President supports Sports Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2000, 21:47 GMT]
In a significant reiteration of the controversial statement by Minister for Sports, Mr.S.B.Dissanayaka, President Chandrika Kumaratunga Bandaranaike said that her government would place its proposals for constitutional change before Parliament even if it cannot secure the two thirds majority needed to ratify new system.
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Fishy demands irk coastal folk

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2000, 11:01 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army arrested and detained twenty men from Nainamunai, a settlement of fishing families on the southeastern coast of Jaffna, this morning. Local residents alleged that this was punitive action by the SLA in the area, angered by their refusal to let soldiers take part of the day's catch free.
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Ketheeswaram in disrepair says MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2000, 21:13 GMT]
The group of Tamil devotees from the Sri Lanka's capital who went to observe the Saivite festival of Maha Sivarathiri at the ancient Shiva temple at Thiruketheesawaram occupied by the Sri Lankan army until last Friday returned to Colombo today with reports that the shrine was in disrepair and its sanctity had been defiled.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2000, 18:34 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers hand over the body of a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Women raped by Muslim extremists in Eravur and Youth injured in STF firing.
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Chemmani arrest order faxed to CID

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2000, 16:33 GMT]
Orders to arrest the Sri Lankan army personnel who were named as suspects in the murder of Tamil civilians in Jaffna were faxed to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Police in Colombo today from Mannar by the judge of the special courts hearing the case to prevent further delay in the legal proceedings.
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Withdraw Hinduism text: CTTU

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 March 2000, 20:07 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union has requested the Minister of Education and Higher Education to withdraw the Year 2 textbook for the subject Hinduism as it contained several factual errors, hurting the feelings of Hindus in the country.
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Buddhist lobby scuttles Trinco's Ayur hospital

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2000, 09:59 GMT]
The construction work on the first district Siddha Ayurvedhic hospital of the Northeastern province has been blocked by the Government Agent of Trincomalee due pressure from Buddhist organisations Tamil political party sources in the eastern town said today.
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Youth shot dead

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2000, 09:30 GMT]
A youth was shot dead by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers during a search operation in Allarai, a village in the Thenmaradchi Division on the Jaffna Peninsula, this morning, said sources.
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Deteriorating state of Tamil medium education

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2000, 06:58 GMT]
"The Tamil medium education can be safeguarded only if full authority to administer educational affairs is given to the North-East officials, after finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict," said Mr.T.Mahasivam, Secretary of Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU), at the weekly meeting of Trincomalee Rotary Club held on the 2nd of March.
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UNP raises another objection

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2000, 15:32 GMT]
The Parliamentary group of the United National Party (UNP) resolved today to oppose the PA government's proposals for constitutional change on grounds of procedure.
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SLA officer escapes suicide attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2000, 07:42 GMT]
22-1 Brigade Commander, Colonel Piyal Abeyasekara, escaped with minor injuries in a suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the heart of Trincomalee town around 10.45 a.m. this morning. One SLA soldier was killed and two others were wounded in the attack security sources said.
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First Tamil E-Zine from Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2000, 04:27 GMT]
The inauguration ceremony for the first internet-based Tamil magazine "Sooriyan.com," to be published weekly under the editorship of Poopalapillai Seevakan, took place at Sugathadasa Sports Hotel, Colombo, yesterday afternoon.
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ICRC to take bodies from Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 February 2000, 20:42 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross will take the bodies of two Liberation Tigers killed this morning in a confrontation with the Sri Lanka army at Iyakkachchi, across the Jaffna lagoon to the Vanni mainland early morning tomorrow.
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38 detainees held in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 February 2000, 18:07 GMT]
Thirty eight persons including, 4 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are held in the custody of the Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) and Military Intelligence, in Vavuniya, said Human Rights Commission sources.
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Peace march in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 February 2000, 11:21 GMT]
A peace march and rally was held today in Batticaloa town, urging the Government to ban all Sinhala chauvinist organizations opposing talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, initiated by Norway.
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Call to remove rigid limits on Travel Permits

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 February 2000, 07:24 GMT]
Peoples Committee for Peace and Reconciliation, a grass root organization in Jaffna, has requested the Brigadier in-charge of civil administration of Jaffna district, T.E. Tillekeratna, to extend the validity of travel permits issued to Tamils travelling to other districts, to one year, said sources.
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LTTE calls for De-escalation of conflict as necessary condition for peace talks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 February 2000, 09:13 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has urged the Government of Sri Lanka to take constructive measures to remove the conditions of oppression of the Tamil people to create conducive atmosphere for peace talks.
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Attacks prompt Pettah traders to close shop

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 February 2000, 07:41 GMT]
Pettah business establishments owned by importers of perishable goods were closed on Friday to protest against the 'quota' system on import of onions and potatoes, imposed by some businessmen with connections to underworld criminal gangs, sources in Colombo said.
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Villagers protest over SLN retaliation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 February 2000, 08:18 GMT]
More than one thousand Tamil people, men, women and children, of Salli in the Trincomalee District are picketing from 7.30 a.m. today, demanding that they should be provided security for their lives and properties from armed forces. The protestors have blocked the Uppuveli-Kuchcheveli road at Pillaikulam bridge.
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Retaliation for SLN death

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 February 2000, 14:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces burnt down 8 houses belonging to Tamil civilians in Salli, in the Trincomalee District, in retaliation for an attack on the Sri Lanka Navy personnel last night, villagers said.
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