected of maintaining relations with this banned separatist organisation. But how can anyone work in the north and east of the country without having contacts with the Tamil Tigers, who are everywhere?" the RSF report said.
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CWC supports self-determination demand -Thondaman

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 April 2002, 14:42 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) have come to an understanding to work together for the resolution of the Tamil national question", said Mr.Arumugam Thondaman, a UNF government minister Sunday. Mr.Thondaman, CWC leader met reporters at the Katunayake International Airport lounge Sunday afternoon on his return from LTTE held town of Killinochchi in the Vanni region.
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AG orders the release of Katunayake attack suspects

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2002, 17:36 GMT]
The Attorney General has directed the Negombo Magistrate to release all the thirty-two Tamils arrested and remanded in connection with the attack on Sri Lanka Air Force head quarters at Katunayake on July 24 last year. All the suspects have been detained at Kalutara prisons under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
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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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Search operation in Tamil suburb

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 13:28 GMT]
All private boarding houses and lodges in the Wellawatte police area were searched by special police teams Wednesday night. All inmates were closely questioned and documents in their possession were thoroughly examined. The search operation, which commenced around 9 p.m. ended by midnight, Wellawatte police sources said. Wellawatte is a Tamil dominated suburb in the southern sector of Colombo city.
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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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World Teachers urge President to expedite peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 August 2001, 15:16 GMT]
The World Teachers' Conference held under the auspices of the Education International (EI) at Jimstil City in Thailand, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Sri Lankan President to "expedite the Norwegian brokered peace process to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic problem." Over 2000 delegates from 150 countries representing 310 teachers' trade unions in the world attended the conference, according to Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) who returned home from Thailand Tuesday evening.
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President requests opposition support

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 July 2001, 05:43 GMT]
The appeal by President Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday night over the state television to opposition parties including United National Party "to put aside all political and other petty differences and join her government to rebuild the nation" has received mixed responses in political circles. UNP sources said, "if the government needs the co-operation of opposition at this critical juncture, it should prove its bona fide by reconvening the prorogued parliament and cancelling the 'mock' referendum".
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Opposition slams government over attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 22:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reconvene the prorogued parliament immediately. Both parties made this appeal in the wake of Liberation Tigers’ dawn attack on Katunayake airbase in the early hours of Tuesday morning. " The government is in breach of its duty to protect Katunayake international airport," said the UNP leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, addressing a press conference Tuesday evening.
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Tension after dawn raid

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 08:47 GMT]
Thirteen air crafts including two Kfir jet fighters, one MI-24 Helicopter gun ship and one MIG-27- jet fighter were destroyed in the predawn attack on the Katunayake air base, about 35 km. north of Colombo, by members of the Liberation Tigers, according to official military sources in Colombo.
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Katunayake shut after attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 00:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s only international airport, Katunayake ,was closed by the military early morning Tuesday after air force planes at an adjoining airbase came under attack from suspected members of the Liberation Tigers, officials said. A number of aircraft were on fire, they said. Fuel dumps in the base were also ablaze, they added.A number of the Sri Lanka Air Force’s Israeli made Kfir and Mig-27 jet bombers are stationed at the airbase. Military sources said six aircraft were ablaze, but could not confirm the types.
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Deportation issue raised with German Envoy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2000, 18:50 GMT]
Batticaloa District Member of Parliament, Mr. Selvarajah, has appealed to the German Envoy in Colombo not to deport Sri Lankan Tamils who have sought asylum in Germany as it would endanger their lives in the hands of Sri Lanka security forces, said sources in Colombo.
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Deported Tamils taken into police custody

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 March 2000, 20:26 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police took two Jaffna Tamils deported from Germany into custody at Katunayake International Airport. State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in its night news bulletin today said that two key Tamil Tigers who had been raising funds for the LTTE in Germany were taken into custody by the CID at Katunayake International Airport.
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No LTTE link to German aircraft - Police

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 March 2000, 20:21 GMT]
The production of a two seater aircraft by a German citizen at Negombo had no links with the Liberation Tigers, according to Sri Lankan Police sources. Quoting the Negombo Police, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in its night news bulletin said that a German millionaire was taken into custody and later released on surety bail by Negombo Magistrate today.
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SLA flies casualties to Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 December 1999, 18:22 GMT]
Sri Lankan security sources in Jaffna today told TamilNet that over 150 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been killed in the heavy fighting with the Liberation Tigers around the SLA base complex at Elephant Pass. The bodies of 60 SLA soldiers have been flown to Colombo the sources said.
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SLA reinforces Elephant Pass

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 December 1999, 15:00 GMT]
Conflicting reports of heavy fighting in the Elephant Pass area continued to emanate today. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said it had repulsed a major assault by the Liberation Tigers on its defences there, but the Tamil Eelam Vanoli (radio) monitored in Jaffna reported LTTE forces advancing in the region. The LTTE has not commented on the reports.
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Large cocaine shipment seized

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 January 1999, 17:55 GMT]
A passenger on an Air Lanka Flight from Trivendram in India, arriving at Katunayake Air Port was taken into custody by customs when he was detected trying to smuggle in 4 * kgms of cocaine. Customs officials said that the smuggled drugs was concealed in the false bottom of one of his bags.
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Grenade blast at Katunayake

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 November 1998, 00:05 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) trooper guarding the runway at Colombo's Katunayake International Airport accidentally fired a rocket-propelled grenade at around 9.00 a.m., shortly before the plane carrying the British Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett landed.
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Tight security around SAARC conference

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Security in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo will be further tightened in view of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference which begins on July 29, said sources.
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