US hands over sniffer dogs to SLA de-mining unit in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 18:21 GMT]
The USA government Tuesday handed 7 trained sniffer dogs to the De-Mining Unit of the Sri Lanka Army, which is stationed in the Palaly military base in Jaffna district. SLA troops Wednesday morning deployed these sniffer dogs to detect mines in the Avarankal east area.
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Mannar boy arrested for photographing army camp released on bail

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 15:14 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Wednesday ordered the release of a fourteen-year-old boy Thanabalaisngham Anand on surety bail in a sum of one hundred thousand rupees from remand for allegedly photographing the army camp in Mannar, legal sources said.
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LTTE launches village level civil force in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 14:21 GMT]
Hundred-and-twenty persons passed out in the first batch of special trained village level civil force in Ganeshapuram Central Grounds on Tuesday in LTTE controlled Muttur East in the Trincomalee district. LTTE's Special Commander of Trincomalee, Col. Sornam, particiapted as the chief guest in the passing out ceremony of the first batch that completed a forty-five days' training. Deputy Head of the Tamileelam Police for the Trincomalee district, Mr. Semmanan, who presided the event said that training is being given to five thousand villagers in the district.
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Three-wheeler driver arrested at Uyilankulam army checkpoint

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 14:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Tuesday morning arrested a Muslim person Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Sahabdeen at the Uyilankulam checkpoint with the three-wheeler he was taking it to LTTE controlled Nachchikudah in the Mannar district. Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah ordered remand for the suspect till Thursday (September 1) when the Mannar police produced him in court Wednesday evening, legal sources said.
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Two more gunfire incidents in east

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 11:16 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army soldiers patrolling the streets in Valaichenai and Kiran were fired upon by unidentified attackers in two separate incidents Wednesday noon. The shooting incidents were reported on Pethalai Road in Valaichenai, 39 km north of Batticaloa town and at Korakallimadu, a hamlet near Kiran. SLA soldiers opened fire following the gunfire by the unidentified attackers. Casualty figures were not immediately available.
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Four SLA soldiers, policeman, civilian injured in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 07:52 GMT]
Four soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), a policeman and a civilian were injured in three separate incidents that took place Wednesday morning in Batticaloa district. They were injured in grenade attack and firing by unidentified men, Police sources said. All the incidents were reported on Batticaloa-Valaichenai highway within 17 km distance between Eravur and Valaichenai. Security is beefed up by the Sri Lanka Army and Police following the attacks along the highway.
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Mannar Police seize fuel to be supplied to fishermen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 05:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Monday arrested two employees of Talaimannar Village Fisheries Co-operative Society with 2100 liters of fuel, which was taken in a society lorry to be supplied to member-fishermen. The police arrested these employees on a report that they had not obtained permission from the relevant authorities to transport fuel.
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Tamil refugees rescued from Mannar Sea sandbank

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 04:59 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Tuesday ordered the release of thirteen Tamil refugees returned from Tamilnadu in India and rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy from sandbank in the midsea.
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LTTE cadres, civilians attacked in Vaharai, one dead, three injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 August 2005, 09:03 GMT]
An LTTE cadre, Mr. Reagon, was killed and three persons including two civilians were injured when a group of Sri Lanka Army soldiers and paramilitary cadres, who had moved into the LTTE held area Kirimichchai in Vaharai from the SLA held Panichchankerni, shot at LTTE cadres and civilians, LTTE's Political Head in Batticaloa Mr. Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. The attack took place around 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials in Batticaloa refused to provide any detail of their knowlegde of the incident. In the meantime, civilians close to Panichankerni SLA base witnessed a group of attackers with military fatigues enter the SLA base following the attack.
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JVP to contest presidential poll if talks with SLFP fails -Weeravanse

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 18:57 GMT]
Parliamentary group leader of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP), Mr.Wimal Weeravanse said Monday that his party would support the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) presidential candidate Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, if he agrees to the conditions put forward by the JVP. "JVP would field its own candidate if the talks with Mr.Rajapakse fails to reach a consensus on our conditions," Mr.Weeravanse said, addressing a press conference in Colombo.
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JHU holds talks with Rajapakse on presidential poll

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 16:44 GMT]
A delegation of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party Monday held talks with Prime Minister and the presidential candidate of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, in an attempt to reach a consensus on its five-point formula to support him in the presidential poll. The talks centered on reaching consensus with Mr.Rajapakse on two main demands that he should accept unitary constitution to continue and not to hold peace talks with the LTTE, Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera of the JHU said.
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Colombo Tamil daily bombed, one dead, three injured

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed two grenades into the printing office of the Colombo Tamil daily Sudar Oli around 6:15 p.m. Monday. A security guard, Mr. David Selvaratnam,50, who was injured in the attack, succumbed to his woundsd at Colombo Hospital. A proof reader, a computer operator and a visitor from Deepam TV were also injured in the attack. The attackers sped away soon after they lobbed the grenades into the Sudaroli printing office located on Madampitiya Road at. Grandpass in Colombo.
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Trinco Tamil students boycott schools protesting army presence

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 10:12 GMT]
Tamil medium schools in the Trincomalee town did not function Monday when students boycotted their classes in a token protest to the presence of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the Sri Lanka Police surrounding their institutions in large number, TamilNet sources said.
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Bodies with gunshot injuries recovered in Kalutara

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 05:14 GMT]
Bodies of two youths with gunshot injuries were found in the shrub jungle close to Arupola Kanda in Thepuwana in Kalutara district, south of Colombo. The victims were about five feet and six inches in height and were wearing denim trousers and colored shirts, Thepuwana Police said.
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Gurunagar displaced urge SLA to vacate their houses

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 20:34 GMT]
Civil groups in Gurunagar in Jaffna town have requested the Jaffna area command of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in writing to release their houses and lands occupied by the soldiers since 1996 as displaced families from the coastal areas are living in state lands without basic facilities, sources said.
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RDS members complain army harassment in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 20:26 GMT]
Officials of the Rural Development Societies (RDS) in the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Division Sunday complained that the presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in large number is disrupting normal lives in their areas. Soldiers are conducting cordon and search operations during nights and walk into the Hindu temples with shoes, they said.
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JVP to lay demands for their support in presidential poll

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 12:13 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sinhala nationalist-cum-Marxist party is to lay twelve demands to reach a consensus with Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) in turn of its support at the presidential poll. The JVP would announce its demands at news briefing scheduled to be held Monday, party sources said.
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Sri Lanka Navy to get new Commander

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Rear Admiral Wasantha Karanagoda, Eastern Commander is to be promoted as Vice Admiral and appointed as the Commander of Sri Lanka Navy Monday at a ceremony to be held in the President's House. The outgoing SLN Chief Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri is to be promoted full-fledged Admiral on September 01 and is to continue as the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) in charge of Sri Lanka's defenses and the security establishment, according to defence sources in Colombo.
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SLA informer shot and killed in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 11:26 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Warnakulasooriya John Silva, 75 year-old Sinhalese in Thampalakamam Saturday night at 8:50 p.m. He was running a shop selling pots of curd in the area. He succumbed to gunshot injuries while being taken to Kantalai government hospital, Police said.
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Two children, woman injured in Grenade attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 04:03 GMT]
Two children, a six year-old-boy, a nine-year-old girl and a 28 year old woman were injured when unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade into a house in Thimilathivu, a suburb of Batticaloa, Saturday night around 8:30 p.m. The six-year-old boy, Navaratnarajah Jegatheeswaran (Vinoth) is transferred to Colombo Hospital in serious condition from Batticaloa Hospital, sources said.
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Election Commissioner, IGP to ensure violent free, fair presidential election

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 August 2005, 18:06 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections has summoned Returning Officers and Assistant Commissioners of Elections of twenty-five electoral districts for a conference on August 30 Tuesday morning at his office in Colombo to finalize arrangements to hold the presidential election. Government Agents are designated as Returning Officers of their districts for election purposes in addition to Assistant Commissioner of Elections, sources said.
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Sri Lanka's business sector organizes seminar on SSCP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 August 2005, 14:58 GMT]
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has organized a one-day seminar to raise concerns over the Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) creating much discussion and debate among environmental groups, buisness community, government officials and the general public. Environmental groups held two demonstrations in Colombo last week against the implementation of the SSCP arguing that it would cause serious damage to the fishing industry in the northern region and environmental damage to the island.
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JVP, JHU to outline their strategy for Presidential election next week

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 August 2005, 14:51 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sinhala nationalist-cum-Marxist party, are to announce their decision during the first week of September whether to field their own candidates or to support one of the two main political parties in the forthcoming presidential election widely expected to be held in November second week, political sources said.
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Two men from Batticaloa kidnapped in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 21:58 GMT]
Unidentified persons riding a white van without number-plate kidnapped two civilians from Batticaloa in Colombo Thursday night around 11:00 p.m. The victims, Mr. Kandiah Sasikumar, 22 and Mr. Kathamuthu Nallathamby, 40, were kidnapped on Colombo-Negombo road when they were on their way from Banadaranaike International Airport with their relatives who had come from abroad, sources said.
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SL presidential election dates to be announced next week

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Friday resumed discussions with his officials to prepare for the next presidential election, which is to be held before the end of this year according to the ruling of the Supreme Court delivered Friday morning. The Commissioner of Elections is expected to announce the dates of nomination and the polling before the end of August, commission sources said.
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Tools of trade supplied to tsunami victims in Nilaveli

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 16:20 GMT]
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Mercy Corps (MC), which has its headquarters in USA jointly, donated about 1.1 million rupees worth tools of trade (TOT) for 142 tsunami affected persons in six Grama Niladhari (village level) divisions in Nilaveli which is located about 16 km off north of Trincomalee town at an event held in Nilaveli Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam on Wednesday.
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Trinco students to protest against SLA presence around schools

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 16:04 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Students Forum (TDTSF) has called Tamil speaking students for a token boycott of classes on Monday in protest to the presence of Sri Lanka Army troops in large number surrounding schools in the Trincomalee town thus violating the ceasefire agreement. Trincomalee has become a garrisoned city following the unlawful erection of Buddha statue, sources said.
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Thenmaradchchi residents complain of army harassment

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 12:10 GMT]
Members of the Sri Lanka Army Intelligence Unit stationed in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district are reportedly harassing the residents whom they consider supporters of LTTE, human rights activists have complained to civil authorities.
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SLA bans outsiders entering Manatkadu at night

