GS shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 23:59 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen who came in a motorbike shot and killed Grama Sevakar (GS) Gilbert Anandarajah, 45, of Gurunagar West in Jaffna divisional secretariat Thursday around 11:45 a.m. Mr. Anandarajah is the third GS to be slain in Jaffna during the three months since the hostilities resumed in Jaffna on August 11.
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Vaharai supplied for two weeks, 33 trucks blocked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 18:09 GMT]
Additional Government Agent of Batticaloa District, K. Mahesan told media Thursday that 57 of 90 trucks with humanitarian supplies had reached Vaharai Wednesday. No supplies were sent on Thursday. Vaharai region has been supplied for two weeks, according to UN Office of Resident Co-ordinator in Colombo. A total number of 84 trucks had reached Vaharai, according to the UN office. Both the Additional GA and the UN office said 33 trucks had returned to Batticaloa without delivering supplies. The trucks were blocked at Mankerny entry point by the Sri Lanka Army.
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115 Sinhalese students leave Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 11:44 GMT]
The Head of Vavuniya Institute of Education, K. Bernad, said that 115 Sinhalese students of the institution complained to him Wednesday around 9:00 p.m that unidentified armed men had come to the institution asking for them. As the students said they feared for their lives, arrangements were made with the Vavuniya Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to give protection to the students Wednesday night, K. Bernad added.
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Two fisher families leave Vidathalthivu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Two fisher families comprising eleven members arrived in the government controlled Kothaipiddy seashore in Mannar district by boats Thursday early morning 2.30 a.m. from Vidathaltivu village in the LTTE held area. They left their village due to constant air strike and artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army towards the LTTE held area. The families said that there was severe shortage of supply of food and other essentials.
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New TNA parliamentarian takes oath

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 11:36 GMT]
K.N.Sri Kantha of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was sworn in as new parliamentarian of the Jaffna district to fill the vacancy created by the assassination of Mr.Nadarajah Raviraj by unidentified gunmen in the heart of Colombo on 10th November, political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE officials dismiss conflicting press reports

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 07:01 GMT]
Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat S. Puleedevan and Military Spokesman of the LTTE, Irasaiah Ilanthirayan Thursday jointly dismissed press reports that cited SLMM officials as saying that the Tigers had conveyed a message to Colombo following the policy address by the LTTE leader. "Our National Leader, in his policy address, has clearly explained everything that was needed to be conveyed to Colombo," Mr. Ilanthirayan said. The LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, in his policy address on Heroes' Day had accused Colombo for having conducted the funeral rites of the Ceasefire Agreement without tearing it apart.
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SLA truck collides with train at crossing, 5 killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 06:41 GMT]
Three policemen, including a woman police constable, and two army troopers were killed and four wounded when a SLA truck packed with soldiers collided with a train as it crossed a railway crossing in Enderamulla, located 12 km northeast of Colombo, in Gampaha district Thursday morning around 6:30, Wattala Police said.
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2 Priests, 2 youths arrested for subversive activities in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 05:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police officials produced two catholic priests and two youths before Additional Magistrate M .Thirunavukarasu on Wednesday, accusing the four of indulging in activities defaming both the Goverment of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Sri Lanka Military, legal sources in Jaffna said. The magistrate however, instructed the police to contact the Attorney General and submit a report concerning the feasibility of filing charges against the accused.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 03:02 GMT]
Jon Hansen Bauer, Norwegian special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, arrived in Colombo Wednesday night around 11:15 p.m. to attempt to revive peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Sri Lanka Army bulldozes Heroes' Cemetery in Trincomalee - Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 18:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has bulldozed the Alankulam Heroes' Cemetery in Muthur East, on November 25, said LTTE's Trincomalee District Political Head, S. Elian Wednesday. "Sri Lankan military has once again desecrated a war cemetery. No military in the civilized world, would engage in a such act," charged Mr. Elilan.
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SLA relocates Jaffna Central Bus Terminal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 18:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commanding Officer in Jaffna informed the media in Jaffna Wednesday that the Central Bus Terminal located in the heart of Jaffna town and close to Jaffna Teaching Hospital will be shifted to an area near Pannai Bridge with effect from Thursday. The SLA also informed the media that Stanley Road in Jaffna town will be closed in the future.
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India rejects Rajapakse's call for joint naval patrols - Hindu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 16:36 GMT]
Indian Press Reports Wednesday said that Indian External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had expressed India's concerns at the continuing civilian deaths in Sri Lanka and had reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The proposal for joint naval patrols advanced by the Sri Lankan President was not on the cards, Hindu reported. However, India was prepared to assist the Rajapakse government with "non-lethal" military supplies, according to the report.
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British Tamils appeal to Blair over humanitarian crisis

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 11:55 GMT]
A coalition of over 80 expatriate Tamil community organisations in the United Kingdom this week appealed publicly to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene diplomatically to end the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka's Northeast. The appeal was published in a full page advert placed in The Times newspaper on Monday by the British Tamils' Forum and signed by 88 expatriate Tamil welfare associations, religious societies, cultural and arts societies, sports clubs and rehabilitation organisations.
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Armed men shoot dead Tamil civilian in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 10:12 GMT]
Unidentified persons shot and killed a Tamil civilian and injured two others Tuesday night around 7:00 p.m. at sixth milepost north of east port town along Trincomalee-Nilaveli road in Uppuveli Police division, sources in Trincomalee said.
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81 lorries with supplies reach Vaharai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 08:00 GMT]
81 lorries of humanitarian supplies from UN aid agency, International NGOs and local NGOs, facilitated and monitored by the ICRC and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, have crossed the Mankerny Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp into Liberation Tigers controlled Vaharai region in Batticaloa district, held under siege by the SLA. However, food supplies in more than 44 lorries were blocked by the military alleging a military build up of the Tigers on Forward Defence Line (FDL) using the supply routes of humanitarian delivery. Trincomalee District Political Head of the LTTE, S. Elilan, when contacted by TamilNet, denied the SLA claim and said that the SLMM was provided access to verify such claims.
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Sri Lanka rejects Vaharai safe haven proposal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 04:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, clashed with international diplomats Tuesday over the humanitarian crisis in the Northeast, the Morning Leader newspaper reported Wednesday. Mr. Rajapakse had resisted the suggestion by German Ambassador Jurgen Weerth of a safe haven for civilians in the Vaharai area, the paper said. He had also defended the closure of the A9 highway, blocking supplies to 600,000 people in Jaffna. Last week the Co-Chairs – US, EU, Japan and Norway – demanded Sri Lanka open humanitarian access routes and set aside safe areas for civilians.
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US presses GoSL, LTTE on CFA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 04:28 GMT]
In the United States’ first reaction to the LTTE’s declaration Monday that successive Sinhala regimes’ intransigence in resolving Sri Lanka conflict has compelled Tamils no option but to seek an independent state, a State Department spokesman on Tuesday called on both sides to honour the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), describing it as the “foundation” for the finding peace, and also called for a return to dialogue.
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US Judge strikes down provisions of terror act

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 03:58 GMT]
U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins, in a 21st November decision, ruled as constitutionally vague provisions in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that blocked all the assets of groups or individuals the President named as "specially designated global terrorists" after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Judge also struck down the provision that allowed Secretary of the Treasury to designate anyone who "assists, sponsors or provides services to" or is "otherwise associated with" a designated group, legal sources said.
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SLA strengthens security measures in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 01:25 GMT]
Key Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commanding officers were said to have visited Palaly Military base Tuesday morning, as SLA resumed reinforcing security arrangements in Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
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Iceland Foreign Ministry official meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 00:15 GMT]
Anna Johannsdottir, Head of Crisis Response Unit of the Iceland ministry of foreign affairs, accompanied by Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Jon Oskar Solnes, and Acting head of the SLMM, Thofinur Omarson, met with LTTE Political Head S. P. Tamilchelvan in the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Tuesday 11:00 a.m., sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Young woman shot dead, two youths found dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 14:22 GMT]
Unidentified gun men following a young woman on motor cycle shot her dead Tuesday around 11:00 a.m on Aathisoody Road in Thirunelveli Jaffna, on her way out from her home. In a separate incident, Jaffna police recovered the bodies of two youths with knife wounds, dumped in a deserted plot of land, Monday morning at Thavadi north in Inuvil Palamodai area in Valigamam.
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HRW: Sri Lanka military complicit in forced child recruitment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 12:39 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces must immediately stop assisting abductions of boys and young men by the Karuna Group and help those abducted return safely to their families, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. A HRW report to be published next month says the Sri Lankan military and police are complicit and, at times, directly cooperating with the Karuna Group. “We have clear and compelling evidence that government forces are helping Karuna forces abduct boys and young men,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate at HRW.
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Rajapakse dismisses Pirapaharan’s comments

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 11:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday dismissed Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan’s declaration Monday that Colombo’s intransigence has compelled Tamils no option but an independent state. Rajapakse, who is visiting India this week said he had not heard the speech. “But I have not taken it seriously. Because he has always been saying these things.” President Rajapakse’s comments come after belligerent and contradictory comments by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, government defence spokesman Rumbekwella and government Peace Secretariat chief Palitha Kohana.
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Education of Vaharai children affected by SLA attacks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 11:48 GMT]
Due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacks on Vaharai area, 16 schools in Vaharai circuit of Kalkuda Educational Region in Batticaloa are unable to conduct their year-end examinations, affecting 5500 students, Vaharai Circuit Educational Director, N. Gunalingam, said.
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SLA shoots dead civilian, arrests youth in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 11:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers from the Meeravodai SLA camp lay in ambush and shot dead the father of five children Monday around 8:00 p.m at Meeravodai, a Tamil village in Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa, said Valaichenai police. The Police recovered the dead body and handed it over to Valaichenai Base hospital.
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Food convoy to Vaharai stranded, parties blame each other for attacks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 09:26 GMT]
A convoy with humanitarian supplies towards Vaharai region, under siege by the Sri Lanka Army, was stopped at the SLA camp in Usanettam, south of Mankerny Army camp Tuesday morning by the soldiers. Both the parties, the Sri Lankan forces and the Tigers blamed each other for launching artillery and shell attacks, breaking a pre-agreed cessation of hostilities to facilitate the humanitarian supplies.
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Police forces, Tigers exchange mortar fire in Murunkan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 07:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan police forces exchanged mortar fire for 45 minutes with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Monday night from 8:00 p.m., 15 km east of Mannar in Murunkan, Police officials said. 6th Mile Post and 17th Mile Post centry posts manned by military trained policemen were attacked by LTTE mortar fire, according to police officials who claimed that they launched mortar fire in retaliation. Civilians who reached Mannar from LTTE controlled areas above Murunkan said around 10 mortar shells hit civilian settlements. No casualties were reported.
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SLA sabotages Vavuniya Heroes Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 02:51 GMT]
Heroes day celebrations in Sri Lanka Army (SLA)-controlled areas in Vavuniya District were sabotaged on Monday due to ban imposed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops preventing the entry of general public to Eeechankulam Heroes cemetery. Request by Mr.Gnanam, the Political Head of Vavuniya District to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to make arrangements to conduct the celebrations in the area did not produce any result, civilian sources said
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72,000 displaced from Batticaloa, Trincomalee districts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 01:47 GMT]
Batticaloa District Secretariat reported Monday that 41,463 people from Trincomalee district and 30,630 people from Batticaloa have fled to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the Batticaloa district from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas. Mr. S. Puniyamoorthy the District Secretary said that the Internally Displaced People have been sheltered in 22 temporary locations in 14 Grama Seveka divisions in Batticaloa district.
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Masked armed men rob eight houses in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 00:26 GMT]
Unidentified armed masked men robbed at gun point cash and other valuables worth many hundreds of thousand rupees Sunday night and Monday early morning from 8 houses in Batticaloa town and its suburbs, police in Batticaloa and Eravur said.
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Two SLA troopers injured in Puthur grenade attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 22:23 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed hand grenades on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post near Puthur junction on the Jaffna-Point Pedro road Monday around 8:30 a.m injuring two SLA troopers, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna visited the site of the attack and conducted investigations.
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Two Allaipiddy refugee brothers shot dead, sister seriously injured

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 17:01 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a 'white van' Sunday around midnight to a house on Navalar street in Navanthurai, Jaffna, sprayed bullets killing two brothers on the spot while seriously injuring the twin sister of one of the brothers, all siblings displaced from Allaipiddy, Jaffna police said. The seriously injured sister was rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital.
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Sinhala leaders' duplicity of war and peace has left Tamils with no choice but political independence - LTTE leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 12:36 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Pirapaharan, in his annual Heroes’ Day statement, expressed extreme frustration at the unchanging attitude of successive Sinhala regimes towards resolving the burning Tamil national question and, in particular, at the deceitful handling of the current peace efforts by three successive Sinhala regimes.
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Body of abducted youth found in Irupalai

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 12:19 GMT]
The body of a youth who disappeared from Irupalai at 2:40 p.m. Saturday was found with gunshot wounds along the Stadium Road in Irupalai Monday morning, Kopay police said.
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Court hears TRO's case against Central Bank

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 11:14 GMT]
Attorneys representing the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) filed written submissions to High Court requesting that the Judge vacate the ex parte order of 4 September 2006 that froze TRO’s bank accounts as directed by the Judge, TRO said in a press release issued in Colombo Monday, detailing the status of the case against Central Bank of the Government of Sri Lanka.
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NTT to broadcast LTTE Leader's speech live

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 10:22 GMT]
National Television of Tamileelam (NTT) will be broadcasting live the annual policy address delivered by the LTTE Leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan at 12:00 GMT Sunday on the occassion of Heroes Day, the officials of the Television in Kilinochchi said. The broadcast, using Eurostar at frequency 11.5 GHz, is viewable in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile, Tamil televisions in Europe and Canada are also expected to broadcast Mr. Pirapaharan's speech live, according to media sources in Europe.
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Retired GS shot dead in Point Pedro, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 06:16 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a retired Grama Sevaka officer, Ganeshapillai Shanmuganathan, 64, on College Road in Point Pedro Sunday.
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Three Tamil youths shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 06:03 GMT]
Armed persons riding in a van shot and killed three Tamil youths at Palaiyootu, a suburb in Trincomalee town Sunday night between 7 and 7.30 p.m. at two separate locations. Two of the victims had been working in a cement factory located in Chinabay Police division, sources said.
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Viral fever sweeps Jaffna, northeast

