Tamil groups asked to leave politics

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 23:16 GMT]
A group of leading Jaffna traders have urged the TULF and the EPDP to keep away from politics until Sri Lanka's ruling PA reaches an agreement with the Liberation Tigers about an acceptable settlement to the island's ethnic conflict.
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Special Forces commandos wounded in Vavuniya blast

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 06:54 GMT]
(Correction) Seven Special Forces (SF) commandos of the Sri Lanka Army were wounded this noon around 11.50 a.m. near Vavuniya town when the truck in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore mine.
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PLOTE member shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 16:46 GMT]
K.Uthayakumar alias Kannadikumar, 38, a senior member of the PLOTE military wing was shot dead around 7.30 p.m. this evening by an unidentified gunman near his house in Kovilkulam, a suburb of Vavuniya.
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CID seeks SLA evidence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 11:00 GMT]
Mannar District Courts Judge M, Ilancheliyan Tuesday ordered the commanders of 21-2 Brigade in Mannar and 21-1 Brigade in Vavuniya to hand over any evidence connected to the suspects in the murder of Ida Hamilitta, to the CID officials who are now in charge of the case.
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LTTE agrees Vanni access point

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 1999, 23:40 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are agreeable to setting up a demilitarised zone on the A9 highway near Mankulam between the present forward defences of the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), said an official of the LTTE in London who was contacted by TamilNet tonight with regards to the SLA's latest proposals for an access route.
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EPDP to boycott Parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 1999, 13:07 GMT]
The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) said today that it will boycott Parliament until the PA government meets its demands. The Tamil group has nine MPs in the Sri Lankan legislature. Two seats, however, remain vacant currently due to a case pending in the courts.
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Muslims to oppose new province

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 1999, 11:44 GMT]
Muslims outside the Ampara district have reacted strongly to the proposal for a south east province made by Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader, MR. M.H.M.Ashroff and organized a petition against it.
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Eight Tamils arrested during tight security

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 19:17 GMT]
Eight Tamils from the upcountry were arrested yesterday by the Sri Lankan police at the Yattinuwara Pattumawatta lane at Alimudakku, Kandy.
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Residents object to name change

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 19:14 GMT]
The Tamil residents of Maskelia have expressed their objections to an attempt to change the name of a Tamil village, Samimalai, to a Sinhala name, "Nisanka Uyanne."
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Buddhist Union opposes devolution

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 14:14 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government should not implement any power sharing before wiping out terrorism in the country, said the Union of Buddhist organisations at a meeting yesterday. The union decided to campaign to bring pressure on the Sri Lankan government to prosecute the war, say sources.
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Colombo students demonstrate

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 1999, 12:11 GMT]
Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala students of the Art faculty of Colombo University have been jointly staging a demonstration in front of their faculty today, demanding the Sri Lankan government take steps to hold GCE examinations in the Vanni, when schools elsewhere sit for papers.
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'SLA used civilians as human shield'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 18:16 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in a statement issued today said that they had thwarted an attempt yesterday by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to advance using civilians as a human shield through the SLA forward defence lines at Moondumurippu-Nattaangkandal.
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Amnesty condemns Thiruchelvam killing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 16:50 GMT]
The London based human rights organisation, Amnesty International, strongly condemned the assassination of Neelan Thiruchelvam today by a suicide bomber in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, and paid tribute to him as "a politician who contributed greatly to his country".
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Teachers and students protest in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 16:50 GMT]
Several teaching uniouns picketed outside the Education Zonal offices in Vavuniya today demanding full payment of risk allowance and the balance of salary arrears for shool principals.
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ICRC 'not involved in convoy crossing'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:58 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was at no stage involved in the organisation or escort of the convoy which transported the Vanni residents who have been stranded in Vavuniya since last month due to the closure of the access route to the areas held by the Liberation Tigers said the organisation's spokesman in Colombo, Mr.Harasha Gunawardena this afternoon.
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Attacker's accomplice still at large - Police

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:47 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police sources in Colombo said that they are yet to apprehend the accomplice of the suicide bomber who killed Dr.Neelan Thiruchelvam MP at the Kynsey Road-Ward Place junction in the Colombo suburb of Borella this morning at around 9.a.m.
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Jaffna doctors warn of critical drugs shortage

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:46 GMT]
Medical officials in Jaffna warned that a tragic situation could develop in the peninsula due to the shortage of drugs.
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Teachers plan further protests

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 10:39 GMT]
Northeast province teachers and principals continued their action against what they as a discriminatory pay award for the third day running today.
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Teachers vow to continue protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 1999, 19:14 GMT]
The seven teaching unions decided to continue their picketing campaignuntilall teachers and principals in North east province are paid risk allowanceand salary arrears if full.
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Tamil groups appeal to President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 1999, 11:38 GMT]
Six Tamil parties in Colombo resolved today to appeal to the Sri Lankan President to take action to avert the crisis in the Vanni.
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