News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 January 2000, 16:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Red Cross officials are charged under Prevention of Terrorism Act, the leader of the Sinhala Veera Vithana sues Associated Newspapers and the Lanka Muditha docks in Trincomalee.
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Youth killed by New year gunfire

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 January 2000, 10:41 GMT]
A 18 year-old Tamil youth, Rasalingam Sooriyaprabakaran, who sustained injuries in Batticaloa, when the Police and the Army opened fire to celebrate the dawn of the new Millenium, died at Colombo National Hospital on Sunday morning, medical sources said.
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Clash in Jaffna Lagoon

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 1999, 15:07 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Naval boat was sunk and three other boats were damaged in a sea battle between the Liberation Tigers and a commando unit of the Sri Lanka (SLN) in the Jaffna Lagoon, around 9.30 a.m. yesterday morning, the Tamil Eelam Vaanoli, the Commercial Service of the VoT radio said this evening.
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Fate of half Jaffna's missing unknown: NHRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 1999, 12:54 GMT]
The fate of about 50 percent of the 147 persons, who were reported missing to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the Jaffna Dsitrict, in 1999,are not known, according to human rights sources in the northern town.
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Investigate gangrape/murder of young mother: President

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 1999, 12:57 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has told the Defence Secretary to conduct an investigation into rape and murder of a young mother, allegedly by the security forces, said sources in Colombo.
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Umayaalpuram camp under siege - radio

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 December 1999, 14:16 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have overrun sections of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) base at Umayaalpuram situated south of the main SLA base at Elephant Pass said the Tamileelam Vaanoli, the commercial service of the Voice of Tigers (VoT) this evening.
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New Tamil group mooted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 December 1999, 16:43 GMT]
A new political group comprising north, east and upcountry Tamils is likely to be formed, political circles said.
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Sri Lanka denies Paranthan loss

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 11:22 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) today denied the southern defences of its base complex at Elephant Pass had been overrun by the Liberation Tigers and said "the claim is part of the LTTE disinformation campaign to deceive the local and international community."
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Elections 'most fraudulent ever' - UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 14:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Presidential elections held last Tuesday were the most fraudulent in the history of the country, declared Mr . Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) today at a press conference.
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'General' rigging in Jaffna claimed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 10:55 GMT]
The large number of votes garnered by fringe and extremist Sinhala political parties based in the south in the presidential polls held in Jaffna, indicated general rigging had been conducted, officials in the northern town said Wednesday.
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Kumaratunge vows relentless battle against 'hatred'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 1999, 15:52 GMT]
(NEWS FEATURE) Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, after being sworn in as Sri Lanka's fifth Executive President this afternoon at her official residence Temple Trees before the Chief Justice, vowed to "rid this land of death and destruction." Political commentators said it indicated her speech heralded a stronger effort to defeat the Liberation Tigers militarily.
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Tigers step up Elephant Pass assault

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 1999, 12:04 GMT]
Heavy fighting close to the southern defences of the Elephant Pass base complex was reported today as the Liberation Tigers pressed on with their assault on the northern garrison.
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Kandy voters intimidated, fail to vote

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 19:09 GMT]
Independent elections observers monitoring the Presidential polls today said that Tamils in Aniwatte and Mahaiyyawa in Kandy were threatened and prevented from voting today by supporters of the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) party.
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Low voter turnout fuels malpractice in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 12:01 GMT]
Tamil voters living in the LTTE held areas of the eastern province have failed to show much interest in exercising their votes in today's presidential election TamilNet correspondents in the region said. As a result widespread impersonation is taking place in some areas, they say.
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Elephant Pass southern defence lines collapse -LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 11:39 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have begun a concerted artillery attack today on the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) central base camp at the Elephant Pass after overrunning two more military bases in the area between Paranthan and Elephant Pass, the LTTE said in statement today.
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Batticaloa voters seen favouring UNP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 10:00 GMT]
As voting continues in the eastern Batticaloa district, TamilNet correspondents there say voters' sentiments favour Sri Lanka's opposition United National Party (UNP).
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Voting said smooth, sporadic incidents

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 09:02 GMT]
Polling this morning was reported to be trouble-free in most parts of the island where elections are being held, with independent monitors reporting isolated incidents of violence. According to Additional Commissioner of Elections a voter turn out of 40 percent had been recorded by noon today.
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Batticaloa voters cross defence lines

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 1999, 08:59 GMT]
Large number of people turned out for polling from morning in the Muslim areas of the Batticaloa district while polling was steady in the Tamil areas said TamilNet correspondents in the region.
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Amnesty condemns rally attacks

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 20:22 GMT]
Amnesty International, the London based human rights group Monday condemned last Saturday's attacks on two political rallies in and near Colombo in which at least 25 civilians were killed. The attacks, within hours of each other, took place at the rally of the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) and that of the opposition United National Party (UNP).
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Prayers for President's recovery

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 December 1999, 15:55 GMT]
Three Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG) of police were among those wounded in the bomb blast at People's Alliance (PA) rally in Colombo on Saturday night in which 24 people were killed, police sources said. DIG, Colombo District, T.N.de Silva was killed in the blast. Meanwhile prayers were said for the recovery President Chandrika Kumaratunge, who was wounded in the blast.
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