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 01:16 GMT]
Viral fever, suspected to be Chikungunya, is spreading rapidly amongst people in Jaffna, medical experts said Sunday. “In Jaffna, this viral fever which has the symptoms of Chikungunya is spreading very fast. I find that more than 5,000 people have been infected," Dr. A. Ketheeswaran, director of provincial health services there, told Reuters. The disease has been confirmed spreading rapidly in Kalmunai, Mannar, Batticaloa, Puttalam and parts of Colombo.
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Tree planting encouraged in Mullaithivu on Pirapaharan's birthday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 18:52 GMT]
Business Union in Mullaithivu, on Sunday, organised an event to celebrate the 52nd birth day of LTTE leader V.Pirapaharan. Sea Tiger Special Commander Col. Soosai took part in the event where tree saplings were gifted, encouraging the local community to plant trees along the coast, ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.
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Bishop calls for urgent transport of food to Jaffna via A9

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 16:18 GMT]
Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundara nayagam, in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Sunday, urged the President to follow through on his proposal to send food and other essentials to Jaffna through A9 highway. The Bishop said he would like to believe that the proposal is "a humble and good gesture on the part of the Government. to build trust and confidence with the Tamil people," and as a "genuine desire of the GOSL to attend to the Humanitarian needs of the people."
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Heroes Day celebrations held across Jaffna as jubilation triumphs fear

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 12:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers remained inside their camps in the villages in Vadamaradchy, Valikamam, Thenmaradchi sectors and the outskirts of Jaffna city following posters that warned soldiers to stay inside their camps Sunday. Villages that have remained gripped with fear due to forced disappearances and killings for many weeks, were decorated with red and yellow flags, and youths wearing tiger-striped uniforms were seen in many places in Vadamaradchy, residents said. Meanwhile, SLA soldiers in Jaffna town and the surroundings of University of Jaffna and Parameswara Junction on Palay Road conducted search operations.
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LTTE leader participates in Heroes commemoration event

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 08:22 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, took part in a commemoration event held in Vanni Saturday when the three-day long 'Tamil National Heroes Day' remembrance events were inaugurated. From 27 November 1982, when the first LTTE fighter Lt.Sanker was killed, until 20 November 2006, a total of 18,742 fighters have died, all of whom have been declared War Heroes by the LTTE. 818 LTTE fighters, 568 men and 250 women fighters of the LTTE, have been killed in a largely defensive war faced by the Tigers in 2006. The list also includes members of Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) and selected members of other organisations.
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India wants Northeast merger to stand - report

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 07:43 GMT]
India has again called upon Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to honour the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement and give legal force to the Northeast merger, The Sunday Leader newspaper reported this week. Even before the Supreme Court’s ruling in October that the merger of the North and East in 1987 was ‘null, void and illegal’, Delhi had already expressed its opposition to the move, a view echoed by the Co-Chairs – US, EU, Japan and Norway – last week.
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Mahinda Rajapakse leaves to India

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 15:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse left Saturday afternoon to India on a four day visit. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is scheduled to inaugurate the Asian Mayors Conference in Dehra Dun in Uttaranchal State in North India Sunday. Tamil mayors from Chennnai, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Saleem, Tiruchi and Coimbatore in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu will be boycotting the Asian Mayor's meeting, media reports in Tamil Nadu said.
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Youth's body found in Kayts well

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 12:16 GMT]
The mutilated body of a youth estimated to be around 30-years old was recovered from an unused well in Karamparan area in Kayts Friday afternoon, sources in Jaffna Islets said. Police recovered the body after residents informed the police of smelling stench of a decomposing body.
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Two Police constables injured in Vavuniya claymore attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 12:00 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Police constables were injured, one of them seriously, when unknown assailants triggered a claymore mine targetted at a Police road patrol in Poovarasankulam along Vavuniya-Mannar road at 7:40 a.m. Saturday, Vavuniya Police said.
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STF offensive meets stiff Tiger resistance in Amparai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 11:29 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) troopers from Kanchirankuda and Sangamankandy camps in Amparai district Saturday morning around 7:00 a.m. launched an ambush-styled offensive towards Thangaveluathapuram in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled area. Following stiff resistance put up by a guerilla unit of the Tigers, the STF has pulled back, LTTE political official Veeramani said. A civilian was killed when the STF continued with heavy mortar fire towards Thangavelauthapuram. Two LTTE fighters and four STF personnel were killed in the fighting. STF officials have claimed seizure of 2 automatic rifles and a pistol from the Tigers.
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Sri Lanka Air Force bombs Kilinochchi suburb

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 05:04 GMT]
Two Kfir bombers flew over Kilinochchi and bombed an area around 4 km southeast of Kilinochchi between 10:05 and 10:30 a.m. Saturday in an intensified campaign of aerial bombardment that continued for the fifth day as the town began to observe 3-day remembrance events on Saturday, prior to the Heroes Day on November 27.
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SLA demands cutting down trees lining Jaffna roads

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 04:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna is forcing civilians to cut down the trees and shrubs along Jaffna-Palaly road and along roads leading to SLA camps in the Peninsula citing security reasons, civil society sources in Jaffna said Friday. The SLA had ordered all trees along the Jaffna- Kankesanthurai road cut down two months earlier in a similar operation.
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Heroes day celebrations continue amid SLA sabotage

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 16:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have desecrated Heroes cemetaries located in Kopay, Ellankulam in Udupiddy and in Kodikamam as part of a wide spread attempt at sabotaging the Heroes day celebrations and muzzling the emotional support of the residents of Jaffna district in paying homage to those who died in the Tamil national struggle, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA soldier arrested on Farm school killings

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 15:23 GMT]
Police Officers from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier Friday on suspicion of involvement in the killing of five students of School of Agriculture in Thandikulam, Vavuniya last Saturday and detained him. The soldier, together with the police officer arrested earlier on Wednesday for alleged involvement in the massacre, are to be produced before Vavuniya district judge Mr Manickavasagar, Ilancheliyan on 5 December for an identification parade.
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Tamil student abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 13:03 GMT]
Unidentified men abducted a student Colombo Technical College Thursday night in Mattakuliya in Colombo, relatives of the abducted student in Modara said.
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SLA shoots dead 5 youths in Vavuniya, 1 dies in grenade explosion

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 11:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday handed over 5 bullet-sprayed dead bodies and an exploded body to Police, claiming that the youths were killed when SLA troopers retaliated to gunfire Thursday night. The sixth youth had killed himself, Friday early morning, detonating a hand grenade, according to the SLA that claimed that the youths were LTTE cadres waiting to penetrate into SLA area. The killings have taken place at Parayanalankulam 30 km west of Vavuniya town along Vauniya Mannar Road.
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Young man shot dead in Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 09:35 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on a motor cycle shot dead a young man Friday around 9:00 a.m at Amman Temple road in Kalmunai, Amparai when he was returning on his bicycle after buying provisions in the market, said Kalmunai police, who recovered the dead body and brought it to Kalmunai base hospital for inquest into the death.
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Include abducted workers in CoI's list, TRO appeals to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 04:23 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) appealed to Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, to include the case of the seven abducted TRO workers missing since 29 and 30 January, to be included in the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), in a press release issued from TRO's Colombo office Friday.
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Jaffna fishermen face economic ruin, starvation

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 01:01 GMT]
Comprehensive ban on fishing imposed by Sri Lanka Security forces across the shores of Jaffna Peninsula and islets has driven fisher families into economic ruin and forced many families near starvation, Fisheries Society sources said. Fishing ban is active in Vadamaradchy shores for the last six months, and ban was introduced in the rest of the peninsula after fighting brokeout between Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka military on 11 August.
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Hindu Temple Trustee shot dead in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 19:18 GMT]
A President of a Hindu Temple Trustee board from Periyaneelavanai in the Maruthamunai Police division in Amparai district was shot dead by unidentified gunmen around 8:30 pm Thursday, civil sources said.
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Two Karuna group cadres shot, injured in internal gunfight

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 18:17 GMT]
Two cadres of Karuna paramilitary group were seriously injured in an internal fight ending in an exchange of gunfire Thursday around 3:30 p.m at Vinayagapuram in Valaichenai, Valaichenai police said. Some cadres of Kauna paramilitary group have been hiding due to differences of opinion within the group, and their opponents who had come in search of them started the firefight, the police added.
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Indian Foreign Secretary meets Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 17:49 GMT]
Indian Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon Thursday evening met with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and conferred with him about the current political and conflict situation in Sri Lanka, political sources in Colombo said.
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Presidential powers can undermine CoI- Amnesty

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 15:23 GMT]
Amnesty International said that the Commission of Inquiries (CoI) consisting of 8 Sri Lankan nationals, and the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) of foreign nationals to act as observers, as announced by Sri Lanka's President, lack "credibility and confidence of parties to the conflict and sections of the society to be able to conduct meaningful investigations, obtain critical testimony or information from witnesses and gain the acceptance of its recommendations by all relevant parties," in a report issued 17 November, and declined to nominate an AI member to stand as candidate to IIGEP.
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Police officer detained on killings at Vavuniya Farm school

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 14:08 GMT]
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers in Vavuniya have arrested and brought before Vavuniya Judge, a police officer Wednesday on alleged suspicion of involvement in the massacre of five Farm School students and indiscriminate fire on students inside the school premises last Saturday. The police officer, attached to a Police post in Thirunavatkulam, 250 meters west of the Farm School, was alleged to have rushed to the school and joined the Sri Lanka Army troopers from a nearby checkpost, when they fired indiscriminately at the students inside the school premises, legal sources in Vavuniya said.
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7 troopers, LTTE cadre killed in Batticaloa STF offensive - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 13:23 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has claimed that seven Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) troopers were killed when the Tigers counter-attacked the elite commando force that launched a troop movement towards 38th Colony with heavy artillery and mortar fire that claimed the life of a 15-year-old female student and wounded 5 civilians including 2 sisters and a brother of the killed student. A 40 mm Grenade Launcher and a T-56 rifle were seized by the Tigers who lost a cadre, Nanthan, according to LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said.
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15-year-old girl killed, 5 civilians wounded in artillery fire in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 13:16 GMT]
A Tamil female student was killed, her sister and 2 brothers were wounded when artillery shells fired by Sri Lankan counter-insurgency Special Task Force (STF) troopers hit 50th Housing Scheme in Thikkodai in Vellaveli, Thursday noon. A 65-year-old woman and a man were also wounded. The victims had displaced from 39th Colony, 4 km from the border inside the LTTE territory, three months ago due to heavy shelling from the Sri Lankan camps.
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Colombo intensifies aerial bombardment

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 11:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers intensified aerial bombardment on LTTE controlled areas for the third day on Thursday. 2 Kfir bombers dropped bombs near a civilian settlment in Oddusuddan around 9:30 a.m. and on Mullaithivu around 1:30 p.m.
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Gunmen kill 3 SL homeguards in Anuradhapura, 5 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 11:03 GMT]
Three homeguards were killed and another five were injured when unindentified gunmen opened fire at a group of homeguards at Atambagaskada no. 17 homeguard point in Anuradhapura district Thursday 2:30 a.m., police said.
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Three policemen, a home guard killed in Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 10:10 GMT]
Unidentified gun men opened fire Thursday around 9:45 a.m on a team of home guards and policemen at Bakkiella in Amparai police division killing three policemen and a home guard while injuring two policemen and three home guards, Amparai police said.
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Youth shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 06:45 GMT]
Five masked gunmen forced entry into the house of a tamil youth in Thetkilupaikulam in Vavuniya at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday and shot him dead before escaping, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Sri Lanka Army launches tank offensive on Vaharai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 03:43 GMT]
Heavy fighting broke out between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at the southern border of Vaharai region in Batticaloa district Thursday as SLA troopers from Kajuwatte and Mankerni SLA camps, launched a ground troop movement backed by heavy mortar, artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket fire, into the LTTE territory Thursday around 8:30 a.m. The fresh SLA operation comes following Sri Lankan defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwela's interpretation on Wednesday that the outcome of a crucial meeting by the Co-Chairs was not hard as Colombo had feared. Mr. Rambukwela had said Sri Lanka's "national security" had a higher priority than upholding the ceasefire.
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SLFP, UNP MoU challenged in court

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 01:33 GMT]
An Sri Lankan citizen has filed an application in Sri Lanka's Supreme Court challenging the legality of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP). The MoU has been signed by the two parties to solve identified issues giving top priority to the ethnic conflict.
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Foreign envoys meet IDPs, medical, fisheries officials in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 01:13 GMT]
Dr. C. Kathiravetpillai, Medical Officer at the Manthikai Base Hospital in Point. Pedro, Vadamaradchi raised the current acute shortage of essential food provisions, medical supplies and the malnutrition and starvation in the Jaffna peninsula caused by the closure A9 land route, with the Foreign envoys of Switzerland, Australia and United Kingdom when they visited the hospital Wednesday, sources in Point Pedro said.
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TNA presents sole opposition to 2007 budget

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 00:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Wednesday adopted the second reading of the 2007 Budget with a majority of 115 votes. 133 members voted for the budget and eighteen voted against, parliamentary sources said. All eighteen Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians opposed the budget.
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One SLA trooper dead, three injured in claymore attack in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 19:48 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Tuesday around 4:00 p.m at Gnaniyar Valavu area in Varani Thenmaradchi, killing one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper and injuring three of the SLA road patrol unit on its way to Apoothy SLA camp from the 52nd SLA Division, military officials said. The claymore device was attached to a bicycle left along the road on the deserted boundary area between Vadamaradchi and Thenmaradchi of the Jaffna peninsula.
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Anton Balasingham afflicted by rare cancer

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 16:34 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, theoretician and political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), a rare and aggressive malignancy of the biliary system. The cancer is in an advanced stage and has spread to his liver, lungs, abdomen and bones, doctors have informed Mr. Balasingham, who is now resting at home, cared for by his wife, Adele.
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Second group Madhu pilgrims leave Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 14:42 GMT]
The vessel Ocean Green Wednesday morning left Trincomalee harbor with 287 pilgrims, second group of stranded in Madhu church in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held area in Mannar district since August 11.
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Sri Lanka assured of Co-Chairs’ military, financial support

