EPDP members suspected in abduction

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A group of unidentified gunmen believed to be members of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) abducted two supporters of a rival parliamentarian, Mr. Ramamoorthy, who represents the Jaffna district, on Friday in Jaffna, said sources close to Mr. Ramamoorthy.
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Mankulam battle rages

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Fierce fighting is continuing between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers for the third consecutive day in the general area of Mankulam said LTTE sources in Europe this evening when contacted by TamilNet.
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Batticaloa Villages assaulted by STF personnel

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Three women were whipped publicly by the Special Task Force (STF) on the Batticaloa - Kalmunai highway at Kottaikallar, 25 km south of Batticaloa Friday morning, said ex militant sources in Batticaloa when contacted by Tamil Net.
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Attack on Telecommunication Tower in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The telecommunication tower at the Eravur telephone exchange, 12 km north of Batticaloa, was truncated and lines supplying electricity to the area severed, when the the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) facility was attacked by suscpected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last night around 12:45 a.m., said Police sources in Batticaloa.
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TELO member shot at in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A member of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Seenithambi Rajan (27), escaped unhurt from an attack in which he was shot at by unidentified gunmen at Navakudah, 5km south of Batticaloa, around 11:00 a.m. yesterday, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Two arrested for transporting bomb

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two persons were arrested at a police checkpoint in Siyambalanduwa in the Amparai District, 45 km west of Amparai town, transporting a bomb strapped to their motorbike, said police sources in Batticaloa.
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Two suspected Tigers shot dead

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two persons, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), who the Police say had fired at Seenithamby Rajan, a TELO member, yesterday morning at Navakudah, were killed by the Ariyampathy Special Task Force (STF) around 3:30 p.m. yesterday at Aariyampathy, 8 km south of Batticaloa, said sources.
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Shooting victims had been arrested

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two persons from the suburbs of Kalmunai, who had been taken away for questioning on Monday night by an armed group in plain clothes, were found shot dead in Kalmunai town, 35 km south of Batticaloa on Tuesday morning, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Batticaloa land owner murdered

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
K. Murugesapillai, a Grama Sevaka and land owner noted for his affluence, was found dead in a barn in his paddy field at Panichchenai, near Unnichchai, 30 km north-west of Batticaloa on Wednesday morning.
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Conflicting claims in Vanni fighting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Thirty five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and 4 officers have been killed and 2 officers and 79 soldiers have been wounded in fighting between 11 and 17 June, in the forward areas of Operation Jayasikurui, said SLA Brig. Sarath Munasinghe at a weekly press briefing held in Colombo today.
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BBC broadcasts irk censor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Competent Authority on press censorship, Maj. Gen. Jaliya Nammuni has ordered the chairman and director general of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to take action against the BBC for broadcasting news on the war which have to be subject to the censorship regulations.
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Indian parties said urging pressure

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Douglas Devananda said yesterday political leaders in Tamil Nadu have told him that the opposition and the Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka press the Sri Lankan government at this juncture when the renewed support for the Sri Lankan Tamils in Tamil Nadu has helped them (the Tamil Nadu leaders) to bring pressure on Colombo through the Indian government.
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Bodies found in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two dead bodies with gunshot injuries were discovered yesterday morning close to the wall of Ramakrishnan Mission School in Kalmunai, 38 km south of Batticaloa in the eastern province. They are believed to have been murdered Monday night, said sources.
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TELO intelligence group arrested

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A member of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), attached to the ex-militant organisation's intelligence group, is reported to have been shot dead by suspected Liberation Tigers on Saturday, said TELO sources in Batticaloa.
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Jaffna students to compete in 'mini Olympics'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Contrary to an earlier announcement, the Jaffna University team will participate in the inter-University Sports meet which is scheduled to be held at the Ruhuna University in the southern province later this year, said Jaffna University officials.
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Demonstrators criticize calls for peace

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An organisation calling itself "Peace Loving Citizens of Sri Lanka" marched in the capital Colombo today and handed over memorandums to the British and the Norwegian High Commissions, demanding that their governments ban the Liberation Tigers. The demonstrators also called on the Sri Lankan government to punish those who called for negotiations with the LTTE.
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Security concerns for Jaffna TULF members

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. V. Anandasangaeri, Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has appealed to Brigadier Susantha Mendis, the Jaffna Brigade Commander, to provide security for the TULF members in the Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) and other party members in the Peninsula, said TULF sources in Jaffna.
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New Jaffna Mayor appointed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Sivapalan, Tamil United Liberation Front's (TULF) legal advisor has been appointed as the new mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC). Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections confirmed his appointment yesterday.
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UNP has 30 days to submit Proposals - PA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government will consider a referendum if the country's main opposition party, the UNP, does not submit its counter proposals to the ruling People's Alliance package for constitutional changes in a month said Sri Lanka's minister for justice and deputy minister for finance G.L Pieris today answering questions from the media at the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo.
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Attempt to disfranchise Hill country Tamils?

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Voters in Sri Lanka's hill country, home to a large Tamil population working in the tea industry, will be asked to produce their national identity cards to qualify for voting at the forthcoming provincial council elections, said sources in Colombo. Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayaka, who will be meeting the secretaries of political parties on Wednesday, is expected to advise them to pass a bill in Parliament to enable the elections department to demand national identity cards from hill country voters.
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