Opposition seeks letters to LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 1999, 13:18 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing an election rally yesterday, urged the President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reveal details of government's correspondence with the Liberation Tigers.
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Day of mourning to remember Madhu victims

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 1999, 04:53 GMT]
The All Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) has appealed to all students, teachers and principals in the north-east province to observe December 1st (Wednesday) as a day of mourning, in rememberance of those innocent civilians killed in the recent attack on the Madhu church.
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TULF MP urges Government to accept talk offer

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 1999, 04:50 GMT]
The Parliamentary group leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Mr Joseph Pararajasingam, has appealed to the Sri Lankan government to accept the invitation of the Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr.Velupillai Pirapaharan and to initiate talks immediately with him through third party mediation, without putting forward any pre-conditions.
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Jaffna Catholics appeal to UN, Pope

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 1999, 04:49 GMT]
The Catholics of the Diocese of Jaffna have appealed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and His Holiness, Pope John Paul 11, to persuade the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam to call off the war with immediate effect and commence negotiations.
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Anton Balasingham addresses London Heroes Day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 1999, 19:12 GMT]
Anton Balasingham, the Liberation Tigers political advisor, addressed the Heroes Day function in London Saturday, his first public appearance since his arrival in the United Kingdom earlier this year. In a spirited and humorous hour long speech, Balasingham emphasised the need for mediation to settle the conflict in Sri Lanka and spoke of the developed strength of the LTTE.
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“Sri Lanka must end oppression for peace” - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 1999, 13:19 GMT]
Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in his annual Heroes’ Day message, called upon the Sri Lanka government to “de-escalate the armed conflict by ending military aggression and occupation of the Tamil homeland and initiate peace talks under conditions of normalcy for a negotiated political settlement of the Tamil conflict”.
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Tamil editors questioned over Madhu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 1999, 22:19 GMT]
The chief editor, Mr.A.Sivanesachelvan, and sub editor, Mr.T.Sivaganeshan, of the widely circulated Tamil language daily, 'Thinakkural', who were taken in for interrogation by officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo were released around 10 p.m. this evening after nearly 5 hours of questioning, said sources.
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Police interrogate Tamil daily editor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 1999, 09:18 GMT]
The editor of the widely circulated Tamil daily published in Colombo, A.Sivanesachelvan, has been summoned for an interrogation at the Head Quarters of the Criminal Investigation Department around 2 p.m. this afternoon said sources.
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Tigers say Thallady forward defence overrun

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 1999, 07:04 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said this afternoon they captured a key forward defence locality of the strategic Thallady base on the island's northwestern coast. The defences of the Sri Lankan army (SLA) in Seththukkulam were overrun by the fighting units of the Tigers which have been advancing towards the Thallady base and the Mannar- Vavuniya highway in the latest phase of Operation Unceasing Waves III, according to a special news update by the Voice of Tigers this noon.
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SLA activity in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 1999, 09:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops began pouring in large numbers into Mannar town today residents said. The town, on Mannar island, remains tense according to them. The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its special broadcasts today that heavy fighting continued in the Manthai area as the LTTE's fighting units pressed on with their offensive.
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Madhu victims’ bodies recovered

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 1999, 00:28 GMT]
The bodies of 37 civilians who were killed at the Madhu Church Saturday night were brought to the Mannar hospital Sunday evening around 6 p.m., said sources. The Mannar Magistrate, Mr.Ilancheliyan, inspected the bodies at the hospital, they said.
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“Human shields” at Madhu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 1999, 13:14 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Sunday denied Sri Lanka Army (SLA) accusations that they had killed scores of Tamil civilians by shelling the revered Catholic shrine at Madhu. The LTTE said SLA troops had shelled the church and used refugees sheltering there as human shields. The Tigers called on international NGOs to prevail upon the Sri Lankan military and halt this practice.
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Rush to establish Interim Council

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 1999, 16:43 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government asked parties which have representatives from the North-eastern province in Parliament to send in their list of nominees for an Interim Council. The letter requesting parties to propose 3-5 persons each for membership in the council, before November 25 has been sent out by the Ministry of Provincial Councils.
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Hundreds of casualties in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 19:23 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) suffered hundreds of casualties when the Liberation Tigers captured several SLA camps on the strategic land route between Vavuniya town and Vidathaltivu on the western coast, the LTTE said in a press release today. The Tigers lost 10 fighters, the statement said.
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Madhu said captured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 14:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers captured Madhu town in the Mannar district this afternoon according to sources in Vavuniya town today. The Liberation Tigers however did not say they had taken control of Madhu in a state released earlier today, but said the Catholic pilgrimage town was surrounded.
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Tigers resume offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 12:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said in a press release today their forces had overrun the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) base at Palampitty and Peria Madu as the LTTE resumed their offensive in the Mannar district.
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Civilians return to Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 1999, 10:51 GMT]
Deserted Vavuniya town is becoming alive after about a week as thousands of residents have begun to trickle into the town from adjoining villages from this morning sources said.
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Refugees prevented from leaving Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 16:04 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army in Vavuniya is preventing Tamil civilians living in refugee camps close to SLA camps from leaving the northern town, said the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in a report submitted to the Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunge today. In addition no food supplies have been distributed to the displaced since they left, or allowed into the Vanni since November 1, the report said.
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SLA blocks civilians' dry rations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 11:24 GMT]
The Sri Lankan military authorities have told the government officials in Vavuniya not to provide dry rations to thousand of civilians moved from the town last week, Kachcheri sources said.
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CTTU strike planned

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 1999, 07:23 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) has alerted its members in the north-east province to be prepared to stage a one-day token strike on January 7 next year, putting forward the nine demands which have not been met by the education authorities, so far.
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