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 10:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has imposed ban on outsiders from entering Manatkadu area in Vadamaradchchi east division in the Jaffna district after 9 p.m. Only the residents of Manatkadu would be allowed to enter the village during night hours, security sources said.
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GoSL peace secretariat officials visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 05:42 GMT]
A team of officials of the Sri Lankan Government's Peace Secretariat Thursday afternoon held a discussion with judicial officers in the Jaffna district regarding the question of maintaining law and order in the district thus enabling to take forward the current peace process.
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TNA to move motion in parliament condemning Tamil journalist attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 05:41 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided to move an adjournment motion in parliament Friday condemning the attack on Mr.Yathurshan Premachchandran, a trainee photo-journalist of a Colombo Tamil daily Sudar Oli when he was covering the JVP demonstration held in front of the Fort railway Station Tuesday afternoon. TNA parliamentary group has given notice to this effect to the Speaker Wednesday. The Speaker has agreed for a debate on this issue, TNA sources said.
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SL presidential election in 2005 - Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 05:25 GMT]
Five-member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Friday at 11:00 a.m. ruled that the presidential elections in Sri Lanka should be held before the end of year 2005 according to Amended Section 3 of the Sri Lankan Constitution. Petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party has sought the SC to order the Elections Commissioner to hold the next presidential election before the end of 2005.
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IOM donates bicycles to 120 pre-school teachers in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 01:45 GMT]
International Organization for Migration (IOM) funded by the Government of Australia donated bicycles to 120 pre-school teachers of all three communities in Trincomalee district at an event held in the Trincomalee Town Hall Wednesday under the sponsorship of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization. These pre-school teachers were trained by the Pre-School Education Centre (PSEDC), which has its headquarters in Killinochchi.
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Kilinochchi to hold Tamil Resurgence celebrations

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 15:40 GMT]
In a press meet held at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi Tuesday, T Prabakaran, head of the Event Mobilization group, requested the attending journalists to provide publicity for the event to be held 1 September from 3 pm to midnight, and to publish historic articles describing the Tamil national movements in Kilinochchi district, sources attending the meeting said.
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Jaffna journalists picket against Denmark funded Media Training Institute

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Journalists of all Tamil dailies in the Jaffna district and representatives of media associations held a picketing in front of the Denmark funded Media Training Institute (MTI) of the Jaffna University Thursday demanding the implementation of four demands put forward by the North Sri Lanka Journalists' Association (NSJA). The picketing which commenced around nine a.m. was called off by afternoon following an agreement reached at a discussion held later between the MTI and NSJA officials, sources said.
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Missing fishermen produced in courts, normalcy restored in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 09:27 GMT]
Mr.Arthur Tveiten, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee, on receipt of information his counterparts in Jaffna, met with the Sri Lanka Navy officials in Trincomalee regarding the release of the two fishermen in the custody of Sri Lanka Navy. The two persons were produced in Trincomalee Magistrate's Court Thursday morning by the Trincomalee Harbour Police. Magistrate Mr.S.Ramakamalan ordered the release of these two fishermen. The Magistrate further instructed the prison authorities to keep those fishermen in protective custody until September 1 till their relatives in Vadamaradchi arrive and take charge of them, legal sources said.
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UNP meets Election Commissioner with one million signatures

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 06:14 GMT]
Mr.Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader of the Sri Lanka's main oppostion United National Party, handed over a memorandum to Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Wednesday evening with more than one million signatures demanding that the next presidential election should be held before the end of this year. Election Commissioner has told the UNP deputy that he would inform his decision on the date of the next presidential election at the appropriate time after the five member bench of the Supreme Court deliver its order on the controversy which has been fixed for Friday.
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Paramilitary operative killed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 04:58 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Rajaratnam Sreekanathan, 58, an SLA intelligence operative from the paramilitary group PLOTE. The killing took place at his residence on 3rd lane at Kovilkulam, four kilometers southeast of Vavuniya town around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police said.
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WUSC assists youths in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 18:07 GMT]
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) donated twenty sewing machines to the first batch of girls and boys who have completed six months' sewing training course in the Government Technical College in Trincomalee. The course was conducted under the Project for Rehabilitation through Education and Training (PRET) of the WUSC.
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Manatkadu protestors lay siege to SLA camp

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 15:50 GMT]
Protestors at Manatkadu in Vadamaradchi East threw stones and burning-tires on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicles Wednesday night. Violent protests erupted in the area following reports that the two fishermen, who went missing on Sunday in the northern seas, and later said to be in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy, were not handed over to their families Wednesday evening as promised by the Sri Lankan military officials. The protestors have laid siege to the 52-4 Brigade camp of the SLA at Manatkadu, villagers said. Tension prevails in the area.
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TNA delegation meets UK envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 15:48 GMT]
A Tamil National Alliance parliamentary delegation Wednesday morning met with Mr. Stephen Evans, British High Commissioner in Colombo and exchanged views on the proposed talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement to its word, current position of the P-TOMS following the Supreme Court's interim order, the urgency of establishing the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) and the future political scenario in the south which is expected to be followed with the order of the Supreme Court on the presidential election date controversy on Friday, TNA sources said.
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Colombo court releases Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 10:34 GMT]
Mr.Sarath Karunaratne, Fort Magistrate Wednesday afternoon allowed an application by the Fort Police to arrest those who had assaulted Mr.Yathurshan Premachchandran, a trainee journalist of Colombo Tamil daily Sudar Oli when he was engaged in covering the demonstration held by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday afternoon in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station, legal sources said.
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LTTE releases 21 underage youths to parents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 02:16 GMT]
NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) released twenty-one youths of ages between 15-17 years to their parents 3 months after joining the Liberation Tigers, Tuesday at their offices located at Karadippoku junction 2km north of Kilinochchi town along A9 highway, officials of NESOHR said. Mr Thiagarajah, LTTE liason officer for NGOs, Rev Fr Kanagaratnam, president, and Ms Malathy Naguleswaran of NESOHR were present during the handover of youths which took place throughout the day.
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JVP demonstrates against direct talks between GoSL and LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 17:18 GMT]
More than five thousand activists of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna held a two hour demonstration in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo Tuesday afternoon opposing the direct talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Mr.Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP, speaking at the conclusion of the demonstration said that the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is at stake with the continued presence of Norwegian facilitators in the island in the name of monitoring Cease Fire Agreement signed by the then UNP government and the LTTE.
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Two fishermen reported missing in northern sea

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 17:16 GMT]
Mr. Michaelpillai Regian and Mr.Sathyaseelan, two fishermen of Manatkadu in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district are reported missing since August 21 after they went for fishing in their boat in the northern sea. Vadamaradchchi East Fisheries Co-operative Federation Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to help them to trace the missing fishermen, sources said.
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Tamil journalist in Colombo assaulted by JVP, arrested under ER

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 16:34 GMT]
Mr.Yathurshan Premachchandran, a photojournalist of Colombo Tamil daily "Sudar Oli" was handed over to the Fort Police in Colombo after being assaulted by a group of JVP activists Tuesday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. The journalist was assisting his senior journalist in covering a JVP demonstration held in front of Fort Railway Station. Mr. Premachandran has complained that he was also attacked by the Police, according to media sources. The Fort Police has handed over the journalist to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) alleging him to be a member of the Liberation Tigers, sources added.
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Mannar CSU rape case to be heard in Anuradhapura HC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 15:38 GMT]
Three Sri Lankan police officers and nine soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy are indicted in the High Court of Anuradhapura Tuesday with the rape and torture of two Tamil women Sivamani Weerakone and Wijakala Nanthan of Uppukulam, a suburb of Mannar town. According to the charge sheet the offences had been committed on 19th March 2001. The inquiry into this case has been fixed for September 21, 22 and 28, legal sources said.
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Fifteen Tamil girls arrested in Mannar released

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 12:10 GMT]
Fifteen Tamil girls arrested Monday early morning in a combined search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Police in a house which is located in the village of Thullukuddiruppu in Mannar district were released when they found innocent during interrogation. The girls were arrested on wrong information received by the Sri Lanka Navy, said the Mannar Police in its report furnished in the Mannar Magistrate Court Tuesday afternoon, legal sources said.
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Tamil man arrested for filming Wickramasinghe's office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 11:33 GMT]
Security officials at Sri Lanka's Opposition Leaders Office in Colombo arrested a 47-year-old Tamil man Tuesday around 11:30 p.m. for filming Opposition Leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe's office located at Cambridge Place in Colombo, Police said.
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USAID announces launch of Tsunami Warning System Program

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 10:00 GMT]
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of the United States government’s Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS), a two-year, USD 16.6 million effort program that will contribute to the development of integrated early warning and mitigation systems that allow countries in the Indian Ocean region to detect and prepare for tsunamis and related coastal hazards, according to a press release issued by the United States Embassy in Colombo on Tuesday.
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"Mass action against undemocratic extension of presidential term" - Wickramasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 09:22 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) leader and leader of the Sri Lanka's opposition, Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, speaking at an election campaign held at Badulla Town Hall Monday warned against the moves to pressurize the election commissioner of Sri Lanka. Mr. Wickramasinghe resolved that his party will take the "masses to the streets" against Kumaratungas move to "stay in power a single day after the 22nd of December 2005." He hailed the success of UNP's recent "Peoples strength" showdown programme, claiming that the programme made his opponents to field their presidential candidate.
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Protesters in Colombo urge Indian Government to halt SSCP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 07:04 GMT]
The People's Movement Against the Sedusamudram Ship Canal Project staged a demonstration opposite the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Tuesday from noon till 1:00 p.m. The demostration was led by the movement's organiser Attorney-At-Law E. Thambiah with the participation over thousand protestors which he described as a gathering irrespective of ethnicity, religion and region. The anti Sedusamudram protestors urged the Indian Government to stop the project immediately as it created adverse impact on the shipping and the enviornmental aspects of Sri Lanka.
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Ex-SLA soldiers urged to help solve disappeared cases

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 05:31 GMT]
The North East Secretariat on Human Rights has appealed to ex-Sri Lankan military officials living overseas to come forward to help solve the cases of over 70 Tamil youths who were disappeared in the 1990s in Mandaithivu-Alappiddy-Mankumban areas, according to an interim report obtained by TamilNet's Kilinochchi correspondent.
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Police refuse information on journalist arrested under ER - FMM

