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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 18:33 GMT]
Members of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), which terminated its observation mission reasoning that the proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry setup by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) did not satisfy basic international norms and standards, reiterated Wednesday that they stand by their "clear assertions" of their concluding statement which blamed the GoSL for the absence of political will to investigate Human Rights violations with vigour. Lamenting that the GoSL continues to "divert attention from the central truth," the IIGEP members said they disassociated themselves from any attempt by the GoSL to reformulate and re-interpret the concluding statement.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 17:41 GMT]
Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said Wednesday the formation of a new political party by dissident group leader, Wimal Weerawanse would not hinder the political programme of the JVP. Tilvin Silva said this at a press briefing in reply to Wimal Weerawanse that he would form a new party after May Day if the current leadership of the JVP fails to sort out intra-party dispute, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 14:46 GMT]
Northern Bar Association of Sri Lanka (NBASL) Wednesday called off its Friday boycott of all Courts of Law in the Jaffna peninsula as its long term demand to allow use of facilities allocated to its members in the newly opened judicial complex in Jaffna being met by the head of the Judicial Service Commission Wednesday, legal society sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna High Court Judge, S. Suvarnarajah and Jaffna District Court Judge, R. K. Vignarajah, after holding talks with NBASL representatives Wednesday, officially made available the use of facilities meant for the lawyers.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 11:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Ma'nalaa'ru staged an artillery barrage targeting a civilian settlement in Nedungkea'ni in Vanni for two-hours from 9:50 a.m. Wednesday, killing a 52-year-old father of three and seriously wounding a 32-year-old mother of one, Tamileelam Police officials said.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 05:35 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a former medical student of Jaffna University from Pottpathi Veethi, Kokkuvil, in Jaffna at his house on Tuesday around 7:00 p.m, sources in Jaffna said. The victim is alleged to have been working for the Intelligence Unit of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and said to have collaborated in the killings, and abductions in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 03:43 GMT]
Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in letter addressed to Dayanantha Dissanayake, the Elections Commissioner (EC), has pointed out the large scale abuses being committed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) in the East.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 18:16 GMT]
Wimal Weerawanse, leader of the dissident group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said at a press briefing held Tuesday that he would start a new political party if the current leadership of the JVP fails to bring an amicable solution to the intra-party crisis, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 18:14 GMT]
Unknown men had abducted two Tamil youths at Muhathuvaaram in Colombo Monday evening in two separate incidents. They have been identified as Selvachchandran Nishanthan, 23, and Karunakaran, according to complaints lodged with the Muhathuvaaram Police and the Civil Monitoring Group by their relatives.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 15:27 GMT]
A family man from Puloali south in Vadmaraadchi is reported missing since Monday after going to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) civil administration office near his house to obtain pass (travel permit) to go to Colombo, according to complaint lodged by his wife to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Tuesday. Neighbours who had seen the missing man entering the SLA office said that he did not come out of the office, the wife said in her complaint to HRC.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 13:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian, Laxman Kiriyella, charged that the paramilitary Pillayan group, Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) that are jointly contesting Eastern Province Provincial (EPC) elections with the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for carrying arms besides other violations during the campaign for the forthcoming Easter Provincial Council (EPC) election, UNP sources said.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 12:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Labor Mervyn Silva was severely wounded when his vehicle slipped off the road while speeding at Aralaganvila in the Dimbulagala division of Polonnaruwa district in North Central Province Tuesday around 3:20 p.m., Police said. A Pradeshiya Sabha chairman traveling with him was killed and two security persons were wounded. Mervyn Silva, airlifted by the Sri Lanka Air Force is out of danger, medical sources said.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 11:38 GMT]
Three men were arrested at separate addresses in Wales, south east England and Greater London Tuesday morning when British police officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, supported by members of the Welsh police service, carried out searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 at a number of residential and business addresses, according to a press release issued by the British High Commission in Colombo on Tuesday.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 10:05 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade Monday around 8:00 p.m on the house of the Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF) candidate contesting Eastern Province Council (EPC) election in Batticaloa, at Punnaichoalai in Batticaloa district, injuring the contestant’s wife, mother and brother besides causing severe damage to the walls and windows, sources in Batticaloa said. The contestant, however, escaped being injured.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 06:42 GMT]
A woman who was being detained by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police, for allegedly assisting the suicide bomber who exploded himself causing the death of the Sri Lankan minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and several others on April 06, died Monday morning under mysterious circumstance while being subjected to interrogation by the CID.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 04:26 GMT]
Most parts of the country plunged into darkness Monday evening from 6:00 p.m till 8:00 p.m in the night due to the breakdown of the electricity supply. The General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said he did not know the reason for the blackout. However he has ordered an inquiry into the power failure, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 00:33 GMT]
A 33-year-old man from Chaavakacheari in Thenmaraadchi, placed in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, has gone missing, according to a complaint filed at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna officials by relatives. The man, suffering from chickenpox, had been allowed by authorities a few days ago to stay with his relative for treatment, HRC sources said.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 16:27 GMT]
Northern Bar Association of Sri Lanka (NBSL) decided in its Saturday meeting in Jaffna to launch a boycott of all Courts of Law in the Jaffna peninsula from 2 May until the section allocated for the use of their members in the newly opened judicial complex is made available, Ms. Shantha Abimannasingam, Zonal Vice President of NBSL said. Failure of any constructive measure to be taken despite NBSL discussions on this issue with the Attorney General and key officials of the Justice Ministry has forced us to resort to boycott, she added.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 15:38 GMT]
Postal voting for the east provincial council election is to be held on April 28 and April 29 at government offices in the three districts, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai in the province. 22,412 public servants are eligible to cast their votes in the province, according to election officials.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 13:28 GMT]
Jaffna police recovered Sunday night the corpse of a young female with gun shot wounds and signs of torture in highly decomposed state from an abandoned house in a deserted area in Naavaanthurai, Jaffna. The National Identity Card (NIC) recovered from the body bears the name, Annalingam Anitha, 22, from Kokkuvil.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 11:00 GMT]
A time bomb found in an abandoned parcel at Galgamuwa bus stand in Kurunagala district in the northwestern province was recovered Monday morning about ten minutes before it went off, media sources reported quoting Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Jayantha Jayasinghe.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 10:57 GMT]
Fifteen civilians, majority of them said to be Tamils, were taken in for questioning in a cordon and search conducted Sunday evening in Mt.Lavinia. Some of the arrested are residents of Jaffna, Colombo, and Kaddaiparichchan in Moothoor east, reports from Colombo said.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 10:00 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a youth Monday around 6:15 a.m in front of his house at Urumpiraai East in Jaffna. He was about to leave his house and step on to Jaffna-Palaali road when the killers opened fire on him.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 07:25 GMT]
Economic Times, one of India's leading business dailies, on Sunday revealed that in spite of possible "political and diplomatic ramifications", the Indian Government was "finalizing a soft loan package of $100 million for Sri Lankan defence department to buy arms and ammunition." The newspaper went one step ahead and dubbed this move "the India fund for fighting Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka."
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 16:54 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) defensive units confronted the Sri Lanka Army in Paalamoaddai and Naavatku'lam in Vavuniyaa district on Sunday. At Paalamoaddai one SLA soldier was killed at 12:30 p.m. when the SLA attempted to advance, the Tigers said. Three SLA soldiers were wounded, two of them lost their legs. At Naavatku'lam Tigers seized a T-56 assault rifle, the Tigers said.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 14:17 GMT]
“We raise our voices aloud demanding freedom of media despite the prevailing dangerous atmosphere. We join our hands with our media friends worldwide, and raise our hands along with them in the demand for the freedom of media,” the North Ceylon Journalists Association (NCJA) said in a message during a lunch offering Sunday to the elders and children in Nelliyadi Paramaananthaa Ashram, Home for the Aged and Children, held in remembrance of late TamilNet Senior Editor "Taraki" Sivaram and Selvarajah Rajivarman, sources in Jaffna said.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 09:41 GMT]
Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary D Raja urged the Indian Government to intervene in Sri Lanka's prolonged ethnic strife in view of the escalation of human rights abuses in the island nation. "Finding a solution to the ethnic crisis alone can bring about a solution to the problems of Tamil Nadu fishermen," he said. Recalling that the state Government of Tamil Nadu had protested when India ceded Kadchaththeevu to Sri Lanka in 1974, he urged upon the Indian Government to renegotiate the Kadchaththeevu Accord and facilitate Tamil Nadu fisherment to catch fish without any hindrance whatsoever.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 09:09 GMT]
Bishop of Mannaar, Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, on Saturday told media that the warring parties should openly declare the Madu Shrine and its environs as Peace Zone in order to bring back Our Lady of Madu statue to the Holy Shrine. Meanwhile Sri Lankan Defence ministry in its official news on Sunday quoted Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka as saying: "those who were in charge of the statue have the responsibility of bringing it back". The SL defence ministry added that Madu "would be declared as a security zone," without specifying what it meant with the term, 'security zone.' Vicar General Rev. A. Victor Soosai on Saturday visited the Shrine for an inspection.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 06:25 GMT]
Colombo police said Sunday that they have taken into custody 19 persons in connection with the Piliyandala bus bomb explosion. 26 passengers were killed and 62 injured when a bomb exploded in a crowded State sector bus Friday evening. Police further said the bomb had been placed on a hood rack above the third seat behind the driver.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 04:03 GMT]
Batticaloa police arrested a United National Party (UNP) candidate contesting for Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and six others Saturday morning at Oaddamaavadi after fighting broke out Friday night between supporters of United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and SLMC, sources in Batticaloa said. Tension prevails in the area as SLMC supporters accuse the police for being partial to a government minister from the area, the sources added.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 03:18 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen arriving at the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) office in Vipulaananthapuram, Mayilampaavea’li in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, shot and killed a paramilitary man who was in the office, Saturday around 5:45 p.m, Ea’raavoor police said.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 02:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Sunday early morning launched a cordon and search operation in areas surrounding the Katunayake airbase and arrested 10 civilians, majority of them Tamils. Police sources said they are being detained at police station and being interrogated as they failed to prove their identity and justify their stay in the location.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 01:28 GMT]
A fake parcel found abandoned at the Fort railway station Saturday morning caused panic among the passengers and employees. All were asked to vacate the area. All incoming trains were directed to stop away from the station till clearance was given by security forces.
