Northern Province (NA): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2003

HRC Jaffna regional coordinator Ruwan Chandrasekara would soon submit a detailed report to the head office for a final decision. Read less...

Jaffna Senior Superintendent of Police S. Premaratne said rubber bullets were fired as the situation went out of control and added, "… a departmental inquiry is being held into the allegation that some police personnel had fired at peaceful civilian protestors without any reason". The decision on whether an identification parade should be held to identify the allegedly errant policemen is pending with the Point Pedro Magistrate. Read less...

Jaffna Town Police Superintendent Hector Dharmasena also made a statement on January 2. The injured civilians have already recorded their statements. Read less...

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka, on January 2, recorded the statements of two senior police officers on violence in Nelliady, in Vadamarachchi division, on December 10, 2002, while several hundred Tamils were picketing the paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party’s (EPDP) office demanding its withdrawal from Jaffna district. While police claimed that the crowd turned unruly and was about to attack them, picketers alleged that police had used excessive force and had also fired at them. Some 15 civilians and traders were injured in the firing. Read less...

Several internally displaced persons in Jaffna peninsula continued with fasting and picketing for the third day on January 7 in front of the additional government agent’s office in Tellipalai, reports said. They have been demanding since January 3 they be permitted to re-settle in their own areas, which have been declared High Security Zones (HSZs). The picketers said they would continue to protest on a rotating basis, until permitted to re-settle. More than 20,000 families were displaced in 1990 from the north in Jaffna district and the Sri Lankan Army has since then been reportedly occupying those areas. Read less...

Media reports said a recently strengthened sentry post on Manthikai-Kodikamam road, Vadamarachchi area, Jaffna district, was destroyed in a fire on January 8. There were no reports of any casualty. Sri Lankan Army officials visited the scene and held investigations into the incident. A chain of sentry posts is reportedly located on the Manthikai-Kodikamam road. Read less...

Media reports said on January 11 that the Jaffna District People's Forum and Consortium of Non-governmental Organizations, on January 11, condemned the police gathering details of persons working in the offices of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the location of the offices in Jaffna peninsula. Reportedly, police officials visited the LTTE's political office in Vadamarachchi division and asked for details of persons employed there and of the owner of the building. The LTTE has opened political-wing offices in Jaffna following the signing of the cease-fire agreement with the government in February 2002. Read less...

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on January 11, handed over to their parents 14 children (12 girls and two boys)––all students––who voluntarily came to join the LTTE, pro-Tamil sources said. They were handed over in the presence of representatives of international humanitarian agencies, at the LTTE district head office in Kokuvil, Jaffna district, reports added. Speaking on the occasion, Jaffna district LTTE women's wing head Kayalvilzhi said, "The LTTE is very firm in not recruiting persons under eighteen years of age. Hence we hand over these students who come to join our movement to their parents," Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Jaffna representative Anne Sender, Jaffna head of the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Children Affected by Armed Conflict Unit Celine Lacoffrette, Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka Regional Coordinator Ruwan Chandrasekara and others were present on the occasion. Read less...

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government held discussions on the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from India, in Kilinochchi, on January 14. The meeting concluded that further investment is necessary to create conditions conducive for the safe and dignified repatriation of refugees from India. They expressed readiness to accord high priority to programmes aimed at creating the right conditions for the return of refugees. They also said returning refugees should be given support equitable to that extended to returning internally displaced persons. The participants said, to enable voluntary repatriation there was the need to further improve conditions of physical security by addressing human rights concerns, violence against civilians and reducing the risk from landmines and unexploded ordnance. They called for improving legal security by restoring common administrative, independent judicial and democratic policing systems. Material security through investing in restoring basic services was another area that required further improvement, they said. Stating that transport facilities also needed to be improved, they said special attention was needed for the restoration of Talaimannar jetty for use as the principal port of entry. Read less...

A meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN), on January 15, in Killinochchi, resolved to appoint a 21-member committee to take steps for resettling internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jaffna peninsula. Also, district-level committees would be appointed in this connection. Read less...

Speaking in Killinochchi, the Japanese envoy expressed deep satisfaction ‘at the rapid pace of change’ She said she had witnessed devastation during her first visit but things seem to have improved fast now, at the time of her second visit. She added that Japanese financial assistance would benefit the entire country and not merely war-torn North and East. Tamilselvan led the LTTE delegation at the SIHRN meeting, while Peace Secretariat Secretary General Bernard Goonatilake led the government team. Read less...

The moderate Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the leading constituent of the four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA)––that has the blessings of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said it was the fundamental right of all internally displaced persons to be resettled at their ‘original residence’. Hence, TULF said, the government should expedite the process of resettling them in their "original places of residence". In a statement in Vavuniya, on January 18, following a meeting of the TULF, general secretary R Sampanthan said resettlement could be undertaken without impairing security. The Army has been contending that resettling can not be permitted in High Security Zones. TULF also condemned the alliance between the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) as "unprincipled and opportunistic." The JVP is pursuing majoritarian politics, TULF said, and declared that by aligning with the JVP the SLFP would stand to be alienated from all segments of Sri Lankan polity that support multi-cultural diversity. Read less...