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 16:52 GMT]
A Tamil journalist, Mr. Subramanium Ramesh, the Mawathagama correspondent for the Tamil language daily "Veerakesari", was arrested under Emergency Regulations sometime in the afternoon of 19 August 2005, said Free Media Movement in a news alert. FMM officials had called the officer in charge of Kurunagala police several times, but failed to obtain any information about the journalist. The Sri Lankan Police has been refusing to provide details on the arrest, the organisation said in the news release issued from Colombo on Monday. Meanwhile, The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance has urged the Minister of Media Dilan Perera and the Police chief Chandra Fernando to release the Journalist.
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SLA bans transporting school building materials to LTTE held areas in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 16:32 GMT]
Construction work of new buildings in two schools in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas in the Mannar district has come to a halt due to the ban imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on the transportation of building materials through Uyilankulam and Madu road army checkpoints, sources said.
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Unidentified men attack one civilian in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 15:50 GMT]
Unidentified men attacked 42 year old T.Ramesh Rajah, owner of a cinema hall in Moor Street, Mannar Sunday night around 10 p.m.in his house with pointed weapons causing grievous cut injuries. He was first admitted to Mannar hospital then transferred to Anuradhapura hospital. As his condition became critical he was transferred to Colombo National Hospital for emergency treatment, sources in Mannar said.
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Grenade lobbed at police checkpoint in Trinco

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 15:49 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at a sentry point of the police, which is located at third mile post along Trincomalee- Pulmoddai road about four km off Trincomalee town Monday evening around 7:00 p.m. One welder working close to the site was injured, police said.
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SC to deliver order on presidential election controversy on Friday

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 13:13 GMT]
Five- member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday put off the order in the presidential election date controversy for Friday. Earlier it heard the arguments on behalf the petition of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party and counter petitions of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), Liberal Party (LP) and Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) along with the statement filed by the Commissioner of Election and the submission by the Attorney General on the constitutionality regarding fixing the date for the next presidential election, legal sources said.
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Anura Bandaranaike sworn in as Sri Lanka's new FM

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 12:12 GMT]
Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, the brother of the Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, was sworn in as the country's new Foreign Minister Monday evening. Mr. Bandaranaike succeeds Lakshman Kadirgamar who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen a week ago.
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NE Human Rights Secretariat calls for withdrawal of ER and PTA

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 11:03 GMT]
North East Secretariat on Human Rights, in a press release issued on Monday called upon the international community to excercise pressure on Colombo to withdraw the Emergency Regulation (ER) which was recently reimposed in Sri Lanka. Also noting that the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) itself is a serious human rights violation, the secretariat said that the two pieces of legislation in force together will lead to a repeat of the large scale human rights violations. Since July 1st, more than 3000 arrests have been reported in the South, according to the press release. It also noted that the increased military presence in Trincomalee is continuing in spite of protest by the Tamils.
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Protest campaign to be held in Colombo against India's SSCP

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 09:32 GMT]
Two protest campaigns against the implementation Sedusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) by the Government of Indian are to be conducted in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital Tuesday and Wednesday this week. One protest campaign will be held in front of the Indian High Commission in Colombo on August 23 and the other in front of the Fort Railway Station on August 24. People's Movement Against SSCP and the Green Movement of Sri Lanka are organizing the campaigns.
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SC begins inquiry into presidential controversy

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 06:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka's two main political parties, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are scheduled to inaugurate their presidential election campaigns this week in Colombo, expecting that the 5-member bench of the Supreme Court would decide in favor of such election should be held this year.
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Kadirgamar's widow, daughter at odds over ashes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 15:54 GMT]
The Late Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Mr. Lakhsman Kadirgamar's ashes were scattered over the Kalutura river early morning at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, in what Kadirgamar's eldest daughter, Ms. Ajita Kadirgamar Perera, described to the press as a "blatant disregard" of the Minister’s family.
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Homeguard injured in grenade attack in Anuradhapura Junction

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 15:51 GMT]
A homeguard was injured when unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade on Anuradhapura junction, a suburb about four km off the east port town along Trincomalee-Kandy Road Sunday evening. Police blocked the traffic on the Trincomalee-Kandy Road following the attack at 8:10 p.m., sources said.
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STF soldiers attack cloth dealer in Thirukkovil

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 13:23 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) soldiers attacked Mr. R. Selvarajah Pragalathan, 22, a cloth dealer who had come from the Liberation Tigers controlled area to Sri Lanka Army controlled Akkaraipattu town to purchase cloths. Mr. Pragalathan, was attacked by STF soldiers stationed at Kanjirankuddah checkpost in Thirukkovil on Sunday evening around 3:00 p.m.when he was on his way back to his village, sources said.
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TR TEC opens hightech IT center in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 11:51 GMT]
Tamil Refugee Training and Education Center (TR TEC), an arm of United Kingdom based organization with the same name, opened its Information Technology center with four laboratories equipped with current generation computers, a media lab with audio visual equipment, a hardware lab for PC maintenance training, and satelllite based broadband internet access facilities in Kilinochchi along the A9.
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SLTMA condemns grenade attack on newspaper office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 04:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) in a news release Saturday said it strongly condemned the grenade attack on the Uthayan newspaper’s office in Wellawatte, Colombo, calling it a “cowardly act,” and urged the Sri Lankan government to take prompt action to stop such attacks.
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LTTE women's political wing office in Vavuniya attacked

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 01:19 GMT]
Three LTTE women officials were injured when unidentiefied attackers lobbed a grenade through the backdoor of the LTTE Women's political office located in Vairavapuliyankulam, 1.5 km west of Vavuniya town Saturday night at 10:55 p.m., Police said. This is the fourth time that an LTTE office in Sri Lanka Army controlled Vavuniya town has been subjected to attack, sources close to LTTE in Vavuniya said.
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Emergency raises spectre of past disappearances - Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 23:36 GMT]
"The reimposition of Emergency Regulations has raised the spectre of past disappearances, indiscriminate arrests, torture under custody and the impunity enjoyed by the Sri Lanka security forces for human rights violations against the Tamil people," said Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Vanni district, when TamilNet asked for his reaction to the adoption by Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday of the motion to extend the State of Emergency.
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Child Vision survey identifies five thousand disabled in East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 15:16 GMT]
Child Vision, a non-governmental organization has launched a project in the eastern province to identify disabled persons who were affected by tsunami and war and to rehabilitate them. Mr.Rumaiz, Chief Executive of the Child Vision, said that according to a survey conducted so far in 6 divisions in Trincomalee district, 10 in Batticaloa district and 13 in Amparai district, about 5409 persons have been identified with disabilities in the three districts related to visual, speech, hearing, mobility, intellectual, mental illness and other psychological disorders.
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EPDP cadre shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 13:44 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen on Saturday evening shot and killed a paramilitary cadre of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Mr. Nadarasa Kesavavarnan, 25, in Vavuniya. The killing took place around 6:00 p.m. at Samanakulam, five kilometers southeast of Vavuniya town, Police said.
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SLMM urged to stop SL Army intimidation in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 13:34 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) Saturday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to take immediate steps to stop the Sri Lanka Army from intimidating Tamil civilians in the east port town. The TDTPF in a compliant lodged with the Trincomalee head of the SLMM cited an instance that took place on Friday evening in the town where army soldiers covered their faces with black clothes riding in about 20 field motorbikes at high speed intimidating Tamil civilians by brandishing their weapons, sources said.
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Advertising office of Colombo Tamil daily attacked

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 12:56 GMT]
Unidentified persons Saturday evening around 5:30 p.m. lobbed two grenades inside the advertising office of the Tamil daily Sudaroli located in Perara Mawatta, Wellawatte, in Colombo. The grenades did not explode. Three employees were inside the office at the time of the attack. None was hurt, Wellawatte Police said.
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SLA soldier injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 10:02 GMT]
Two motorcycle-riding attackers lobbed a grenade into a sentry point of the Sri Lanka Army located on Kalliyankadu Cemetery Road near the Batticaloa Railway Station Saturday noon. An SLA soldier, Sanjeeva Prasanna Wikramarachi, 21, was injured in the attack. SLA Soldiers at the sentry point opened fire and beat civilian travellers with rifle butts following the attack, civilian sources said.
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Direct talks 'pointless' - JHU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 07:18 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the ultra Sinhala nationalist, all Buddhist monks' party, in a strongly worded statement on Friday opposed the direct and high level talks being scheduled between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE should "lay down its arms" and "denounce" Tamils' right to secede, before holding any direct talks with the GoSL in future, the party said.
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NEIAP donates harvesters to Mannar agrarian centres

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 August 2005, 13:13 GMT]
World Bank funded North East Integrated Agricultural Project (NEIAP) Friday donated twenty-four harvesters to twelve Agrarian Service Centres (ASC) in the Mannar district. Each centre is supplied with two harvesters. Each harvester costs about three hundred thousand rupees, NEIAP sources said.
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SLA soldiers guard police stations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 August 2005, 13:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has decided to provide security to all police stations in the Jaffna district with immediate effect. Twenty soldiers are deployed in the premises of each police station. The Police has suspended traffic duty in major towns in the Jaffna district and also stopped investigating complaints in regard to minor offences, police sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE agrees to participate in talks on Ceasefire Agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 August 2005, 07:39 GMT]
The LTTE leadership has informed the Norwegian Government of its decision to participate in talks with the Sri Lanka government on issues relating to the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor and the chief peace negotiator of the Liberation Tigers, told TamilNet that the LTTE leadership has accepted the Norwegian invitation to "participate in a review of the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement in order to find practical ways of ensuring full compliance by both parties."
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TRO funded Arabic College halls opened in Kinniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 August 2005, 06:45 GMT]
Two new halls for the Kinniya-Munaichchenai Sumaiya Ladies Arabic College constructed with funds allocated by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) were declared open Wednesday evening. Mr.T.A.Ishak, Principal of the College unveiled the name board of the new building, Mr.V.Kalaivarnan, Project Officer of the TRO in Trincomalee and Mr.K.Nallasivam, TRO head in Thampalakamam declared open the two halls, sources said.
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Hot spring said discovered in Katkovalam

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 August 2005, 04:14 GMT]
A hot spring was discovered in Punithanagar near Katkovalam, in Vadamaradchi East in the Jaffna district, in the process of digging for laying the foundation of a new house for tsunami victims Thursday, sources said.
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JVP wants to instigate another war - retired SL General

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 23:22 GMT]
Airing his views on the current political trends in Sri Lanka, retired Sri Lankan Military Commander for Jaffna, Major General Sarath Munasinghe, said Wednesday that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was behaving in a highly "irresponsible manner to instigate another war."
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Kadirgamar’s neighbour unaware of assassins' presence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 22:42 GMT]
Mr. Lakshman Thalayasingam, the occupant of the house from where Kadirgamar's assassins are believed to have operated, said at the preliminary inquiry at the Colombo Magistrate's Court on Tuesday that he wasn't aware of Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar’s assassination until the soldiers alerted him around 1:00 a.m. on August 13th.
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De-mining awareness week in Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 22:05 GMT]
De-mining Co-ordinating Unit of the Jaffna district secretariat with the funding of the UNICEF has been implementing an Awareness Week on De-mining Programme in the Jaffna district. The inaugural event took place last Monday and will conclude Sunday, sources said.
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Grenade lobbed at wine shop in Vavuniya, employee injured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 16:51 GMT]
Unidentified men lobbed a grenade into a wine shop in Vavuniya town Thursday night around 8:40 p.m. Mr. Amarasegaram Jeyanatharajah, 25, an employee at the wine shop was injured in the grenade attack, Police said.
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Thondamannaru Sannithi Temple Chariot festival held

