In brief
Homecoming
Tamil party EPRLF leader and former North-East Chief Minister Varatharaja Perumal returned to Sri Lanka in January after nine-year exile in India, leading to speculation that the government and the EPRLF have agreed on cooperation for the general and presidential elections in the year 2000.
Torture
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission says that Anura Sambath died on 30 December after being tortured at a police station in Moratuwa, 10 miles south of Colombo.
Interrogation
The police questioned Tamil Congress leader Kumar Ponnambalam in January accusing him of intending to cause communal disharmony, which is punishable under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Mr Ponnambalam had earlier criticised President Chandrika for saying that the Tamils are not the original people of Sri Lanka.
Arrest
In January, over 125 refugees from Sri Lanka arrived in Tamil Nadu, India. Reports say that eight other Sri Lankan refugees were arrested at Calicut in Kerala state on 11 January.
Resumed
Air services to Jaffna, disrupted in September, resumed on 25 January. The Sri Lankan Airforce and Helitours are operating passenger flights between Colombo and Palaly in Jaffna.