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[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 00:24 GMT]
Fifteen Tamil civilians were arrested at Matale town Sunday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police. The arrested are being detained at Matale police station and interrogated as they failed to prove their identity and justify the presence in the location, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 21:46 GMT]
Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said Sunday that Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) had launched air attack on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) positions in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) in the early hours of Sunday around 1:45. This is the second time, after the Black Tiger raid on Anuradhapura airbase in October 2007, the Tigers have deployed their air wing combined with the their ground forces.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 20:29 GMT]
Pointing out the "continuing fighting and terrible loss of life in Sri Lanka," Mr Rae, former Ontario Premier and an advisor to an earlier round of peace talks, said in a media release issued in Canada's Liberal party website that “[t]he world can't just sit back and let this death and destruction happen. This is a humanitarian disaster and must be met with a concerted response,” and that “Canada should put conflict prevention at the top of its foreign policy agenda. We can't be indifferent to this tragedy.”
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 17:09 GMT]
Three members of Christian clergy, two of them Indians and the third a Sri Lankan, were arrested on Thursday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. when they were allegedly taking photographs of the Sri Jayawardhanapura Parliamentary Complex. Police personnel who were on duty at the parliamentary complex arrested them and handed the clergy to the Welikada police, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 15:28 GMT]
“Scarcity of food items and the subsequent escalation in the cost of essential items may result in more than one million in the country facing starvation," Mohamed Saleheen, the resident representative of United Nations (UN) World Food program (WFP) in Colombo told the media Friday. As a result of the situation, the WFP country office in Sri Lanka is facing major crisis, he said, and urged donor countries to respond immediately to overcome the crisis.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 14:59 GMT]
The 31st death anniversary of the late Tamil leader and the founder of the Federal Party (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi -ITAK), Samuel James Velupillai Chelvanayakam (SJV) was held in Jaffna near the SJV memorial statue at 9:45 a.m Saturday presided by Rev. Dr. Jebanesan of the South Indian Council of Churches.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 13:11 GMT]
Unidentified Sinhala gangs are allegedly engaged in terrorizing Tamil civilians residing along Assarappawatte Lane in Negombo town and robbing their valuables including jewellery, cash, cellphone and other items, reports in Colombo said.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 12:27 GMT]
Officials from Terrorism Prevention Unit (TPI) of Criminial Investigations department (CID) arrested V.Sathyananthy, the Assistant Commissioner of local government for Batticaloa district, Friday morning, sources in Batticaloa said.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 11:47 GMT]
A middle-aged man was found shot dead at Uppukku'lam, a suburb of Mannaar city around 4:20 a.m., behind the Saiva Raja Rajesvari temple, Police said.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 11:04 GMT]
A Colombo undergraduate Tamil student has been detained in Dehiwala police station on suspicion that he had provided shelter in his room for the suspected suicide bomber who is alleged to have killed Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle on April 6. The student was one of 37 civilians arrested on Thursday in a cordon and search operation conducted by the police in Dehiwala. 11 other civilians are also being detained in the police station.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 07:32 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) defensive units were confronting Sri Lanka Army (SLA) units that have launched a large-scale offensive push in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) Saturday morning around 6:00, according to LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan.
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[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 03:06 GMT]
Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, arrived in Jaffna Friday to participate in the 31st Memorial Day of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Saturday. The first TNA member to return to Jaffna since the assassination of TNA Jaffna MP, Nadarajah Raviraj, in 2006, he met Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, at the latter’s request Friday in Palaali SLA military complex, the MP told media.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 13:31 GMT]
Twenty-five passengers were killed and 73 wounded when a bomb exploded inside a fully packed bus around 6:45 p.m. Friday near Piliayandala bus-stand, 17 km southeast of Colombo, Police said. 73 persons were wounded. 63 injured, 47 males and 16 females, were warded at Kalubowlila hospital, 7 at Kesbewa hospital and 3 at Colombo hospital.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 13:25 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has decided to hold its May Day rally at Mahaweli Grounds in Dehiyatttakandiya in Ampaarai district. ": We have accepted the challenge to hold the rally outside Colombo for the first time," Minister Dallas Alahaperuma said at a press briefing held in Colombo Thursday, media sources said.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 11:55 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka on Friday officially admitted that the Sri Lanka Army had entered the Madu Shrine. Analysts in Colombo observed that the move, which comes in the wake of the SLA debacle in the Northern Front, was timed to divert increasing focus on recent SLA casualties prior to the provincial elections in the east. Meanwhile, Informed sources in Vanni told TamilNet that the SLA had been stationed 1.5 km away from the Shrine for weeks and it could have entered the Shrine at any time as LTTE defensive units were strictly kept away from the peace zone.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 09:49 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos Thursday night opened fire and killed a 37-year-old Tamil man at Naavithanve'li in Ampaa'rai district, Police said. Alleging that the slain man was a LTTE member, the STF has claimed to have seized a 9 mm pistol from the victim. Another person had escaped from the site with injuries, Police said adding that it was an ambush by the STF.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 07:04 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) officials have barred photographers from entering hospitals in Colombo where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers injured in battle are being treated according to complaints received from four journalists, said Colombo based media watchdog Free Media Movement on Friday. Stating that only some foreign wire services and few news websites operating from Colombo reported the battle front casualties independent of government press releases, the FMM said the right of the public to know information and news related to the on going war is severely undermined by the restrictions placed on journalists.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 03:12 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Mannaar told media Friday that the Tigers who confronted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that launched an offensive push Thursday morning in Mannaar seized further arms and ammunitions in addition to five T-56 assault rifles reported on Thursday.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 02:53 GMT]
A middle aged Tamil civilian resident of Weluvana road, Fatima Thoaddam in Dematogoda, has been missing since last week Thursday, the victim’s mother and sister stated in a complaint lodged at Dematagoda police station. They have also reported this incident to Upcountry People's Front (UPF) parliamentarian and Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Vocational Training and Industrial Education, P. Rathakrishnan.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 01:26 GMT]
During the first three months of this year 24 persons were arrested, 24 persons were reported missing, and 25 abducted in the Trincomalee district according to complaints received by Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) in Colombo.
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[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2008, 00:29 GMT]
42 Tamils including 4 women were arrested in Dehiwala, and five Tamils including 2 women wre arrested at Chilaw in two separate cordon and search operations conducted by the police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and are being detained in police stations in Colombo and Chilaw, reports from Colombo said.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 20:23 GMT]
A seventeen year old Tamil student Selvarajah Manivannan studying at Kandy was abducted by unknown persons reported to have arrived in an army vehicle Monday night while staying with his parents in their residence located at Soosaipillaiyaar Kulam in Vavuniyaa division, according to complaint lodged by his father with the Vavuniyaa Police, regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Vavuniyaa office of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 18:51 GMT]
Even before the Tamil Tigers handed back the bodies of 28 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers left behind by their retreating comrades following Wednesday’s pitched battle in the Jaffna peninsula, the bodies of 143 other soldiers had been brought to three funeral parlours in Colombo, a pro-opposition website reported. Meanwhile, CNN quoted 'highly placed' army sources as saying the SLA had been drawn into an ambush when it launched an offensive against LTTE positions Wednesday.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 18:41 GMT]
Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have jointly invited Jaffna peninsula residents to take part in the one day Grand Fair that is to be held in Jaffna Durraiappah Stadium Saturday as a New Year event, the report issued to the media in Jaffna by GA and SLA Thursday night said.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 17:50 GMT]
The corpse of a male in highly decomposed state washed ashore Thursday noon in Analaitheevu, an islet of Jaffna. Kayts Magistrate Ms. Joy Mahadeva visited the scene and inspected the corpse that appeared to be that of a male around 35 years of age.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 13:14 GMT]
Unidentified armed men opened rapid fire Wednesday around 7:00 p.m on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit returning to their camp, on Jaffna-Kandy road in Meesaalai area in Thenmaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA troops retaliated with gunfire and the duel lasted for more than 10 minutes after which the attackers withdrew from the place. No news on casualties or injuries is available.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 10:52 GMT]
LTTE's NGO and U.N. Liaison Officer M. Pavarasan Thursday afternoon at 12:45 p.m. handed over 28 dead bodies of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers located by the Tigers in the Northern Front on Wednesday to ICRC representative Franche Roy at Ki'linochchi Central Playground. Tigers said there were still body parts and decomposed bodies lying in the no-man zone and provided identification details of 6 SLA soldiers in addition to the details of 14 SLA soldiers identification details provided on Wednesday.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 10:06 GMT]
Police in Kodikaamam on Thursday handed over six dead bodies, of three males and three females, claiming that the bodies were of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) combatants, recovered by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Mukamaalai in the Northern Front, on Wednesday.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 09:54 GMT]
Two unidentified person shot and killed a 35-year-old Tamil computer-teacher while the victim was traveling in a private bus at 7th Mile Post in Wewassa in Passara in the Badulla district of Uva Province Wednesday evening around 7:00, Police said. Meanwhile, 12 persons, including a principal, sub-principal, and 10 youths have been recently arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) are being subjected to interrogation, according to the police.
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[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2008, 09:40 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan Thursday said that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) abandoned a fresh attempt to advance in Mannaar from Cheaththukku'lam east of Thirukkeatheeswaram towards Veaddaiyaamu'rippuk-u'lam after heavy resistance from the Tigers. The offensive push was launched by the SLA around 5:45 a.m. with the support of Main Battle Tanks and artillery fire. Upto 20 SLA soldiers were killed, more than 30 SLA wounded in the confrontation. One LTTE fighter was killed in action, according to Mr. Ilanthirayan.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 18:42 GMT]
The headquarters of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) located in Colombo was searched by the police Wednesday afternoon. Officer-in-Charge of the Fort Police Station, Jayaratne Manamperi told media persons that the SLMC headquarters had been searched on receipt of information that a member of the underworld criminal gang operating from Slave Island was hiding there.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 18:15 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan on Wednesday evening told TamilNet that Tige forces under the leadership of Commander Theepan confronted the SLA units for ten-and-a-half hours, from 02:30 a.m. till 12:40 p.m. along a 7 km wide defence line in the large scale operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army. 30 SLA bodies were recovered by the Tigers. Arrangements were being made to hand over the mortal remains of the SLA soldiers killed in action to their parents. 60 guns including tank mounted PKT machine guns, Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers and forty-five assault rifles were seized by the Tigers.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 17:33 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has decided not to hold May Day procession this year due to prevailing volatile security situation and internal party squabble. JVP high command however decided to hold a public meeting at Colombo municipal grounds, party sources said.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 16:19 GMT]
A Muslim candidate of an independent group, an ally of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was waylaid and assaulted by supporters of another political party close to Ootamawadi Girls Maha Vidiyalayam when he was returning home after attending an election meeting at Ootamawadi Tuesday night around 8:00 p.m.. A.B.Abdul Hameed, 29, father two children is a resident of Koolikadai Road in Vaalaichchenai and is the main candidate of the independent group for Kalkudah electorate. He has been warded in the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital with severe injuries.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 14:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has announced Wednesday another amnesty for soldiers deserted from the force. The amnesty period is to commence on May 2 till May 16, according to military spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 14:10 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Friday passed a resolution urging the Indian Government to initiate steps to restore talks between the warring sections in Sri Lanka to find a political solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis after a special calling attention motion was introduced after the question hour.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 11:56 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officials in Ki'linochchi said the Tigers have located more than 30 dead bodies of the SLA soldiers in the clearing mission so far in the Northern Front after a major operation by the SLA was thwarted by them. 28 dead bodies were brought to Ki'linochchi. Meanwhile, a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) source, which didn't wish to be named, verified that 104 dead bodies were initially recovered by the army and more than 400 were wounded. The source further said at least 150 soldiers were killed in action. In the meantime, a Colombo bound passenger said he had seen 12 bus loads of dead and wounded soldiers being rushed to the runway in Palaali military complex.