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 16:38 GMT]
The annual Chariot festival of the historic Thondamannaru Sellasannithi Murugan Temple was held Thursday morning. The temple is located in the east of Thondamannaru lagoon in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district. Large number of devotees from all parts of the district participated in the festival.
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SLN rescues refugees from sandbank in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 16:34 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Thursday remanded one person and released six other Tamil refugees when they were produced in court by Mannar Police on a report that they had been picked up by the Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday afternoon 12:30 p.m. from a sandbank in Mannar Sea, legal sources said.
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SLA forcibly occupies Thenmaradchchi TRO office

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:56 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army forcibly opened Thenmaradchchi office building of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Wednesday midnight. Properties kept inside the office had been damaged by soldiers, Jaffna district TRO office said in a complaint lodged with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Thursday, sources said. SLA soldiers are now occupying the TRO building from Thursday afternoon and have prevented TRO employees entering the building, residents of the area said.
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SL parliament approves State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted a government motion to extend the State of Emergency for a month after a one-day debate with a majority of 103 votes. 124 MPs voted for the motion and 21 against. President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge declared the State of Emergency soon after the killing of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, and summoned the special session of the parliament to approve it on Thursday. According to the Constitution, the State of Emergency should be approved by parliament after ten days of its declaration.
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TNA MP casts doubt on assassination theory

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:01 GMT]
Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, speaking during the debate on the motion for the extension of the State of Emergency in Sri Lankan parliament on Thursday, said that the killing of Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, had taken place at a time when the international community had changed its position in favor of contributing funds direct to the NorthEast. This has created a reasonable suspicion on the theories about the assassination that Colombo wants the International Community to believe, he said.  
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Tamil youth kidnapped and killed in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 11:08 GMT]
A Tamil youth, Mr. Satheeskumar, residing in Armour Street in Colombo, was abducted Wednesday night around 9:30 p.m and was found dead Friday morning with gunshot injuries behind a bush at Kahathoduwa in Homagama, 22 kilometers southeast of Colombo. The youth, estimated to be 25 years of age is a native of Pungudutheevu division 11 in Jaffna, Police said.
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LTTE, SLMM discuss deteriorating situation in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 10:30 GMT]
Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Mr. Hagrup Haukland and the Liberation Tigers' Political Head Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan met Thursday in Kilinochchi and discussed the deterioting situation in the NorthEast. Mr. Thamilchelvan, talking to press after meeting the truce monitors, said that he has conveyed in "clear terms" to Colombo that abiding by the CFA agreement on which the whole proces has been based upon for more than three and a half years is the "immediate need of the moment." Mr. Thamilchelvan accused the Sri Lankan armed forces in Jaffna for violating CFA agreement by "abducting" a disabled LTTE cadre who was on vacation for medical treatment with his parents.
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SL Parliament begins debate on ER amid chaos

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 05:51 GMT]
SL Deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, in his opening speech in Sri Lankan Parliament on the special debate on Emergency Regulations on Thursday declared that "the alternate way" would be considered, if failing to find solution to any problem through negotiations with his government. Following his opening remarks, Mr. M.K. Eelavenathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, followed with his comments. TNA MP's speech was disturbed by Mr. Mervyn Silva, Deputy Minister, and Mr. Wimal Weeravanse, JVP's parliamentary group leader. Pandemonium prevailed for about fifteen minutes in the Lankan parliament.
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Ex TELO cadre shot and killed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 16:57 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a former Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) cadre in Kurumankadu, around 1.5 km. west of Vavuniya around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, Vavuniya Police Officer In-Charge (OIC) Mr. A.M.C. Abeyasinghe Banda said. The killing took place in a populous area, close to UNHCR office in Vavuniya.
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LTTE complains to SLMM against the abduction of Gopi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 16:53 GMT]
Jaffna District Political Secretariat of the LTTE Monday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the abduction of Mr.Gopi, an LTTE cadre by a group of Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen from his house is a blatant violation of the Ceasefire Agreement. "LTTE has informed to the SLMM that Mr.Gopi should be released immediately," said a statement issued by Mr. Imayavan of the LTTE Jaffna district political secretariat Wednesday.
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Leadership training programme concluded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 14:50 GMT]
Ten-day seminar on First Aid and Leadership Training for tsunami affected students of Trincomalee district conducted by the Independent Human Development Organization (IHDO) with the sponsorship of USA based Mercy Corps concluded recently at Trincomalee Vipulananda College.
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"War is not an option" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 09:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday they are committed to ceasefire and would return to the Norwegian peace process if the February 2002 truce agreement was implemented in full. In an interview to Reuters, LTTE’s Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said the Tigers are ready to defend the Tamils from attack. "War is not an option," he told Reuters. "But if war is thrust upon the Tamil people, we will have no option but to face it... So it's in the hands of the Sri Lanka government", he said.
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Two policemen shot, Jaffna tense

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 08:01 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan policemen were shot and injured at Kaladdy in Kokkuvil, a suburb of Jaffna, Wednesday around 11:30 a.m, Police said. One of the two wounded policemen, in critical condition, was airlifted to Colombo Hospital. The Sri Lanka army in Jaffna deployed additional troops in Jaffna town, the areas surrounding the University of Jaffna and Jaffna Teaching Hospital following the incident, sources said.
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Trinco TRO Director released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 07:47 GMT]
Muttur Magistrate Mr.M.Ganesharajah Wednesday ordered the release of Mr.S.Wijekumar, Trincomalee District Director of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) following an application by the Muttur Police that he could be released with the money Rs 2 million he was in possession at the time of arrest, legal sources said. Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning the checkpoint at Kaddaiparichchan to the entrance of the LTTE controlled Muttur east Tuesday evening took into custody Mr.S.Wijekumar, and handed him over to Muttur Police.
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SLN arrests youth with explosives in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 07:41 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy conducted a cordon and search operation in the Pallimunai coastal area in the Mannar district Wednesday for about two hours from about 7:00 a.m., civil sources said. During the operation SLN soldiers recovered about three kg of gelatin sticks, 31 detonators and four feet of wire.
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Gunmen open fire on Sammanthurai Police station

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 06:58 GMT]
Unidentified attackers armed with automatic rifles opened fire on Sammanthurai police station Tuesday night around 11:30 p.m. Police constables returned fire on the attackers. No one was injured, Police said.
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SLA soldiers arrest Trinco TRO director

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 06:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning the checkpoint at Kaddaiparichchan to the entrance of the LTTE controlled Muttur east Tuesday evening took into custody Mr.S.Wijekumar, Trincomalee district Director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and handed over to the Muttur Police on an allegation that he had been carrying about two million rupees, TRO sources said.
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Policemen shot in Iruthayapuram

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 01:34 GMT]
Unidentified persons fired on two Sri Lankan policemen, wounding them on Tuesday night around 8:30 p.m. in the Iruthayapuram suburb of Batticaloa town, Police said. The attackers used T 56 rifles and shot from a long distance, Police said.
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Implement ceasefire in full - UN Security Council

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 19:48 GMT]
The United Nations Security Council has called on the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers to "fully implement the provisions of the [February 2002] ceasefire agreement." The Security Council members' endorsement of the truce accompanied their condemnation Monday of the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on Friday.
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SLA conducts cordon and search operation in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 16:36 GMT]
Hundreds of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday morning conducted a cordon and search operation in Mannar town and suburbs covering Uppukulam, Sinnakadai and hospital area. This was the first major search operation conducted by the SLA in Mannar since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, civilian sources said.
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SLA blocks civilian movement, LTTE tells SLMM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 16:29 GMT]
Mr.Semmanan, Trincomalee District Deputy Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tuesday urged the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to take immediate steps to provide relief to thousands of residents who are prevented from traveling to and from the LTTE controlled areas in the district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) since the declaration of State of Emergency Saturday, LTTE sources said.
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UNP hails Election Commissioner's stand

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 15:48 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday hailed the decision of the Commissioner of Elections to hold the next presidential election this year as a victory for the people. Mr.Tissa Attanayake, Assistant Secretary of the UNP told media persons that the statement filed by the Commissioner of Elections in the Supreme Court has proved the constitutional legality on the presidential election controversy, sources said
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Civil group draws attention to Mannar patients' woes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 11:54 GMT]
The Mannar Citizens' Committee Tuesday wrote to the NorthEast Provincial Health Ministry Secretary to take immediate steps to transfer seriously ill patients and those needed surgical attention from Mannar government hospital to Vavuniya or Jaffna instead of transferring them to Anuradhapura hospital which is located in Sinhala speaking area, sources said.
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Wife appeals for husband's release in Mannar explosives case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 11:34 GMT]
Ms Sahayanathan Sutharjany, a mother of three children from Mannar suburb Keeri, Tuesday made a written appeal to the Mannar Citizens' Committee to help obtain release of her husband Mr.Thangiah Sahayanathan, the three-wheeler driver who with six others are in remand for allegedly transporting a consignment of claymore mines and other explosives into the government controlled territory, sources said.
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SLA vehicle injures elderly woman in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 11:14 GMT]
Ms S.Ranee (65), mother of four children of Fourth Cross Street, Jaffna town was knocked down by a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicle Tuesday around 11.40 a.m. when she was cycling along Muniyappar Temple Lane towards her home after going to the Jaffna market. She sustained serious injuries and was admitted at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, police said.
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SLA soldier shot dead in Muttur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 11:08 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, Corporal Heendeniya at 64th milepost in Muttur Tuesday around 11.30 a.m. The scene of crime is located along Trincomalee - Batticaloa Road, about three km. Off down south of Muttur town, police said.
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Paramilitary cadre shot dead in Polannaruwa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 11:03 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr Mahathevarajah, a cadre from the paramilitary Karuna Group, Monday night at Namalpockuna in Polannaruwa. Mahathevarajah was shot in his head with a 9 mm. handgun, Aralaganwela Police said.
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Parliament to meet Thursday to approve ER

