January

5th: A female suicide bomber sets off an explosive device while being interrogated by the police near the Sri Lankan prime ministers office in Colombo killing at least 13 people including some of the police officers and injuring up to 28.

5th:  All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) leader Kumar Ponnambalam was found shot dead by an unknown gunman in Ramakrishna Terrace Wellawatta in the morning.

10th: Sri Lanka signs UN Convention on Suppression of Financing of   Terrorism at the United Nations in New York.

14th: Seven young students (in the age group 20 and 22 years) of Hatton area were arrested with 2 kilos of high explosives recently in a search operation conducted by police in Bogawanthalawa plantation sector.

23rd: Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday made a historic statement in parliament, expressing his willingness to cooperate with the government in its attempts to enact a new constitution if it could be the panacea for the ills of the country.

February

March

April

23rd : The Sri Lankan Government says Tamil Tiger rebels have taken control of the key Elephant Pass military base on the northern Jaffna peninsula.

May

3rd:  President Chandrika Kumaratunga declares the placing of the entire nation on a war footing.

8th : President Kumaratunga turns down a Tamil Tiger truce offer to enable troops to evacuate from Jaffna.

17th : A bomb explosion kills more than 20 people and injures 75 others in a bomb explosion in the eastern town of Batticaloa.

June

5th: Censorship on foreign media lifted: On the instruction of the president, the Competent Authority appointed under Section 14 of the Emergency Regulation No. 1 of 2000, yesterday eased the censorship on the foreign media. The media censorship which was imposed on 3rd May with the promulgation of the new Emergency Regulation No.1 of 2000 will continue to be operative. ( Daily News 06/06/2000)

7th:  has been declared by the Government as the War Heroes Day to commemorate the Soldiers who have sacrificed their lives. (The Island  07/06/2000)

10th: National Parliamentary group formed to fight terrorism: The recently formed Jathi Hitheshi Organisation comprising patriotic parliamentarians of both PA and UNP renamed ‘National Parliamentary Group’ will invite their colleagues to join them to fight terrorism as a united single force.    (Daily News 10/06/2000)

11th:  Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh arrives in Colombo for talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

July

27th: Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim arrives in Colombo on a three day visit to continue discussions Norway is having with the government and the LTTE to help resolve the North-East conflict.

7th: The curtain falls on the nine week old PA - UNP talks tonight when the powers of the Executive President over Regional Councils, the appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court , Declaration of Emergency Regulations and the Transitional powers of the President are finalised, authoritative sources disclosed yesterday. The two sides are in agreement to end the talks tonight with these contentious issues being finalised to enable President Kumaratunga to start the dialogue with the Tamil political parties from Monday. ( The Island  07/07/2000)

Erode conference – MDMK’s so called "Tamil Nadu Awakening Conference". This two-day long political jamboree was held at Erode and was attended by the Home Minister Mr. L. K. Advani. This meeting was particularly marked by strong pro-LTTE overtones. Slogans hailed MDMK’s chief Mr. Vaiko as the "Prabhakaran of Tamil Nadu" and PMK leader Dr. S. Ramadoss proclaimed that Tamil Elam was the only solution to the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka. – The Hindu ( The Island  07/07/2000)

6^th: The government has finalized a new set of regulations, including guidelines and criteria, in respect of press censorship, official sources said yesterday. The new laws will replace the existing Regulation 14 of the Emergency Regulations. On landmark judgement the Supreme Court last Friday held that the appointment of a Competent Authority to censor news was illegal (The Sunday Island  02/07/2000).

5^th:New Delhi – India today extended its full support to the political process initiated by the government of Sri Lanka to find a solution to the festering ethnic conflict. The governments assurance was conveyed by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh to Sri Lankan President Chandirka Kumaratunga’s Special Envoy Lakshman Jayakody  (The Island  07/07/2000)

August

03^rd: President Presents Constitution Bill in Parliament

08^th: The debate in Parliament on the second reading of the constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka Bill was adjourns without a vote being taken.