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[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 10:40 GMT]
The newly formed monitoring group Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) in its first press briefing held at the auditorium of the National Library Services Board in Colombo on Tuesday warned that the electioneering in eastern province is already turning out be an undemocratic one. CAFFE comprises several civil groups such as Women's Organization for Democracy and Peace (WODP) Organization for Democratic Rights and International Organization for Defense.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 07:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) units that attempted to break the Forward Defence Line of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Ki'laali, Mukamaalai and on several other positions were forced to retreat, leaving behind dead bodies of their troopers, according to LTTE's Northern Forces Operations Command. Heavy fighting lasted till 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The SLA has suffered heavy casualties as the Tigers put up stiff resistance.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 02:09 GMT]
Mano Ganesan, Leader of Western People’s Front and Convener of Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) met with Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy Danny Annan and Human Rights Ambassador, Hans Grunnet, Tuesday evening in Colombo and discussed matters related to human rights and political situation in Sri Lanka, a media release issued by Ganesan's office said. Mr Ganesan's personal security issues and the recent exit from Sri Lanka of the group of International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) were also discussed in the meeting.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 00:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), as directed by Kayts Magistrate Ms. Joy Mahadeva, handed over Tuesday five Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested on 6 April in the seas between Nedunththeevu and Kachchaitheevu, legal sources in Jaffna said. The five fishermen from Ramanathapuram were produced in Kayts Magistrate Court Tuesday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 23:17 GMT]
Heavy fighting was reported between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) along the Forward Defence Line of the Northern Front, in the early hours of Wednesday. LTTE defensive formations were confronting the SLA units that have mounted offensive attacks simulatenously at several locations around 3:30 a.m., according to the initial reports from LTTE's Northern Forces Operations Command. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army sources in Jaffna confirmed that the SLA had launched an offensive in the Northern Front.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 19:10 GMT]
Thousands of people stood in tearful reverence when the remains of Rev. Father M X Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), slain in a Claymore attack by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army on Sunday, were interred in Vavunikku’lam Annai Vea’laangka’n’ni church cemetery Tuesday evening.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 15:21 GMT]
Armed men shot and killed two young Tamil fishermen at Achangku'lam in Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district Tuesday around 7:00 p.m., Police said. The fishermen were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Musali division, displaced last year from Arippu when SLA occupied Chilaavaththu'rai.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 13:35 GMT]
Don Camp, the principal assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, visited Colombo this week and met with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, SL Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary to the SL Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. "Many of the issues we discuss are difficult ones, particularly on human rights and the resolution of the conflict, but the U.S. will remain engaged in the hope of seeing progress." Mr. Camp was quoted by the U.S. Embassy.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 13:28 GMT]
More than a thousand people participated in the special Holy Mass Tuesday in Jaffna Cathedral (Kognchegnchi Maathaa Koayil) in Jaffna, paying homage to Rev. M. X. Karunaratnam, killed in a Claymore attack in the Vanni. Rev. Karunaratnam tirelessly strove to expose the human rights violations in Sri Lanka to the International Community and its various organizations including Vatican, Jaffna Bishop House Principal Priest, Rev. Justin Gnanapragasam who conducted the Holy Mass, said in his speech. People in Jaffna peninsula, for the first time since August 11 2006, assembled in large numbers at one place to participate in an event.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:46 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has said that it has no faith in the leading election monitoring mission in the country, the Peoples' Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL). A senior UNP leader, Ravi Karunanayake said that the UNP will not recognize PAFFREL as an independent monitoring mission as the party has doubts over its recent statements and actions. "We do not consider them as independent monitoring group," Mr. Karunanayake said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:08 GMT]
Three civilians including the driver of a lorry loaded with supplies to the Cooperative Society in Poonakari (Pooneryn) from Vavuniyaa, was attacked by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army in the early hours of Tuesday at 1:30 a.m. at Aanaivizhunthaan on Akkaraayan - Vanneari Road. The lorry, carrying essential supplies worth 2.3 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the Poonakari Multi Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS), which serves to the Internally Displaced People from Poonakari and Mannaar, was destroyed in the attack, according to the General Manager of the Poonakari MPCS, T. Ratnakumar, told TamilNet.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:07 GMT]
A 53-year-old retired government officer and his 19-year old son, a
student of Jaffna Hindu College, sought Monday protection at the offices of
the Human Rights Council (HRC) due to death
threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries,
HRC Jaffna sources said. The son was being continually threatened to
death by SLA troops on his way to college or private educational
institutions, according to complaint lodged with HRC.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:05 GMT]
Jaffna Secretariat officials transported 65 families of Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) Monday in 3 buses and lorries loaded with their
belongings from camps in Jaffna for resettlement in Allaippiddi,
sources in Jaffna said. Many Non-government Organizations (NGOs) in
Jaffna peninsula, however, expressed concern that the security situation
has not returned to normal.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:45 GMT]
A key leader of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Patriotic National Movement (PNM), Sumith Wanniarachchi has been allegedly assaulted by members of the security unit of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Monday for hosting Wimal Weerawanse, dissident JVP group leader with a tea party, according to a complaint lodged with Walapone Police in Kandy district by Dr.Gunadasa Amarasekara, treasurer of the PNM.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:40 GMT]
Twelve election violence incidents have been reported in the eastern province till Monday, according to the Police. The latest incident was the clash between two Paramilitary groups, the TMVP and PLOTE groups, at Aaraiyampathi in Batticaloa district Monday evening in which five PLOTE personnel sustained injuries. Meanwhile the delivery of poll cards to voters through post offices in the east has begun from Monday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:39 GMT]
Jayantha Wijesekara, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Trincomalee district parliamentarian was released on cash and surety bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Monday. He surrendered to the Welikada police on April 11 following a complaint that he had been involved in the hijacking of official vehicles belonged to dissident JVP parliamentarians Piyasiri Wijenaike and Achchala Jagoda from parliamentary complex. He was produced in court and remanded, legal sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:35 GMT]
Four Tamils were abducted by unknown persons at Peliyagoda, Kotahena in Colombo and in Negombo. One of them was later released at Peliyagoda. Relatives of those abducted have lodged complaints with the respective police stations.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:18 GMT]
The police informed Colombo Magistrate Monday that inquiry into the statement made by defense ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella involving the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in the killing of Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, Colombo district United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian has been continuing, legal sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 06:48 GMT]
Jaffna Bishop House issued Monday a request to all priests and people of Christian faith in Jaffna peninsula to attend the special Holy Mass paying homage to Rev. Father X. M. Karunaratnam killed in Claymore attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Sunday in Vanni. The mass will be held Tuesday at 4:00 p.m in Konchchonchi Maatha Koayil also known as the Periya Koayil (Big Church), located in Jaffna city.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 06:33 GMT]
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Tuesday said that Norway condemned the killing of Rev. Fr. M.X. Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESoHR), who was slain in a Claymore attack that targeted his vehicle. The killing further adds to the already far too high civilian toll of the ongoing conflict, the press statement said. NESoHR was launched, in July 2004, as part of the Norwegian-facilitated 2002 Peace Process to strengthen the human rights protection mechanisms in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 04:32 GMT]
Father Karunaratnam was actively engaged in Human Rights related work, and as Chairman of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, played a prominent role in the exposure of the grave human rights violations to which the Tamil Civilian population in the Vanni area were continuously subjected, said R.Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance and Maavai S.Senathirajah, the general secretary of Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) in a press statement issued on Tuesday. "We deeply mourn the loss of Rev Father Karunaratnam who indefatigably served the legitimate interests of the Tamil Civilian population in the Vanni."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 04:13 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army Tank was destroyed at Mukamaalai Forward Defence Line (FDL) Tuesday around 7:30 a.m. when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) anti-tank unit confronted the SLA soldiers who attempted to break the Tiger FDL, according to LTTE's Northern Front Operations Command. Meanwhile, an SLA artillery and mortar launchpad caught fire as the Tigers targeted the installation, the Tigers said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 18:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Ki'linochchi that the LTTE defensive formations confronted two offensive thrusts by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Mannaar on two fronts Monday morning and that the LTTE mounted an attack on SLA stationed in Koayilmoaddai. 7 SLA soldiers were killed and 21 wounded in the first confrontation at Kaaththaangku'lam between 5:30 and 10:00 a.m. and another confrontation lasted for 2 hours when SLA launched an offensive push from Thirukkeatheesvaram towards Paappaamoaddai.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 18:18 GMT]
Five supporters of Tamil Democratic National Alliance (TDNA) were seriously injured by paramilitary operatives of Tamil Makkal Viduthali Puligal (TMVP) Monday afternoon in Thaa'langkudaa in Aaraiyampathi division of Batticaloa district.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 17:39 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kifir fighter jets in two sorties
bombed Monday around 9:30 a.m fishermen engaged in fishing in
A'lampil in Mullaiththeevu district in Vanni killing a youth and
seriously injuring seven innocent civilians including two small girls.