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 08:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge using her powers conferred on her by the Constitution has reconvened the parliament on Thursday (August 18) by an Extra Ordinary Gazette Notification issued Monday midnight. The sittings of the parliament was put off for 22 August after the conclusion of the two day debate on the P-TOMS last Friday.
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Court remands one suspect in Jaffna explosives case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 02:34 GMT]
Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, Jaffna Magistrate Monday ordered remand for Mr.Reginald Yudithson till August 29th and released two other persons each on surety bail of Rupees 25,000/= when they were produced by the Jaffna Police for allegedly transporting explosives through Jaffna lagoon to the government controlled area, legal sources said.
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Agriculture development in Mannar district ignored

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 01:54 GMT]
Twelve Agrarian Service Centres (ASCs) located in Mannar district are without adequate staff and other basic facilities are unable to assist the farming community in the development of agriculture, farmers' association sources complained.
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Buddhist rituals mark Kadirgamar's State Funeral

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 15:55 GMT]
The funeral of slain Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was held with full state honours at the Independence Square at 6 p.m. Monday. Late Kadirgamer's son Ravi lit the funeral pyre after sunset according to Buddhist tradition. Several thousand people paid their last respects as the remains of kadirgamar was taken in procession to the Independence Square from his official residence at the Wijerama Mawatha. From the beginning of the drive of the Independence square to the venue where the funeral orations were made by the religious leaders and the Prime minister on behalf of the Sri Lanka government, the military parade accompanied the cortage.
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SL Presidential election in 2005- Election Commissioner

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections Monday explained his decision to hold the next presidential election this year in a letter to Supreme Court sent through his lawyer Mr.Elmo Fernando Monday saying that he considered the Gazette Notification issued on December 22, 1999 on which date the incumbent President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge took oaths for her second term as valid legal document, legal sources said.
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SLA attempts attack on office- Jaffna students

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 11:10 GMT]
International Student's Association of Tamil Eelam (ISATE) alleged in a letter of complaint sent to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers attempted to attack their office located at the Parameshwara Junction, Thirunelvely Jaffna, 3km northeast of Jaffna town Monday morning at 2 am.
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Thousands mourn Kadirgamar, Colombo security tightened

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 09:07 GMT]
Thousands of people were seen standing in queues to pay their last respects to the remains of kadirgamar at his official residence situated at the highly residential Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo. The capital city has been put under tight security following the arrival of foreign dignitaries including the Defence Minister of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and the Indian Foreign Minister Mr. Natwar Singh for the funeral of the slain Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on Monday.
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Blockade to LTTE held areas in Trinco - MP complains

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 07:17 GMT]
Security forces are still enforcing the ban on the movement of people and vehicles to and from the LTTE controlled areas in Muttur east division and Eachchilampathu division in the Trincomalee district causing untold suffering since Saturday morning, said Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga.
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STF soldier, policeman, homeguard injured in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 17:18 GMT]
An STF soldier, a policeman and a homeguard were seriously injured at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, when unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade into their checkpost located on RKM Road in Akkaraipattu, 64 km. south of Batticaloa, Police said. The injured men were rushed to Akkaraipattu Hospital and later transferred to Amparai Hospital. Tension prevails in Akkaraipattu following the attack.
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Indian poachers cause fear among Jaffna fishermen

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 16:48 GMT]
Vadamaradchchi Fishermen Societies' Federation Sunday complained that increasing number of Indian fishing trawlers is entering northern seas for poaching. Local fishermen Sunday early morning encountered more than one hundred Indian trawlers poaching in Point Pedro seas and had to return to the shores without fishing fearing confrontation, federation sources said.
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Policeman, homeguard injured in Kalmunai grenade attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 15:54 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed three grenade into a police checkpoint wounding a police constable and a homeguard at Pandiruppu in Kalmunai at 7:50 p.m. Sunday, Police said.
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Nallur festival marred by SLA vehicles on temple streets

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 13:47 GMT]
Behind the cover of recently imposed Emergency Regulations, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicles have been forcing their way into the streets surrounding the Nallur Kandaswamy temple and incoveniencing devotees, disturbing the spiritual atmosphere that traditionally marks the temple festival, residents in Nallur said.
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Periyakallaru residents receive temporary tsunami housing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 12:33 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) handed over 190 temporary houses to tsunami affected residents of Periyakallaru, a coastal town located 30 km south of Batticaloa town, at a function presided by Batticaloa Director of TRO Mr Baskaran held at 3rd Division, Periyakallaru last week.
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Peterson, Helgesen to attend Kadirgamar's funeral

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 12:26 GMT]
The Norwegian Foregin Minister Mr. Jan Petersen and his deputy Mr.Vidar Helgesen will attend the funeral of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lakshman Kadirgamar Monday in Colombo a press release issued by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Sunday said. Mr.Helgesen will meet Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political advisor of the LTTE on Sunday in London, before leaving for Sri Lanka, press release further said.
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Political cadres blocked at Omanthai checkpoint - Vavuniya LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 09:47 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Omanthai checkpoint, the main entry point to the LTTE controlled Vanni, slamed the doors for all traffic without any prior notice at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. The traffic resumed at 12:25 p.m. travellers said. However, political cadres of the Liberation Tigers were not allowed to cross the Omanthai SLA checkpoint, said Mr. Gnanam, LTTE's Vavuniya district political head. Also, LTTE's political cadres from Vanni were not allowed to cross the border-point, he added.
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STF soldiers storm Karaithivu LTTE office, arrest four

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 09:01 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) soldiers who stormed the Karaithivu political office of the Liberation Tigers in Kalmunai arrested Mr. Uthayamenan, a political cadre of the LTTE and three civilians in the office around 8:00 a.m. Sunday, Police said. Later, the STF soldiers handed over the persons to Sammanthurai Police. The arrests were made to investigate the recent attacks on police and security posts in Amparai district, the STF soldiers had told the Police.
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LTTE political office in Batticaloa bombed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 07:26 GMT]
Political office of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa, located inside the Sri Lanka Army held eastern town's high security area, was attacked by two unidentified men Sunday noon. The attackers, who approached the office in a motorbike, lobbed more than five grenades, one by one, into the building through the main entrance, neighbouring residents said. Five LTTE political officials who were inside the building narrowly escaped the attack, sources said.
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TNA statement on Kadirgamar killing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 06:49 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday expressed shock and consternation on the killing of Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister. "We urge that the peace process be recommenced in a meaningful way. That would be the only way to sustain the Ceasefire Agreement and discourage all forms of violence," said the TNA in its press release.
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UNP, JVP react to Kadirgamar slaying

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 20:44 GMT]
In the wake of the assassination Friday of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party, whilst condemning the killing, accused the government of being lax in providing him with security, particularly amid reports he was close to the renegade LTTE commander who defected to the Army, Karuna. And in its vehement reaction, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) mourned Mr. Kadirgamar as one of their own and launched a bitter tirade against the LTTE.
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STF arrests farmers in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 18:09 GMT]
Nine Tamil farmers were arrested by the Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers in Akkaraipattu and Kanjirankuda in Amparai district Saturday noon. The arrested men were taken to Akkaraipattu and Kanjirankuda STF camps, villagers said.
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Grenade lobbed at Thirukkovil police station

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 17:57 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade and shot into the main entrance of the police station in Thirukkovil around 8:45 p.m. Saturday. No one was injured in the attack, Thirukkovil Police Officer-In Charge (OIC) Mr. Ahmeer said.
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SLTMA condemns killing of veteran broadcaster

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 14:29 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA), in a media release issued to the press on Friday in Colombo, has condemned the assasination of veteran broadcaster and the Television presenter Mrs. Relangi Selvaraja, 45, and her husband Mr. Selvaraja, 48, who were assassinated Friday noon in Colombo by unidentified gunmen.
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Rights group questions Colombo's bonafides in imposing ER

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 13:01 GMT]
Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) based in New Delhi issued a press release Saturday saying, "the declaration of a state of national emergency does not make Sri Lankan government look more committed to nab the criminals but fraud with dangerous repercussions for civil liberties," following the assassination of Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, further expressed its concerns on "the declaration of a state of emergency in Sri Lanka under slightest pretexts in clear violations of the obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Sri Lanka is a ratifying party."
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Aussie children donate play equipment to Mullaitivu school

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 11:46 GMT]
A children's play ground facility built from donations of children from Hamilton and Alexandra school in Victoria, Australia was opened at the Sinnathamby Pre School in Oddusuddan Tuesday at 10am by The Economic Consulty House (TECH), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO operating primarily in the NorthEast, sources in Mullaitivu said.
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Police arrests Tamil owners of Bullers Road house

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 08:07 GMT]
Police has arrested a Tamil couple, Mr. Lakshman Thalaiyasingam, 58, and Mrs. Vipiyan Selvalogini Thalaiyasingam, the owners of the house located at 42, Bullers Lane where the sniper had taken position to strike at Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar. Mr Thalaiyasingam, an executive officer in a leading Colombo business establishment, and his wife were at the house at the time of the incident and have told Police that they had no knowledge that the assassin had taken position at the top floor of their house. The couple told the Police that the top floor was rarely used by them.
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LTTE denies involvement in Kadirgamar killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 06:15 GMT]
Denying any involvement in the assassination of Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan Saturday condemned Colombo for hastily blaming the Liberation Tigers for the killing. Thamilchelvan said that there are several forces opposed to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) in the South. "We also know that there are sections within the Sri Lankan Armed forces operating with a hidden agenda to sabotage the CFA," he said and urged Colombo to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the assassins.
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Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Kadirgamar killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 18:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, was shot Friday night and later succumbed to his gunshot wounds at Colombo National Hospital at 12:15 a.m Saturday according to Hospital sources. Mr. Kadirgamar was rushed to Colombo National Hospital in serious condition after being shot by a sniper from a long distance at his highly guarded residence at Wijerama Mawatte near London Place, Colombo-7, Police said. Tension prevails in Colombo, following the assassination.
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Gale force winds buffet Trincomalee coasts

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 17:51 GMT]
Coastal areas in Muttur division and some parts of Trincomalee division Friday evening experienced heavy rain with strong winds and lightning. In the LTTE held Sampoor area a youth was injured in lightning and he was admitted to the LTTE hospital, civil sources said.
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Mannar explosive case remand hearing shifts to Anuradhapura Courts

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 17:35 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate M.N.M.Abdullah Friday allowed an application made by the Police to produce all the seven suspects including a woman arrested for allegedly transporting a consignment of claymore mines and explosives in the Anuradhapura Magistrates Court instead of Mannar court every fourteen days for security reasons. The suspects used to be brought fortnightly from Anuradhapura prison to Mannar court, legal sources said.
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STF water bowser attacked in Pothuvil