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 13:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s casual dismissal of the Co-Chairs statement Tuesday condemning rights abuses and ceasefire violations by the armed forces stems from confidence that, despite these, military and financial support from the international community is not going to be disrupted – a point reinforced by the strong messages of support for Colombo by individual representatives of the Co-Chairs soon after their meeting in Washington on Tuesday.
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Body exhumed in Kondavil, 10 youths surrender to HRC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 12:27 GMT]
A body believed to be belonging to a Tamil youth was recovered buried near a desolated house in Nanthavil area in Kondavil, 5km north of Jaffna town, in the presence of Jaffna Assistant Magistrate Mr M. Thirunavukarasu, source in Jaffna said. Chunnakam Police receiving a trip, obtained legal permission from Jaffna Magistrate to exhume the remains, legal sources said.
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Sri Lanka rejects Co-Chairs’ condemnation, continues attacks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 12:25 GMT]
Unfazed by strong condemnation by international donors of rights abuses and truce violations by its military, Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday continued air strikes and bombardment against the Liberation Tigers. Saying the donors had been “mislead” by international truce monitors and a UN envoy, government defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella insisted that national security took precedence over the ceasefire and that the international community recognised this.
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Two Tamil civilians shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 09:06 GMT]
Unidentified armed men who came in a motorbike shot dead two Tamil civilians when they were riding in a motorbike Wednesday morning around 7:30 a.m., to report for work in a cement factory located in the Chinabay police division. The killings took place when the victims had been riding along the rail track in Palaiyootu village, Police said.
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Abducted youth beaten, released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 07:16 GMT]
One of three youths abducted by armed men in a white van in Kulamangal, Mallakam in Jaffna district Sunday at 9:15 p.m. was released by the abductors in front of his home Monday early morning with severe bruises to his body, sources in Jaffna said. The victim was admitted first to Tellipalai Hospital and was later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, hospital sources said.
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Co-chairs call for full implementation of CFA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 23:07 GMT]
While condemning the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers for "systematic ceasefire violations," the co-chairs called both sides to "seize the historic opportunity created by the 2002 Cease-Fire Agreement to resolve the country's conflict peacefully," in a press release issued after the meeting in Washington Tuesday. Co-chairs while urging re-opening of A9, called on the LTTE to co-operate with GoSL's effort to send one convoy as a first step.
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TNA warns of 'imminent humanitarian disaster' in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 17:33 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), condemning the Sri Lankan military's blockade of food and medicine going into the Vaharai area as "a blatant violation of all humanitarian laws", said Monday this action "is clearly an attempt to use food as a weapon of war, and compulsively evict persons from their areas of historical habitation." In an adjournment motion moved by its Parliamentary group leader, R. Sampanthan, MP, in the House, the TNA called on the government to "rush food medicine and other essentials to the families resident at Vakarai and Kadiravelli and thereby avert an imminent and grave humanitarian disaster."
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Opening A9 imperative to avoid humanitarian crisis, Bishop tells Envoys

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 17:04 GMT]
Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam stressed on the immediate opening of the A9 route as the only remedy for the humanitarian disaster prevailing in the Jaffna peninsula when Australian High Commissioner Greg French, Switzerland Ambassador Ruth Flint and the British Deputy High Commissioner Lesley Craig met the bishop Tuesday around 3:00 p.m at Bishop's House in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said.
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Second group of Jaffna pilgrims arrive in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 16:43 GMT]
A second group of 287 Jaffna residents who were stranded in Madhu church since August 15 while they were on a pilgrimage, was brought from Mannar to Trincomalee in five buses Tuesday evening, sources in Trincomalee said. They are temporarily staying in Trincomalee Vipulananda Vidiyalayam to leave by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessel to KKS port Wednesday morning, sources said.
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Parents honored in Heroes day celebrations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 11:45 GMT]
"We owe our military and political strength to our fighters who gave up their lives in the Tamils' struggle. Today we face a critical situation where we are faced with the danger of losing more lives to achieve our final goal. It is our duty to honour the parents who have made the priceless sacrifice through their sons and daughters," said Col. Theepan of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), speaking at the first event held, to honour the parents of dead cadres of LTTE, at Kilinochchi Kanagapuram Maha Vidyalayam Monday around 10:00 a.m., sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Co-chairs meet in Washington

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 11:19 GMT]
The meeting of Sri Lanka Co-chairs, a representative body of 58 donor countries, led by the European Union, Norway, Japan and the United States are meeting in Washington from Monday afternoon to Tuesday. The meeting is expected to explore ways for the International Community to move the peace process in Sri Lanka forward, according to Deputy spokesperson of the US Department of State speaking at the press briefing Monday. Under-Secretary of State Nicholas Burns will host the meeting.
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IFJ condemns death threats against a Shakthi TV journalist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 09:35 GMT]
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Monday said it is deeply concerned for the safety of the head of Tamil-language Shakthi TV, J. Sri Ranga, after police reportedly informed the MTV/MBC network on November 12 that Ranga's life was in grave danger.
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SLAF bombs Kilinochchi suburbs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 09:24 GMT]
Kfir bombers of Sri Lanka Air Force bombed the suburbs of Kilinochchi and a jungle area in the district Tuesday between 9:15 and 9:45 a.m. Students and children fled school premises as the bombers flew at a lower altitude and the impact of the explosions was felt in the buildings in the town.
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Paramilitary threatens Tamil MPs from Batticaloa, Amparai to resign their seats before Monday

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 07:35 GMT]
A paramilitary Karuna Group operative, identifying himself as Gunanan, operating from the office of the group located in Sri Lanka Army controlled Batticaloa town, has issued death threats to Tamil parliamentarians from the East, Tamil National Alliance said in a letter to the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament Tuesday. If the 8 parliamentarians from Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai, did not resign their posts before coming Monday, November 27, they would be assassinated, the group has warned. 4 key members of the the TNA, 2 MPs, an ex-MP and a to-be-nominated MP, have been assassinated during the past 2 years.
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Two men abducted in Kokuvil, 3 youths surrender to HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 01:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted a middle-aged man from his house in Potpathy Road in Kokuvil at 1:00 a.m. Monday, while unidentified armed men abducted another man from his residence in Kondavil West Jaffna Sunday midnight, civil sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, 3 youths surrendered to the Human Rights Commission offices fear for their lives from the SLA and collaborating paramilitaries, and several other youths are expected to surrender Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said.
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MP accuses Government minister of complicity in Raviraj killing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 00:09 GMT]
Colombo District Parliamentarian of United National Party (UNP) T.Maheswaran, addressing the parliament on Monday, accused a cabinet minister of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) of complicity in the assassination of late Raviraj Nadaraj, the Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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Colombo ignoring humanitarian catastrophe - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 15:49 GMT]
Colombo was engaged in "last minute tactics to placate the international community," prior to a scheduled meeting of Co-Chairs in Washington, by dispatching a single lorry into Vaharai where 38,000 civilians were starving for the past fortnight. Likewise, Colombo was showcasing to the media that it would dispatch a single convoy of supplies through A9 into Jaffna where 600,000 Tamils are under military siege in an "open prison," charged S. P. Thamilchelvan, political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday.
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SLN abducts Jaffna undergrad

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 12:55 GMT]
A third year student at the Arts faculty of Jaffna Campus has been abducted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers in Vangalavadi in Velanai Saturday morning, relatives said in a complaint filed at the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) offices, civil society sources said.
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6 SLA troopers injured in Vadamaradchy claymore attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 12:14 GMT]
Unidentified attackers triggered a claymore mine at a vehicle convoy of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) near Puraporruki in Vadamaradchy along Point Pedro-Jaffna road at 12:30 p.m. Monday injuring six SLA soliders and one civilian seriously, sources in Jaffna said. The injured soldiers have been taken to Palaly Military Hospital. Condition of the injured civilian is not known.
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Tamil youth missing in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 11:52 GMT]
Theeparanjan Dias, 27, a father of one child and a resident of Ward No: 7 in Pesalai in Mannar district, has been reported disappeared since November 17, according to complaint lodged with the Mannar Regional Office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC), officials at the Rights office said.
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Foreign diplomats, aid agencies to embark on Humanitarian Mission to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 10:30 GMT]
Australian High Commissioner Greg French, Switzerland Ambassador Ruth Flint and the British Deputy High Commissioner Lesley Craig, together with the representatives from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) are scheduled embark on a Humanitarian Mission to Jaffna Tuesday and Wednesday to evaluate the humanitarian situation prevailing in Jaffna, informed sources said.
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Two EPDP cadres shot, injured in Eravur

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 10:00 GMT]
Two cadres of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) working with soldiers of the Komanthurai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp were shot and injured by unknown gunmen Sunday around 2:25 p.m at Thalavai in the Eravur police division in Batticaloa, sources in Eravur said. The EPDP cadres were returning from Thalvai in their motorcycle, when they were shot.
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SLAF bombers observed over Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 09:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers were observed over the suburbs of Kilinochchi around 12:45 p.m. Monday.
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Labourer shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 09:29 GMT]
Unidentified armed men abducted a labourer at Koomankulam in Vavuniya on his way to work Sunday morning and shot him dead later in the evening around 5:00 p.m at Kandapuram in Vavuniya, said Vavuniya police who recovered and brought the dead body to Vavuniya hospital.
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Vavuniya shuts down for massacred students

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 06:06 GMT]
The Vavuniya town came to a standstill Monday due to a 'hartal' (general shut down) called by the Tamil National Allaince (TNA) to protest against the massacre of 5 Agricultural Farm School students by the Sri Lanka Army on Saturday. Ten other students, including 6 six girls were also injured in the incident.
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Fertilizer shortage imperils paddy cultivation in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 02:54 GMT]
Jaffna Farmers Society officials warned Sunday that since the Government of Sri Lanka has not yet sent adequate supply of fertilizer required for the rain-dependent Maha season paddy cultivation currently in progress, Jaffna farmers face economic ruin, sources in Jaffna said.
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Stranded Madhu pilgrims take long-trip back to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 02:11 GMT]
About three hundred pilgrims from Jaffna, out of one thousand stranded in Madhu church in Mannar district since August 15, left Trincomalee port Sunday morning by vessel Green Ocean escorted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to Kankesanthurai port, sources said.
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New international airport for Sri Lanka's South

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 21:53 GMT]
The ceremonial laying of the foundation for Sri Lanka's second international airport at Weerawilla in Hambantota, the constituency of Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse, took place Sunday around 10:00 a.m to coincide with Mr. Rajapakse's completion of one year since his becoming President, sources said.
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Four bodies with gunshot injuries recovered in Muttur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 16:44 GMT]
Fourbodies of unidentified civilians were recovered Sunday in Allesgarden, a suburb in Trincomalee town and Pattithidal in Muttur division, civil society sources in Trincomalee said. Three bodies are being kept Trincomalee General Hospital, and the other in Muttur Hospital mortuary for identification, hospital sources said.
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Troops 'shot students at close range’ - SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 14:38 GMT]
International truce monitors said on Sunday Sri Lankan troops entered a school and opened fire on a group of students at close range on Saturday, killing five, after a deadly Tamil Tiger ambush on government forces. "These soldiers fired indiscriminately at a group of students who had thrown themselves on the ground seeking safety after an LTTE (Tamil Tiger) claymore mine blast nearby," Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that oversees the 2002 ceasefire, told Reuters.
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Virus fever epidemic adds to woes of Muttur displaced

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 13:54 GMT]
Outbreak of virus fever in Trincomalee town and its suburbs is creating a health emergency as hundreds of patients haved flocked to the Trincomalee General Hospital, health officials in Trincomalee said. Internally displaced families from Muttur villages sheltered in schools and public buildings in Trincomalee town have to wrestle with increasing incidence of the virus fever even as they are undergoing severe hardships caused by rain and shortage of relief assistance, sources said.
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Bishop of Jaffna urges Co-Chairs to prevail upon GoSL to open A9, implement CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 13:47 GMT]
Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam, Sunday in an urgent letter, urged the Members of the Co-Chairs for the Sri Lanka Peace Process, to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to implement the cease-fire agreement (CFA) in its entirety, and to open the A-9 Road so that the people "don't feel they are living and suffering in an open prison any more." The Government of Sri Lanka "seems to be blind" to the difficulties of the people of Jaffna, and refuses to open the land route for the people and make good for the short-fall in the quantity of the goods brought, the Bishop said in his letter.
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UNP national convention held, dissidents boycott

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 13:32 GMT]
The 51st annual national of the convention of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) was held Sunday held in Colombo with Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, party leader in the chair. Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and seventeen important leaders of the party did not attend the conference following the unsuccessful legal measure to stop the convention failed on Friday, political sources in Colombo said.
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Body with gunshot wounds recovered in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 12:03 GMT]
An unidentified body of a middle-aged male with gunshot wounds to his head was recovered in Thavasikulam area in Vavuniya Sunday afternoon, Vavuniya police said. From information obtained from copies of receipts found in victim's clothes, Police speculated that the victim is likely to be a trader from Manal Aru area.
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38,000 Tamils face starvation in Vaharai, humanitarian disaster imminent - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 12:00 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group leader and MP for Trincomalee District, R. Sampanthan, in an urgent letter to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Sunday, requested again the SL President that food, medicine and other essentials be urgently rushed to the people of Vakarai and Kathiraveli and urged Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse to intervene personally and take every necessary step to ensure that this is done. 8,500 families from the villages of Trincomalee district, internally displaced to Vakarai and Kathiraveli in addition to 3,500 families of the area are facing malnutrition, disease and starvation. "A grave humanitarian disaster is imminent," Mr. Sampanthan said.
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Execution-style killings of students in Vavuniya, a war crime - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 09:15 GMT]
The Parliamentary Group of the Tamil National Alliance, condemning the execution style killing of four students of Agricultural Farm School by the Sri Lanka Army Saturday morning in Vavuniya where ten students including six girls were also wounded, said it was a serious war crime to be added to a long list of war crimes that targeted innocent Tamil civilians in NorthEast, the area of historical habitat of the Tamil people. Four key members of the the TNA, 2 MPs, an ex-MP and a to-be-nominated MP, have been assassinated during the past 2 years. The alliance consists 22 members of Parliament of the 23 Tamil members elected from the NorthEast.
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SLA, LTTE exchange mortar fire in Vavunathivu, Kommathurai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 07:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) exchanged mortar fire in Vavunathivu, 5 km southwest of Batticaloa town and Kommathurai and Black Bridge, 15 km northwest of Batticaloa Saturday evening and night. Details of civilian casualties or LTTE casualties were not available. 4 SLA soldiers were wounded and admitted to Polonnaruwa hospital. Meanwhile, a dead body was handed over to Valaichenai hospital by the SLA soldiers Saturday, medical sources said.
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Indian Foreign Secretary to visit Colombo Wednesday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 03:27 GMT]
Mr.Shiv Shankar Menon, India's Foreign Secretary, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on November 22 to hand over a special message from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse before the latter visits New Delhi, media sources in Colombo said. Mr.Shiv Shankar Menon is to meet Mahinda Rajapakse on 23 November.
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Army vows not to let food into Vaharai, says will capture region