This was agreed on at a meeting of party leaders held yesterday as there were over 60 proposed amendments by different parties which had to be discussed and also since more than 40 Members of Parliament had expressed a desire to speak in the Bill. (CDN 09/08/2000)

The leader of the House Mr Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka informed leaders of political parties that after the day’s debate, proceedings would be adjourned indefinitely.  Earlier the government had decided to debate the Bill on 7^th and 8^th August and put the Bill to vote on the 9^th. The government needed 150 votes to pass the Bill by a two thirds majority. (The Island 09/08/2000)

18^th: Sri Lanka's 10th Parliament was dissolved with effect from midnight of  18^th  of August with Parliamentary Elections scheduled for 10^th of October.  

September

16^th: The Sri Lanka’s Port Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Minister, Founder and Leader of the Muslim Congress and Founder and Leader of the National Unity Alliance. Mr. A.H.M. Ashraff is killed in a helicopter crash near Aranayake in the Kegalle district.

17^th: Heavily armed infantry troops well supported by artillery and ground attack helicopters recaptured the key town of Chavakachcheri located in the South of the Jaffna Penninsula yesterday. (Daily News – 18/09/2000)

October

30^th: The security forces launched a fresh offensive yesterday morning code named "Kinihira III" to capture terrorist defenses and bunker lines south of Maduvil North. (The Island – 30/10/2000)

The CID team sent for the on-the-spot investigations has taken in to custody eight Inspectors of Police, and six sergeants attached to Bandarawela, Ella and several other Uva Police stations. A senior officer is to be taken in to custody today. Two civilians who were allegedly involved in the attack have also been taken in to custody. The CID has also sent a special team to trace two persons who allegedly led the mob. (Daily News – 30/10/2000)

29^th: The Government imposed curfew in the administrative districts of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla from 8 pm on 29^th to 5 am on 30^th following incidents in Talawakele and its surrounding areas. (Daily News – 30/10/2000)

29^th: Leader of the Upcountry People’s Front MP P. Chandrasekaran and ten youths were arrested by the police yesterday and were being questioned in connection with incidents that happened at Talawakale on the 29^th. (The Island – 31/10/2000 )

26^th: The ICRC Information Officer Harsha Gunawardane said in a statement that around 1000 civilians including children from 250 Muslim and Tamil families who fled from their homes in Sinnappiliachenai, Neerodumani, in China Bay (Trincomalee) have taken refuge in the Muslim Vidyalam in China Bay. Around 240 civilians from 61 Sinhala families displaced from their village Dimutugama in China Bay area have taken shelter in the Sinhala Vidyalaya in China Bay. This is following the intense confrontations between the security forces and the LTTE on Monday. (The Island – 26/10/2000)

24^th, 25^th: In an incident that occurred in the detention camp at Bindunuwewa 26 inmates were killed and 16 were wounded.

Police said that there have been mounting tension at the detention camp since 24^th evening. At the request of the police in the camp the Area Commander of the Army had sent troops from the Diyatalawa Army Training School and defused the tension. However, there was renewed tension on the morning of the 25^th. This was followed by a mob described by the Police as numbering over one thousand villagers armed with knives and clubs storming the Detention Camp, attacking inmates and setting buildings on fire. (Daily News – 26/10/2000)

The inmate Tiger suspects numbering 40 at the Bindunuwewa rehabilitation camp had launched a protest campaign against detaining them for rehabilitation and demanding their immediate release.

19^th: President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed a 44 member Cabinet of ministers, the largest in the History of Parliamentary government in Sri Lanka since independence 52 years ago.

14^th: President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga invites the People's Alliance (PA) to form the new Government.
The People's Alliance will form the new Government with 116 members. The Cabinet of Ministers is to be sworn in next week.

10^th: The country goes to polls
A total of 12,071,062 million electors go to the polls today to select 196 members to the country's 11th Parliament. Polling which begins at 7 am concludes at 4 pm.