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 15:37 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen fired at a water bowser belonging to Special Task Force (STF) Friday evening around 4:30 p.m. at Sangamamkandy in Pothuvil, 90 km. south of Batticaloa. Three STF soldiers sustained minor injuries and the vehicle was damaged, Police said.
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SLA patrols intensify in Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 14:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has intensified its patrols in several areas in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district following an attack on soldiers recently by unidentified men in Mirusuvil area, according to residents. Three soldiers were injured, one critically, in that attack which occured when the soldiers were taking meals to fellow soldiers in a vehicle last week.
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One policeman killed, two injured in Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 13:35 GMT]
A Police Constable, Mr. Athukorala, was shot and killed and two other policemen were seriously injured when unidentfied gunmen shot at a police mobile unit Friday evening around 2:30 p.m. at Dehiyathakandia in Amparai district in the East. Injured police constables have been admitted to Amparai Hospital, Police said.
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Police constable shot in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 13:05 GMT]
A police constable, Mr. Farook, 35, was shot and injured Friday noon in Karaithivu, 48 kilometres south of Batticaloa. The constable was on duty at Vettuvaikalavai Bridge with two other police constables when the incident happened. The gunmen fired from a long distance, from an abandoned land, Police said.
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Tamil TV announcer, husband shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 11:27 GMT]
Senior Announcer at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Mrs. Relangi Selvarajah (45) and her husband Mr. Sinnadurai Selvarajah (48) were shot dead by unidentified gunmen Friday around 12:45 p.m. at Bampalapitiya St. Peter’s lane Colombo where they ran a Travel Agency, Kinross Travel Service, Police sources in Colombo said.
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Jaffna HR officials recommend legal action on torture complaint

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 07:10 GMT]
The Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has recommended legal action against three prison guards employed in Jaffna prison on allegation of torturing a suspect while in remand. Jaffna Human rights officials have made the recommendation to their head office in Colombo.
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Policeman, homeguard, two civilians injured in grenade attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 03:37 GMT]
Two unidentified persons riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade into an armed post located close to the Triple Gem tsunami refugee camp in Kalmunai Thursday night around 10:00 p.m. Two civilians, standing near the armed post, were also injured in the grenade attack, Police said.
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First Aid book will help reduce rural deaths- Health officials

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 01:42 GMT]
A book on First Aid written by V Sreetharan and published jointly by the Vanni district St.Johns Ambulance First Aid Brigade and Kilinochchi district Malaria Prevention Movement was officially released Wednesday 3.30 pm at an event held at the Kilinochchi Cultural Hall, sources in Kilinochchi said. Regional Malaraia Prevention official Dr K Sujanthan presided the event.
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P-TOMS debate continues in parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 August 2005, 13:32 GMT]
"We would create one hundred Pirapaharan instead of one in the North East if we allow the current political crisis situation without P-TOMS and with the stalled peace process to continue," said Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, Minister of Irrigation and Rajarata Development participating in the P-TOMS debate, which began Thursday in parliament.
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Youths on Fast-to-death campaign against Dam project

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 August 2005, 11:02 GMT]
Six youths from the HillCountry Youth Front (HYF) has launched a fast unto death campaign at the Talawakelle bus stand in protest of the proposed Upper Kotmale hydro electricity project Thursday, sources from Talawakelle said.
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"A dirty War of Attrition in the East" - LTTE blames Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 August 2005, 10:29 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday blamed the Government of Sri Lanka for "covertly supporting a dirty war of attrition" against the Liberation Tigers in the Eastern Province in collusion with Tamil para-militaries that is gravely endangering the ceasefire. Criticising the SL Government’s armed forces, particularly the military intelligence, for the fast deteriorating security situation in the eastern province, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political advisor of the LTTE, warned that the increasing tension has the potential of exploding into a full-fledged armed confrontation, if the government failed in its truce obligation to disarm the para-militaries.
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P-TOMS fate confirms Tamils' grave skepticism- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 August 2005, 02:57 GMT]
Mr. R. Sampanthan M.P. Leader Parliamentary Group TNA, speaking during the adjournment debate on the P-TOMS structure Thursday in the Sri Lanka Parliament said that JVP mounted a "high profile challenge levelled against the P-TOMS" because the "agreement was intended to substantially benefit the Tamil speaking people of the Northeast," and that the failure of P-TOMS has confirmed the "grave sense of skepticism amongst the Tamil people."
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IOM to assist displaced Jaffna fisher families

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 17:12 GMT]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) agreed to construct semi-permanent houses for about five hundred displaced fisher families in a fifty acre plot located in the no-man zone in Valalai area close to Thondamannaru lagoon, east of Palaly high security zone, Jaffna district secretariat sources said.
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Nallur Kandasamy Temple festival begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 15:53 GMT]
Twenty-seven day annual festival of the historic Nallur Kandasamy Temple in Jaffna began Wednesday morning with the Sacred Flag hoisting ceremony (Kodi Yetam) in the presence of large number of devotees. The chariot (THER) festival will be held on September 2 and the Water Cutting (Theertham) festival on September 3, temple authorities said.
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Two LTTE cadres shot and killed in Thirukkovil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 04:38 GMT]
Two political cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen who were riding in a blue colour van Wednesday around 7:30 a.m. The incident took place at Kanjirankuda junction on Akkaraipattu-Pottuvil Main Road, around 300 meters away from the Special Task Force (STF) base in Kanjirankuda, which is located 3 km south of Thirukkovil in Amparai district. Two of the gunmen, wearing military fatigues, were seen entering the STF base by the residents of the area.
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Labor shortage hampers paddy harvest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 02:25 GMT]
Farmers in the three districts of eastern province, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai, are unable to harvest their crops due to acute shortage of labourers. The farmers fear that monsoon rain expected during the end of August would destroy their crops if not harvested in time, sources said.
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Private transport operators' strike called off

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 02:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's private transport operators called off their strike Tuesday evening following eight hours of talks with the Deputy Minister for Transport Mr.Lasantha Alagiawanna at his office, Tuesday, sources said. Mr.Alagiawanne gave assurances in writing to the representatives of striking transport service unions that their demands would receive serious consideration by his ministry in the coming weeks and also in the parliament.
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SLA urged to reopen Powerhouse Road to ease congestion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 17:09 GMT]
Dr.S.Gunarasa, Jaffna Municipal Commissioner, during a conference held at the Jaffna district secretariat Tuesday afternoon, requested the authorities to take steps re-open the Powerhouse Road for public use to ease traffic congestion in Jaffna town, sources said. The Power House Road in the heart of the town has been declared high security zone where the headquarters of the 51-2 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is located, district secretariat sources said.
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SLFP seeks Court to fix SL Presidential election in 2006

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 16:58 GMT]
Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court to order the Commissioner of Elections to hold the next Sri Lanka Presidential election in 2006, legal sources said.
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Trincomalee carnatic exponent felicitated

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 10:34 GMT]
Ms Vijeyakumary Thavasilingam, an exponent in Carnatic Music and the pioneer in the creation of a Music group that played traditional Tamil instruments, was felicitated for her services to the Tamil culture and fine arts at the Festival of Human Values held Sunday evening in Trincomalee St.Mary's College under the auspices of Trincomalee Sivananda Thapovanam.
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Disappeared youth in SLA custody, parents complain

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 10:15 GMT]
Karunakaran Sasikaran (16) of Allarai Kodikamam in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district who is alleged to have been taken into custody by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Muhamalai checkpoint recently when he was crossing to enter Wanni has not been released yet, according to complaints lodged by the parents of the boy with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Monday, civil sources said.
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Sri Lanka parliament to debate P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 08:03 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Tuesday morning with the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara in the chair. Mr.Lokkubandara informed the house that the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has appointed Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva as the Leader of the House, filling the vacancy created with the resignation of Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena.
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Sri Lanka's private transport operators strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 07:56 GMT]
All private public transport systems except State services came to a standstill from midnight Monday following an island wide strike by private bus operators and three wheelers, demanding that authorities should postpone implementing the announced increase in fines for traffic offences. The strike affected tens of thousands of people in Colombo and its suburbs from reporting for work in government offices, private business establishments and schools since Tuesday morning, sources in Colombo said.
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SLA collects information on Nedunthivu resettlers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 00:56 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have started collecting names of displaced persons who are resettled in Nedunthivu, one of the islets in Jaffna peninsula, after the ceasefire agreement came into operation, residents said.
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Five major irrigation tanks in NorthEast to be renovated

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 16:56 GMT]
World Bank funded the North East Integrated Agricultural Programme (NEIAP) 2 has allocated about 16 million rupees to renovate five major tanks in the districts of Mannar, Killinochchi, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai bringing a total of about 37,749 hectares of land under paddy for both seasons and the beneficiaries will be about 30,811 farming families, NEIAP sources said.
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Rehabilitation of Mannar-Jaffna road begins

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 16:50 GMT]
Reconstruction of nine bridges on the 98 km long A-32 Navatkuli-Kerativu road connecting the districts of Mannar and Jaffna costing nearly 230 million rupees was initiated under the UK funded North East Bridges Reconstruction Programme (NEBRP). Of the nine bridges, seven are located in the areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and two in government-controlled areas, sources said.
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Up-Country Tamils protest against Sri Lankan Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 13:43 GMT]
More than five-thousand protesters demonstrated Monday in front of Colombo Fort Railway station from 3:00 p.m till 4:30 p.m. against the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment, Mr. Mervyn Silva, over his recent racial slurs directed at the Up-Country Tamils of Indian origin. Mr. Silva, while verbally abusing journalists who went to cover a court case where his son was involved, also insulted the Up-Country Tamils, according to journalists in Colombo.
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Trees cut down to reinforce Jaffna FDLs, Police stations

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 13:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka armed forces have begun cutting down coconut and palmyra trees to strengthen forward defense lines and the perimeters of police stations in the Jaffna district, residents said.
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Private bus owner abducted in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 11:30 GMT]
Unidentified men abducted a private bus owner, Mr. Balachandran Karikaran, 40, at gun point on Goodshed Road, 1.5 km. west of Vavuniya town Sunday around 8:30 p.m., sources in Vavuniya said.
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Jaffna Police stop registering public complaints

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 10:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Station in Jaffna is reported to have stopped taking complaints from public after the abduction and murder of Mr. Charles Wijewardene, Jaffna Police Superintendent last Thursday following the killing of a Tamil civilian at Inuvil in Jaffna district, civil sources said.
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Jaffna student dies in road accident

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 10:07 GMT]
Miss Vamadeva Keerthana, seventeen year old Advanced Level student of Jaffna Chundikuli Girls' College in Jaffna died at Potpathi in the Jaffna district Monday around seven a.m. when a heavy vehicle transporting sand knocked her motorbike and ran over her, Jaffna Police said.
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Tsunami affected Muslims protest in Kattankudy