Four SLAF bombers again struck Ma'nalkudiyiruppu, a civilian
settlement near Mullaiththeevu town and fishermen, around 4:10 p.m in
four sorties dropping more than 43 bombs in a continued air strike
that lasted till 5:20 p.m. The head of the
youth killed was severed from his body in the bombing.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 12:08 GMT]
The assassination of Rev. Father M X Karunaratnam, Chairman of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), who succumbed to injuries sustained in a remote controlled claymore mine attack that had targeted him within the LTTE controlled territory where he lived and worked is a shocking and callous act. Fr Karunaratnam died in close proximity to his residential prayer and counseling centre which was a haven to those who suffered the travails of the ongoing war. As head of NESoHR which was set up in July 2004, as part of the 2002 Peace Process, Fr Karunaratnam worked tirelessly to strengthen the human rights protection mechanisms in the North East of Sri Lanka, the NPC said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 11:32 GMT]
Barely two weeks before he was killed in a Claymore attack, allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army, Rev M X Karunaratnam was interviewed by the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT). While answering questions on the Madu Shrine controversy, he said, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) was entirely responsible for politicizing the issue of the Shrine as it had attempted to achieve a militarily favourable situation by choosing to launch its offensive drive through Madu, a greatly revered Catholic holy pilgrim center. The Reverend Father also explained the silence of Vatican and the Sinhala bishops.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 11:02 GMT]
Unidentified men arriving in a white van abducted Maruthiah Yogarajah, 51, from his sister's house located in Thaa'ndikkul'am in Vavuniyaa on April 11 Friday around 2.30 p.m. and his whereabouts are not known even after ten days, according to complaints lodged by his relatives with the Vavuniyaa Police, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on Sunday, civil society sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 10:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka police took into custody ten youths including three Tamils, six Sinhalese, and one Muslim in a cordon and search operation conducted in Nittambuwa from dawn to dusk on Saturday. All of the arrested were from other districts and had been staying in Nittambuwa seeking employment, reports said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 06:51 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan State has targeted a human rights defender who worked for the welfare of the people," Political Division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), charged in a statement issued on Monday, and urged the international human rights bodies and the international community to condemn the continued gross human rights violations of the Sri Lankan state, and take actions without further delay to bring an end to the continuing human rights violations by the State.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 04:20 GMT]
Journalists in Jaffna face continued threats to their lives and harassment from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, severely impacting news coverage, and the deteriorating media freedom may lead to a complete breakdown of newspaper publications in the North, sources close to Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told TamilNet Sunday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 02:00 GMT]
A special team from the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of Sri Lanka Police went from Colombo and arrested principal Visuvanathan, deputy principal Poopalasingham, and a former teacher Ramachandran of Demston Tamil school in Hatton in Nuwara Eliya district Sunday. TID team had brought them to Colombo for further interrogation and are being detained in TID Colombo headquarters, reports from Colombo said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 20:38 GMT]
Expressing "profound shock and loss," officials at the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), in a press release issued Sunday, condemned the assassination of NESoHR's chairman, Fr. M. X. Karunaratnam, and said, he "worked tirelessly championing the Human Rights of the Tamil people. He travelled to the United States, Canada and Geneva meeting with Foreign Governments and Organizations concerned in Human Rights. Rev. Fr. Karunaratnam pioneered the work of NESoHR in the field of psychological counseling of the war and tsunami affected people in the Tamil Homeland."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Command in Jaffna reversed its decision to suspend passenger ship service between Kaangkeasanthu’rai (KKS) and Trincomalee, and informed the Jaffna public Sunday night that the ship service will be resumed from Monday 21 April, civil society sources from Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 15:38 GMT]
Water cutting festival of the historic Valveddiththu'rai Muththumaariyamman temple was held Sunday with the participation of thousands of devotees who took the holy deity Muththumaariyamman, Pi’l’laiyaar, and Murukan in procession to the shores where the deities were ceremoniously bathed with the devotees joining them, sources in Vadamaraadchi said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 14:59 GMT]
Police Friday night arrested two Tamil civilians in a cordon and search operation in Vihare Mawatte in Wellawatte. Police said they were residents of Jaffna, and that they failed to prove their identity and provide satisfactory reason for their stay in the location.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 14:17 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Sunday around 4:00 p.m, a couple who were Village Officers (Grama Sevekas), at Kaa'li koayil Road in Paa’ndirippu, located 2 km from Kalmunai town, Police said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 12:56 GMT]
Two unidentified persons shot and killed a member of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Pillayan group (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, TMVP), Saturday night around 8:10 p.m in front of his house in Peaththaa'lai, Vaazhaichcheanai in Batticaloa district, Kalkudaa police said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 12:05 GMT]
Saivites in Jaffna peninsula in their thousands observed Chiththirai Pa'ruvam (April Full moon day rites) in which offerings are made to one’s late mother, by bathing in 'holy waters'. It was observed with significance in Villu'ndi Theerththakea'ni near Jaffna town and Oo'ra'ni Theerththakea'ni in Valveddiththu'rai.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 07:57 GMT]
Rev. Father M X Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), was killed in a Claymore attack carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army on Sunday, according to initial reports from Tamileelam Police. The attack took place on Mallaavi - Vavunikku'lam Road in Vanni around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to initial reports.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 05:05 GMT]
Eleven dissident parliamentarians of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led by Wimal Weerawanse Sunday morning paid homage to the Dalada Maligaawa in Kandy, capital of the central province for the first time after the split in the party. Later they met the Mahanayake Thera of Malwatte Chapter and Asgiriya Mahanayake Thera separately and explained their position in the current politics following the split in the JVP, reports from Kandy said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 02:02 GMT]
Special Task Force of Sri Lanka Police conducted a cordon and search operation Saturday in several areas in villages of Kaluwanchchikkudi and Poarativu in Batticaloa district following the recovery of two claymore mines on Friday evening, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 01:44 GMT]
A citizens report compiled by Canadian lawyers and Canadian Tamils released Friday, during a Conservative Party fundraising dinner, recommended that Canadian Government impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lanka. Pointing out the "collapse of the Rule of Law," and "[t]he grievous violations of basic human rights and virtual elimination of due process," the report also urged Canada to "[s]upport the international call to appoint a United Nations Special Envoy for Sri Lanka to monitor and guard against human rights abuses and to assist the peace process, as recommended by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 01:10 GMT]
Ms Ferial Ashraff, a minister in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, is alleged to have expressed dissatisfaction over the appointment of a Sinhalese officer as the Secretary to the East Provincial Education Ministry at a time when the east provincial council election is to take place, political sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 19:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Palaali Military High Command has allegedly issued a directive informing the public that the passenger ship service between Kaangkeasanthurai (KKS) and Trincomalee will be suspended from Sunday until further notice, informed sources in Jaffna said. The military cited security situation as the reason for the suspension. However, Jaffna Government Agent (GA) K. Ganesh has not issued any formal statements regarding this matter until Saturday night, civil socitey sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 17:07 GMT]
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated Rs.325m to reconstruct Ponnaalai Bridge that connects Kaarainakar in the islets and Jaffna peninsula, and initial reconstruction work is already in progress, Jaffna Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh said. ADB has also consented to fund building the Vallai Bridge between Vadamaraadchi and Jaffna that had been destroyed in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 16:59 GMT]
Kayts Court Magistrate, Joy Mahatheva, directed Kayts police Thursday to continue to detain the 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested in Kachchaitheevu seas and the 6 civilians arrested in Neduntheevu seas on their way to Tamil Nadu as refugees, in Jaffna Prison, atleast until the law enforcement authorities receive instructions from Attorney General’s office in Colombo, legal sources in Kayts said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 15:03 GMT]
Condemning the hurried appointment of Uppul Weerawardene as the secretary of Ministry of Education in Eastern province, P.Ariyanarenthiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament told TamilNet t that the appointment is further evidence of the Government of Sri Lanka's mission of continued Sinhalization of the east.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 12:21 GMT]
A special team comprising senior intelligence officers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), police, and other state security agencies has been conducting confidential investigation into the killing of Jeyaraj Fernandopulle amid news reports which alleged that the suicide bomber had been moving in the area as a member Ministerial Security Division on the day of the incident, reports quoting police department spokesman M.K.Ilankakone said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 10:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police Saturday morning launched a cordon and search operation at Thampalakaamam, after a claymore attack injured a policeman at 5:30 a.m. in Potkerni, a suburb of Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee, reports from Trincomalee said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 09:04 GMT]
During the last seventeen days 34 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been killed and 263 others were injured in the war front, media reports quoted SLA military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara as saying at Thursday press briefing held at Media Centre for National Security in Colombo.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 05:15 GMT]
Ratnapura police Thursday arrested a Tamil woman attending a funeral event of a leading member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Police said she was taken in for questioning on suspicion that she being a member of the LTTE, reports from Ratnapura said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 02:29 GMT]
Vavuniyaa Magistrate M.Ilancheliyzan Thursday instructed the police to conduct further inquiry into the death of a soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) whose bullet ridden body was recovered from sentry point located in the premises of SLA operation command, media sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 02:07 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has cancelled its main May Day rally and public meeting citing current volatile security situation, according to its general secretary Tissa Attanayake, party sources in Colombo said. The UNP earlier decided to hold its official May Day rally and public meeting at Kurunagala town in the northwestern province.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 00:21 GMT]
Packing of postal voting cards for the forthcoming Batticaloa District elections were completed Friday morning at Batticaloa District Secretariat, and the parcels were handed over to the Deputy Superintendent of Postal services for Batticaloa district, Mr.Krisnananthalingam Batticaloa district Assistant Commissioner of Elections told Tamil Net.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 16:46 GMT]
"India should organize negotiations between the warring parties in Sri Lanka to bring peace to the island nation," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi in an exclusive interview to the Times of India on Friday. His statement comes at a time when India has chosen to ignore all calls to mediate between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers and has satisfied itself with playing behind-the-scene roles.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 15:02 GMT]
Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger/ACF) in a press note to journalists released Thursday said, “[t]he Muttur slaughter can't be considered only as a "collateral damage" during the Muttur battle: our team has been specifically and deliberately targeted, their death has been organised execution style with bullets shot in their head. Everything was consciously and brutally planned: the victims were kneeling, unarmed and defenceless. The culprits of this massacre are the ones who were carrying the arms. We can assert that this massacre is a war crime in violation of the Geneva Conventions.”