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 19:41 GMT]
Despite a personal assurance given Thursday by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to Tamil parliamentarians that emergency food supplies would be permitted to reach tens of thousands of Tamil refugees facing starvation in LTTE-controlled areas, Sri Lanka Army at the border turned back convoys on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s returning convoy was stopped by suspected paramilitary men and subsequently looted by refugees in government controlled areas. A local Army officier, has told civil officials not to send any more convoys, vowing the Army would not allow food into LTTE-controlled areas under any circumstances and saying the area would be captured soon.
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Two abducted youths found dead with cut wounds in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 16:46 GMT]
Two Tamil youths from Thirunelvely and Neervely areas in Jaffna, abducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers who arrived at the victims' houses in Buffel armored vehicles Friday night were found dead Saturday morning with severe cut wounds inflicted with a sharp instrument, civil sources in Jaffna said.
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UN considering resolution criticizing Sri Lanka's rights violations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 15:16 GMT]
The United Nation's Human Rights Council, created in 2006 to improve the United Nations' capacity to confront the world's worst rights abusers, is considering a resolution criticizing Sri Lanka, a European Diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told Washington Post, the paper reported in its Saturday edition.
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Indian Premier writes to Vaiko: Colombo must meet legitimate Tamil rights through negotiations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 12:38 GMT]
Indian Prime Minisiter Dr. Manmohan Singh has written to Mr. Vaiko, the General Secretary of MDMK in Tamil Nadu state of India, sharing his concerns about the closure of A-9 highway and the loss of many innocent lives, mainly Tamils, including women and children, stating that it was a matter of "utmost concern and sorrow." India would reiterate to Colombo that it must find a political solution through negotiations and meet the genuine and legitimate rights of the Tamils, rather than adopt tactics that lead to the death of innocent people, Dr. Manhoman Singh said, adding that India has taken great care not to provide Sri Lanka with lethal hardware that could be used against Tamils.
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SLA massacres students, 5 killed, 8 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 07:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning a checkpost close to Thandikulam Agriculture Farm School in Vavuniya entered the school premises, lined up the uniformed hostel students who were engaged in practicals and shot at them, killing four students, 3 Tamil and a Muslim, and wounding nine. The troopers manning a checkpost, at Soya Lane, 100 meters away from the school, stormed the premises after a Claymore blast killed five soldiers opposite the school around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Fellow students said the troopers shot at them while they were pleading they were innocent students. A critically wounded student succumbed to his wounds at Anuradhapura hospital.
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5 SLA troopers killed in Claymore attack in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 07:22 GMT]
Five army troopers inculding an officer were killed and the remaining four soldiers were wounded when unidentified attackers triggered a Claymore mine at their truck around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Soldiers manning a nearby checkpost entered the Thandikulam Farm School and shot at the hostel students inside the school premises following the Claymore attack, civilian sources said. 4 students were killed and 8 wounded and rushed to Vavuniya hospital.
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Two youths killed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 06:40 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead two youths in Jaffna within the past two days, sources in peninsula said. A youth from Kalikai area in Thunnalai, was killed by gunmen Friday morning while riding his bicycle near Samian Arasady junction in Karaveddy, Vadamaradchy. In a separate incident, another youth was shot dead near Atchuvely on Thursday night, sources in Jaffna said.
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Sri Lanka Navy, Sea Tigers clash in Mannar seas

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 04:26 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Navy Inshore Patrol Crafts were sunk and a third IPC vessel was damaged in a sea battle that broke out in the seas off Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled Vidathalthivu, 20 km north of Mannar, Saturday at 6:50 a.m., LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. Meanwhile, sources in Mannar said civilians were fleeing Talaimannar as the battle raged off Talaimannar two hours later around 8:30 a.m.
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Diaspora Tamil elected councillor in Markham, Canada

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 00:57 GMT]
Logan Kanapathi, a Tamil Canadian has been elected Markham City Councillor in Canada’s Ontario wide Municipal Council elections held last Monday November 13, 2006. Toronto Star described his victory as “a new face for a new era." “Kanapathi achieved what no other Tamil Canadian had ever done: get elected to public office,” the paper said.
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Abducted youth escapes, surrenders to HRC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 00:04 GMT]
A youth abducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at gun point from his house at Sebastian lane in Kondavil East Jaffna on 11 November, surrendered Friday at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Right Commission (HRC), officials at the HRC said. The youth said he had escaped from SLA's vehicle and went under ground for a week before surrendering. Jaffna Magistrated directed the police to place the youth in protective custody at Jaffna prisons, legal sources said.
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Tamil parliamentarian in Colombo faces death threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 12:46 GMT]
Mano Ganesan, Western Province People's Front parliamentarian and an active member of the Civil Monitoring Committee on Abductions, Extrajudicial and Arbitrary Killings, Thursday said that he has been facing threat to his life. Mr. Mano Ganesan, is one of organisors of the monitoring committee, with the slain Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadaraja Raviraj.
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Sri Lanka expands military in ‘marked shift’

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 11:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka is preparing for a major onslaught against the Liberation Tigers, raising defence spending by 45% to $1.29 bln and calling on the international community to help fight terrorism, reports said Friday. Sri Lanka’s military chief, Air Chief Marshal G.D. Perera, told top defense and military officials from 23 countries that his government needs "a lot of assistance" in handling the “terrorist issue.” Sri Lanka’s defence spokesman and cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella said: "Right now the requirement of strengthening the air force, navy and defence sector becomes very paramount. National security comes first."
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Abducted man succumbs to gunshot wounds in Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 08:35 GMT]
Alleged paramilitary gunmen of Karuna Group abducted a young family man from his house in Amparai district Thursday evening and later shot him causing serious injuries near the Thambiluvil Samurdhi office. The victim, a father of two children, had been lying unattended the whole night and was taken by the residents around 6:00 a.m Friday to Akaraipattu hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
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Police post in Mannar attacked, one constable injured

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 02:23 GMT]
A constable was injured when a group of unidentified persons attacked the police check post at Kattukaraikulam in Murunkan police division in Mannar district Wednesday night around 10.45 p.m. Police sources claimed that a group of five cadres of the LTTE had fired at the police check point, military sources said.
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White van squad abducts Jaffna deminer

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 00:38 GMT]
An employee from 'Halo Trust', an International Non Governmental Organization (INGO) involved in the de-mining in Jaffna district, was forcibly abducted by unidentified gunmen from his home at Old Park road, Chundikkuli in Jaffna town, around 11:00 pm Wednesday, relatives said in a complaint registered at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna branch.
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One civilian dead, five injured in Jaffna claymore blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 18:42 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Thursday around 12:00 noon killing one civilian and seriously injuring five others at Sathirachanthy near K.K.S Road-Powerhouse road junction in the heart of Jaffna town, Jaffna sources said. The dead man succumbed to his wounds while being rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital, hospital sources said.
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‘Everything on table, equal respect for all’ needed for peace - Murphy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
Peace talks can succeed only if “everything is on the table and there is respect for all points of view,” Britain’s former Northern Ireland Minister said Thursday after meeting Tamil Tiger officials. Saying there is a “huge comparison” between the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka, Mr. Murphy said: “no one can win this kind of war. … we have the same message for the Sri Lankan government as the LTTE: keep searching for a solution, ensure the ceasefire agreement is one of integrity, renounce violence and ensure there is a proper look at everything that can bring peace.”
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Death Due To Starvation - first case reported in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 14:45 GMT]
The first reported 'death due to starvation' in the Jaffna peninsula occured Wednesday morning at Puloly in Pt. Pedro in Vadamardchi. The body of the dead man was recovered by his neighbours Wednesday evening and handed to Manthihai Hospital in Pt. Pedro through the Grama Sevaka of the area, Pt. Pedro sources said. Dr. C. S.Kathiravetpillai, the District Medical Officer of Health (DMH) pronounced the cause of death as 'death due to starvation'.
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"Intervene and avert major humanitarian crisis in Vaharai," TRO urges International Community

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 14:32 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) on Thursday appealed to the International Humanitarian Community to intervene adn avert a major humanitarian crisis in Vaharai. No food convoy has passed through the Pannichankerni Bridge to Vaharai since 5th November which has resulted in an acute food shortage. ICRC, World Food Program (WFP) and other international NGOs have not been allowed to provide emergency food provision, non food relief items (NFRI) and shelter materials. The International Community must pressure the Government of Sri Lanka to allow access for humanitarian agencies and food supplies, the TRO said.
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Displaced cut off from international aid – watchdog

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 14:14 GMT]
Some 130,000 internally displaced people - more than half of those uprooted by the current intensification of violence in Sri Lanka - are "cut off from international assistance and exposed to serious human rights abuses," the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said in a report released Thursday, citing the shelling of a refugee camp in Vakarai last week. Despite “signals” by the government that access restrictions "may be eased", IDMC said it is concerned that "bureaucratic procedures will in effect continue to prevent humanitarian workers from reaching the civilian populations."
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Dean of Southeastern university escape shooting, driver seriously wounded in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 13:25 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen opened fire Thursday around 9:15 a.m on the car of the Dean of the Faculty of Arabic, of the Southeastern University at Oluvil near Kaliyodai Bridge in Akaraipattu seriously injuring the driver, Samanthurai police said. The Dean, M. M .S. Jalaldeen, who was on his way to the university from his home in Maruthamunai, escaped without any injuries. The injured driver was rushed to Amparai district hospital, added the sources.
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Children in Vaharai starving for 48 hours - Jeyanandamoorthy MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 13:13 GMT]
The children in Vaharai have been starving for 48 hours as no humanitarian supply has reached the region since November 05, Tamil National Alliance MP S. Jeyanandamoorthy who met Sri Lankan President with fellow TNA parliamentarians said Thursday evening. "Despite the fresh assurances from President of opening Valaichenai Vaharai Road at Mankerni entry point by Thursday noon, the road remains closed," the MP who returned from the parliament where TNA MPs staged a silent protest, told media. Meanwhile civil officials in Vaharai said that all food supplies including the latest emergency rice supplies from the Tigers, had dwindled.
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SLA shoots dead a civilian in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 09:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers shot dead a civilian during a cordon and search operation conducted by the SLA Thursday around 6:30 a.m at Theevupitty in Sooriyakaddaikaadu village in the Mannar district when some unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade on the SLA troopers seriously injuring a SLA captain, Murungan Police said.
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Operation USA: GoSL ‘blocking aid’ to Jaffna, Vaharai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 05:27 GMT]
Operation USA, a large American NGO, says it is “collecting funds and pushing the US Government and the UN to take firm action to help re-open humanitarian corridors” in Sri Lanka. Demanding access to internally displaced people (IDPs), the NGO said “a contributing factor to the current tension between the Sinhalese and Tamils is the inequitable distribution of tsunami relief aid by the Government of Sri Lanka.”
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Kilinochchi remembers Raviraj

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 00:07 GMT]
"Nadaraja Raviraj went to the doorsteps of his people, observed their living conditions, understood the daily struggle of our people, and exposed the atrocities and human rights violations committed against the Tamil people by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). His activities were a threat to the extremists who have succeeded in taking his life," said C. Ilamparithi, the Jaffna political head of Liberation Tigers, Wednesday in an event held to remember the slain parliamentarian, held at Kilinochchi Cultural Hall, 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, sources in Kilinochichi said.
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Collegues vow to carry on policies of slain MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 18:31 GMT]
Speaking in the presence of large number of civilians gathered in Jaffna on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Late Raviraj Nadaraj, fellow parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran accused an armed group linked to Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) as directly responsible for the killing of Raviraj,sources in Jaffna said.
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NorthEast mourns for Raviraj

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 16:51 GMT]
The people of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mulaithivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee districts observed hartal (general shut down) Wednesday mourning the loss of Raviraj, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian allegedly assassinated by Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) cadres operating with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). The shut down was organized to condemn Raviraj's assassination and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artilery fire killing of nearly forty-two Tamil civilians including children in Vaharai in Batticaloa.
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SLMM backs UN envoy on SL troops’ child conscription

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 15:05 GMT]
International monitors overseeing Sri Lanka’s shaky truce this week endorsed a UN envoy’s findings that government security forces were conscripting children for their paramilitary allies against the Tamil Tigers. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) says it also possesses evidence of military complicity.
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Jaffna bids farewell to slain MP, relatives reveal assassination attempt

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 13:17 GMT]
A key EPDP paramilitary operative with a handgun had been searching for Nadarajah Raviraj when the late Tamil parliamentarian visited his hometown last month, revealed relatives who attended the funeral of late MP in Jaffna. The entire Jaffna peninsula was at a standstill as the funeral procession paraded through the streets of Chavakachcheri to the cremation grounds located at Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone. Journalists were harassed by Sri Lankan soldiers after the funeral.
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Jaffna pilgrims from Madhu stay in Mannar welfare centers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 10:58 GMT]
More than 700 Jaffna pilgrims who returned from Madhu church after three months to go to their own villages in peninsula have been sheltered in two places in the government controlled areas in Mannar town till transport arrangements are made, civil sources said.
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Heavy rain inundates Mannar villages

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 10:57 GMT]
Siluvainagar area in Talaimannar police division is under water due to torrential rain and about 50 families have been evacuated. The displaced have sought refuge with relatives elswhere, and some have been given temporary shelter by the local non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), civil society sources in Mannar said. The NGOs, Sarvodhaya and Oxfam, have been supplying cooked meals and other assistance to the displaced on the instruction of Mannar Divisional Secretary Ms Stanley de Mel.
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Stranded Jaffna residents await sea transport from Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 10:42 GMT]
300 Jaffna district residents, stranded in Vavuniya since the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closure of the A9 route when clashes between the SLA and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) erupted August 11, were taken by bus Tuesday to Trincomalee to be sent by ship to Jaffna, Vavuniya Secretariat sources said.
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India trains jet bomber support crews