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 09:42 GMT]
More than one thousand Muslims demonstrated in front of Katankudy Divisional Secretariat Monday morning demanding permanent solution and compensation to the victims affected by the Sri Lankan Government-declared 200 meter buffer zone following the December 26 tsunami. Protesters built temporary huts in front of the secretatiat and cooked on the street during the picketing, sources said.
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Sectarian motives suspected in Kattankudy arson

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 09:30 GMT]
A shop and the house of a Muslim businessman, Mr. Abdul Kaleem, located on Uoor Road in Kattankudy, were burnt down Sunday night in a suspected sectarian attack, Police said.
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SLA soldiers attacked in Mirusuvil

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 03:01 GMT]
Three soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army sustained injuries when the vehicle in which they were taking meals to fellow soldiers stationed in the area came under attack after being waylaid by unidentified persons Sunday night around 9 p.m. at Mirusuvil in Thenmaradchchi divisions in Jaffna district, police sources said.
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Pressure mine explosion kills Thenmaradchy resident

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 02:19 GMT]
Mr.Kulanthaian Thirunavukarasu aged 45 and a father of three children died in a pressure mine explosion that took place Sunday evening when he was clearing his land close to Pandrithalaichchchi Amman temple area in Madduvil in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district, Police said.
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SLA trooper accidentally fires gun at busy junction

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 August 2005, 00:55 GMT]
Residents around the busy Madathady junction in Trincomalee town and civilians nearby were struck with fear for about half an hour and ran for cover hearing the noise of a gunshot Sunday evening around 6 p.m., residents said. Police later revealed that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier's gun had accidentally gone off. No one was hurt in the incident, Police sources said.
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Kantalai JVP office attacked

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 16:05 GMT]
An unidentified person lobbed a grenade into the office of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Kantalai town Sunday afternoon around 1.30 p.m. A policeman providing security to the office was injured, Kantalai Police sources said.
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Civil group complains of new SLA camps in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 11:08 GMT]
Mr. Arthur Tveiten, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee district held discussions with the representatives of Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) and Trincomalee heads of Sri Lanka government security forces regarding the allegation by the TDTPF that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has built new mini-camps and sentry points in the east port and its suburbs after the erection of Buddha statue near the bus stand, sources said.
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Commissioner to meet leaders before fixing poll date

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 11:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Election Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake is reported to have decided to meet the leaders of all main political parties during the next two weeks before taking a decision to fix the date for the next presidential election. The leader of ruling United Freedom Peoples Alliance (UPFA) government and incumbent President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge insists that the next presidential election should be held in December 2006. However the main opposition United National Party (UNP) demands that the election should be held before December this year, sources said.
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Two injured, 4 shops damaged in grenade attack in Eravur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 07:54 GMT]
A shop owner was seriously injured and another civilian injured when two unidentified persons riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade into a shop at Chenkalady junction, a high security zone area between Sri Lanka army garrison in Kommathurai and the Black Bridge checkpoint, 15 km. north of Batticaloa. Four shops located near the Chenkalady market were fully burnt by the fire caused by the grenade explosion. The attack took place around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Eravur Police.
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Young fisherman abducted and killed in Eravur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 06:58 GMT]
Mr. Sivarajah Mariyapalan, 22, a fisherman, was shot in his head and killed by unidentified persons who abducted him Saturday evening at Arumugathankudiyiruppu village in Eravur, Police said. The victim, a resident of the village, went for fishing to Savukkady sea around 9:00 p.m., parents told Eravur Police. The body of the victim was found by his parents Sunday morning behind a bush near St. Anthony's church at Savukkady.
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Civil groups call for day of mourning for Inuvil killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 16:42 GMT]
Jaffna Civil Organizations' Consortium (JCOC) Saturday appealed to the people of Jaffna district to observe Sunday as a mourning day to coincide with the funeral of Mr.Santharoopan who was killed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Thursday at Inuvil, civil sources in Jaffna said.
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IGP visits Jaffna, briefs police officials

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 16:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr.Chandra Fernando Saturday paid an official visit to Jaffna and held discussion with officers-in-charge of all police stations in the district. The discussion was held at the office of Police Headquarters at Kankesanthurai, which is located in the high security zone, police sources said.
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Training school exhibition held in Ariviyal Nagar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 15:17 GMT]
Exhibition and one year anniversary of Work Training School for war affected children located in Ariviyal Nagar, Kilinochchi was held Thursday. The school is administered by the Rural Economic, Education Research and Development Organization (REERDO) and was built with funding from International Labor Organization (ILO). Director of the Training School, Mr Sivarajah, presided the event.
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UN Sub-Commission urged to promote and protect Human Rights in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 10:42 GMT]
There has been no proper investigation or punishment of culprits in the many cases of murders of human rights defenders and journalists in Sri Lanka, noted Ms. Deirdre McConnell in an oral intervention on the agenda item 3, "Administration of Justice, Rule of Law And Democracy," at the 57th session of UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human rights on Tuesday. "There has been no progress on the case of the assassination of Mr Kumar Ponnambalam on 5th January 2000, despite ample evidence regarding the alleged perpetrators of the crime," she said citing a number of instances that evidenced "pattern of bias" in the Sri Lankan judicial system.
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Upcountry parties call for Minister's resignation over racial slur

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 02:04 GMT]
In a press briefing held in Colombo Friday parliamentarians from Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and United National Party (UNP) called for the resignation of Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva over his racial slurs directed at the Tamils of Indian Origin and urged businesses in Colombo to lend support to the peoples protest on Monday 8th August by closing their business establishments on that day, sources in Colombo said.
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Five-member SC bench to hear election case

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 01:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Supreme Court (SC) Friday allowed the petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party, in the Sri Lanka Presidential election date controversy to be heard before a five-member bench on August 22. JHU has sought the Supreme Court to order the Commissioner of Elections to hold the Presidential election before the end of this year, legal sources said.
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Batticaloa woman raped before murder - JMO

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 18:11 GMT]
The young woman whose body was found at Batticaloa Methodist College on Wednesday was raped before she was stabbed to death, according the post-mortem analysis conducted by the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Mr. M.A.M. Rahman, Batticaloa Hospital sources said. The body of the young woman with short haircut, estimated to be between 20 to 25 years of age, was found inside a class room of the Batticaloa Methodist Central College in Batticaloa town Wednesday evening.
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SLA-LTTE officials meet in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 17:41 GMT]
An LTTE delegation led by Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head and Major General Sunil Tennekoon, Jaffna area commander of SLA, met at 6.45pm for nearly two hours in the presence of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna SLMM offices. They discussed in detail the current ground situation in the district following Thursday incidents and to take steps to restore normalcy, SLMM sources said.
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Two soldiers remanded in Inuvil killing

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 17:36 GMT]
Mallakam Magistrate Ms Sarojini Ilankovan Friday night ordered remand till August 20th for two Sri Lanka Army soldiers in connection with the killing of Jeyaseelan Santharoopan Thursday afternoon inside the hairdressing saloon in Inuvil in Jaffna district, legal sources said.
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Night curfew imposed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 17:26 GMT]
A night curfew from 10 p.m. Friday till 5 a.m. Saturday has been imposed in Jaffna district, civil sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Mr.Chandra Fernando, Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police (IGP), is to visit Jaffna Saturday following the Inuvil Thursday where a civilian was shot dead by Sri Lanka Army and a high ranking official was killed in retaliation.
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Time for donors to provide direct aid to NorthEast- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 11:20 GMT]
"Time has come for the International Community to provide direct aid to the Tamil homeland without waiting for Colombo," LTTE's Political Head Mr. Thamilchelvan told reporters in Kilinochchi after a meeting with the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen and his delegation at LTTE's Peace Secretariat on Friday. "Joint Mechanism to deliver tsunami aid has been scuttled, internally displaced people continue to suffer due to Colombo's denial to let them return to their homes, and the Cease Fire Agreement is severely threatened by Colombo's shadow war using paramilitary groups in the East. The patience of the Tamil people is running out," Mr. Thamilchelvan told the press.
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SL President denounces Jaffna killings

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 10:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday directed the relevant authorities to investigate Inuvil incident in Jaffna district where a Tamil civilian Mr.Santharoopan was shot dead by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army and Jaffna Police Superintendent Mr. Charles Wijewardene by a crowd in retaliation. Kumaratunga has directed to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay, according to a media release issued by the Presidential Media Unit.
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Curfew lifted in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 09:47 GMT]
The curfew imposed in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in Jaffna district since 8:00 p.m. Thursday night was lifted around 12:30 p.m. Friday. Normal life is returning slowly and transport services commenced immediately to and from Jaffna through Muhamalai SLA checkpoint in the afternoon Friday, police said. However, police sources said a night curfew may be imposed Friday.
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CFA, P-TOMS discussed in Helgesen, Kumaratunga meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 07:54 GMT]
The Norwegian Depurty Foreign Minister and the facilitator of the peace process Mr. Vidar Helgesen met Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at her official residence Thursday night, Presidential Secretariat sources said. The Norwegian Deputy FM discussed the current state of the peace process with the SL President along with the issues which confront the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Mr. Helgesen also discussed the issues related to the scuttled P-TOMS deal, sources added. The meeting which began at 9 p.m. continued till 10.30 p.m. The Norwegian Deputy FM is visiting Kilinochchi Friday to meet the LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan.
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Kaluwanchikudy LTTE political office attacked

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 06:10 GMT]
Unidentified men attacked Kaluwanchikudy political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday early morning. At least five hand grenades were lobbed inside the office premises, Kaluwanchikudy police said. Neighbouring residents said that the attackers, fleeing the scene after the attack, entered the Special Task Force (STF) camp located around 100 meters from the scene around 6:00 a.m. Five LTTE political cadres who were in the office narrowly escaped from the attack, LTTE sources said. Doors and windows in the front side of the building and the roof were damaged in the attack, Kaluwanchikudy Police conducting investigations said.
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Police curfew disrupts normal life in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 05:50 GMT]
All roads in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in Jaffna district almost deserted due to the police curfew imposed from Thursday night around 8.30 p.m. Schools did not function. Government offices did not open. Normalcy has been disrupted, civil and media sources in Jaffna said. Along KKS road near the Inuvil Kandasamy Temple vicinity large contingent of Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen has been deployed since Thursday night. Several riot police squads are kept in readiness to quell any disturbance, Police said. All transport services to and from Jaffna have come to a standstill. The curfew will be lifted on Saturday morning 5 a.m. police said.
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Grenade lobbed at EPDP office in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 04:06 GMT]
The office of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Mr. Douglas Devananda came under a grenade attack around 11:40 p.m. Thursday, Police sources said. There were no casualities reported but a big noise due to the explosion echoed throughout the highly residential Park road, Colombo 5, the area where the EPDP office is located. Mr. Douglas Devananda, MP, leader of EPDP and a close ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, is the Minister for Vocational Education. The heavily guarded EPDP office houses the EPDP paramilitary cadres who operate along with the armed forces in the NorthEast.
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SL Presidential election case to be taken up for inquiry