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 14:21 GMT]
Unidentified men abducted three family men in Pullumalai and one from the adjoining village Koapaaivea’li in Batticaloa district last week, according to complaints made by their wives to the local Human Rights organizations and police stations.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 14:17 GMT]
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told Vaiko who met him Thursday in New Delhi that there is no truth in reports on Indian supply of arms to Sri Lanka. Vaiko met Indian PM to brief him on his meeting with Erik Solheim and Jon Hanssen-Bauer in Oslo and the outcome of the conference organised by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in Norway's capital last week. The Indian PM further told Vaiko that he was aware of Pakistan and China supplying arms to Sri Lanka. The general secretary of Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK) also met Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday night.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 13:10 GMT]
Special police protection is to be provided to all post offices in the three districts, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaarai, from Monday at the request of Department of Elections. The Election Department has already made arrangement to hand over polling cards to the post offices with effect from Monday to be distributed to eligible voters in the province, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 12:56 GMT]
Unidentified armed men looted the entire contents of two shops Wednesday night 10:00 p.m.in Ka'ruvaakkeani within Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district before setting them ablaze, sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 00:47 GMT]
A large number of artillery shells believed to have been launched by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday morning towards the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in Thenmaraadchi fell in the vicinity of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bases in Va'ra'ni, Mirusuvil Educated Women’s Scheme and Usan.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 15:50 GMT]
Unidentified armed men riding a motor bicycle followed a youth and shot at him along Saagaam road within Akkaraippattu police division in Ampaa'rai district Thursday morning 10:00 a.m. and fled the scene, Akkaraippattu police said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 14:45 GMT]
The fish vendor shot and seriously injured in the shooting incident Thursday around 10:00 a.m in Jaffna succumbed to his injuries in the Intensive Care Unit of Jaffna Teaching hospital Thursday evening.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 13:04 GMT]
More than 300 Tamil youths from areas ranging from Poththuvil to Vaazhaichcheanai have been abducted in Batticaloa district in the past, allegedly by Special Task Force (STF) commandos and paramilitary groups, according to figures registered with Batticaloa Human Rights Commission (HRC) by the relatives of the missing. Of the 300 reported cases, eleven persons in January, eleven in February and fourteen in March are reported missing this year, HRC sources said. Most of the persons have gone missing in areas near government controlled Batticaloa city.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 10:41 GMT]
Court ordered Jayantha Wijesekara, Trincomalee district Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian, for further remand till April 21 when he was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thursday morning in connection with the alleged unlawful removal of official vehicles belongs to two dissident MPs of the JVP from the premises of parliamentary complex, legal sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 08:28 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motor cycle shot and killed a youth Thursday around 10:00 a.m at Kaladdiyamman Koayiladi near Jaffna University and a little later, in a separate incident, unknown armed men on motor cycle opened fire on a fish vendor in Kurunakar area in Jaffna. The seriously injured fisherman was rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital and is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 07:26 GMT]
A 15-year-old girl was killed Thursday morning around 6:30 a.m. when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked Punnaineeraaviyadi in Visuvamadu in Mullaiththeevu district, according to Tamileelam Police. Four SLAF bombers dropped more than 16 bombs on civilian settlement in Piramanthan aa’ru located one and a half km from Visuvamadu junction.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 02:46 GMT]
Suspects in the killings of former Colombo district parliamentarian Thiyagarajah Maheswaran and former Jaffna district parliamentarian Nadaraja Raviraj were ordered further remand till April 21 and April 23 by the Colombo Magistrate's Court when they were produced in court separately Tuesday, legal sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 18:27 GMT]
Thirteen families of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Allaipiddi, the islet village where 13 civilians were massacred by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in May 2006, have been resettled in Allaippiddi in the first stage of resettlement, according to Jaffna Secretariat. 65 more families are ready to return to Allaippiddi and to occupy houses built for them with the help of World Vision, International and local NGOs and they will be resettled on Monday, Jaffna Government Agent announced. Education Department officials in the islet are making arrangement to reopen Paraasakthi Maha Viththiyalam, the only school in Allaippiddi.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 17:01 GMT]
Buttala-Kadirgaamam (Kataragama) highway has been re-opened on Sunday on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year, after about three months with the condition that vehicles should go in convoy and not alone. The road continues to remain completely closed for night traffic, the Police said. The road was closed down following attacks on Sri Lankan forces by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 16:22 GMT]
Three men in military uniform and two in civil clothes in a white van abducted a trader from his house in Kotahena (Koddaagncheanai) Wednesday around 6:00 a.m, according to complaint made by the victim's wife to Upcountry People's Front parliamentarian and Sri Lankan Deputy Minister, P. Rathakrishnan. Meanwhile, unknown men in white van abducted two family men Friday in Kotahena in front of Viyaakula Maathaa Church on New Chetty street, the relatives of the two men, who were from Jaffna, complained to Mr. P. Rathakrishnan and Western Peoples’ Front Colombo District Parliamentarian, Mano Ganesan.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 05:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has recently imposed travel restrictions on Tamils traveling to and from Mannaar. Tamils who leave Mannaar are only allowed to travel in train from Mathavaachchi while the Tamils, returning to Mannaar from other areas are filtered by their native and residential addresses and refused entry into Mannaar if they carry a National Identity Card with a residential address in South at Kaddaiyadampan SLA checkpost, located between Madu Road junction and Murungkan, on Mannaar Mathavaachchi Road. Family members are separated and refused entry, residents complain.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 16:09 GMT]
Pungkudutheevu District Government Hospital, in the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) controlled islets of Jaffna, since its destruction in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 1991 offensive, has been without any permanent medical officers due to the reluctance of Sri Lanka government (GoSL) to rebuild the hospital complex in Pungkudutheevu, Jaffna District Director of Public Health Services (DPHS), Dr. Ketheeswaran said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 11:05 GMT]
A Tamil youth Nagalingam Rathishkumar, 34, a mechanic by profession and a resident of Moneragala is reported to have been abducted by two unidentified persons on April 12 evening from his house, according to complaints lodged by his relatives with the Moneragala police station Tuesday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 09:52 GMT]
Two home guards of the Sri Lankan Civil Volunteer Force were injured in a claymore mine explosion Tuesday morning around 7.30 am in Kebithigollewa. The injured were first admitted to the Kebithigollewa hospital and then transferred to Anuradhapura general hospital, Police said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 09:49 GMT]
A Tamil civilian was killed when an armored vehicle of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) knocked him down on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year Day. The victim Kaalimuththu Ledchumanan, 44, of Paththiniyaar Makizhangku'lam was cycling towards home Sunday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. along A-9 highway from Thaandikul'am when the armored vehicle knocked him down fatally, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2008, 22:51 GMT]
The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), which terminates its observation mission reasoning that the proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) setup by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to investigate and
inquire into serious violations of Human Rights, have not been transparent and not satisfied basic international norms and standards, in its concluding public report on Tuesday blamed the Government of Sri Lanka for "absence of will" in the present Inquiry to "investigate cases with vigour, where the conduct of its own forces has been called into question."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2008, 16:44 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a building mason Monday around 7:00 p.m at Thi’ruva’l’luvar Veethi in Paa’ndirippu area in Kalmunai, Ampaa’rai district.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 16:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), stationed in the islets of Jaffna, has imposed restrictions on Neduntheevu (Delft) residents carrying essential goods in Kumuthini passenger ferry boat, affected residents said. Neduntheevu residents have protested against the SLN pointing out that Kumuthini is the only passenger service plying between Kurikaaduvaan in Pungudutheevu and Neduntheevu, and their economic well-being will be affected by the new restrictions. Kumuthini, which is known for the SLN massacre of passengers in May 1985, is more than 30 years old, and often breaks down.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 16:07 GMT]
Concluding that to successfully engage in peace process the facilitator needs to have "a thick skin, limitless patience, and a long perspective," Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in a "Human Values" conference in Oslo on April 10-11, outlined Norway's history of peace-making in Asian countries, and said, Norwegian peace diplomacy is anchored in the United Nations, Norway will engage only on the invitation of the protagonists, and that Norway will always uphold and defend the primacy of international law.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 15:47 GMT]
Lt.Col.Jagath Ratnayake, Commander of the 4th Gemunu Watch division of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) responsible for the Forward Defense Lines (FDLs) at Muhamaalai was seriously injured by sniper fire of the Liberation Tigers, Sinhala daily Lankadeepa reported. The Commander was first transported by Military helicopter to Palaali Military Hospital, and later transferred to Colombo National Hospital, according to the same paper.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 13:15 GMT]
The electricity supply to entire Sri Lanka was disrupted Sunday for about one hour due to equipment malfunction at the Victoria hydro-power plant. The supply had been restored throughout the island phase by phase Sunday by afternoon 1:00 p.m., media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 11:47 GMT]
British Tamil youths from many parts of Great Britain assembled at the major new training and competition venue, Lee Valley Athletics Centre located in Enfield, North London, for a sports festival that began at 10:00 a.m. Saturday. Edmonton Deputy Mayor, Lee Chamberlin inaugurated the event, raising the British flag, followed by the raising of the British Tamil sports federation flag by its President.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 03:35 GMT]
Unidentified men operating in a white van abducted two civilians along New Chetty Street, Kotahena (Koddaagncheanai), Colombo Friday noon in front of Our Lady of Sorrow church, the relatives of the abducted men told Kotahena police.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 17:45 GMT]
Two Tamil youths Subramaniam Sathiyakumar, 27, and Govindan Nagarajah, 27, were abducted by unidentified armed persons from their houses in Karadipooval village in Puththalam-Vannaathivillu police division Thursday night around 9 p.m., media reports said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 17:03 GMT]
Ratota Police Thursday arrested an upcountry Tamil youth, a resident of Pitakantha estate in Matale district on receipt of information that he has connection with the LTTE, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 17:00 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said at least 30 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 75 wounded when LTTE defensive formations in Mannaar confronted a four-pronged SLA attempt to advance west of Giant's Tanks in Mannaar. Tigers lost 3 cadres in the fighting that lasted from 5:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. The SLA continued to target Madu area with artillery and mortar fire and sporadic clashes were reported west of Thadcha'naamaruthamadu, according to Tiger military spokesman.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 16:35 GMT]
"Just like the first trial [which resulted in one of seven defendants being acquitted, and a mistrial was declared for the other six in December 2007], a jury is at a complete stalemate in the case against six men accused of scheming to destroy the Sears Tower in Chicago and bomb FBI offices in Miami and elsewhere," the Washington Post reported Saturday. The jury was told to continue deliberating.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 12:34 GMT]
More than 12,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from Madu have moved out to safer areas along villages located close to A-32 Mannar-Pooneryn highway north of Madu, a situation report from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) issued this week said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 11:34 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed on the spot, and another seriously wounded soldier reportedly succumbed to his injuries after a bomb blast that targeted a SLA convoy on Point Pedro - Jaffna Road Saturday around 1:30 p.m., sources in Jaffna said. The ambush took place between Maali Santhi Junction and Nelliyadi. The SLA was blocked by the SLA and a cordon and search operation laun
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 05:47 GMT]
The driver of a three-wheeler, allegedly shot by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops Friday night around 7:00 p.m, and seriously injured on Va’ra’ni road in Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi, was first admitted to Chaavakachcheari hospital, and later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital Friday midnight for additional treatment, sources in Kodikaamam said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 05:28 GMT]