Several Opposition Members of Parliament accompanied Rajapakse to Jaffna. Stating that a just and fair political solution that satisfies the aspirations of all ethnic communities in the country should be found, Rajapakse said, "… wholehearted support will be given to present peace talks". He further said his party pointing lacunae in the peace talks should not be construed as opposing the talks as such. Read less...

Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapakse reportedly said on January 20 that he would not oppose the ongoing peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the state-run Daily News said on January 21. He was speaking in Jaffna after inaugurating a religious school. Read less...

The Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) held a meeting with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the North East, on January 21, to formulate strategies for implementing rehabilitation and reconstruction projects that would be launched with funds made available to SIHRN, by the government and donor countries. SIHRN Secretariat Director Selvin Iranius presided over the meeting held in Kilinochchi and attended by representatives of the government, 17 NGOs and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). NGO representatives were briefed on the objectives, plans and activities of SIHRN. The discussions focussed on effective ways of coordinating and implementing projects without duplication. Read less...

Media reports said Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) chief Maj Gen (Retd) Trond Furohovde and top officials of Sri Lanka Army led by Jaffna commander Major General Sarath Fonseka would be visiting High Security Zones in Jaffna peninsula today, January 22, to collect information on civilian houses occupied by the Army. A decision to this effect was reportedly taken at meeting held on January 21, at the SLMM’s Jaffna office. Read less...

Media reports said the Jaffna district committee for resettling internally displaced persons (IDPs) outside high security zones (HSZs) would be commencing work today, January 23. A decision to the effect was taken at a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian Needs and Rehabilitation (SIHNR) on January 22. The district committee has 21 members comprising representatives of the government, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Velanai Divisional Secretary K.Ratnam is the secretary of the district committee. Read less...

Pro-Tamil sources said, on January 24, Jaffna Government Agent S. Pathmanathan has asked the Assistant Government Agents to obtain details of civilian residences and private lands occupied by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna peninsula. He also directed that details of buildings that lie within the High Security Zone (HSZ) be categorized separately from those outside it. At the fourth round of peace talks in Thailand, between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) it was agreed that internally displaced persons (IDPs) would be resettled outside HSZs in the first phase, and within HSZs in the second phase. Read less...

Reports said the Sri Lanka Army has returned to residents 17 houses on Manipay main road that were under its occupation. Read less...

Pro-Tamil sources said the LTTE, on January 27, handed over to three children, who wanted to join its ranks, their parents in Trincomalee. Trincomalee town political-wing chief handed over the three children, who belong to Kuchchaveli division. Read less...

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political-wing leader S. P. Tamilselvam said, in Kilinochchi, at a meeting with Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) chief Maj Gen (Retd.) Trond Furuhovde, on January 28, "Lack of discipline in some cadres of lower ranks (in the LTTE)" is the primary cause for cease-fire violations. SLMM spokesperson Torkelsson later said Furuhovde raised the issue of truce violations, child recruitment and abductions by the LTTE and observed, "It is interesting that the LTTE leadership had accepted … responsibility and shown interest in countering such violations". He also informed that the LTTE had ousted two LTTE cadres when the SLMM informed it of the violations they had committed, and added that the SLMM would provide more details of LTTE cadres violating the truce. Read less...

Pro-Tamil sources said on January 28 that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would reject any proposals that link resettling internally displaced persons and refugees in Jaffna––a "critical humanitarian issue"––to d its cadres and de-commissioning its weapons, chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said. He was speaking to Tamil Guardian following reports that a former Indian General, Satish Nambiar, has submitted an interim report on resettling people in High Security Zones. Balasingham said the LTTE "will fiercely oppose and reject any proposal that makes resettlement of refugees conditional upon de-commissioning of LTTE weapons". He clarified what de-escalation and normalisation meant to the LTTE and said these did not mean de-militarisation and de-mobilisation. Stating that the LTTE did not ask for demilitarisation or dismantling of camps or reduction of troops, he added. "What we are asking the Government of Sri Lanka is to allow our people to return to their homes. It is the unconditional right of our people. The denial by the state of the right of refugees and IDPs to return to their homes under conditions of peace constitutes a gross violation of human rights." He also reminded Nambiar that the LTTE fought against the Indian Army when it was asked to disarm its cadres. To recollect, as per the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) agreement, the LTTE had to lay down all arms, but refused, and launched a war against the IPKF. He asked Nambiar to approach the issue carefully and cautiously and take into consideration the sensibilities of the LTTE. Balasingham added, "The Tigers (LTTE) will not accept any recommendations from anybody that would be prejudicial to the strategic equilibrium enjoyed by LTTE forces." Read less...