STF commandos assault doctor

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 March 1999, 15:16 GMT]
Muslims in the eastern town of Natpuddimunai closed shops and boycotted public offices today to protest against the Special Task Force (STF) for severely assaulting a doctor last night. Natpuddimunai is a Muslim majority township near Kalmunai, 40 kilometers south of Batticaloa.
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Plans to settle Sinhalese in Jaffna -Devananda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 1999, 16:46 GMT]
The EPDP leader Douglas Devananda MP charged in Parliament today that the Sri Lankan Security forces are attempting to establish a Sinhala colony on 12 thousand acres of land belonging to Tamil civilians adjacent to the Palaly-Kankesanthurai base complex.
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Paramilitary groups seek role in captured areas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 1999, 12:37 GMT]
Two Tamil paramilitary groups, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) have sought permission from the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) to operate in Irani Iluppankulam, an area which was captured recently by the SLA.
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SLA screens for Tiger activists

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 1999, 08:38 GMT]
There are 15 -25 Liberation Tiger operatives among the population in the Tamil villages captured by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) during 'Operation Rana Gosa' said army spokesman Brig.Sunil Tennekoon today, while addressing the cabinet press briefing at the Parliament this morning. He said that population control measures are under way to detect these Tigers.
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New date set for PC polls

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 1999, 07:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's commissioner of Elections announced this morning that the date for polls to the five provincial councils, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northcentral and Uva provinces, has been postponed to April 6. The Supreme Court directed him on March 9 to postpone the elections, which were earlier fixed for April 1 and announce in two days a new date not later than April 27.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 1999, 11:54 GMT]
Vanni Citizen's Committee Sends memorandum to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan; The Tamil National Movement urges Indian Central Government to lift ban on LTTE; Liberation Tigers report four casualties from the Vanni.
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Women's Day marked in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 1999, 23:51 GMT]
Several hundred Tamil women from various places of the Northeast of the island participated in a cultural procession and a rally in Trincomalee today, organised to celebrate International Women's Day.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 1999, 15:20 GMT]
Over hundred Tamils arrested in Kandy ; Two Sri Lankan Army soldiers were wounded in Jaffna today and One SLA soldier, two Tigers were killed in a clash at Oddusuddan on Saturday.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 1999, 11:54 GMT]
Twelve year old girl escapes rape attempt; Civilian killed in clash; Shot dead youth was a civilian say relatives; Religious leaders plan visit to the Vanni: Tigers say they have recovered the body of a SLA soldier killed in clashes on Satuday.
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Implementation aspects of New Education Reforms questioned

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 1999, 04:20 GMT]
The General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union told central education ministry officials at the second session of the seminar in Trincomalee on the Sri Lankan government's New Education Reforms (NER) this morning that the program for teaching Sinhala to Tamils students and Tamil to Sinhala students recommended by the NER should be put on hold until a settlement to the ethnic conflict is found.
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Oral argument concluded in LTTE vs State Dept.

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 1999, 00:35 GMT]
The oral argument in the case between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Petitioner) and the US Department of State (Respondent) filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit took place on March 5, 1999.
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Police arrests paramilitary leader

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 1999, 13:55 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police arrested a senior cadre of the Razeek group, Arulnayaham Jeyarajah alias Anton, 26, in Batticaloa this afternoon in connection with his alleged involvement in the murder of Kanakasingham Rasathurai, 63, a civilian who had complained to the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) about the illegal activities this special Tamil Sri Lankan army unit.
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"North-east students educational needs ignored"

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 March 1999, 22:59 GMT]
"We are unable to send text books, stationery, uniforms, furniture and equipment to about 100,000 of our children who are in Vanni. How can we have science practicals for G.C.E. A/L or other grade students without science equipment? Can we think of implementing reforms satisfactorily and reducing disparities and bringing about equality of opportunity under these conditions" said Mr.Sundaram Divakalala secretary to the North-eastern provincial Ministry of Education.
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Fishermen's beach frolic earns 'punk' hair-cut

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 March 1999, 22:03 GMT]
Fifteen fisherman were carousing on the Panichchangkerni beach last Wednesday night after a hard day's work, pulling in the seine nets and sorting the meagre catch. Panichchangkerni is a Tamil hamlet 53 kilometers north of Batticaloa, picturesquely located between the a lagoon and the sea coast.
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Northeast bureaucracy re-organised

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 March 1999, 22:50 GMT]
The Governor of the North-eastern Province said today that he will reactivate and chair the Provincial Planning Council (PPC) that was defunct following the dissolution of the elected North-eastern Provincial council NEPC) in 1990. The PPC was chaired by the chief minister in 1988-90.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 March 1999, 22:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army says three Tigers killed in a confrontation in the Elephant Pass area; School principle in Kalutara blames authorities for discriminating against Tamil medium schools; Three injured at UNP rally.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 March 1999, 14:28 GMT]
Security tightens around alleged Chemmani mass grave; Sri Lankan Army orders Tamil groups to not to drive vehicles with tinted glass; Night time curfew imposed in Mannar; Malaria on increase in the Vanni; Two policemen wounded in grenade attack.
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US Caucus meets on human rights in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 March 1999, 10:37 GMT]
The US Congressional Human Rights Caucus members briefing on "Human Rights Developments in Sri Lanka" took place on March 2 at Rayburn House. It was attended by officials from the US State department, UNHCR, Amnesty International and other non governmental organisations.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 1999, 09:46 GMT]
The VoT said that eight Liberation Tigers and one of its supporter died in Mankulam; Explosion damages railway wagon in Colombo; The Sri Lankan Army warns paramilitary group, the PLOTE against extorting money from businessmen.
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World Bank funds North-East development project

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 March 1999, 16:18 GMT]
Local government officials are awaiting security clearance from the Ministry of Defence to sign an agreement with the World Bank to implement a four year programme, known as the North East Irrigated Agricultural Project(NEIAP). This project will be funded by the World Bank.
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