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 09:46 GMT]
India is training a third batch of six Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel at Chandigarh, Punjab to support Colombo’s plans to expand its jet bomber fleet, the Times of India reported this week. Sri Lanka plans to purchase four more jet bombers from Russia and, in preparation, SLAF personnel are being put through three months of instruction. The latest group began training on October 14, despite outrage in Tamil Nadu over the targeting of civilians by SLAF bombers in which over a hundred people have been killed this year.
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Trincomalee to observe 3-day general shut down

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 01:01 GMT]
Tamil People Force (TPF), a civic organization in Trincomalee, appealed to the district residents to observe three day general shut down commencing from Wednesday condemning the killing of TNA parliamentarian Mr.Nadarajah Raviraj in Colombo and killing nearly sixty five Tamil civilians including children in Vaharai in Batticaloa, sources in east port town said.
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SLA soldier injured in grenade attack in Kommathurai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 00:11 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldier was injured when two unidentified persons came in a motorbike threw a hand grenade at the group of soldiers on guard duty at Uma Mill junction, Kommathura, in Eravur Police division in Batticaloa district around 4:30 pm Tuesday.
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Hartal observed in Batticaloa, Amparai to protest Raviraj killing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 22:33 GMT]
General shut down was observed in Batticaloa and Amparai districts on Tuesday as a mark of protest against the killing of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Jaffna district Nadarajah Raviraj and remembering his services to the society, civil sources in Batticaloa said. The hartal organized by Batticaloa-Amparai Tamil National Forum and Student Consortium.
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5 teens abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 19:37 GMT]
Unidentified armed men abducted four students from Vipulananthapuram, Mylambavely and another youth from Savukkady, Thalavai in Eravur Police division in Batticaloa district around 7:30 am Tuesday while they were unloading stones for road works, civil sources said. Parents of abducted youths have lodged complaints at Eravur Police and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
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British special envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 17:48 GMT]
Paul Murphy, special envoy of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair Tuesday arrived in Colombo to discuss ways in which the Britain could support the Norwegian peace process. Mr. Paul Murphy is a former Northern Ireland Minister.
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Rain impedes food delivery to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 16:52 GMT]
Heavy monsoon rains have severely hampered unloading of food items from ships docked near Point Pedro Jetty, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. According to port authority sources in Point Pedro, rough seas and continuous rain have reduced quantity unloaded to 50% of the target daily amount and that they fear the situation may further worsen in the next two months.
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Sri Lanka Army moves into Tiger territory in fresh offensive

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 15:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan troops have moved into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled Vakarai region, beyond no-go zone, Tuesday morning, amid heavy artillery shelling, according to civil sources in Vakarai.
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Three SLA troopers killed in claymore attack in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 14:20 GMT]
Unidentified persons detonated a claymore device Tuesday afternoon killing three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers at Mathottam area in Uylankulam Murungan in Mannar district, Murungan police said.
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One SLA trooper dead, another injured in claymore attack in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 14:02 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Tuesday around 8:30 a.m on the Jaffna-Pt.Pedro road at Sirupitty in Valligamam east, killing a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper on the spot and seriously injuring another of the SLA Road patrol unit going along the road, sources from Jaffna said. Following the attack, SLA troopers ordered the hundreds of passengers out of their vehicles which happened to pass the site of attack and assaulted them indiscriminately. The glass shutters of the vehicles the passengers were travelling in were smashed by the infuriated SLA troopers.
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4 youths killed by 'White Van' squads in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 12:31 GMT]
Bodies of four youths, abducted earler by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper and collaborating paramilitaries driving white vans, were found in Jaffna district Tuesday morning, civil society sources in Jaffna said. White van abductions, subsequent killings, and harassment of civilians by SLA soldiers riding in field bikes, have increased at an alarming rate in Jaffna, where amidst prevailing dire economic conditions residents are also gripped with fear from SLAs brutal counter-insurgency campaign, civil society sources and human rights activists in Jaffna said.
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Up-country Tamils shun work mourning Raviraj's assassination

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 11:55 GMT]
Tamil workers shunned work Tuesday in the central Sri Lanka, and a complete shut down was observed in all the up-country towns, as a mark of protest against the assassination of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Raviraj and the Vaharai killings of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), Hatton sources said. P. Chandrasegaran, Minister and the leader of Up-country People's Front (UPF) organised the protest.
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People of Jaffna pay last respects to Raviraj

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 10:20 GMT]
People of Jaffna peninsula, in their thousands, paid their last respects to the remains of Ravirarj, the slain Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for Jaffna district, whose body was flown from Colombo to Palaly air base in Jaffna Tuesday around 11:00 a.m and later kept at Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) at Nallur. Special Commissioner JMC S. Sarvanabavan took charge of Raviraj's remains around 11:30 a.m which was kept in the JMC precincts for people to pay their last respects.
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Thousands pay homage to Raviraj in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 01:58 GMT]
"Raviraj was a leader who fought for Tamils' rights and gave a democratic voice to their struggle. The Sri Lanka Government should hold itself responsible for Ravraj's assassination," said Rajitha Senaratne, United National Party parliamentarian for Colombo, addressing a public meeting organised by the Anti-War Front at Vihara Mahadevi Park in Colombo held Monday evening around 4:20 p.m held to pay homage to the slain Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Raviraj, sources Colombo said.
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Bodies of SLN sailors washed ashore in Valvettithurai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 00:04 GMT]
Four bodies also believed to be those of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers killed during Thursday’s clashes in the seas off Point Pedro were discovered floating along the coast in the area between Supparmadam and Inparuddy Sunday, sources in Point Pedro said. Two more bodies of SLN personnel were found washed ashore on Monday in Valvettithurai near Sivaguru Maha Vidyalayam.
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Two youths found dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 22:13 GMT]
An unidentified burnt body of a youth, was recovered Monday near Urumpirai junction, residents of Urumpirai said. Sounds of gunfire were were heard Sunday around midnight from the place where the dead body was found, sources added.
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Three men abducted by 'White Van' squad in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 14:22 GMT]
Armed men arriving in white van have abducted three youths in Chunnakam, Jaffna Sunday night, officials of the Human Rights Commission in Jaffna said. Relatives of the abducted say that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operating from the Atchelu Army camp are responsible for the abductions.
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UN: Sri Lanka military ‘recruiting child soldiers’

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 13:15 GMT]
A United Nations official Monday accused Sri Lankan government security forces of recruiting child soldiers on behalf of an allied paramilitary group which is also fighting Tamil Tigers. The special advisor to the UN Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Allan Rock, told reporters in Colombo that he had evidence of direct involvement of troops in forcibly enlisting children for the paramilitary group.
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Body with gunshot wounds recovered in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 12:09 GMT]
The body of a youth with hands bound and gun shot wounds was recovered by Eravur Police in Sithandy in Murkodanchenai Monday morning. Bullet wounds in the victim's head indicated a T-56 gun was used in the killing, police said.
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20 feared dead in landslide in Central Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 11:42 GMT]
Nearly 20 persons are feared dead caught in a landslide Sunday around 7:00 p.m on the double track Gampola highway in Pusselawa area circa 150 km from Colombo from which three dead bodies have been already recovered, the police said. Five vehicles also got trapped in the 100 m stretch along the road in the landslide.
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Northern Ireland Peacemaker to visit Sri Lanka this week

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 10:10 GMT]
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy will be visiting Sri Lanka between 14 and 16 November, accompanied by Christopher MacCabe, the British Joint Secretary of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat. Mr Murphy will meet a range of key participants in the Sri Lankan peace process and share his experiences of building peace in Northern Ireland, according to a press statement issued by the British High Commission in Colombo Monday . His visit follows a meeting in August where British Prime Minister Tony Blair discussed with President Mahinda Rajapakse ways in which the UK could support the Norwegian facilitated peace process.
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Three day shut down in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 November 2006, 09:24 GMT]
All shops, schools, banks, public and private institutions remained closed and all transport ceased for the third day Monday as residents of Vavuniya district observed complete shut down condemning the assassination of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna Parliamentarian Raviraj and in protest against the Sri Lanka government's (GoSL) economic embargo on the Jaffna peninsula by the closure of A9 landroute.
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Raviraj assassination, a black mark on Sri Lanka - UNP parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 November 2006, 18:08 GMT]
United National Party MP for Kalutura district, Rajitha Senaratne, addressing an all party press meet Sunday in Colombo said the assassination of Tamil National Alliance MP Nadarajah Raviraj in Colombo has challenged the people who voice for peace in the South. The assassination has created a black mark on Sri Lanka and has paved a way for the International Community to intervene in the domestic affairs, the MP said. The Anti-War National Front (AWNF) in Colombo has called for a Hartal in Colombo on Monday protesting against the assassination, extra-judicial killings and abductions taking place in Colombo and its environs.
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Sri Lanka Army intensifies artillery barrage on Vakarai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 November 2006, 11:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army Sunday morning intensified multi-barrel and artillery attacks from four different bases towards Liberation Tigers controlled Vakarai causing thousands of Internally Displaced Tamil families from Vakarai, Panichchankerni and Alamkulam to flee on foot, civil sources in Vakarai said. The already scuttled transport was brought to a halt by the intensified attack, reported between 3:30 and 8:30 a.m. The artillery barrage comes amid condemnations from the International Community against the attack on refugee camp in Kathiraveli, 15 km north of Vaaharai, where tens of Tamil civilians were killed and more than a hundred wounded.
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Policeman injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 November 2006, 09:51 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycle lobbed a hand grenade Saturday around 9:30 p.m. on the Kodaikallaru police sentry post in Kalavanchikudy police division in Batticaloa district seriously injuring a policeman who was rushed to Amparai District hospital, Kalavanchikudy police said. The policemen at the sentry point opened fire on the attackers but they managed to escape unhurt, added the police.
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One youth shot dead, another injured in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 November 2006, 09:42 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycle shot two youths Saturday around 7:35 p.m at a bus stop at Araiyampathy in Kathankudy police division in Batticaloa district seriously injuring both, Kathankudy police said. One of the youths succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to Batticaloa hospital and the other is being treated at the hospital, the police added.
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Two bodies found dumped in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 November 2006, 06:29 GMT]
The bodies of two civilians, including a 14-year old school boy who was abducted by men in white van, were found dumped near Aanaippanthy junction, a suburb of Jaffna town, Sunday morning.
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Raviraj worked for Tamil, Muslim unity- Muslim Federation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
The Federation of All Mosques and Organizations in Eastern Province (FAMOEP), in a statement issued Saturday, expressed its deep sorrow over the death of Mr.Nadarajah Raviraj, and said "Muslims of North East revere Raviraj as a Tamil leader who had given an important place in his heart for the well-being of Muslims." The statement was signed by FAMOEP President Alhaj Moulavi S.L.M.Haniffa.
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Colombo's Law, order machinery collapsing- Rights Groups

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 14:58 GMT]
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expressed shock at the "further intensification of violence in Sri Lanka with the assassination of a Member of Parliament, Nadarajah Raviraj...and the killings of the civilians at Vakarai in the Batticaloa district," a UK-based Tamil Rights group said Raviraj's killing in the Capital indicated "chaotic law and order situation and the lack of human protection in Sri Lanka," while California-based Humanitarian Law Project (HLP) described Vaharai killings as a "war crime", in statements issued to the press in the aftermath of the assassination of Tamil parliamentarian, Friday.
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Tractor driver shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 14:31 GMT]
Three unidentified gunmen tookaway a tractor driver from his home for interrogation Friday around 8:00 p.m at Vinayagapuram Kalmadu road in Marutha Nagar in Valichenai, and later shot him dead near a refugee camp on the Vinayagapuram School road, Valaichenai police said.
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Man shot dead in Akaraipattu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 14:28 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead a man Friday around 8:30 p.m at Alaiyadivembu area in Akaraipattu in Amparai district, residents of the area said. Akaraipattu police recovered the body Saturday around 8:00 a.m and handed it over to Akaraipattu District hospital for identification and postmortem examinations, hospital sources said.
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Two killed, two including SLA trooper injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 13:24 GMT]
A trader in Jaffna town and a civilian in the Jaffna Islet of Kayts were shot dead by unknown gunmen in the last 24 hours from Friday 6:00 p.m. in Jaffna district, sources in Jaffna said. A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper and a worker-assistant of the slain trader were also injured during the same period.
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"Allow Raviraj's casket to be taken through A9," family requests SL President

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 10:14 GMT]
Assassinated Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian's widowed wife Sasikala Raviraj, Saturday morning when Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera visited the parlour, made an appeal to open the A9 Muhamalai exit-entry point in order to take her husband's remains to his hometown Chavakachcheri for cremation. The funeral is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Chavakachcheri in Jaffna. Hundreds of mourners from all ethnic communities, political leaders, religious dignitaries and social activists gathered in Colombo to pay their last respects to the assassinated Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.
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Canada condemns killing of Vakarai IDPs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 05:55 GMT]
Mr. Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Friday condemned the shelling of civilians in a camp for internally displaced persons near the town of Vakarai in eastern Sri Lanka on November 8, 2006.
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Canadian opposition MPs condemn Vakarai bombing, MP slaying

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 05:40 GMT]
Canadian Parliamentarians, Albina Guarnieri, P.C., M.P., Member of Parliament, Mississauga East Cooksville, Dan McTeague, P.C., M.P. for Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge, and Omar Alghabra, Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Mississauga— Erindale, have written letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and issued press releases condemning the killings in Sri Lanka.
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Pirapaharan confers Maamanithar award to Raviraj

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 05:10 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Pirapaharan, bestowed the title Maamanithar (Great Humanbeing) on the slain Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj Friday. "As a parliamentarian he worked tirelessly for the Tamil nation... He shattered the false propaganda of the Sinhala state infusing his arguments with his legal expertise. He stood firm and fought injustice in the face of threats from paramilitary violence," Pirapaharan said in the statement conferring the award.
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Tamil Americans call for moratorium on military aid to Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 03:12 GMT]
Expressing condemnation over killing of at least 65 internally displaced people (IDPs) who were seeking shelter in a school in Vakarai by the government of Sri Lanka," a joint press release issued by Tamil organizations in the US Friday, called upon the international community to "impose a moratorium on military assistance to GOSL," and urged "the co-chairs of the peace process to explore modalities that will allow the peoples on the island of Sri Lanka to live with dignity, to determine their political and economic future without interference, and to ensure regional security."
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SLN suspends unloading goods at Pt. Pedro harbour

