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Israeli attack on humanitarian convoy sends shock waves across the world[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2010, 17:34 GMT] Israeli commandos, dropped from a helicopter onto the main ship of a humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to the besieged Gaza, opened fire killing at least 16 humanitarian workers, 6 of them believed to be Turks and 10 from other countries Monday early morning, under darkness of night, in the international waters off Israel. The activists were fired upon after they beat the commandos with batons, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Despite the explanation, the way Israel has chosen to deal with the humanitarian convoy of six vessels with more than 700 people, including aid workers, politicians, members of parliament, journalists and writers from 40 countries, has sparked widespread protests, anger and international condemnation and has put Israel into diplomatic hot water. Full story >> 5 male corpses exhumed from toilet pit in Ki’linochchi[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2010, 11:43 GMT] Five male bodies estimated to be between 20 to 35 years of age, in highly decomposed state and packed securely in five separate bags were exhumed from the toilet pit of a house in Ka'neasapuram in Ki’linochchi under the supervision of Vavuniyaa Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. P. Sritharan and in the presence of Ki’linochchi magistrate Monday morning, sources in Ki’linochchi said. Some of the bodies had clothes with Tiger stripes, some in Lamb Black uniforms used by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and some in ordinary civilian dress, the sources added.Full story >> UN Rights chief renews call for Sri Lanka war-crimes probe[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2010, 10:41 GMT] The United Nations human rights chief, Navaneetham Pillay Monday reiterated her call for an "independent international probe" into Sri Lanka Government's final offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the final months of the war in 2009. While noting the appointment of "post-war reconciliation commission" by Colombo, Navi Pillay said, "based on previous experience and new information, I remain convinced that such objectives [looking into alleged human rights violations, and provide justice to victims] would be better served by establishing an independent international accountability mechanism that would enjoy public confidence, both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere," AFP reported.Full story >> Film producer, director Ratnam released without charges[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2010, 08:27 GMT]Chandran Ratnam, internationally famed Tamil film producer was released Monday the Gangodawila Magistrate without any charges against him.Ratnam was arrested by the police last week for allegedly possessing explosive materials in his former residence in Nugegoda. Full story >> 3rd death anniversary of slain journalist Thevakumar observed in Moo’laay[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 20:01 GMT]Public organizations in Moo’laay in Jaffna observed Sunday the third death anniversary of Jaffna correspondent of Sakthi TV station, Paranirupasingam Thevakumar, 34, abducted while he was returning to his residence in Moo’laay and hacked to death in Kaakkaitheevu, a barren land near Naavaanthu’rai in Jaffna on 28 May 2008, in Ganesha Community Centre Hall in Moo’laay, sources in Jaffna said. Immediately after the killing, his wife in her statement to three Sinhalese journalists from Colombo had said that men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), were directly involved in her husband’s assassination. Full story >> Minister Douglas Devananda to launch a new Tamil daily in Jaffna[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 16:32 GMT]The leader of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Douglas Devananda, a cabinet minister in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), who continues to publicly accuse the three Tamil dailies published in Jaffna of having denied him and his party equal opportunity and sufficient cooperation during the last parliamentary elections, is actively engaged in launching a new Tamil daily in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Minister Devananda had in person offered higher wages to the members of the editorial boards of the three dailies published in Jaffna in an attempt to lure them to his new daily, the sources added. Full story >> Corpses located in toilet pit in Ki’linochchi to be exhumed Monday[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 16:01 GMT]The plastic bags containing six corpses found dumped in a toilet pit of a house in Kaneasapuram in Ki’linochchi are to be dug out Monday in the presence of the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) from Vavuniyaa Government Hospital, on the directive of Ki’linochchi magistrate who visited the site. Members of the family resettled in the said house in February had located Saturday dead bodies of massacred victims, buried inside their toilet pit. Ki’linochchi parliamentarian Sritharan who visited the house and saw the toilet pit said that the killings must have been a planned affair. Full story >> Chandran Ratnam arrested for "possession" of explosives[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 11:04 GMT] A well known film producer and director of several films Chandran