Puththa'lam District Judge Thursday ordered remand till April 21 for a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) rating for accepting a gratification on the promise of securing release of a fisherman disappeared on February 2 at Kalpiddi, legal sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 03:10 GMT]
Several hundred human rights activists participated in a protest event "Get On The Bus (GOTB)" sponsored by Amnesty International, in New York Friday afternoon outside the Sri Lanka consulate in midtown, protesting against violence against media in Sri Lanka, attendees to the event said. The protesters visited three other country missions in New York, Libyan Mission (political prisoners), Darfur (international justice and accountability), and Myanmar (people of Burma/democracy).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 01:59 GMT]
In a warm greeting message, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, wished the Canadian Tamil community on the occasion of the Tamil New Year falling on 13th April 2008. "This New Year celebration affords us the opportunity to reflect upon the notable contributions members of the Canadian Tamil community are making to our great nation," he noted. The Solar cum Stellar New Year is calculated astronomically to mark the entry of the Sun in the first degree of the fixed zodiac. It is a Dravidian legacy, especially observed in the extreme peninsular India and Sri Lanka, by the Tamils, Malayalis and Sinhalese, while most of the Indians observe another New Year called Yugadi (Lunar New Year).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 23:03 GMT]
Expressing that the lack of implementation by the Government of Sri Lanka on the agreed principles of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), especially disarming of army backed paramilitary groups, led to the ultimate breakdown of the peace process, Vaiko, the General Secretary of Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK), told Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim and Jon Hanssen-Bauer, the Norwegian Special Envoy, that the International Community should prevail upon the GoSL to reinstate the ceasefire in order to engage in a meaningful process for a negotiated settlement.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery shells on civilian settlements Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas in Aththaai, Poonakari Friday around 2:45 p.m., killing a family man and destroying two houses completely.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:32 GMT]
Following the shooting incident in Nalloor Thursday in which a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was seriously injured, SLA in Jaffna intensified its checks and searches in areas inside Jaffna Municipality area, subjecting people who were busily engaged in purchases for the Tamil-Sinhala New Year celebrations, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:10 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed Friday afternoon a carpenter in Neerveali in Valikaamam east, sources in Jaffna said. Achchuveali police recovered his body and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary Friday evening.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:02 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycles shot and killed a laundry owner Friday around 10:00 a.m at his laundry in Kaithadi west in Thenmaraadchi, sources in Kaithadi said. Chaavakacheari police recovered his body and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary Friday around 3:30 p.m.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:01 GMT]
A mother, with her 9-year-old daughter, sought protection Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 14:24 GMT]
A bill has been introduced in the US Congress to remove South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), and its leaders from US blacklists as terrorists, press reports said this week. The United States blacklisted the ANC when the liberation movement was designated a terrorist organisation by South Africa's old apartheid regime in 1960. The end of the Cold War in 1990 in turn ended Western support for the Apartheid regime. Thereafter, the ANC came to power, forming government in May 1994. Its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was disbanded eight months later.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 11:05 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) riding a motorbike was buried under a mound of earth due to landslide at Morawlatenna in Balangoda police division in Sabragamuwa province Thursday morning, media sources said. Meanwhile, a soldier of the Civil Defense Force committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon on Wednesday night at a checkpoint in the Uppuve'li police division in Trincomalee district.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 11:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka police took five youths, three Tamils and two Sinhalese, into custody in a cordon and search operation conducted in parts of Gampaha town from Wednesday until Thursday morning. Police said the five were arrested after they failed to prove their identity.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 10:57 GMT]
Morten Dae, the producer of the award winning Norwegian documentary film, "My Daughter the Terrorist," on two Tamil Black Tiger female cadres in Vanni, has received death threats after the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) failed in blocking the organisers from screening the film at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, in Durham in the United States, reported Dagsavisen, a Norwegian daily, on Thursday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 10:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka police have reinforced the security of the Kandy district since Wednesday following the detection of about 100 kgs of explosives in Nilagammana in Digana in Teldeniya division, and are reported to be considering conducting cordon and search operation in several areas in Teldeniya.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 04:55 GMT]
Warning that, faced with determined resistance to its offensives into the Vanni, the Sri Lankan government, like previous ones, will intensify punitive attacks and measures against the Tamil population there, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week called on the Diaspora to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis. “The embargo on food and medicine will be tightened further and civilian centers will be targeted more heavily. The Diaspora has long been the mainstay of relief efforts for the people of the Northeastern warzones. It needs to step forward yet again,” the paper said in its editorial.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 03:31 GMT]
A youth, who managed to escape an attempt to abduct him by a gang of armed men on motor cycles in Jaffna town in broad daylight Thursday, sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office. HRC officials made arrangements for the youth to be placed in the protective custody in Jaffna prison through Jaffna Magistrate Court, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 18:08 GMT]
The United States on Thursday welcomed the release of eleven underage personnel of the Pillayan Group, the paramilitary-cum-political party Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 13:05 GMT]
Postal voting for the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) is scheduled to take place on 28 and 29 April, according to Deputy Election Commissioners of Batticaloa, Ampaa’rai and Trincomalee districts. 16 political parties, 57 independent groups are to contest EPC election on 10 May 2008.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 12:19 GMT]
Unknown gunmen opened fire on group of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers distributing food to fellow soldiers Thursday 7:45 a.m. near Kailaasapillaiyar Temple, in Nalloor, Jaffna, Sources in Jaffna said. The incident took place in front of the old offices of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 08:16 GMT]
Health services in Vanni are facing a man made disaster created by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry, said N. Selvy, LTTE's spokesperson on Human Rights. Sri Lankan forces have blocked supplies to Ki'linochchi Deputy Provincial Director of Health Service (DPDHS) division. The DPDHS office recently said that medicine quota for the district hospital for the first quarter of 2008 is yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Mullaiththeevu DPDHS has told media that only 20% of the fuel supplies needed to operate the district hospital, two sub-hospitals and six pharmacies in the district, has been allowed across the entry point at Oamanthai by the Sri Lankan forces.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 02:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have issued instructions to farmers in Mannaar district to send back all laborers brought from outstations. Farmers have brought this matter to the notice of he Wanni district parliamentarian Sivasakthi Aanandan, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 01:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers conducted a large scale cordon and search operation Wednesday morning in Vadamaraadchi following the shooting incident where unidentifed armed men seriously injured a youth Monday evening in the vicinity of Vallipurakkoayil area in Vadamaraadchi, sources in Point Pedro said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 01:21 GMT]
608,916 civilians belonging to 180,216 families reside in areas under the administration of 15 District Secretary (DS) areas in Jaffna peninsula, a report released Wednesday by Jaffna secretariat said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 16:26 GMT]
Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Abdul Risath Bathiyutheen, is to take steps to compensate those injured or killed in the bomb blast in Weliveriya in Gampaha on Sunday, a report released by his ministry said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 14:31 GMT]
Unidentified armed men, lying in ambush, opened rapid fire Monday around 7:00 p.m on a group of men engaged in illegal excavation of sand in Vallipurakkoayil area in Vadamaraadchi, seriously injuring one, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Despite Point Pedro Magistrate Court’s action against sand pilfering, groups backed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continue to steal sand, particularly during curfew hours, the sources added.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 13:28 GMT]
Masked men in black uniform entered the house of Tamil parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran, a prominent leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in the early hours of Wednesday, forced the care-taker of the house into a room saying that they were from the CID, and dug several holes at in the backyard. After they left, Police came to the house, went directly to the backyard without talking to the caretaker and finally detained him till Wednesday noon at Wattala police. Mr. Premachandran, expressing suspicion that some elements 'clothed with legal authority' have acted with the 'sinister motive' to cause disrepute to him, has lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 10:30 GMT]
East provincial council election which is scheduled to be held on May 10 will not be postponed except for a natural calamity, declared Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections at a conference held Tuesday at the office of the Department of Elections with representatives of registered political parties, according to media sources.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 10:28 GMT]
Solomon Cyril of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from Jaffna district, and M.Naushad of the United National Party (UNP) from Ampaarai district, were sworn in as new parliamentarians Wednesday in Sri Lanka's parliament. Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara administered oaths to them when the parliament resumed its sitting Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 10:23 GMT]
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Wednesday tabled a motion seeking an extension of the State of Emergency now in force since August 2005, for another month, parliamentary sources said. Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara was in the chair when the debate on the motion began. Wickremanayake said during March, 93 members of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and police died in the fighting with the LTTE.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 09:37 GMT]
Shelling by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday around 10:00 a.m killed one of the fisherman fishing in Jaffna lagoon, sources in Jaffna said. The victim's boat was nearly 3 km from the shore when the incident happened. Frightened fishermen hurriedly returned to the shore with the body of the fishermen killed, the sources added.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 07:15 GMT]
"Both parties engaged in war activities in the sacred area of Our Lady of Madu Church in Mannaar should immediately vacate the area creating a sanctified and peaceful atmosphere conducive to conduct religious practices," Rev. Justin Gnanapragasam, resident principal priest in Jaffna Bishop House said in an appeal sent Sunday to the Bishop of Mannar, sources in Jaffna said. The letter expressed concern for the forced relocation of the holy statue of Our Lady of Madu, and said all Christians share the grief with Bishop of Mannar.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 05:25 GMT]
Commissioner of Essential Services Department and certain Ministries force consumer goods of low quality and unsuitable for human consumption on families entirely dependent on relief supplies in Jaffna peninsula, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. Authorities in Colombo routinely overlook the list of requirements sent to the authorities in Colombo, and ship unwanted items unfit for local consumption, sources added.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 01:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued to pound Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory since Monday night from its artillery bases in Va’ra’ni in Thenmaraadchi with artillery and Multi Barrel fire for the second day, amidst persistent rain, sources in Thenma’raadchi said. Intermittent attacks continued during daytime Tuesday lasting until night, the sources added.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 00:25 GMT]
“The quantity of fuel supplied by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) for medical and health related services in Mullaiththeevu district has been drastically reduced creating great difficulties in implementing the various health services in this district," Dr.T.Varatharajah, Director of Health services of Mullaiththeevu region said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 00:16 GMT]