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 00:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) cancelled the temporary permission given to Vadmaradchy fishermen to fish in waters up to Munai in Point Pedro Friday, and scoured large stretches of Point Pedro seas for bodies of sailors killed in the Thursday clashes with Sea Tigers, fishermen society sources in Point Pedro said. Unloading essential goods at Pt. Pedro harbour was suspended the whole day Friday.
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Family man shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 15:17 GMT]
Two unidentified gun men shot dead Thursday a family man at his house in Alavetty area in front of Alavetty Arunothaya College, police said. The dead body was recovered Friday morning and handed over to Jaffna Teaching hospital by the police.
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U.S. deplores Raviraj assassination

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:56 GMT]
The United States has deplored the assassination of Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo expressed deepest sympathy for the loss to the family of Mr. Raviraj, to his parliamentary colleagues, and to the people of Sri Lanka, who have been "unjustly robbed of his energy and talent." The press statement further said "it is critical that crimes such as the murder of Nadarajah Raviraj not go unpunished."
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GoSL should take responsibility for Raviraj's assassination - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:03 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Friday in Colombo to the press, "Raviraj's assassination is a clear attempt by the paramilitary operating with the Sri Lanka Army to stifle the Tamil parliamentarians' voice in and out of the Parliament to inform the International Community of the Sri Lanka Government's genocide against the Tamils." Sampanthan further said, "Almost an year has passed since the assassination of Batticaloa parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingam and the Sri Lanka government is yet to bring the killers to book. This reveals the covert connections the government has with them."
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Stranded pilgrims in Madhu taken to Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 12:30 GMT]
Six hundred of the more than 1000 pilgrims from Jaffna, stranded in Madhu after the close of the A9, were taken to Mannar town in busses organized by the Mannar District Government Agent, Mr.V.Visuvalingam Friday morning through Uyilankulam check point, sources in Mannar said.
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Batticaloa, Amparai shut down in protest of Vaharai killings

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 12:18 GMT]
Batticaloa and Amparai districts came to a standstill in response to a call made by Parliamentarian P. Ariyanenthiran, on behalf of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), to the people of both the districts to observe total shut down on Friday, as an expression of their united appeal to the International Community to exert pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to stop killing Tamil civilians, sources in Batticaloa said.
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U.S. regrets loss of innocent life in Sri Lankan military attack in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 12:05 GMT]
The U.S. Department of State in a media note issued on Thursday said the U.S "strongly regrets" the loss of innocent life caused by the shelling by the Sri Lankan military in Vakarai region Wednesday. The U.S. urged both the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to honor their commitment to abide by the cease fire, end all hostilities immediately, and return to negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. "We are also disturbed that the Head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission and his delegation came under fire in Pooneryn in the north of Sri Lanka the same day," the statement said.
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LTTE Political Head condemns Raviraj assassination in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 11:02 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan condemned the assassination of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj and accused the Sri Lankan state as responsible for the systematic slaying of humanitarian and democratic voices of Tamils. "Mr. Raviraj was slain in Colombo where he voiced against the abductions and killings carried out by the Sri Lankan military and it's paramilitaries," he said.
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Sea Tigers, Sri Lanka Navy clash in Trincomalee sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 05:14 GMT]
Heavy fighting was reported in the seas off Trincomalee and Nilaveli around 5:30 a.m. Friday. Fishermen in Trincomalee reported a big explosion and a series of explosions following it. Meanwhile, military sources in Colombo said a the Sri Lanka Navy had lost contact with a Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) around 5:45 a.m.
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Tamil Parliamentarian Raviraj assassinated in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 03:43 GMT]
Nadarajah Raviraj, 44, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian was shot in Colombo around 8:30 a.m. Friday. The MP succumbed to his wounds at Colombo National Hospital. A lawyer turned politician, former mayor of Jaffna, Mr. Raviraj, elected twice, has been an outspoken parliamentarian who voiced against the extra-judicial killings and forced disapperances in NorthEast and Colombo. The parliamentarian took part in a demonstration Thursday against the Sri Lanka Army shelling in Vaharai where 47 Tamil civilians, Internally Displaced from Trincomalee, were killed, Wednesday.
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ICRC deplores attack on civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 01:56 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Thursday in a press release deplored the tragic loss of life and injury to civilians resulting from the Wednesday shelling of the densely populated area of Kathiraveli, a coastal hamlet north of Vaharai, where several thousand internally displaced people had sought shelter.
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Stop genocide against Tamils - TNA appeals to UN

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 01:20 GMT]
19 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians led by Mr. R. Sampanthan, Leader of the TNA Parliamentary group and Member of Parliament for Trincomalee district, protested Thursday at 11:00 a.m in front of United Nations office in Colombo condemning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bombing of Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vaharai and Kathiravelli, killing 53 civilians and seriously injuring 127, sources in Colombo said. The protesters urged the United Nations to urgently intervene to stop the "genocide against Tamils let loose by the Sri Lanka government."
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SLA targets Tamil activists, one killed, another injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 00:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and collaborating paramilitaries shot dead a fisheries official in Vadamaradchy, and wounded another seriously in Valigamam East Thursday, sources in Jaffna said. Both were Tamil activists involved in organizing protests against SLA harassment and violence in Jaffna district, civil society sources said.
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Three SLA troopers killed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 15:51 GMT]
Unknown persons detonated a claymore device hidden along the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro road between Nallur temple and Anaipanthy junction in Jaffna, killing two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Intelligence Officers riding a motor cycle Thursday around 5:00 p.m. A sixteen year old girl, riding bicycle along the same road was seriously injured and admitted to the Emergency Unit of the Jaffna Teaching hospital.
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Sea Tigers sink 2 Sri Lankan attack crafts, seize armament, capture troopers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 12:45 GMT]
A Sea Tiger flotilla clashed with Sri Lanka Navy in the Northern waters killing 25 SLN troopers, capturing 4 troopers alive and destroying two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. The two Dvora FACs were seized and the Sea Tigers dismantled all the armament including a 23 mm cannon and a HK AGL gun. Dead body of a SLN trooper was also recovered by the Tigers. The clash erupted as Sea Tigers engaged in training activities were provoked by Sri Lanka Navy vessels in the seas off Nagarkovil in LTTE territorial waters, according to the Tiger spokesman. A third Dvora FAC was damaged. Five Sea Tigers were killed in close gunbattle, he said.
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SLA denied transport to Vaharai injured for 3 hours- Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:56 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) has not only killed 42 civilians and injured more than 122 others in Kathiravely in LTTE controlled Batticaloa district but has violated all humanitarian norms by delaying giving permission to ambulances to take the injured to the hospital, S Elilan, the Political Head of LTTE for Trincomalee district said Wednesday.
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"Civilians are too often the victims"- Britain

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:34 GMT]
"This [Vaharai] incident is not unique in the country’s recent history, but it highlights that civilians are too often the victims of this conflict,“ the British High Commission in Colombo said in a press release issued Wednesday.
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SLMM head visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:26 GMT]
The head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Lars Johan Solvberg, Thursday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. arrived in Mannar by land and held discussions with SLMM monitors in Mannar district office. The discussion centred on the ground situation prevailing in the district. He left Mannar to Colombo around 1:30 p.m. the same day, sources said.
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Ex-SLA trooper killed in bomb explosion at Eravur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:03 GMT]
A former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper was killed in a bomb blast Wednesday at 8:30 p.m in his house at Illayavan Podi road in Eravur police division in Batticaloa, Earvur police said. The Police suspect that the bomb may have detonated while the trooper was inspecting the device, or it may have been planted in his house by his local enemies.
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Woman shot dead in Eravur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 10:29 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead a woman Wednesday around 7:00 p.m at her house on Barathi road at Arumugathan Kudirippu in Eravur police division in Batticaloa, said Eravur police.
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Erik Solheim slams Sri Lanka Army for unprovoked shelling at Pooneryn

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 08:49 GMT]
Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, after talking to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Major General Lars Johan Sølvberg, who narrowly escaped from the Sri Lanka Army shelling while inspecting the Pooneryn jetty Wednesday, told the online edition of VG, the largest national paper in Norway, that the shelling was launched after the former Norwegian Army Commander, had arrived at the site and it was gradually directed towards the delegation. "The most serious [act] is that the army fired at this level towards an unprovoking target," Mr. Erik Solheim told the paper describing the episode as a highly dangerous situation.
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Assassination attempts on two civilians fail in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 08:25 GMT]
Unidentified armed men following a Tamil trader and a youth in the Nanattan division in Mannar fired at them missing hitting the intended victims in two separate incidents , Sunday sources in Mannar said.
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UNP demands inquiry into Vaharai killings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 02:46 GMT]
Mr.Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the UNP, the main opposition United National Party (UNP), in a statement released in Colombo Thursday, condemned the killing of civilians in Vaharai division in Batticaloa district and called on the government to hold immediate proper inquiry into this tragedy, sources said.
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Davis polls 87% of votes

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 01:24 GMT]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Danny Davis polled 87% of his congressional district votes to win the 7th District of Illinois seat for the House of Representatives in the US mid-term election concluded Tuesday. His Republican opponent was not successful in his attempt to use the funding controversy related to the Congressman's trip to Kilinochchi in 2005, to win favor with the voters.
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Abducted man found dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 00:48 GMT]
The body of an elderly disabled man, who was abducted by three unidentified armed men Tuesday around 11:00 p.m from his house near Kanthaswamy Temple in Kopay north, was recovered Wednesday morning at Thirunelveli Dairy Farm area in Jaffna, with bullet wounds, civil sources said.
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Plantation workers union appeals for wage increase

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 00:08 GMT]
S.Sathasivam, the Secretary General of Ceylon Workers United Front said on Wednesday that he had forwarded an appeal to the Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to intervene regarding the demand by plantation workers to increase their wages, sources in Nuwara Eliya said.
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Amnesty condemns "terrible" attack on displaced civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 22:08 GMT]
Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director Purna Sen, condemning the Sri Lankan military attack on displaced civilian camp in Vaaharai region on Wednesday, in a press statement said it was shocked to see such a large-scale attack on civilians just days after the government's announcement of its Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses. The Human Rights watchdog has called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate the "terrible attack as a matter of urgency and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice to signal to the rest of the military that attacking civilians will not be tolerated."
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SLA arrests eight men in Kottawa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 16:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and police cordoned off and searched Kottawa area in Colombo Wednesday around 08:10 a.m arresting eight persons including six Tamils in connection with the recovery of a 40 mm hand grenade found on the top of a building in Kottawa area, said Kottawa police.
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UN envoy arrives to study plight of children

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
Ambassador Allan Rock, special representative of United Nations arrived in Colombo on the invitation of Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) on Tuesday morning, Office of the United Nations in Colombo said. Ambassador Rock represents Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Under Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, and will study the plight of children affected by war in Sri Lanka, the UN officials added.
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FMM deplores SLA's censoring of Jaffna press

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 11:52 GMT]
The Free Media Movement (FMM) in a press release issued in Colombo Tuesday said that FMM is "deeply concerned that the media situation in the Jaffna Peninsula is extremely dire, with many media establishments and journalists now preferring an overt legal censorship of the media as opposed to frequent thinly veiled threats and intimidation by armed forces, including the Army."
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SC's NorthEast merger verdict stands- SL Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 11:09 GMT]
The Government will never act, and has no power to act against the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) that the merger of North and East Provinces was illegal, Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, the Sri Lankan Premier and Deputy Minister of Defense announced in the Parliament Tuesday while submitting a special report explaining Sri Lankan Government's stand on the issue, parliamentary sources said.
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Sonobo Children’s Home in Vaharai attacked, 12 children injured - TRO

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 11:07 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), engaged in emergency rescue work at the IDP camp in Kathiraveli school Wednesday evening, said TRO’s Sonobo Children’s Home located close to the school was also attacked by SLA artillery. 12 children were wounded. Forty bodies have been recovered including 6 babies between the ages of 3 and 6 months, the TRO statement said. 76 persons have been admitted to the hospital.
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TNA parliamentarians meet Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 10:54 GMT]
Nineteen of the twenty two Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Tuesday met with Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), at the latter's request and held discussions on the urgency of bringing normalcy in the North East, legalising the merger of the two provinces, and the opening of the land route A9 to Jaffna peninsula, political sources in Colombo said.
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SLMM Head, visiting Pooneryn, comes under artillery fire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 10:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells crossed over the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Major General Lars Johan Sølvberg and his delegation who were visiting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Pooneryn jetty Wednesday evening to undertake a feasibiity study on Colombo's latest suggestion in opening Pooneryin Sangupitty Road as an alternative to A9. SLA fired artillery shells exploded 200 meters behind in Pooneryn jetty area while the delegation was visiting the site for inspection around 3:15 p.m. The Norwegian Major General returned safely, LTTE officials told TamilNet. While returning, artillery shells exploded at 20 meter distance.
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40 civilian refugees killed in Sri Lankan artillery attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 08:17 GMT]
Emergency Rescue workers in Vaharai say scores of civilians were killed Wednesday around 11:35 a.m. when Sri Lanka Army fired Multi-Barrel Rockets and artillery shells targeting Kathiraveli, a coastal hamlet 15 km north of Vaaharai, hit a school where five thousand Internally Displaced People had sought refuge. 40 dead bodies have been recovered. Six babies below 6-month were killed, said medical sources stating that 30 dead bodies had been brought to Vaaharai hospital. SLMM officials and the ICRC visited the area where more than 120 houses were severely damaged. An area with 2 km perimeter was indiscriminately bombed. 60 severely wounded civilians were brought to Valaichenai hospital.
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Four injured in sectarian violence at Kathankudy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 07:57 GMT]
Unidentified armed men, alleged to be orthodox Muslims, in a white van lobbed hand grenades and opened fire Tuesday around 8:00 p.m on Abdur Rauf Moulawi, the Islamic religious teacher belonging to Sufi sect, and some others standing in front of his office near Kathankudy Bathriya Mosque in Batticaloa district injuring four, said Kathankudy police.
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One home guard killed, two seriously injured in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 07:53 GMT]
Unidentified armed men in military fatigues opened fire on a home guard road patrol unit, killing one on the spot and seriously injuring two, Wednesday around 2:00 a.m at Thirvagama in Vavuniya district, said Vavuniya police.
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Artillery duel injures four women, hundreds flee Kudumbimalai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 02:05 GMT]
Four women were injured when a mortar shell launched from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) area targeting the Murkodanchenai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp fell and exploded on a house near the SLA camp Tuesday around 9:30 a.m., security sources from Batticaloa said. Meanwhile, hundreds of families from LTTE-controlled Kudumbimalai area sought shelter in adjoining jungles seeking safety from SLA fire from Valaichenai Brigade camp Tuesday night, LTTE sources said.
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Governor rejects appeals from trapped Jaffna workers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 01:07 GMT]
Rear Admiral (Retd) Mohan Wijeyawickrema, Governor of the North East Province (NEP), rejected Tuesday an appeal made by government employees including teachers from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas, now trapped in the Jaffna peninsula with the closure of A9 route since August 11, to let them stay in the peninsula due to unsafe conditions in their places of work, said civil sources from Jaffna.
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TNA calls on Sri Lanka to uphold 1987 merger