Ratnam was taken into custody by the Sri Lanka police Sunday on an allegation that he had been in possession of explosive materials in his former residence in Nugegoda, according to police media spokesman Preshantha Jayakody. In a recent video interview Chandran, who comes from a mixed parentage, explains that he is not averse to risk taking, and prides in the reconciliation theme he has advanced in his movies.Full story >> Sinhala names given to junctions in Mullaiththeevu district by SLA[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 09:59 GMT] Sri Lanka Army (SLA) forces that occupy Vanni after the recent war have put up new name boards in Sinhala language only with new Sinhala names for many road junctions and streets in Mullaiththeevu district. SLA, besides erecting special camps and High Security Zones in strategic places in Mullaiththeevu, is engaged in changing the entire district like any other typical Sinhalese area in the country, sources in Vanni said. The photos here were taken a few weeks ago and the SLA soldiers posted at the junctions explained what the Sinhala names mean and why they had been chosen.Full story >> Malnutrition among North, East children reaches fifty percent[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 04:21 GMT]Malnutrition among children in the North and Eastern provinces has reached forty-five percent against the national average of 29 percent, according to a report issued by the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Full story >> Treaty discussion, reminder for appointing Sri Lanka War Crimes panel, says Boyle[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 21:53 GMT] While Secretary General Ban Ki Moon extolled the contributions of the UN's International Criminal Court (ICC) as an effective instrument to uphold peace, justice and human rights, in a Washington Post article, as UN's member nations convene Monday in Kampala to formally review the Rome Treaty, Professor Francis A. Boyle criticized Ban for delaying action on establishing accountability for Sri Lanka's "massacre of about 50,000 Tamils" and urged Ban to "immediately appoint the International War Crimes Committee for Sri Lanka that he had already promised to do several weeks ago."Full story >> Records of persons fleeing Vanni destroyed by Special Action Committee of Basil Rajapakse[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 19:51 GMT]The Special Action Committee (SAC) of Basil Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, the present Sri Lankan Economic Development Minister and the former senior advisor to the President during the war on Vanni, had ordered the records of all persons who fled Vanni at the end of the war to be destroyed so as to conceal the recorded particulars of more than 17,000 persons who were suspected as Liberation Tigers and who had later disappeared without any trace, an official of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Resettlement (MDMRS) said. Rizard Badudin who was then the minister of the above ministry is alleged to have functioned as a puppet in the hands of Basil Rajapakse in destroying the records, sources close to MDMRS officials who had recorded the details of persons fleeing Vanni said. Full story >> Local elections in North to be announced shortly: Basil Rajapaksa[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 18:33 GMT]The government is to hold elections to local authorities in the Northern Province shortly, Sri Lankan Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is tasked to handle the elections on behalf of the ruling alliance, told media while addressing an inaugural event held in Ki'linochchi Friday. Full story >> University student dies in road accident at EPS junction[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 18:22 GMT]A 22-year-old undergraduate student, Shanmuganathan Sujeevan, died in a road accident Friday evening when he was on his way in a motor bicycle with his brother to see his house located between Umaiyaa'lpuram and Ki'linochchi. Full story >> Tamil civilian arrested in Pulmoaddai[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 18:20 GMT]Sri Lankan Police arrested a Tamil civilian from his house at Kaddukku'lam in Pulmoaddai village in Trincomalee district Friday and took him for interrogation. Full story >> Rajapaksa extremism cannot be changed: Lee Kuan Yew[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 17:17 GMT] Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, in a newly released book titled "Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew,' says that Tamils have been in the island of Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese, and that Sri Lanka is not a happy "united" country. The present president of Sri Lanka believes he has settled the problem now that the Tamil Tigers are killed, and wants others to believe that too," and Lee observes:"I don't think they [Tamils] are going to be submissive or go away." Referring to the Sri Lankan president he said: "I have read his speeches and I knew he was a Sinhala extremist. I cannot change his mind." Full story >> Family man beaten to death in the islets of Jaffna[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 17:14 GMT]Pungkudutheevu police recovered Friday evening a male body with assault injuries near Thengka’n Thidal Pi’l’laiyaar Koayil in Pungkudutheevu in the islets of Jaffna and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary Saturday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The victim had gone from Vanni to visit his relatives in Pungkudutheevu and was last seen waiting at Aaladi junction to travel back to Jaffna. Full story >> Dead bodies located inside a toilet pit in Ki'linochchi[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 15:45 GMT]Members of a family recently resettled in Ka'neasapuram in Ki'iinochchi after being displaced from their house, located Saturday dead bodies of massacred victims, buried inside their toilet pit, sources in Ki'linochchi said. The house was located 1 km west of A9. Full story >> US awaits Sri Lanka action, despite rights groups’ warning[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 12:26 GMT]The United States will be “watching closely” Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s newly established ‘reconciliation commission’ to see if it lives up to Colombo’s claims, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake, said