Already, a total of 253,193 Government servants, security personnel and those in essential services have cast their postal votes.

Polling will be conducted at 9946 centres countrywide. A total of 5048 candidates, the highest number in the country's history of Parliamentary Elections, from 29 political parties and 99 independent groups are in the fray. (There were only 1440 candidates at the last General Election in 1994). There are 45 recognised political parties in the country.

The election is based on the proportional representation system. Voters directly elect 196 members of the 225-seat Parliament. The balance 29 are picked from the national lists of the parties in the running on the basis of their showing at the national level. (Daily News Internet Edition)

Former Prime Minister Dies
Mrs. Sirimavo R D Bandaranaike, the world's first woman Prime Minister died this morning while returning to Colombo from Attanagalla, the constituency which she had represented from 1965.

November

29^th:Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Karl F Inderfurth said yesterday that one of the reasons he was in Sri Lanka was to express his government’s strong support for a negotiated political solution to the country’s tragic conflict. He said that United States supports the territorial integrity and unity of Sri Lanka…(Daily News – 29/11/2000).

24^th: 15 police and army suspects detained in Bindunuwewa incident. (Daily News – 24/11/2000).

13^th: The government has decided to postpone the North-East provincial council election scheduled for this month to December next year due to a combination of factors, political sources said. The recent developments relating to peace talks between the government and the LTTE , the security situation in certain parts of the North-East Province and the pending recommendations of a Presidential Committee considering amendments to the Provincial Council and Local Government Laws have all contributed to the postponement of the election. (The Island – 13/11/2000)

12^th: Government to talk further with Norway on LTTE peace moves. (Sunday Observer – 12/11/2000).

"Further talks will be held with Norway to clarify some issues before the modalities for peace talks are worked out," PA General Secretary and Agriculture Minister D.M. Jayaratne told the ‘Sunday Observer’.

10^th: After ceremonially opening the parliament President Kumaratunga told the nation yesterday that the government has not closed door to the LTTE to enter the democratic process, but it should genuinely discuss clear definite political issues… (Daily News - 10/11/2000)

9^th: President Chandrika Kumaratunga ceremonially opened the 11^th parliament of independent Sri Lanka.(Daily News - 10/11/2000)

After ceremonially opening the parliament President Kumaratunga told the nation yesterday that the Government has not closed door to the LTTE to enter the democratic process, but it should genuinely discuss clear definite political issues…     (Daily News - 10/11/2000)

6^th: The Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) President P Chandrasekeran, UNP MP for Nuwara Eliya District who was taken in to custody by the Talawakele Police on October 29^th and handed over to the CID on October 30^th was yesterday released by the CID on a directive by the Attorney General . (Daily News – 07/11/2000)

certificates from Sinhala to English beginning next year. (Daily News – 06/11/2000).

5^th: Norway’s peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim told a news conference in Colombo on Thursday that during a meeting with the LTTE leader he conveyed the international opinion that there could be no new independent states in Sri Lanka and also the aspirations of the Tamils should be met in a substantial manner as a solution to the ethnic problem. Mr. Solheim met the LTTE leader in the Wanni district in the Northern Sri Lanka. (The Sunday Times – 05/11/2000).

5^th: MPs From Tamil Nadu, expressing concern over the gravity of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict, have sought permission of Indian Premier A B Vajpayee to visit the North-East of Sri Lanka to assess the situation. A memorandum signed 30 Tamil Nadu MPs, representing a spectrum of parties and including political leaders such as Jayalalitha Jeyaram, Subramanian Sawamy and V Gopalasamy (MDMK), also called on the premier to persuade the Sri Lankan government to withdraw its armed forces from North-East. (The Sunday Times – 05/11/2000).

2^nd: Sea Tigers escaped from a major attack by naval troops on Wednesday night after hijacking a Russian Merchant vessel in the Sea off Mullaitivu, a navy spokesman said yesterday. (Daily News - 03/11/2000).

