Investigators query telecast of censored news

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 May 2000, 06:27 GMT]
Mr. Namal Perera, the news editor of the private TV station TNL was interviewed by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CID) of the Sri Lankan Police last night for putting out a story that had been censored by the Sri Lankan government's competent authority for the media.
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Kaithady SLA base captured - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 May 2000, 16:07 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday they had overrun the strategically important Sri Lanka Army (SLA) base at Kaithady, killing one hundred soldiers and wounding hundreds more and cutting off thousands of SLA troops in the Thenmaradchchi sector.
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Tigers advance on twin fronts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 May 2000, 21:41 GMT]
In a twin fronted assault, the Liberation Tigers have advanced deep into Sri Lanka Army (SLA) held territory in the Jaffna peninsula, the LTTE said Tuesday. Tiger forces have advanced from earlier captured positions into the Chavakachcheri sector and are attacking the SLA base at Kaithady having overrun SLA defences at Navatkuli, the LTTE said in a statement from its London offices. LTTE forces have also smashed SLA defences at Pasaiyur and Kurunagar in the outskirts of Jaffna city, the statement said further.
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All party backing sought for war

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 May 2000, 16:56 GMT]
"The government doesn't intend stopping the war. The Tigers wont be allowed to advance any further in Jaffna" said Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing an all party meeting convened today to discuss the military crisis in the north. A proposal that all parties should unanimously resolve to defeat the Liberation Tigers was objected to by the Tamil United Liberation Front although the President was in agreement with this suggestion of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and the Sinhala Mahasammata Bhoomiputra party.
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Jaffna town deserted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 May 2000, 13:50 GMT]
The Jaffna town was deserted this morning though the curfew imposed by the army was lifted for three hours from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Most of the town's population have moved out to the Waligamam sector, a journalist at a Jaffna daily office contacted by phone this afternoon said. Ex-Tamil militant sources in the town claimed that Sri Lanka Air Force's Israeli Kfir jets heavily bombed the Navatkuly and Thanangkilappu areas this morning.
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Thousands leaving northern town

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 May 2000, 20:18 GMT]
The Jaffna teaching hospital continues to function with all of its staff spokesman for International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr.Harasha Gunawardena, told TamilNet this evening. He said that neither the government nor the Liberation Tigers have so far approached the ICRC about establishing a demilitarized zone comprising the hospital and its immediate environs.
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Tigers prepare final assault

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 May 2000, 17:11 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Friday they were preparing for "the final push" into Jaffna city. Heavily armed LTTE troops have moved from the Vanni into the newly captured areas for this purpose amid panic and confusion amongst the defending Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops, the Tigers said in a statement from their London offices, adding that civilians were leaving the northern city despite an SLA-imposed curfew.
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Fresh advances in Jaffna town -LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 May 2000, 16:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have advanced close to Jaffna city centre as their offensive in the northern peninsula continues, the LTTE said Thursday. The Tigers have also overrun two key Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bases at Kovilakandy and Thanankillappu in another prong of their operation, the organisation said in a statement from its London offices.
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New advances in Jaffna -LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 May 2000, 19:38 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday they are advancing into the Navatkuli, Ariyalai and Thanankillapu areas in the outskirts of Jaffna town, following fierce fighting with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). A 2km stretch of the A9 highway, inclusive of the Navatkuli bridge, had come under the LTTE's control, the organisation said in a press release from its London offices Wednesday night. LTTE troops have also advanced 2km into the Thanankillapu area and occupied Maniyanthoddan in the Ariyalai sector, the statement said.
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Strategic bridge captured - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 May 2000, 10:15 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday their commando units had taken control of a section of the strategic Navatkuli bridge, cutting off the A9 highway. Heavy fighting was continuing in the area, the LTTE said in a statement released from its London offices.
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Fighting erupts again in Kilali

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 May 2000, 17:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army base in Kilali is being attacked by the Liberation Tigers from 5.30 a.m. this morning Tamil media reports in Europe quoting Voice of Tigers radio said Tuesday. The Tigers in Jaffna have announced that Operation Unceasing Waves III has resumed the reports said. Meanwhile a statement by the Sri Lankan government's Media Centre said that there was a heavy assault this morning on SLA positions north of Pallai.
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UNP wants army de-politicized

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2000, 20:43 GMT]
The United National Party today decided to oppose the monthly extension of the Emergency in Parliament on May 10. Generally the UNP is not present in Parliament when the extension of the Emergency comes up for voting. The party also claimed that the need of hour is to de-politicize the security forces.
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Chandrika says will win war soon

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2000, 20:40 GMT]
"The government has decided to win the war as soon as possible" said the Sri Lankan President today in an address to the nation. She claimed that the draconian regulations promulgated by her government last week under the Public Security Ordinance was only a temporary measure and would be put into effect only in extreme situations.
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SLA dismisses ceasefire offer

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2000, 11:36 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army totally rejected the ceasefire offer by the Liberation Tigers today. An officer at the operational headquarters of the Ministry of defence said this afternoon that the SLA will fight to the last man to defend Jaffna. An official release stating the government's position would be out later this afternoon he said.
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LTTE offers cease-fire for safe withdrawal

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2000, 09:35 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Monday that they are prepared to declare a temporary cease-fire to allow the Sri Lanka Army troops in the northern Jaffna peninsula to withdraw safely. In a statement from its London offices, the LTTE said its offer was "gesture of goodwill" to prevent further bloodshed and "to create a congenial environment" for the SLA "to withdraw from the unfavourable theatre of war with dignity and honour".
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President briefs PLOTE, EPDP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 May 2000, 18:44 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President briefed the leaders of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) this evening about the war situation in Jaffna and the state of the talks between the government and the opposition on reaching a consensus on the constitutional reform package. She told them she hopes for a lot of assistance from India to deal with the crisis in the north.
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UNP protest blocked

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 May 2000, 18:16 GMT]
A group of about thirty United National Party MPs were blocked by the Sri Lankan Police from staging a protest this morning at Independent Square near down town Colombo against the promulgation of the draconian regulations under the Public Security Ordinance.
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Censorship seen heralding authoritarian rule

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 May 2000, 09:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's new censorship laws will lead to an authoritarian rule in the country, a press freedom organization said Friday. The Free Media Movement said the government was using Sri Lanka's ongoing conflict as a cover for its "repressive political project".
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Police investigate EU media seminar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 May 2000, 20:34 GMT]
The Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) of the Sri Lankan Police questioned today a senior Tamil journalist regarding a seminar sponsored by the European Union (EU) in Batticaloa last month. The CSU interrogated Mr.R.Thurairatnman, the Batticaloa correspondent for the Tamil daily Thinakaran, the Daily News and the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation, and recorded a statement from him this afternoon regarding the participants and purpose of the EU sponsored seminar.
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SLA bodies transfer tomorrow -ICRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 May 2000, 16:01 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the Liberation Tigers had got in touch with its delegation in the Vanni this evening about handing over the bodies of the Sri Lanka army soldiers who were killed in the fighting yesterday in Pallai and its environs.
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