Friday. Shortly after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described as holding “promise” the body Sri Lanka has set up to investigate war crimes – and which international human rights groups have dismissed as a sham - Mr. Blake said “they’ve now just begun this process … It’s up to them now to prove that they will be able to take on all of these responsibilities.” Full story >> South Indian Film Industry calls for boycott against IIFA to be held in Sri Lanka[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 04:40 GMT]Representatives of the South Indian Film Industry (SIFI) unions called for a boycott of the International Indian Film Award (IIFA) ceremony to be held in Sri Lanka in June which they described as a country stained with the blood of innocent Tamils, in a meeting held Friday at the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce premises in Chennai, according to SIFI release Friday . A request was extended to the North Indian Film Industry fraternity to boycott the IIFA function among other resolutions passed while it was stressed that the protest is not against the function but the venue chosen to hold it, the sources added. Full story >> Tamil student reported missing in Nilaave'li[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2010, 03:35 GMT]A sixteen year old Tamil student of Nilaave'li, a traditional Tamil village in Trincomalee district, is reported to have disappeared after he left home 10 May, according to a complaint lodged with Kuchchave'li Police by his mother. Full story >> Sinhalese Buddhists celebrate Vesak grandly in the North[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 18:46 GMT] Sinhalese Buddhists from South and the government armed forces in the North celebrated Thursday and Friday the annual Buddhist Vesak festival in Jaffna, Ki’linochchi and Vanni in a grand scale in comparison with last year, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka government provided full support for the celebrations while security measures were strengthened in Jaffna with 700 additional policemen deployed along with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, the sources added. Vehicles were not allowed near Duraippah Stadium where grand Vesak lanterns had been hoisted.Full story >> SLA issues death threat to press owner in Jaffna[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 17:58 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Intelligence Division men issued death threat in person to the owner of a leading printing press in Jaffna as he had printed copies of a Weekly newspaper which was claimed by them to contain articles criticizing the actions of President Mahinda Rajapakse and Deputy Minister Karuna, sources in Jaffna said. The Weekly has been launched with Vanni as its centre of operation. The SLA men had strongly warned the owner saying that this was an attempt to create disturbances among the people again, the sources added. Full story >> STF again under SL Defence Ministry[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 13:16 GMT]The notorious Special Task Force (STF), a military-styled elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan Police, which has been responsible for a number of war-crimes and genocidal onslaughts against Tamil speaking people in the East, has been brought under the control of the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa with effect from May 12 following a decision by SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the approval of his cabinet of ministers. The STF was responsible for the execution-styled massacre of five Tamil students in January 2006. Full story >> 4 SLA soldiers killed by lightning during preparation for 'War Victory Day' in Colombo[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 09:21 GMT]Sri Lanka government failed to reveal the deaths of four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and others injured by lightning at Galle Face Green in Colombo while decorating the area for the War Victory Day celebrations, on 17, 18 April, two days prior to the event, sources in Colombo said. Though the government had concealed this incident from the public so as not to spoil the sprit of the first annual victory celebrations over Liberation Tigers, news of it had leaked through the employees of government and private offices and other establishments in Galle Face, the sources added. Tamil National Alliance and the other opposition parties had requested the government to cancell the celebration while the people was suffering but the government did celebrate the event. Full story >> STF arrests 2 Tamil youths in Batticaloa district[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 09:03 GMT]Special Task Force (STF) commandos on road patrol arrested a Tamil youth in Ka'luvaangchchikkudi and another in Kalmunai Wednesday evening claiming that the youths had mobile phones containing recent Channel-4 photos and other such film clips from some other websites, the relatives of the arrestees said. STF had told Kalmunai police where the two youths are detained that the youths are working in support of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), sources in Kalmunai said. Full story >> Sri Lankan massacre highlights failings of IC: Amnesty International[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 08:34 GMT]The Sri lankan Governments lack accountability for “one of the worst human rights crises of recent times” and the complicity of global powers and the United Nations in protecting the Sri Lankan Government highlights a failure of the international instruments of justice said Amnesty International Asia Pacific director, Sam Zafiri in an interview with Austrlian media this week. Singling out China and India as part of a “Coalition of governments” that chose not only to ignore the Rajapaksa Governments targeting of Tamil civilians, but who “passed a [U.N] resolution congratulating the Sri Lankan Government” amid attempts to block “efforts at seeking justice”, Zafiri also accused the Australian Government of violating its human rights obligations by refusing to accept Tamil refugees. Full story >> Journalists, NGOs unsettle Peiris's US visit[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2010, 00:30 GMT] While Tamil demonstrators plan to protest in front of the State Department during Sri Lanka's Minister of External Affairs Gamini Lakshman Peiris's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton Friday, reports covering Peiris's US visit indicate an uncomfortable minister facing hostile press and questioners, and the resulting damage to the Minister's mission to block UN and US acting on the war-crimes call by several NGOs. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, International Crisis Group and Elders this week, had called for an independent international war crimes investigation in Sri Lanka. Minister Peiris has been taking pre-emptive steps, unprecedented for a visiting Minister, to avoid facing serious journalists who have been covering Sri Lanka's war and the conduct of the protagonists during the last months of the war.Full story >> UNICEF helps to re-establish maternal and child health facilities in Ki'linochchi[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2010, 17:20 GMT]UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle and Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapakse Thursday re-opened the new facility of emergency obstetric and pediatric care at the Kil’inochchi General Hospital. In addition to the Ki’linochchi hospital, Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Philippe Duamelle also opened the Musali maternity building in Mannar district constructed by UNICEF. “This project will serve the health needs of thousands of women and children now returning back to their homes,” UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle said at the opening event in Ki’linochchi. Full story >> Limestone in Valikaamam HSZ sent to Galle in South[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2010, 16:58 GMT]Thousands of Southern Sinhalese labourers are engaged in excavating lime stone in the Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North where its residents had been evicted by SLA, Jaffna MP, Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy accused in a press meet held in Jaffna Thursday. The excavated limestone is taken to the cement factories in Galle in ships and via A9 road, he further said. Government which does not permit the evicted residents of Valikaamam North to resettle in their own places has freely allowed thousands of Sinhalese labourers to work within the HSZ. Full story >> Banks to open six new branches in North[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2010, 12:47 GMT]Six new bank branches are to be opened next week in the Northern Province, according to a press release by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Wednesday. Of the six, three branches of the Peoples Bank - one in Kilinochchi, one in Maangku'lam and the third in Paranthan are to be opened on June 7. The Commercial Bank, Seylan Bank and Nations Trust Bank are scheduled to open one branch each in Kilinochchi on June 7 in Kilinochchi. Full story >> Former JVP MP questioned by the CID over meeting with Vanni parents in Colombo[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2010, 09:43 GMT]Former JVP Parliamentarian Ramalingam Chandrasekar was questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials and Army Intelligence Personnel soon after he met parents of the disappeared persons from Jaffna at Narayana Mandapam in Grandpass in Colombo District on Wednesday morning. Full story >> SLA occupies 80% of agricultural land in North[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 19:50 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupies around eighty percentage of agricultural land in Vanni and Jaffna peninsula in the name of High Security Zones (HSZs) and releasing this land back to the owners is the prerequisite to any attempt to explore possibilities of agricultural development in the North, representatives of agricultural organizations in Jaffna peninsula told the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Jegath Pushpakumara, Wednesday in Jaffna Secretariat where he participated in a meeting related to the development activities in the peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> Central land authority to colonize Vaanaa’ru Muslim village with Sinhalese[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 16:26 GMT]The entire Muslim community of Vaanaa’ru new settlement has been opposing the move to bring their village under the administration of the Kantha’laay Divisional Secretary Division in Trincomalee district. Kantha’laay DS division is one of the five DS divisions where ninety-five percent of the population is from majority Sinhalese community. Vaanaa’ru village is now administered by Ki’n’niyaa Divisional Secretary. Ki’n’niyaa DS division is predominated by Muslim community. Full story >> Indian push to finalise trade agreement sparks protests in Colombo[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 14:42 GMT]Domestic service industries in the island would be affected by the Indian push to upgrade the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which exists between India and Sri Lanka to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), say protesters in Colombo belonging to various service sectors. The Indian Establishment, locked in a corporate race with China, has been pushing Colombo to finalise the CEPA agreement, which New Delhi wants signed when Mahinda Rajapaksa visits India on June 8. Rajapaksa's visit to India is scheduled to take place after the celebration of Indian cinema and corporate weekend, known as Indian International Film Awards (IIFA) Weekend Festival, which is to be held in Colombo in the first weekend of June. Full story >> Members electing UNP leadership is revolution, says Sajith Premadasa[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 12:11 GMT]Sajith Premadasa, the son of late Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa, has characterised the decision by the reform committee of the UNP to elect key leadership positions of the party through elections within the party as a revolutionary step. Full story >> Sri Lankan CID to record statement from UN representative over Fonseka interview[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 12:01 GMT]The Colombo Chief Magistrate Champa Janaki Seneviratne Wednesday allowed an application by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to record a statement from Keshunaka Seneviratne, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in United Nations in Geneva regarding the comment by United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston on an alleged interview made by former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka in a letter to her. Sarath Fonseka in an interview with the Sunday Leader, English weekly on the eve of presidential election alleging that the SL Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse in the final leg of war with the LTTE had ordered Brigadier Shavendra Silva to shoot the LTTE officials carrying white flags. Full story >> Fonseka files writ application challenging the composition of second Court Martial[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:58 GMT]Retired General Sarath Fonseka Monday filed a Writ Application in the Court of Appeal challenging the composition of the second Court Martial. He has leveled serious allegations against the three Major Generals of the Sri Lanka Army appointed to the Court Martial. He sought the Court of Appeal to quash the hearings of the Court Martial stating that one of the Major Generals was in the pay of the LTTE and the other tried by the SLA for giving false evidence at an inquiry. Full story >> UNP, DNA appeal to Rajapakse to release Fonseka immediately[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:46 GMT]The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse, head of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, to release General (retired) Sarath Fonseka from military custody immediately. Fifty parliamentarians from the UNP and DNA including the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the appeal. Full story >> NP Governor accuses Jaffna NGOs of malpractice in assisting resettled Vanni families[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:41 GMT]Northern Province Governor, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri has directed Jaffna Assistant Commissioner of Local Government (ACLG) to collect the details of assistance given to each person resettled in Jaffna district, accusing the local Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian agencies which had provided assistance to the uprooted families of malpractice, sources in Jaffna said. Governor’s accusation against the NGOs and his directive to collect detailed information of the assistance provided by them is the first step to bring the NGOs under government’s control, NGO circles complained. Full story >> Detained SL asylum seekers in Malaysia launch hunger strike[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 15:43 GMT]Seventy-five political asylum seekers from Sri Lanka arrested on Malaysian seas and held in Malaysia International Airport since 23 April are to go on a peaceful hunger strike Tuesday placing three requests to the Malaysian State and to the International Countries that grant political asylum, organizers of the event said. In the first stage, sixty males will fast until their demands are met and the hunger strike is not at all intended to hurt the Malaysian government or to go against its laws, they further said. Full story >> Rwandans, Kurds join Tamils commemorating massacre anniversary[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 03:38 GMT]Armenian, Rwandan, Kurdish and the Native American communities joined Northern Californian Tamils in commemorating the first year anniversary of the Mu'l'livaikaal massacre of more than 40,000 Tamils by the Sri Lanka Security forces during the first five months of last year. The event held Saturday between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in Palo Alto California was attended by more than 150 people, organizers of the event said. The attendees wore a decal depicting the National flower of Tamil Eelam (Gloriosa superba), with the words “We Remember” written underneath, according to attendees to the event. Full story >> Is the U.N. complicit in Sri Lankan war crimes, Arbour asks[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 02:44 GMT]Asserting that "the organization's [United Nation's] abandonment of national staff in a conflict zone and its failure to speak up more forcefully about abuses made it "close to complicit" in [Sri Lanka] government atrocities," Louis Arbor, president of the NGO International Crisis Group (ICG) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "called for an internal review of the U.N.'s conduct during Sri Lanka's bloody 2009 civil war," the popular Foreign Policy magazine reported. Full story >> Boston Globe: Probe War Crimes in Sri Lanka[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 02:35 GMT]Noting that "outside world has received credible accounts of war crimes perpetrated on a large scale by Sri Lanka security forces as well as by the Tigers," during the military offensives by Colombo in the early months of 2009, Boston Globe, in Monday's editorial said that "President Obama, who has drawn criticism for soft-pedaling human rights concerns in Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere, should insist that Sri Lanka’s government be held accountable for shelling civilians and hospitals and murdering fighters who surrendered on the battlefield." Full story >> Camouflaged ban on Tamil