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 15:20 GMT]
Saying that the Sri Lankan state’s recognition of the Tamils’ historical existence as a people living in the Northeast of the island was realised in the establishment of the Northeast province in 1987, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), charged Tuesday that it was the duty of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government to uphold the merger as it constituted a recognition of Tamil grievances. The TNA is expected to pass a resolution as Sri Lankan Prime Minister is reported to have told the Parliament Tuesday that a "future merger" would be dependent on a referendum in the East.
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SLA Intelligence officer shot, injured in Nelliady

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 13:07 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Intelligence officer was seriously injured near Nelliady junction in Vadamaradchy when unknown gunmen shot at two SLA officers riding in a motorbike at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The injured officer was first taken to Manthikai Government Hospital, located 3 km northeast of Nelliady, and was later taken to Palaly Military Hospital, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA shoots dead two youths, civilian killed in Araly

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 11:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers shot dead two youths in Thirunelveli area in Jaffna at 8:30 p.m. Monday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA alleged that the youths were cadres of Liberation Tigers and that they recovered weapons from the youths. Meanwhile, a civilian was shot dead in Araly at 5:30 p.m. Monday by unknown gunmen.
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Mannar women complain of body searches by SLA male soldiers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 09:36 GMT]
In a complaint made to the Mannar Consortium of Humanitarian Organisations (CHO), Tamil women in Mannar said that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) male soldiers routinely conduct body searches on their way to Chetiyar Kaddai at Adampan, sources said. Body search by opposite sex amounts to rights violation and "sexual assault," said human rights officials in Mannar.
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Lack of Tamil proficiency impedes prompt action by SL police- IGP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 09:33 GMT]
The Sri Lanka police constables and officials lack proficiency in Tamil language, and therefore, are unable to take prompt and right action on the complaints made by the Tamils regarding abductions, disappearance, killings, and other law and order concerns of Tamils, said Inspector General of Police (IGP), Victor Perera, in a press meet held in Colombo Monday.
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Three youths shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 09:15 GMT]
Bodies of two youths were recovered Tuesday morning by the Uppuveli Police at Kanniya about eight km off northwest of Trincomalee town and the body of one youth at Allesgarden, about five km off north of east port town. The bodies have not been identified.
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TNA parliamentarians' protest continues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 08:25 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued their sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament when it resumed its sitting Tuesday. TNA parliamentarians have been demanding the re-opening of the landroute A9 to Jaffna peninsula and protesting against the de-merger of NorthEast province as directed by the Supreme Court.
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Fisherman shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 08:07 GMT]
Unidentified armed men took away a fisherman from his home at Kinaiyadi Nagathambiran temple street in Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa and shot him dead Monday around 11:00 p.m, said Valaichenai police.
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Rehabilitation centre for drug addicts opened in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 01:31 GMT]
A rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol addicts was opened at Thottaveli in Erukalampiddy division in Mannar district Monday by Reverend Father A. Victor Soosai, Mannar Diocese Head. The centre was established due to the sustained efforts taken by Mannar Bishop Rt.Rev.Rayappu Joseph.
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Body washed ashore, buried in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 01:14 GMT]
The body of an unidentified male person washed ashore in Talaimannar coast Sunday was buried at the government expense Monday on the orders of the Mannar Additional Magistrate Mr.T.J.Pirapaharan, legal sources in Mannar said.
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Sri Lanka flunks graft test

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 00:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka fell into the bottom half of 163 nations in ranking in Corruption Perceptions Index, the annual evaluation produced by Transparency International, a Berlin-based graft watchdog, reports said. In the report released Monday, Sri Lanka scored 3.1 out of a possible 10.
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SLA censors Heroes' Day coverage

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 21:25 GMT]
"It is an outright violation of the freedom of press by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 512nd Division high officials to threaten the Editors of the Jaffna peninsula Tamil dailies not to publish any news related to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and not to publish LTTE leader Pirabakaran's photo or his annual November Heroes' Day message," S. Gajendran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Jaffna district, told TamilNet Monday.
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Three civilians killed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 16:59 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians including two women were killed in Jaffna peninsula within the 24 hour period between 6:00 p.m Sunday and 6:00 p.m Monday, sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE reiterates SLMM access to Northern FDL, Vaharai region

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 15:01 GMT]
Colombo should allow the neutral Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials to inspect the forward defence line (FDL) areas and provide the SLMM access Vaharai region to undertake independent verification of the ground situation, instead of producing "baseless allegations of LTTE attacks," in Colombo media, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said Monday night. Sri Lankan armed forces have intensified the attacks with a "military intention" of launching another offensive aiming to escalate the armed hostilities, the Tigers spokesman told media from Kilinochchi.
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Critically injured baby awaits ambulance in Vaharai, 5 wounded in SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 14:38 GMT]
A six-month-old baby girl, critically injured in indiscriminate Sri Lanka Army artillery shelling that targeted a transit camp of Internally Displaced Persons in Palchenai School in Vaharai region Monday, is waiting for ambulance transportation from Vaharai hospital to Batticaloa, medical sources in Vaharai said. The only ambulance of the hospital is yet to return from Batticaloa after a trip Sunday and the shelling was continuing, the sources added. Five civilians were wounded in SLA shelling, three of them, including the baby were criticially injured.
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Court allows investigation of Sinhalese suspected of spying for LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 13:41 GMT]
The Colombo Magistrate Court granted permission to the Sri Lanka forces on Monday to commence extensive inquiries into the activities of two Sinhala civilians arrested on suspicion of passing information to the Intelligence Division of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE ).The Sri Lanka forces allege that they have been collecting information about the movements of the Tamil minister Douglas Devananda, sources in Colombo said.
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Tamils forced to leave homes at Habarana

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 13:22 GMT]
Many Tamils, living in the Habarana area where more than 100 Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers were killed in a blast of a pickup truck loaded with explosives on October 16, are moving out of their homes as many Tamils are being arrested in the frequent cordon and search operations held in the area by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police.
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Northeast de-merger issue to dominate parliament sitting

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 13:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is to resume sitting Tuesday morning amid speculation in political circles that the government is likely to bring a motion soliciting the position of the parliamentarians from all parties on the Supreme Court ruling that rendered invalid North East merger, parliamentary sources said.
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Tamil officers removed from SL President's security detail

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 12:50 GMT]
Twenty Tamil Sri Lanka police security officers accompanying Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse to a public function at Veerahetiya, an upcountry town, Sunday were sent back to their stations on suspicion raised on the bonafides of the officers by the Veerahetiya Sinhala residents, sources from Hatton said.
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SLAF bombs Vaharai, IDPs flee SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 11:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attacks from Valaichenai SLA camp and Karadikulam SLA camp towards Vaharai intensified since Sunday night amid troop deployment at Gajuwatte SLA camp. LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan Monday said Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) carried out 2 sorties of aerial bombardment in Paalchenai and Vammivedduvan in Vaharai region in Batticaloa district Monday noon. "All communication and transportation facilities towards Vaharai has been cut off. Even the small amount of humanitarian supplies reaching the region twice a week, has been blocked by the Sri Lankan military," Mr. Ilanthirayan told TamilNet.
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Shop assistant shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 08:08 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead a shop assistant on his way home on bicycle Sunday around 7:00 p.m at Puthukudirrupu in Valaichenai Police division in Batticaloa, said Valaichenai police who recovered the dead body and handed over to Valaichenai hospital.
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Electricity rationed in Jaffna, Cricket mars fuel distribution

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 03:48 GMT]
Due to shortage of fuel, engineers at Chunnakam Power Station, running diesel driven electricity generators, rationed electricity supply to 9 hours a day, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Electricity supply to Jaffna peninsula will be restricted to the following three slots: 5:00am to 7:am, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, and from 6:00 pm to 10 pm. officials said.
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Jaffna University to admit only Tamil students

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 03:02 GMT]
Sinhalese and Muslim students will not be admitted to the University of Jaffna for the Academic Year 2006-2007 due to prevailing unstable security situation, and only Tamil students will be admitted , University Grant Commission sources said Monday.
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Heavy intervention shoring up rupee - UNP

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 02:23 GMT]
A collapse of Sri Lanka’s currency was being stymied by heavy intervention by the Central Bank, the main opposition party said Sunday. The central bank had spent 352 million dollars from January to September to defend the rupee, with 121 million dollars being spent from September 01 to 19, former Deputy Finance Minister and United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian, Bandula Gunewardene, told Lanka Business Online (LBO).
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JVP to meet Rajapakse Tuesday

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 02:17 GMT]
The Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is reported to have agreed to meet Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday to discuss matters related to latest political development in the island, political sources in Colombo said. This will be first the time both party leaders are to meet since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Alliance (UPFA) government, and the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
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Vaharai residents face severe food shortage- MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 01:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops of Mankerni Camp have refused permission to transport food items beyond their check point into LTTE- controlled Vaharai Region for more than a week, resulting in 43,000 civilians of the area facing acute shortage of essential food items, P.Ariyanenthiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament, Batticaloa District said in a communiqué issued to the press on Sunday.
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A9 closure is ‘breach of CFA’ – SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 19:37 GMT]
International monitors overseesing Sri Lanka’s truce have criticized the Sri Lankan government for closing the A9 highway at Muhamalai, The Sunday Leader reported. "The government is clearly violating the Ceasefire Agreement and they have trapped more than half a million civilians within the Jaffna Peninsula. The A9 should be opened immediately," acting spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Helen Olafsdottir, said.
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Ex-PLOTE cadre shot dead in Kayts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 16:39 GMT]
A former senior member of the paramilitary Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) was abducted from his home in Puliyankudal, Kayts Friday and his body was found with gunshot wounds Saturday, sources in Jaffna said. Kumaravelu Suthaharan, alias Appan, 33, left PLOTE less than 5 years ago, got married and was living in Puliyankudal in the Jaffna islet when he was killed.
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Auto-rickshaw driver shot dead in Karaveddy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 15:15 GMT]
An auto-rickshaw driver from Rajakiramam village in Karaveddy West, Vadamaradchy was shot dead by unknown gunmen Sunday morning, sources in Point Pedro said. This is the third killing involving youths from Rajakiramam travelling-in or owning auto-rickshaws in the last six months.
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Ex-EPDP staffer shot dead

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 15:05 GMT]
A former worker at the Jaffna offices of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) was shot dead Saturday 7:00 p.m by unknown gunmen at her residence in Puttur, Valigamam East, sources in Jaffna said.
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Ship sails with essential commodities to Jaffna - SL minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 12:05 GMT]
M. Dissanayake, Sri Lankan Minister of Nation Building and Development, said that a ship with 28 thousand metric tonnes of essential commodities like rice, wheat flour and sugar to the Jaffna peninsula left Trincomalee port Sunday, political sources in Colombo said.
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One PC killed, two STF troopers seriously injured in Amparai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 10:27 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Saturday around 7:45 p.m. targeting a truck carrying Special Task Force (STF) troopers and police at Pottuvil in Amparai district, killing a police constable and seriously injuring two STF troopers.
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SLA blocks Vaharai students from taking Scholarship test

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 22:12 GMT]
Despite arrangements made with the help of UNICEF for the students to sit the Fifth year State Scholarship Examination. SLA troopers at Mankerny and Cadjuwatte SLA camps stopped the teachers taking question papers and the students from proceeding to Vaharai, Batticaloa Education officials said Saturday.
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Co-Chairs’ failure to condemn bombing will fuel violence - IFT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 16:22 GMT]
Geneva based Tamil diaspora federation, International Federation of Tamils (IFT), criticising the Co-Chair's "failure" to condemn the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) airstrike on the environs of Kilinochchi hospital which killed five people, the IFT warned the weak international response “will encourage Sri Lanka to continue such attacks with impunity.”
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Colombo emboldened by international support - paper

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 15:02 GMT]
Uncritical international support for the Sri Lankan government in its campaign against the Liberation Tigers contributed greatly to the collapse of the peace talks in Geneva last weekend, the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued in its latest editorial. “When even the US publicly declares that it is backing Sri Lanka [against the LTTE], why wouldn’t Colombo have adopted the intransigent and belligerent stand it did?”
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Colombo falls short on shipment of essentials- GA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 15:01 GMT]
The Government Agent of Jaffna, K. Ganesh, in a media report sent to local papers, said that nearly 25% shortfall in amount of required food and essential items sent by Colombo to Jaffna district was the main cause for the high prices and the difficulties residents are facing, having to stand in long lines to procure provisions, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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560 displaced families face starvation in Vadamaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 12:54 GMT]
Consortium of non Governmental Organizations in Jaffna expressed concern over severe food shortage and harsh living conditions of more than 560 families displaced from their villages behind the Thenmaradchy Forward Defence Line (FDL) border strip along Muhamalai-Nagarkovil and living in temporary accomodation in Vadamaradchy schools, during a press conference held Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the NGO premises in Temple Road Nallur, Jaffna, civil society sources said.
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UNP to participate in APRC meeting

