Governor passes verdict on the market

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 22:18 GMT]
(News Feature) Hopes that the impasse over the opening of the new Trincomalee market might be resolved by the recently appointed North-eastern Province Governor, Maj.Gen..Asoka Jayawardana, were dashed today. The market was built by the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC). The project ran into problems when it was obstructed by senior Army officials and other Sri Lanka Government servants.
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ACTC Leader to be questioned again

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 22:14 GMT]
The CID's interrogation of Mr.Kumar Ponnambalam was concluded at 7.45 p.m. this evening, said Sri Lankan Police sources in Colombo. The ACTC leader will be questioned again next Wednesday, January 20, they said.
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CID interrogates Ponnampalam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 12:50 GMT]
Mr.Kumar Ponnambalam, the general secretary of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), is being interrogated at his residence by sleuths from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that he is a self proclaimed supporter of the Liberation Tigers.
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Government must negotiate - TULF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 12:47 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Parliamentarian for the Batticaloa district, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, said that the denial of the legitimate rights of the Tamil people by Sri Lankan Governments has resulted in the current upsurge of violence on the island.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 00:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka sets aside jobs and school places for relatives of members of its security forces as telecom workers strike over assault on Union leader.
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Jaffna curfew to be relaxed tomorrow

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 January 1999, 17:39 GMT]
The Sri Lankan security forces headquarters in Jaffna said today in a communiqué that it will relax the daily curfew in the peninsula for the Tamil harvest festival of Thaipongal tomorrow, January 14 and on Friday, January 15.
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Arrest warrant for MP issued

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 January 1999, 15:14 GMT]
The Puttalam district court issued an arrest warrant today on a ruling party Member of Parliament for not appearing before it in connection with three cases against him on several occasions. The People's Alliance (PA) MP for Puttlalam Mr.D.M Dissanayaka has been accused in many cases involving violence and arson.
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EPDP complains to Harassment Committee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 January 1999, 11:16 GMT]
The leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Mr. Devananda, informed the Anti-Harassment Committee that Government Forces should be able to identify themselves and that their vehicles should carry registration numbers when conducting search operations in the capitol Colombo.
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TELO councillor killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 January 1999, 17:58 GMT]
A member of the Valvettithurai Town Council, representing Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Mr. Jacob Anthony, was shot dead in Nelliyadi, this evening around 7.30 said sources.
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Missing remain "unaccounted for" - Amnesty

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 January 1999, 15:19 GMT]
Amnesty International has issued an update to its earlier urgent action appeal over the disappearances of eight people in Vavuniya allegedly after being taken into custody by the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). Amnesty says the missing are still unaccounted for and has added another name to the list.
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Aid distribution politically manipulated

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 January 1999, 20:01 GMT]
Samurdhi appointments have not been given to areas in Batticaloa that are not controlled by the Sri Lankan Government, said sources. They said that 509 appointments were made in 1996 while 189 vacancies remain unfilled.
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Aptitude tests to determine GS promotions?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 1999, 16:25 GMT]
The Minster of Administration and Local Governments, Ratnasree Wickramanayake, has sought advice from the Attorney General (AG) whether promotions of 'Grama Sevakas' (GS) can be based on specially conducted aptitude tests.
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News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 1999, 14:35 GMT]
Rain spoils Vanni relief supply; two fishermen feared killed in Mannar and the death
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Vanni students said facing hardships

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 1999, 01:23 GMT]
The North-Eastern Provincial Council (NEPC) is unable to transport school equipment to the Vanni said the Secretary of the Educational Ministry of the Council. He was speaking at a ceremony held at the Uvarmalai Vivekanantha College in Trincomalee in connection with the inauguration of educational reform there.
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Chemmani cover up suspected

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 January 1999, 20:05 GMT]
Jaffna district judge, A.E Ekanaathan, today told the Sri Lankan Criminial Investigation Division (CID) Superintendant of Police, Nanda Munasinghe, that a soil expert has to examine the site of the alleged mass grave in Chemmani in Jaffna before excavation could begin.
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President warns rumour mongers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 January 1999, 22:21 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunge while addressing a public meeting in Nathandiya today said that the government troops will end this war soon and they would then be allowed to return to their homes.
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Two FACs damaged, 3 sailors killed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 January 1999, 12:32 GMT]
Three Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) sailors were killed and two SLN fast attack craft (FAC) were damaged in the battle yesterday with the Sea Tigers, the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers, in the seas off the Mannar island.
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"SLA must quit temples"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 January 1999, 11:47 GMT]
The Hindu youth organisations of Vadamaradchi and Thenmaradchi sent a memorandum to the Divisional Secretaries (DS) of Pt.Pedro, Palai and Maruthankerni today urging them to take steps to move out the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) that is encamped in the premises of several temples in these parts.
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TULF slams hostile Tamil press

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 January 1999, 23:54 GMT]
"The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has never acted against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We have been asking the Sri Lankan Government to hold talks with them to resolve the conflict. Therefore the LTTE has the moral duty to give us security for us to function with out any hindrance", said Mr. V. Anandasangari, the Vice president of the TULF, at a press conference held at the party's office in Stanley road, Jaffna Sunday (January 3).
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"Presidentship will be abolished"

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 January 1999, 18:14 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President said that she will resolve the ethnic conflict and abolish the executive presidential system before the next elections by bringing about changes somehow to the country's constitution while addressing her first campaign meeting for the northwestern provincial council elections last night in the electorate of Yaapaahuwa, about 100 kilometers northeast of Colombo.
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