No increase in flights to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 August 1998, 17:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence (MoD) told the Anti-Harassment Committee today that it cannot increase the number of civilian flights to the northern Jaffna peninsula to help ease the hardships faced by travellers in securing seats.
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SLA operation in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 August 1998, 17:39 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) launched an operation code named Ran Handa (Golden Voice) in Mutur, in the southern part of Trincomalee, this morning. Troops from the SLA's base in the large interior Tamil village of Kattaiparichchan south east of Mutur moved into Samboor three kilometers further east in the same region.
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Tamil family from Canada arrested

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 August 1998, 13:03 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police arrested a Tamil family from Canada this morning in the island's northwestern town of Puttalam, allegedly for video photographing the telecommunications tower in the area.
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LTTE's US Court hearing scheduled

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 August 1998, 03:20 GMT]
The briefing schedule for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit case between Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Petitioner) and the US Department of State (Respondent) has been set according to legal sources close to the case. The 'merits panel' comprising of Judges Hon. Steven F. Williams, Hon. A. Raymond Randolph and Hon. James L. Buckley will preside the case.
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G.L Pieris to hold meeting with Tamil groups

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 August 1998, 18:52 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government's Minister for Constitutional Affairs Prof. G.L Pieris will hold a meeting with all the non-LTTE groups on September 10 to discuss the issues which are delaying the implementation of PA's devolution package, said sources close to the Minister today.
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Fuel restrictions affect civilians - Delegation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 August 1998, 14:03 GMT]
A large delegation representing various organizations in Vavuniya met the SLA's commander for the district Brigadier Seevali Wanigasekera this afternoon to discuss the question of the severe restrictions on fuel imposed in the region by the Sri Lankan government (SLG).
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Jaffna robbers using army uniforms

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 August 1998, 19:09 GMT]
The SLA in Jaffna said that it has caught two robbers who were looting a house around 6.30 a.m. in the morning yesterday. The SLA said that the robbers were civilians dressed in army uniforms. The army statement said that investigations are underway.
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Unconditional talks, within unitary state

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 August 1998, 18:49 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition party Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Jaffna weekly Sanjeevi in an extensive interview published in the paper today that his party, the UNP, is prepared to hold unconditional talks with the Liberation Tigers if it comes to power.
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Civilians caught in retaliatory shelling

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 August 1998, 18:42 GMT]
Two infants, aged one and two years, were killed and seven people were injured when the Special Task Force (STF) based at the Kalavanchikudi camp, shelled the villages of Poraitheevu, Munaitheevu and Palukamam, 20 km south-west of Batticaloa, on Thursday around 8:00 p.m., said sources in Batticaloa. The mother of dead infants was among the injured.
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Journalist abducted on Gale Road

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 August 1998, 10:53 GMT]
A prominent journalist and author, Mr. Mathusoothanan, is reported to have been abducted by unidentified persons on August 26 at around 6.00 p.m. The incident happened while he was walking along the Gale road in Bampalapittiye with his two friends, Dr. Arasu and Dr.Rasanayagam, both visiting professors from Tamil Nadu.
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Amnesty concern for prisoner's safety

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 August 1998, 01:15 GMT]
Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog has expressed concern for the safety of former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse, the soldier who revealed the existence of mass graves in Jaffna.
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Two soldiers surrender

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 August 1998, 01:12 GMT]
Two soldiers from the Vavunatheevu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp, 4 km west of Batticaloa, went across to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lines and surrendered with their weapons on Tuesday night, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Residents find abandoned munitions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 August 1998, 01:10 GMT]
Residents in the Kokkadicholai area handed over to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Tuesday, arms and other munitions which the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had left behind during its single day operation there on August 19, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Police fire wounds child

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 August 1998, 00:56 GMT]
A nine year old child was injured when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police fired blindly in retaliation for an attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a police checkpoint at Punaikudah Veedhi (Road) at Eravur, 8 km north of Batticaloa around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Amnesty slams governments over refugees

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 August 1998, 00:54 GMT]
Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog has criticised the governments of Guinea Conakry, Sri Lanka, Canada and the United States for their roles in the deportation of 192 Tamil refugees seekers whose boat was intercepted by the Senegalese navy on 24 February. The refugees "were all returned to Sri Lanka where they were arrested and held in detention for several weeks" said Amnesty.
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New vehicle registration regulations - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 August 1998, 13:37 GMT]
The LTTE's civil administration has issued new regulations with regards to the registration of motor vehicles, said sources close to the LTTE in Europe today when contacted by TamilNet. The regulations cover all motorised vehicles, including cars,lorries, auto-rickshaws and motor-cycles said the sources, adding that vehicles that are inoperable are also to be registered.
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SLA captain wounded in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 13:07 GMT]
Captain Wickramaratne of the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) Armoured Corps and ADC to Major General Neil Dias, was shot and severely wounded at Bambalapitiya, in the heart of Colombo, around 4:30 p.m. today, said sources in Colombo, when contacted by TamilNet's European correspondent.
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Jaffna traders list losses

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 10:31 GMT]
A list detailing the items that were lost with the sunken ship, Princes Kash, has been despatched to the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, opposition leader Ranil Wikramasinghe and various Tamil parliamentarians, said sources.
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Anti harassment group 'seeks advice'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 10:05 GMT]
A representative of the anti-harassment group, Mr. M. Suhair, MP, told the Thinakaran newspaper that his organisation is "seeking helpful advice and comments" from intellectuals, human rights groups and NGOs.
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'Chemmani graves' soldier treated

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 09:26 GMT]
The former Sri Lankan soldier, who said he could identify the Chemmani mass graves is expected to be released from hospital today following treatment for injuries he sustained when his prison guards attacked him.
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