2^nd: Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim has had talks with separatist Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Tamil Radio reported on Wednesday. It was believed to be the first time since 1987 that the reclusive Prabhakaran had met a foreign envoy. (Daily News - 03/11/2000)

Conferences were held in Talawakelle and other areas affected by the Bindunuwewa incident by High ranking officials to defuse the tension and start immediate rehabilitation measures on a directive by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Some 500 affected persons have been housed at the Kathiresan Temple and the Buddhist vihara. Forty two shops at Talawakelle and Tillicoultry bazaar and nine shops at the Ginigathena town have been burnt down, in addition to forty houses in the area. (Daily News – 03/11/2000)

December

21^st: Gap between the government and the LTTE positions may prevent early talks – Norwegian Government (The Island 21/12/2000).

20^th: "EU condemns LTTE terror." The European Union in its declaration on Sri Lanka at the World Bank Development Forum has reiterated its firm condemnation of the terrorist acts and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the LTTE, especially by the conscription of child soldiers. (Daily News – 20/12/2000)

19^th: "Negotiations cannot be held under conditions of war – LTTE," London. (The Island – 19/12/2000)

19^th: "Aid Meeting to focus on Sri Lankan peace efforts" (18 Reuters). Sri Lanka’s efforts towards resolving its protracted and costly ethnic war will be the main focus at this week’s meeting of donor agencies in Paris, officials said on Monday (18th). (The Island – 19/12/2000)

19^th: "Stop LTTE fundraising-Canadian opposition." The Canadian opposition has called for action against front organisations for the Tamil Tigers who are channeling up to two million dollars a year to the LTTE, Canada’s "National Post" reported yesterday (18th). (The Island – 19/12/2000)

18th: "We will not entertain any conditions imposed by LTTE – President tells Sri Lanka Development Forum meeting in Paris." "There is a ray of opportunity, more hope for reaching a solution. Our doors are always open for negotiations with the LTTE. But we will not entertain any conditions imposed by the LTTE." (Daily News – 19/12/2000)

17^th: The security forces and the LTTE units were engaged in heavy artillery duels in the Jaffna Peninsula yesterday as the army launched Stage 2 of "Operation Kinihira-5"* (Sunday Observer – 17/12/2000).

*1st stage of "Operation Kinihira" Dec. 5^th and 6^th - troops regained approximately six square kms including over 2kms of Jaffna – Kandy highway.(The Island – 17/12/2000)

16th: "Sri Lanka warns Britain to ban Tigers" (17, Reuters). Sri Lanka on Saturday (16th) warned Britain to outlaw Tamil Tiger groups operating from the country or risk a worsening in relations. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said that after new anti-terrorism legislation takes effect next year, Britain would no longer be able to argue that it had no law to ban the LTTE, whose international offices are in London. (The Island – 18/12/2000)

15^th: Tigers can destabilize India and spread terrorism to the US and Western Europe, warns a US military journal (The Island –15/12/2000).

12^th: Tamil Nadu Congress ( I ) joins AIADMK’s call to dismiss DMK government for encouraging LTTE (The Island   –12/12/2000).

9th: "Ban the LTTE and we will really become terrorists." The political advisor of the LTTE, Anton Balasingham, has warned Britain that if that country bans the LTTE they would not come for peace talks but would "really become terrorists." (Balasingham addressing a gathering in London in Tamil on the occasion of "Tamil Heroes Day") (The Island – 9/12/2000)

8^th: "Nedumaran wants India to ‘monitor; Sri Lanka-LTTE talks", Jayalalitha calls for ban on Tamil parties with LTTE links. The Tamil nationalist movement leader P Nedumaran said that India should play a "monitoring" role in the proposed talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, according to two ‘Hindu’ reports on Wednesday (6th). (The Island – 8/12/2000)

6^th: Operation Kinihira-5 launched: The security forces captured nearly six square kilometers in Nunavil, East of Chavakachcheri West in Jaffna at noon yesterday six hours after troops launched Operation Kinihira-5, Military Spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said. (Daily News – 06/12/2000)