Unidentified armed men robbed two business establishments one at Chiththaandi and another at Vanthaarumoolai in Batticaloa district Sunday night sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 18:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) commandos lying in ambush in a shrub jungle shot and killed 2 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and a civilian in Oo’ra’ni area in Poththuvil, Ampaa’rai district, Tuesday around 2:00 p.m. The SLA troops, gathering civilians, had gone to collect firewood when the STF commandos opened fire on them. An SLA soldier and a civilian injured in the shooting were admitted to Ampaa’rai hospital.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 14:24 GMT]
Ganepola Arachchige Bandula Perera Wijesekara, a member of the Western Provincial Council, is to succeed Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in the Sri Lanka parliament, reports from Colombo said. Wijesekara was next in line in the Colombo district list of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 14:21 GMT]
Eighteen upcountry Tamil workers including a woman of Haputale were arrested on Monday by the police when they were going for work to Porawantha estate. 17 of them are residents of Thangamalai estate and one is from Viharagale estate. The police stopped them at a check point located at Hinnarangolla and took them into custody although they produced their government national identity cards, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 14:16 GMT]
A hand bomb was found abandoned in the premises of the Rajarata University Campus located in Anuradhapura town in the north central province Saturday evening. The Mihintale police is conducting inquiries to find out how it was brought into the university campus compound through security checkpoint, reports from Anuradhapura said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 13:03 GMT]
The Sacred Heart Church of the Madu Shrine complex has been destroyed in SLA shelling after the priests had taken away the image of Our Lady of Madu last Thursday, reveal the photos taken by K. Baskaran, a photographer who visited the Madu church on Sunday. "Any desecration of Madu is likely to be understood as an effort of the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism to erase out the symbols of other religions and thus serving a spiritual blow which is the most dreaded stage in the process of ethnic cleansing," Vanni District Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan told TamilNet Tuesday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 12:26 GMT]
Advocating a "federal accommodation for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority," Dr Whitehall in an article on Australia's News Weekly says: "In the first eight months of 2007, an estimated 1,212 Tamils were murdered or disappeared, according to the Sri Lanka-based Law and Society Trust, which reports that Tamils to have been "overwhelmingly affected". Of these victims, 23 were aid and church workers, eight worked with the media, and 68 were children. Most of the abuses occurred in Jaffna, the historic capital of the Tamil region, which is now "occupied" by over 50,000 Sri Lankan troops. Many of the reported abuses have occurred within "high security zones" under the control of those troops."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 09:01 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier from an SLA camp in Kaithadi in Thenmaraadchi, arrested by Chaavakachcheari police who found stolen jewellery and cash in his possession in the camp, was produced before Chaavakachcheari Magistrate Courts, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. The police arrested the SLA troop on information provided by the family from Kaithadi who were robbed of their jewellery and cash worth millions of rupees.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 08:28 GMT]
An unidentified body with gunshot wounds was located by the police at Na'lavanvaadi near Moor street Monday. The victim, aged around 35, is yet to be identified. Residents in the area said they had observed a white van Monday early morning twice, around 3:00 a.m. and around 4:00 a.m.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 02:28 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian in his house Tuesday early morning at Aa'ndimunai in Udappu in Munthal police division, media sources said. The area comes under Chilaapam (Chilaw) district in the northwestern province.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 00:09 GMT]
A Muslim civilian was stabbed to death Sunday afternoon 5:30p.m. in Pireantharachcheanai area in Vaazhaichcheanai within Batticaloa police division during an election related altercation between the supporters of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Congress and those from the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPAF), sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 17:14 GMT]
Madawaachchi-Vavuniyaa road closed for traffic from Sunday morning soon after the killing of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle has been re-opened Monday morning. No vehicle from south of Sri Lanka and from Vavuniyaa and Mannaar was allowed to pass Madawaachchi checkpoint during the closure of the road, media reported.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 17:12 GMT]
Postal voting for the east provincial council is to be held on April 28 and 29 for two days. About 12,000 public servants in the district Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaarai have applied for postal voting and majority of them are members of state armed forces and police, election department sources
said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 17:10 GMT]
The cordon and search operation launched immediately after the killing of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in Gampaha and Kelaniya divisions in western province on Sunday morning by soldiers of the Sri Lanka and police is still continuing Monday. Every house, shop and other buildings in the area is being checked by the security forces to find out strangers, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head B. Nadesan on Monday sent an urgent letter to Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, placing a request to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madu shrine in Mannaar district. "The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church," Mr. Nadesan urged Norway.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 11:39 GMT]
Four persons were shot dead by a member of the Civil Vigilant Committee in Puliyangku'lam area in Puththa'lam police division Monday early morning, media sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka government security establishment formed Civil Vigilant Committees to assist police and army to ensure security in Puththalam district.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 08:57 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandoes shot dead two Tamil civilians at 8:30 a.m in Paalcheanai area in Vavu’natheevu police division in Batticaloa district, following a Claymore attack on a STF road patrol unit in Paavatkodicheanai in Paalcheanai, sources in Batticaloa said.
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[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 07:45 GMT]
"There is no defence for attacking a church which has saved hundreds of refugees from death," said Dr. John Dayal, National President of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) in a statement to media on Sunday. He also called upon the "International Community which has a stake in this cauldron of ethnic strife which poses its own threat to stability in the region, and thereby to global peace."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 01:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) arrested five fishermen from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu Saturday around 2:00 p.m Sunday when they were fishing in the seas between Nedunththeevu (Delft) and Kachchaitheevu. SLN handed over the fishermen to Nedunththeevu police who produced them before Kayts magistrate Ms. Joy Mahatheva Sunday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 16:46 GMT]
30 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were either wounded or killed in random explosions in no-go zone between the LTTE and SLA controlled areas in Mannaar district, according to LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar. Meanwhile, 3 SLA soldiers were gunned down by the LTTE snipers near Adampan on Sunday, according to the LTTE.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 14:57 GMT]
At least 9 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 13 SLA soldiers wounded when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted the SLA on two fronts at Paalamoaddai in Vavuniya - Mannaar border Sunday. Heavy fighting raged from 8:30 a.m. till 5:40 p.m. until the SLA troops were withdrawn, according to LTTE's Operations Command in Vavuniyaa. Due to heavy artillery barrage, the remaining 32 families in Koayil Kugnchukku'lam and Kungnchukku'lam have displaced from their villages.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 14:33 GMT]
Seven prisoners Sunday afternoon escaped from Wariyapola prison in Kurunagala district in the northwestern province. Two of them were later arrested, but the rest are at large. Police have launched an operation to apprehend the escapees who are said to be hiding in Narammala in Kuliyapitya division, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 04:29 GMT]
Two transformers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) were destroyed Sunday early morning in a blast at Alawathugoda in Kandy district. Electricity supply to about five hundred houses was cut off due to the blast, CEB sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 03:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Highways & Road Development, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, was killed in a bomb blast at the public playground in Weliweraya, located in the Gampaha district of Western Province, around 8:00 a.m. Sunday. 13 persons were killed and 60 wounded in the attack that took place while the minister was waving a flag to start off a marathon race in connection with the Tamil and Sinhala New Year celebrations. 16 of the wounded have sustained serious injuries, Police said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 02:23 GMT]
Two new parliamentarians Solomon Cyril, representing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and M. Naushad from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), are to be sworn in April 8 to fill the vacancies in the districts of Jaffna and Ampaarai when the parliament meets on Tuesday, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 01:46 GMT]
Protesting against the statement in a Washington Post article that linked "militant monks in Sri Lanka's ruling elite with nonviolent Buddhist protesters in Tibet and Burma," Roger Severino, Legal counsel for Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said "saying that Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) fits the tradition of monks across Asia who have embraced political causes" confuses oppressors with freedom fighters.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 18:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police arrested two Tamil civilians and five Indians at Katunayake area in a cordon and search operation Thursday evening, sources in Colombo said. In another search operation conducted in Gampaha town from Thursday evening until early Friday morning two youths, one Muslim and one Tamil, were taken into custody, media sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 18:01 GMT]
T. Maheswaran, Program Management Specialist of the North East Coastal Community Development Project (NECCDEP) in Ampaa'rai was shot dead by unidentified men at Addaa'laichcheanai in the south eastern Ampaa'rai, around 8:30. a.m., Saturday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 14:35 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, propaganda secretary of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Janatha Wimukthi Peramuna (JVP), was conspicuously absent from the Hero’s day celebrations held at the Viharamahadevi open air theatre Saturday evening, indicating a widenening split within the party, political sources in Colombo said. The suspended JVP Parliamentary Group leader was allegedly not invited for the party's 37th Hero's commemoration event.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 12:53 GMT]
The single bus belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board the provides public transport within the islet of Delft spends more time in the depot undergoing repairs than time on the road forcing local residents who live close to the western shores of the islet to walk more than four miles to reach Mavilthurai jetty or to travel to local hospital, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 11:49 GMT]
More than one thousand Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers participated in a war exercise in Ka'ndalkaadu area in Va'rani, Thenmaraadchy from 8:00 p.m Friday to 9:00 a.m. Saturday, residents in Va'rani said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 06:44 GMT]
As Landmine Danger Awareness Week is observed in Jaffna peninsula, 95,75,958 sq.ms of the district remain infested with landmines due to Sri Lanka Army’s (SLA) refusal to permit demining activities in the High Security Zones (HSZ) and other areas, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. In addition, killings and abduction of the demining personnel belonging to Danish-demining organization and Halo Trust, allegedly by SLA troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, have also forced these organizations to limit their services in the peninsula.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2008, 01:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA), have been blocking the public from using key roads in Jaffna while transporting troops and weapons to the Northern Front Defence Lines (FDLs), causing severe hardships for the public who are kept waiting for several hours until the convoys pass through, sources in Jaffna said. Requests by civil society organizations to SLA authorities in Jaffna to reduce hardships to the public remain unattended, sources added.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 15:45 GMT]
The fleeing reverend priests and sisters with the statue of Our Lady of Madu reached St. Sebastian Church at Theavanpiddi, located around 70 km northwest of Madu, Thursday night, according to Bishop's House in Mannaar. Theavanpiddi is situated north of Iluppaikkadavai in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Manthai West DS division.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 14:40 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Jantha Wimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was suspended from the politburo of the JVP. The decision was made at a JVP politburo meeting, chaired by party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. It is widely suspected that stand related to India, the question of disarming a paramilitary group and how to work with the ruling UPFA government, were reasons for the rift between two factions within the JVP.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 12:24 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper stabbed a fellow soldier after a hostile verbal exchange near Maniyangkadai Junction in Point Pedro Friday morning and injured him seriously, sources in Point Pedro said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 11:29 GMT]