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 11:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has nominated parliamentarian Professor G.L.Peiris, and Mr.K.N.Choksy, former Finance Minister to participate in the All Party Representative Council (APRC) meeting. They will for the first time attend the APRC meeting scheduled to be held on Monday.
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SLN soldier killed in claymore attack in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 08:17 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy (SLA) personnel was killed and another injured in a claymore mine attack at Allesgarden in the Uppuveli police division, about 3 k.m. north of Trincomalee town, around 9.45 a.m, Saturday. police sources said.
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Former LTTE member killed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 07:31 GMT]
A former member of the Liberation Tigers who was abducted from his home, Friday night, was found hacked to death, Saturday morning, Vavuniya police said.
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Arrested Jaffna youths to be transferred to Colombo for interrogation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 01:11 GMT]
Five youths arrested by SLA troops and handed over to Chunnakam Police on Thursday night are being held at the Special Detention camp in KKS. Arrangements are being made to transfer these youths are to Colombo where CID police personnel of the Terrorist Investigation Division for further inquiries, civilian sources in Jaffna said. Parents and relatives who gathered at Mallakam courts on Friday expecting the youths to be produced for preliminary inquiry failed to see the youths.
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EPDP members attacked in Valaichchenai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 00:12 GMT]
Unknown assailants hurled hand grenades at the cadres of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) selling "Thinamurasu", a weekly paper printed by EPDP, at Kanagaretnam road junction in Valaichchenai Police division in Batticaloa district, around 10:30 a.m. Friday, sources said. No one was injured in the attack.
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Colombo intensifies attacks in Vanni, Vaharai

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 22:34 GMT]
Four civilians were killed and six wounded in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery shelling in Vaharai in the East, and a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre was killed and two wounded in Pooneryn, Vanni, Friday, as SLAF intensified air raids across Northeast, sources in Kilinochchi said. The attacks continued despite Colombo's commitment to cease violence at the negotiating table in Geneva last weekend, and Co-chairs' indignation over the bombing of a house in Kilinochchi that killed five persons and damaged Kilinochchi Hospital.
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Father of five shot dead in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 16:07 GMT]
A 39-year old resident of Periyamurippu village in Mannar district, and a father of five children, was shot dead by unidentified persons Friday morning, sources in Mannar said. The victim's body was found near the suspension bridge along Madhu Road to Kunchukulam road.
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Kilinochchi raid violates International Humanitarian Law- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 15:58 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued in Colombo Friday condemned the Thursday bombing raid by SLAF near Kilinochchi hospital as "serious violation of International Humanitarian Law," and said the bombing was "conducted with callous disregard for the safety and the security of Tamil civilian life and property." TNA also expressed disappointment that despite repeated attacks by GoSL against civilian life and property, "the International Community is unable to bring such attacks of the GOSL to an end."
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Co-Chairs express deep regret over Kilinochchi bombing

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 13:43 GMT]
The Tokyo Co-Chair (EU, Japan, Norway and the US) ambassadors in Sri Lanka, in a press releas issued Friday, expressed their "deep regret over the bombing of a house in Kilinochchi on 2 November 2006 that resulted in the death of five civilians," and added that "the explosion comes at a delicate time when both sides should seek to build confidence and compromise to ensure further rounds of talks can soon be agreed, and an escalation of the conflict can be avoided."
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Patient dies in Kilinochchi hospital due to blast shock

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 10:33 GMT]
A heart patient in the Kilinochchi General Hospital died Thursday around 3:00 p.m at the hospital due to shock related complications caused by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombings on the hospital surrounding in Kilinochchi Thursday, said Dr.Sathanandan, Director of Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram.
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GoSL will attack Northeast over land, sea, air- Wickremenayake

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 10:31 GMT]
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, said that his government has planned to launch offensives on the Tamil north and east provinces by land, sea and air, while speaking at a function held Friday at 11:00 a.m at the Prime Minister's office to announce financial assistance to the children of soldiers affected by the war, sources in Colombo said.
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Mannar Tamil youth arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 10:26 GMT]
Twenty seven year old Tamil youth Joseph Kumar Ramanakumar , a resident of Uppukulam, a village in Mannar district was arrested by the Slave Island Police in Colombo district on October 31 morning. The Colombo Fort Magistrate remanded him till November 06 when he was produced in court by the Slave Island Police.
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UNP to strengthen rank-and-file voices on MoU

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 10:18 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to hold seminars and discussions at district level to educate the rank and file members on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) last month, that gave top priority to solving ethnic conflict, political sources in Colombo said.
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SLA mortar attack kills father, son in Vaharai, Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 09:23 GMT]
A father and son were killed on the spot in a mortar attack launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from its Mankerny camp in Batticaloa on Vaharai, a village in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory in Batticalo, Friday around 8:30 a.m. The shells launched continuously by the SLA on and around the temporary shelters of the internally displaced people (IDP) in this area fall and explode causing the IDPs to flee in fear in all directions, said sources from Vaharai.
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Tamil man shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 06:06 GMT]
A 36-year old man was shot dead by unidentified men inside his house at Aachikulam in Samalankulam in the northern Vavuniya, around 3:30 a.m., Friday, police said.
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Jaffna Bishop calls for urgent help to avert humanitarian disaster

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 00:30 GMT]
Jaffna Bishop, Rt. Rev. Thomas Savundara- nayagam, has sent an urgent telegram Thursday to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse requesting him to immediately open a landroute to Jaffna peninsula to allow the flow of desperately needed food and other essential materials to Jaffna residents, civil society sources in Jaffna said Thursday.
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Respect International Humanitarian Law, urges Hospital Director

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2006, 00:03 GMT]
Dr.Sathanandan, Director of Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram which was subjected to Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombardment on Thursday afternoon at 2:45 p.m.appealed to all parties to respect the International Humanitarian Law and avoid targeting hospitals, in an interview to the TamilNet, Thursday. "The humanitarian law calls on States both “to respect” and “to ensure respect” the Conventions," Dr Sathanandan said, adding that hospitals attend to the most urgent humanitarian needs of people and should be safeguarded from all forms of violence.
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India should lift ban on LTTE - Kuldip Nayar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 22:04 GMT]
Kuldip Nayar, the noted Indian journalist and head of the Indian Peace Mission to Sri Lanka called on India to lift the ban on the LTTE and engage it politically in order to bring lasting peace to the war-torn island, the Hindustan Times reported.
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Young woman shot dead in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 21:42 GMT]
A young woman from Odai area, Point Pedro, in Vadamarachchy region in Jaffna district was shot dead near Pandaary Amman Temple in Thambachetty, 1 km west of Point Pedro town, at 3:30 pm Thursday.
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Health emergency in Mannar as virus fever spreads

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 17:14 GMT]
A virus fever is spreading fast in Mannar district and daily hundreds of persons affected by the fever are seeking treatment in the Mannar general hospital and private medical institutions, health officials in Mannar said. Mannar General hospital is overflowing with the large influx of affected civilians, hospital sources said.
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Detained Indian fishermen to launch hunger strike

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 16:24 GMT]
About fifteen Indian fishermen currently detentioned in Anuradhapura remand prison informed Mannar court Thursday that they would start a hunger-strike if the authorities fail to release them immediately, legal sources in Anuradhapura said. The fishermen have been indicted with poaching in the territorial water of Sri Lanka.
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SLA abducts 4 youths, another disappears in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 12:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) motorcycle brigade and collaborating paramilitary cadres in white van have abducted four youths in Jaffna district within twelve hours from 6:00 p.m Wednesday, according to complaints registered by the relatives and parents of the victims at the Jaffna Human Rights Commissison offices Thursday, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Another youth has gone missing after last seen at an SLA check post in Inuvil Jaffna.
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Governor rejects appeals from stranded Government employees

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 12:13 GMT]
Rear Admiral (Retd) Mohan Wijeyawickrema, Governor of the North East Province, rejected appeals from more than one thousand Tamil government employees stranded in Jaffna peninsula for the past three months to allow them to work in the province as an interim measure, civil society sources in Jaffna said Thursday.
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Aerial attack near Hospital, a message of terror, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 11:59 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) that promised to halt the military offensives at the negotiating table, in front of the International Community in Geneva, has sent a "message of terror" within 24 hours of LTTE delegation's arrival in Kilinochchi by conducting a "gruesome" aerial attack killing an innocent family and terrorising the patients at the General Hopital premises, said Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, S. P. Thamilchelvan, following the Sri Lankan aerial attack in the heart of Kilinochchi town Thursday. Hospitals which serve the most humanitarian need and deserve utmost protection from any acts of violence, have now become targets to GoSL's campaign of terror, he added.
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Jaffna residents stranded in Vavuniya, protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 11:29 GMT]
Stranded Jaffna peninsula residents, trapped in Vavuniya since Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closed A9, the land route to Jaffna peninsula from August 11, staged a demonstration Wednesday at the Vavuniya Secretariat demanding the authorities to send them to their homes and submitted an appeal to Ms. Charles, the Additional Government Agent of Vavuniya, said Vavuniya Secretariat sources.
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Co-Chair envoys in Colombo meet GOSL peace delegation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 09:47 GMT]
Envoys of Co-Chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference in Colombo Thursday met with representatives of peace delegation of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) that attended the Geneva talks 2 last week. The discussion was held at the office of the Government Peace Secretariat in Colombo.
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5 killed, SLAF attacks hospital surrounding in Kilinochchi, 500 patients flee hospital

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 09:07 GMT]
Five members of a family were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. One was seriously wounded. Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises. Explosion shock shattered hospital window-glasses and fans fell down while the patients were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet. Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack.
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NECORD funded Mullaithivu hospital opens

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 08:23 GMT]
Dr. T. W. Jeyakularajah, Mullaithivu District Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services, presided over the opening ceremony of a section of the Mullaithivu hospital complex constructed at a cost Rs.110m funded by he Northeast Community Restoration and Development (NECORD), held Wednesday at 10:00 a.m at Maanthottam area along the Mullaithivu-Mulliyawalai road.
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Protest held in Colombo condemning abductions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 21:09 GMT]
Committee for Tracing the Abducted Persons held a demonstration in Colombo Fort railway station Wednesday 12:00 noon demanding the release of persons abducted in Colombo and the suburbs, and urging civil society to pressure the Sri Lanka government to take urgent steps to prevent future abductions, civil sources said.
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SLA attacks fishermen returning to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 19:39 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) stationed along the coastal belt of Gurunagar fired at 21 fishermen, returning in six boats from LTTE- controlled Pooneryn and adjoining areas on Wednesday morning, Fisheries Society sources said. No one of was injured in this attack. The fishermen earlier fled to the LTTE controlled area following the break out of fresh violence between LTTE and Sri Lankan Forces on August 11.
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Seamstress shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 18:26 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycle shot dead a seamstress in her tailor shop at Manning Place in Wellawatte, Colombo Wednesday around 6:50 p.m., sources in Colombo said.
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UN Special Rapporteur on torture to visit Sri Lanka in January

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 13:57 GMT]
Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Raporteur on Torture, will visit Sri Lanka from 27 January to 2 February 2007 and submit a report to United Nations Human Rights Council, after meeting with Sri Lankan Government officials, the judiciary, Human Rights Commission, parliamentarians, NGO representatives and visit the detention centres. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
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Pavement trader shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 12:58 GMT]
A pavement trader near Muneeswaram Road infront of Jaffna Teaching Hospital in the Jaffna central business district was shot dead by unknown gunmen who came in a motorbike at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, sources said. Local traders said that the killing was carried out by the Sri Lanka Security forces as a revenge to the killing of another trader near the same spot Monday. The killers escaped after dousing his body with gasolene and setting it on fire, local witnesses said.
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Upcountry Tamil workers demand wage increase

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 12:05 GMT]
Upcountry workers at Hatton Bogawantalawa tea-estate stayed away from work and picketed Wednesday, demanding increase in salary for estate workers, sources in Hatton said. A similar protest campaign was carried out in Talawakkele today. The work stoppage is a continuation of the protest campaign started at the Hatton bus depot Saturday, organizers of the protest said.
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Fisherman killed, another injured in SLN attack in Mullaithivu sea

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 12:01 GMT]
A fisherman fishing in Silavattai Sea in Mullaithivu district was killed and another injured when Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) attacked them around 6:00 a.m. Sunday, Fisheries Society sources said.
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Claymore attack kills woman, injures two SLA soldiers, one policeman in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 11:54 GMT]
Unknown persons triggered a claymore bomb Wednesday afternoon killing one civilian woman, injuring two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and a policeman at Thekankaadu in Vavuniya, said Vavuniya police. The attack was targetted towards a SLA road check-post located 1 km from Vavuniya town. The woman died due to heart attack caused by the blast, added the police.
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SLAF Kfir jets bomb LTTE held villages in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 10:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers bombed civilian settlements nine times Wednesday around 7:15 a.m in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas of Kattumurivu in Kathiraveli in Batticaloa district. Casualties in this bombing are not yet known but 12 houses of civilians are said to be badly damaged.
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Exhumed Muthur aid workers' bodies buried again

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 10:15 GMT]
Eleven bodies of seventeen aid workers of the French based non-governmental organization "Action against Hunger" killed in Muthur in the first week of August were brought back to Trincomalee from Colombo after second post-mortem held in the presence of an Australian forensic expert. Bodies of six aid workers were not exhumed as the court did not get the consent of their relatives.
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SLA fuel ban halts paddy cultivation in Mannar LTTE areas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 03:12 GMT]
Farmers in villages held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Mannar district are unable to plough their fields due to fuelshortage, agricultural sources said. 90% of paddy fields will remain uncultivated unless Sri Lankan Army (SLA) lifts the ban on transport of petrol and diesel to the LTTE held agricultural villages through Uyilankulam checkpoint, civil sources said.
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Navy fires at fishermen in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 03:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) fired at a group of fishermen who were fishing in Mullikulam-Pookulam sea area in Mannar district at 8:30 a.m. Monday, civil sources said. Fishermen fled to the shore leaving their boats and nets in the sea. No one was injured in the shooting.
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Home guard killed in Serunuwara

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 03:02 GMT]
A Sinhala home guard was shot dead by a group of unknown gunmen who attacked a home guard checkpost at Neelapola in Serunuwara police division in Trincomalee district Tuesday early morning around 12.40 a.m. by unidentified men, Sri Lanka security sources said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers retaliated but gunmen escaped, according to police sources said.
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Large scale checking of vehicles in Jaffna by SLA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 01:05 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) carried out a large scale road checking and monitoring operation at the entry points of all major roads to Jaffna Municipal limits from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesday, civil sources said.
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Two caught in Eravur bomb explosion succumb to injuries

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2006, 00:09 GMT]
Two of the six injured in the bomb blast on Thursday morning in a vegetable field located on Chelvi Cinema Theatre road in Chenkalady in Eravur police division in Batticaloa have succumbed to injuries. The 2-year old, Kandasamy Rajkumar, died on Friday while Sathananthan Yasothini, 16 ,died on Monday hospital sources said.
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