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 01:34 GMT]
Three-member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court is to commence its inquiry Friday into the petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) regarding the date of Sri Lanka Presidential election. JHU has sought the Supreme Court to order the Election Commissioner to hold the Presidential election before the end of this year, legal sources said.
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Jaffna under police curfew

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 19:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the Jaffna district have been brought under thirty two hour police curfew with effect from Thursday night 8.30 p.m. till Saturday 5 a.m. Jaffna residents said monitoring news broadcast of the FM radio station run by the SLA from Palaly Military Headquarters.
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JHU condemns US stand on anti-conversion bill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 17:10 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all Buddhist monks' party in a letter to the United States Ambassador Mr.Jeffry Lunstead stated that "ultra fundamentalists group offer money and other financial benefits to our people and even the established Catholic and Christian Churches are against and have condemned these acts committed by these groups," and said that they are concerned by the statements of Deputy Secretary of State Christina Rocca. The letter also condemned the threats by the US Government to stop US aid funds to Sri Lanka.
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Inquest held into the death of Jaffna SP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 16:45 GMT]
Jaffna Police Superintendent Mr.Charles Wijeratne's body is to be taken to his native place Kurunagala in the south Friday. Ms. Sarojini Ilankovan, Mallakam Magistrate held the inquest into the death of Mr.Wijeratna Thursday evening and directed the authorities to take the body to Colombo and to hold autopsy examination by Colombo Judicial Medical Officer.
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Jaffna tense: Civilian shot dead by SLA, angry mob kills police officer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 09:14 GMT]
A salon employee, identified as Mr. Jeyaseelan Shantharooban, 24, was shot in his head by Sri Lankan Army soldiers who entered the hairdressing salon located at Innuvil Junction on KKS Road in Jaffna around 1:00 p.m. Thursday, residents said. Another employee Mr. K. Thevathas was injured. Mr. Shantharooban, who was being rushed to Jaffna Hospital, succumbed to gunshot wounds, hospital sources said. Residents angered by the incident blocked the road and were seen throwing stones at SLA vehicles approaching the site. Riot Police were seen firing tear gas at the protesting residents. A Superindent of Police, abducted and attacked by an angry mob, later succumbed to his wounds.
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SLA soldiers harass devotees at Jaffna checkpoints

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 09:01 GMT]
Jaffna residents attending to celebrate "aadi amavasai" festival at the Keerimalai Naguleswarar temple and at Keerimalai seas were subjected to severe checking and harassment at the Tellipalai and Senthankulam Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints in Jaffna Thursday, sources from Jaffna district said. Hindus commemorate death anniversary of their fathers on 4 August.
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JHU to protest against P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 04:58 GMT]
"We have decided to hold island-wide protests against the Post-Tsunami Operations Structure (P-TOMS), we demand holding of elections for Sri Lanka's presidency in 2005, and want immediate suspension of all talks with International community regarding P-TOMS," said Omalpe Sobitha Thera, parliamentarian from the extremist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) , an all monks party, to media persons Wednesday.
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Indian Tamils to protest against SL Minister's ethnic slur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 04:12 GMT]
Tamils of Indian Origin from upcountry estates are to protest against the ethnic slurs directed at their community by Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment, Mr. Mervyn Silva, during arraignment of the Minister's son Malaka Silva for his alleged confrontation with Police, sources in Nuwara Eliya said. The protest planned by the Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) is to take place in front of the Fort Railway Station Colombo on 8th August.
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Court extends stay order in estate land expropriation case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 03:06 GMT]
Colombo High Court which began hearing on the Ingurugama estate case on Monday extended the stay order preventing State's attempt to expropriate land belonging to estate workers at the Ingurugama tea estate in Badulla district and postponed the hearing to 26 September, legal sources said.
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Leader of the House of Sri Lanka parliament resigns

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 02:56 GMT]
The General Secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Senior Minister Mr. Maithiripala Sirisena resigned from his position as Leader of the House Wednesday night, Sri Lanka Government sources said. Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, an SLFP stalwart and a parliamentarian from the Eastern Polannaruwa district, is one of the confidants of SL President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge.
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Recourse to Court action on election date challenged

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 17:11 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday announced that incumbent President has no authority to seek the Supreme Court its determination on fixing the date for the next Presidential election, political sources in Colombo said.
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Young woman found stabbed to death in Batticaloa town

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 14:24 GMT]
Unidentified dead body of a young woman, estimated to be between 20 to 25 years of age, was found inside a class room of the Batticaloa Methodist Central College in Batticaloa town Wednesday evening. The body was found with stab wounds to the neck. Batticaloa Police believed that the girl was killed Tuesday night.
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AFTA calls for support to Tamil rights

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 13:16 GMT]
In a press release issued Thursday, Australian Federation of Tamils Association (AFTA) called on the International Community to recognize Tamils right to self-determination. AFTA said in the release that it fully endorses the proclamation made during the Tamil conference in Vavuniya on 27 July which called for recognition of “our basic right to a life of freedom with peace on the basis of our traditional homeland, our nationhood, self rule and struggle for sovereignty.”
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Helgesen to visit Colombo, Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 11:58 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, will be arriving in Colombo on Thursday on a four day visit, according to a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday. Mr. Helgesen will have meetings with Sri Lanka's President Kumaratunga and with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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India, Sri Lanka agree to monitor environmental impact of canal project

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 11:24 GMT]
During the second round of Technical Level Discussions held between India and Sri Lanka on the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project in New Delhi on 1st August 2005, the sides agreed to “an arrangement to share relevant data …. which could enable them to assess and monitor the environmental impact of the project," said a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo Wednesday.
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SLMTA commemorates slain journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 11:01 GMT]
"Mr. Sivaram played an important role as a journalist highlighting the gravity of the NorthEast political and military situation with his in-depth analysis," said Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby, in a tribute to the slain popular military analyst and senior editor at TamilNet, Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram, on Tuesday during a commemoration event organised by the Sri Lankan Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) at Colombo Tamil Sangam in Wellawatte marking the third month of the journalist's death.
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NE schools to get 2915 graduate teachers, planning officers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 08:53 GMT]
Interviews to recruit 2188 graduates as teachers (1684 Tamil medium and 504 Sinhala medium) and 727 graduates (629 Tamil mediums and 98 Sinhala medium) as Planning and Financial Assistants for schools in the North East province are to begin on August 4 in the districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kalmunai and will be conducted till August 10, said Mr.R.Thiakalingam, Provincial Education Ministry Secretary.
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Kumaratunge seeks SC's decision on poll date

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 07:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge on Tuesday sought the Supreme Court's determination on the controversial issue of the date of the conduct of the next Presidential election in Sri Lanka, according to a news release issued by Sri Lanka's Presidential Office Wednesday. Ms. Kumaratunge has earlier said that the election will be held in December 2006 arguing that her term of office will come to an end in 2006 as she was sworn in second time in 2000, one year after she was re-elected for a second term.
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OFERR assists affected Trincomalee students

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 August 2005, 15:19 GMT]
Organization For Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR- Ceylon)has donated thirty-three bicycles to students of Vellaimanal Al-Asker School as a part of a project to bring normalcy in the lives of tsunami affected students in Trincomalee district.
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Homeguard injured in friendly fire

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 August 2005, 11:12 GMT]
Anura Basanayake, a homeguard attached to Thanthirimalai Police station was injured when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers opened fire while he was hunting near the army camp Tuesday morning, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) C. Abeysinghe said.
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Tamil Conference begins in Batticaloa amidst bomb explosion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 August 2005, 10:35 GMT]
A district level conference supporting the Tamil National Resurgence convention held in Vavuniya on July 27, ceremonially began at 4:15 p.m. at the grounds of Batticaloa Hindu College in Batticaloa town Tuesday. More than 1500 participants from various parts of the districts, comprising Tamil national activists including academics, writers, religious dignitaries, representatives of civil organisations and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs are participating in the conference amidst threats from paramilitary cadres operating in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) held Batticaloa town. A powerful time-bomb exploded 50 meters from the grounds at 2:30 p.m., according to the Batticaloa Police.
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Trinco children's festival concludes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 August 2005, 00:10 GMT]
Two day "Sunshine Festival" held in Trincomalee Mc Heyzer Stadium organized by the Community Empowerment Network of Trincomalee (CENT) supported by more than thirty international and national aid agencies at an estimated cost of about seven million rupees concluded Sunday evening. The festival was intended to give morale boost to children and adults of all communities who are victims of tsunami and years of conflict in the district and, sources said.
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Batticaloa liquor salesman injured in grenade attack, dies

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 August 2005, 22:34 GMT]
Mr. Ratnasingham Sivakumar, 30, a salesman at a Liquar shop in Batticaloa succumbed to his wounds at Batticaloa hospital from injuries received from a grenade attack. An unidentified attacker lobbed a grenade into the liqour shop at Pillayaradi in Sinna Urani, 5 km north of Batticaloa where Mr. Sivakumar was employed. The attack took place Monday around 2:00 p.m.
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Education of Jaffna's tsunami affected children suffers

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 August 2005, 22:29 GMT]
Jaffna district education authority Monday complained to the Sri Lankan Government Agent (GA) in the district that the education of children in some coastal areas is disrupted as authorities have taken no action to provide temporary structures to conduct classes till the relocation of tsunami destroyed schools in government controlled area is completed, sources said.
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Shortage of administrative officers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 August 2005, 13:31 GMT]
Civil groups in Jaffna district have complained to the district secretariat authorities that people are undergoing severe hardships in obtaining the services of Grama Sevaka Niladhari officers due to the dearth for such officers. There are 435 Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions in the Jaffna district, but only 123 GN divisions in Jaffna district have functioning officers, civil sources said.
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SAARC meeting in Colombo to promote South Asia tourism

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 August 2005, 10:21 GMT]
Minister of State for Tourism, Government of India, Ms Renuka Chowdry and other heads of delegation of SAARC countries attending a meeting of SAARC Tourism Ministers in Colombo Monday, signed a joint declaration for making joint efforts for promotion of tourism in the region, a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Information Department said.
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