Resettled families sheltered in schools at Pallikudiruppu and Amman Nagar in Moothoor east in Trincomalee district are undergoing serious difficulties without basic facilities and other relief, since their return, K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian said in a complaint to Resettlement Minister Rishard Badiudin. About 200 families have been resettled in Pallikudiduruppu and 70 families at Amman Nagar close to Arafat Nagar, about one km off from Moothoor east.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 05:11 GMT]
The number of persons reported missing has reached 740 during the period from December 2005 up to the present, according to complaints registered with the Human Rights Office (HRC) in Jaffna. The number of persons disappeared is more than 740 as many parents and family members of the disappeared persons do not complain at the HRC Jaffna for fear of falling victims to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, alleged to be the abductors, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 19:59 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B Nadesan in a statement issued Thursday from Ki'linochchi strongly condemned the indiscriminate shelling on the Madu Church and urged the International Community and Human Rights organizations to condemn the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for 'barbarically' transforming a sacred shrine that offered refuge to displaced people into a battlefield. He criticized GoSL for unleashing its army on an area that was ought to be free of war according to war ethics and UN conventions.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 19:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Thursday that there would be no independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections to the Eastern Provincial Council. Meanwhile, whilst addressing a strategic think tank in London earlier this week, Mr. Bogollagama was challenged by the Times newspaper over his government’s bar on foreign media, a statement issued Thursday by the British Tamil Forum, an expatriate lobby group, said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 17:25 GMT]
1342 candidates representing political parties and independent groups are to contest in the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) in the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampaa’rai. Meanwhile, three nominations in Batticaloa, four in Trincolamalee and seven in Ampaa’rai districts were rejected by the Election Officer while 91 were accepted, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 16:08 GMT]
British parliamentarians, Mr. Andrew George and Mr. Stephen Hammond, arriving at Palaali air port from Colombo on a sudden visit Thursday morning, met the Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and other officials at Jaffna Secretariat and gathered information about the prevailing human rights situation in Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. The British MPs who visited Jaffna Public Library before the meeting with Jaffna GA are expected to return to Colombo Thursday evening.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 15:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops deployed at the entrance to the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippazhai initially refused to allow the World Bank (WB) resident representative for Sri Lanka and Education Directors to enter Thellippazhai Union College located in the HSZ Tuesday. They were let in only after the World Bank representative said that he may have to refer the matter to the Secretary of Defence, sources in Jaffna said. The team of officials, after attending a meeting Tuesday on alleged malpractices in the free meal scheme of World Bank at the Jaffna Secretariat, were on their way to inspect the site of the scheme in Union College.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 12:36 GMT]
Bishop of Mannaar, Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, told TamilNet Thursday that he had instructed the remaining four reverend priests, four reverend sisters and five civilian assistants to flee the premises of the Madu Church with the statue of Our Lady. "This is the first time Our Lady of Madu becomes refugee in her own land," Mannaar Bishop said. "She has been giving shelter to IDPs. In 1990, she gave shelter to 36,000 IDPs." Meanwhile, according to the latest reports from priests who were staying in bunkers, shells exploded inside the Church premises Thursday noon.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 10:24 GMT]
Shells were exploding near the Shrine of Our Lady of Madu as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued to fire shells from Periya Pa'ndivirichchaan and Chinna Pa'ndivirichchaan areas since noon Wednesday, one of the priests staying in the Church told TamilNet when contacted over the phone Thursday. The shelling ceased only for two hours from 3:30 a.m. till 5:30 a.m. Thursday. "If you manage to look outside from here, you only see smoke and dust in the atmosphere amid deafening noise," he said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 08:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa never promised Chief Minister post to Pillaiyan of the TMVP after the Eastern Provincial Council elections, said M.L.A.M.Hizbullah at a press briefing held Wednesday at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. Mr. Hizbullah said Mr. Rajapaksa had promised that the appointment of the CM post would go to 'the one who secures largest number of votes.'
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 01:26 GMT]
A team of parliamentarians arriving from Britain paid a visit to Batticaloa Wednesday afternoon. During their brief visit to Batticaloa, the British MPs individually met various officials including Sundaram Arumainayagam, the District Secretary (DS) and also had discussions with delegates from various religious groups.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 01:08 GMT]
More than 10 million Rupees donated by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for educational projects in the Jaffna peninsula is being held back by Central Treasury since December 2007, seriously hampering a number of developmental projects, officials from the Department of Education in Jaffna said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 17:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam exchanged heavy artillery fire along forward defence lines of the Thenmaraadchi sector on the Jaffna peninsula, Wednesday evening, civilian sources in the area said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 15:41 GMT]
Two members of a Sinhala family were shot dead inside the Vilpattu wild life sanctuary when they went to cut firewood on Wednesday afternoon around 12.30 p.m by unidentified persons, media sources reported quoting Sri Lankan Army (SLA)
spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 15:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has launched sporadic offensive pushes from Pa'ndivirichchaan targeting Madu on Tuesday and Wednesday, LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Vanni. Meanwhile, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet that the SLA-fired artillery and mortar shells exploded inside the mess of the Madu shrines premises, in the vicinity of the well and on priests' quarters. All civilians, except the priests, have vacated the premises. LTTE has lost one fighter while facing the offensive initiated by the SLA, 1.5 km away from the Madu premises. The Tigers said 15 SLA soldiers were killed in two days in Pa'ndivirichchaan and 10 near Giant's Tank on Wednesday.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 12:13 GMT]
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, David Miliband, and Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, on Tuesday discussed the "recent political developments" in the Eastern province, including the "importance of ensuring that the forthcoming provincial elections are credible," and conducted in a "secure environment," according to a press release issued Wednesday by the British High Commission in Colombo.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 11:09 GMT]
Badulla police Monday night arrested eight Tamil civilians in a cordon and search operation conducted for about eight hours within the limits of the Badulla Municipal Council area. Police said the search operation was conducted to ensure the security of the town.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 09:01 GMT]
More than five-thousand people of Mannaar city gathered at St. Sebastian's Cathedral Wednesday morning for an special prayer service and staged a peace march towards the District Secretariat and handed over an appeal, urging the warring parties, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) to respect the area of Madu Shrine as a 'Zone of Peace'. "Shells are falling within the Church premises several times and many of those staying there have been compelled to leave, while priests and the other church workers who are still remaining, live in fear and are being forced to seek shelter in bunkers," an appeal from the Bishop of Mannaar said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 08:33 GMT]
Three key personalities of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauf Hakeem, the president of the party, Basheer Segu Dawood, the chairman and Hasan Ali, the general secretary have decided to contest the eastern provincial council election, resigning their parliamentary seats with immediate effect, SLMC spokesman Nizam Kariyappar told media. They would tender their resignation letters from parliamentary seats to the Speaker Wednesday. The SLMC is to contest EPC election in alliance with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) under the UNP election symbol "Elephant".
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 05:32 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has projected himself as an "ultra Sinhala nationalist leader" in all his decisions since taking office in 2005, was going ahead with his agenda of Sinhalasising the Eastern sector of the North-East, the historical habitation of Tamil speaking people, in the guise of development, splitting it into High Security Zones, Industrial Zones and Environmental Zones, after de-merging the North-East, in violation of the Indo-Lanka International Treaty, said R. Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentary Group, who issued a statement of principles on Wednesday, clarifying the reasons for boycotting the Eastern PC elections.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 01:21 GMT]
The Fort Magistrate Ajith Anawaretna Tuesday allowed an application of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police to detain two Tamil youths arrested on suspicion that they had come to Colombo to carry out suicide attacks, legal sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 17:20 GMT]
Heavy fighting ensued between the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam and the Sri Lanka Army Tuesday from 5:30 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. when the SLA stationed in Iththikka'ndal attempted to break into LTTE held territory in Ka'rukkaayk-ku'lam with Tanks and heavy artillery barrage and mortar attacks. 15 SLA soldiers were killed and 25 wounded, LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Vanni.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 16:43 GMT]
Four soldiers of the Sri Lanka army were killed when lightning struck a group of soldiers when they were engaged in physical exercise in Minneriya garrison Tuesday evening around 5:30 p.m. 59 soldiers were injured, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara, military spokesman told media.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 16:41 GMT]
Four prisoners were shot dead by prison guards Tuesday around 6:20 p.m. when a group of prisoners remanded at Kuruwita prison in Sabragamuwa province attempted to escape from the prison. Three prisoners were injured, Prison Chief Major General (retd) Vajira Gunawardene told media.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 16:20 GMT]
M.L.A.M Hizbullah, an executive committee member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), on Tuesday, crossed over to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) strengthening Rajapaksa's alliance in the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections. Meanwhile, informed sources in Colombo said that TMVP, the paramilitary-cum-political party, which had invited all its nominees in Eastern Provincial elections to hotels in Colombo was disappointed as Rajapaksa's promise on Chief Minister post and allocation of number of seats in Trincomalee district as it had demanded, faded away with Hizbullah's cross over.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 15:31 GMT]
UNICEF Child Protection Project residential representative in Colombo paid a visit to Jaffna Tuesday to learn first hand of the conditions of the children and mothers placed in the protective custody in Kurunakar Rehabiltation Centre due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said. The representative met Jaffna Magistrate R. T. Vicknarajah and explored ways to attend to the needs of the children placed in protective custody.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 15:00 GMT]
More than twelve civilians including 8 Muslims sustained injuries in an indiscriminate attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops Monday around 7:30 p.m in Jaffna town and its neighbouring areas, sources in Jaffna said. Armed men in military uniform had tried to rob a house Five Junction area, and SLA troops who rushed to the scene, went on a rampage assaulting civilians along the way, witnesses said. The injured were admitted for treatment in Jaffna Teaching Hospital Monday night.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 13:36 GMT]
Eazhavar Democratic Front (EDF) and an independent group submitted their nomination lists to contest Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) election in Batticaloa district Tuesday around 10:00 a.m to Batticaloa Government Agent (GA) and Election Officer, Suntharam Arumainayagam, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 12:11 GMT]
The economic growth of Sri Lanka is possible only by reducing expenditure and preventing waste, said Socio Economic Research report for South Asia released Monday morning by United Nations at the Law College, Colombo, sources said.
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 11:50 GMT]
"...[U]nder a recent military offensive to wipe out those rebels [from LTTE], government forces have abducted hundreds of members of the Tamil minority group, including civilians, according to human rights groups. Many of the "disappeared" never turn up again," Washington Post said in an article in the Tuesday edition, adding, "Abductions are carried out in various ways, according to activists and relatives of those who have disappeared. Sometimes Tamil men of fighting age are rounded up at checkpoints, hurried into white vans and never heard from again. Sometimes they are arrested with little explanation in house-to-house raids at night."
Full story >>
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 09:38 GMT]
Local fishermen in Kalmunaikkudi of Kalmunai division in the Ampaa'rai district, who have been protesting against the destructive fishing methods by Sinhalese fishermen camped in the area, have launched a shut-down protest Tuesday after paramilitary Pillaiyan Group opened fire on the air Monday, threatening the local Muslim protesters who burned down two fishing huts of the Sinhalese fishermen. Police and Special Task Force personnel have been deployed in the area. Traffic between Batticaloa and Kalmunai was cut off due to the Hartal being observed by the Muslims.
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