Eelam by New Delhi, Chennai[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 23:07 GMT]The Government of Tamil Nadu has gazetted a notification by the Indian Central Government's Ministry of Home Affairs, dated 14 May, banning the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an 'unlawful association'. The announcement falsely linked 'Tamil Eelam' as threatening the 'sovereignty and territorial integrity of a part of the territory of India'. Questioning when Tamil Eelam became part of Indian territory, Eezham Tamil circles in the diaspora said the notification reflected the guilt related paranoia of New Delhi and Chennai and urged the democratic bodies in the diaspora and the legal activists in Tamil Nadu to address the false interpretation, politically and legally. Full story >> Youth activists favoured in TGTE elections of Australia[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 20:11 GMT]Youth activists Seran Sribalan and Darshan Gunasingham received overwhelming support, tallying 1272 and 1231 respectively out of over 1300 votes registered in the NSW ballot for electing members for Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) held Saturday in the suburbs of Homebush and Wentworthville. Meanwhile, Kulasegaram Sanchayan, a long-time activist of the Tamil Diaspora in Australia, received the highest number of votes for an individual candidate, with 1300 out of 1363. Full story >> SLA plundered vehicle spare parts in Vanni sold in Anuradhapura[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 19:57 GMT] Anuradhapura has turned into the main ‘spare parts sales town’ in Sri Lanka as the spare parts of vehicles abandoned in Mu’l’livaaikkaal in Vanni, plundered by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), are being taken to Anuradahapura along A9 road in trucks and vehicles which bring goods to North, according to Suresh Premachandran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian. He further alleged that the spare parts of the vehicles of Vanni civilians systematically plundered by SLA soldiers immediately after the war are kept hidden in bunkers with the collaboration of their officers and that the parts are gradually passed on to Southern Sinhalese and Muslim traders to be sold in Anuradhapura.Full story >> Colombo conducts ‘fake’ conference in Ki’linochchi[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 19:27 GMT]Northern government department and corporation key officials urgently directed by their superiors to attend a conference Monday in Ki’linochchi in Vanni to discuss resettlement of people uprooted due to war in North were disillusioned to find that the conference failed to address the issues meant, participants in the conference said. The conference, attended by several key ministers including Wimal Weeravansa and Douglas Devananda besides many parliamentarians from the South, revealed the glaring absence of essential matters like allocation of funds for resettlement or definite plans for resettlement, the sources added. Colombo government has enacted another ‘drama’ to show the world that it is able to convene a conference in Ki’linochchi town just as the Liberation Tigers had done in their days, political circles in North said. Full story >> Missing persons’ relatives hold demonstration in Vavuniyaa[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 16:57 GMT]Association of Tracing Missing Persons in the war organised a demonstration in front of Vavuniyaa bus stand Monday. Over five hundred persons, kith and kin and loved ones of the missing persons from Vavuniyaa and Ki'linochchi participated in the demonstration carrying placards demanding the Sri Lankan government authority to reveal the real situation as what happened to over twelve thousand 12,000 persons who were either arrested, abducted or went missing during the final stages of the war. Full story >> Wife of victim in Channel-4 photo identifies husband[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 16:28 GMT] The 7-year-old daughter of a 40-year-old victim of Vanni War identified her father from the photos released by Channel-4 last week and published in local papers in Jaffna. She and her mother, who lost her husband and a 2-year-old son, are now sheltered in an orphanage in Jaffna. A humanitarian activist who met the mother told TamilNet that the victim in the photo, kept naked inside a bunker by the Sri Lanka Army, was Harikrishanan Thuraichamy. He was reported missing since April 2009, when he went to Ananthapuram area promising his family to recover their belongings. He was a former LTTE member, but had left the movement and living with his family, according to his wife. Although some friends of Mr. Harikrishnan had told her that his body was seen among LTTE fighters killed, she has not seen any evidence and she still believes her husband is alive in SLA custody.Full story >> Uprooted civilians from Vadamaraadchi East refused permission to resettle[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 05:54 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander and Jaffna Government Agent (GA) who met the uprooted civilians from Vadamaraadchi East still held in Thenmaraadchi interim refugee camps told them Sunday that they cannot be resettled in their own places immediately, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) which controls Vadamaraadchi is reluctant to allow resettlement of the original residents, mainly fishermen, as they do not want to hinder the Sinhalese fishermen who now monopolize the deep seas with their trawlers from Naakarkoayil to Mullaiththeevu where most of the fish are caught in Jaffna peninsula, fisheries society representatives in Vadamaraadchi said. Full story >> SLA permits annual Vattaappazhai Pongkal festival in Mullaiththeevu[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2010, 05:34 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities have permitted the annual Pongal festival in the historically famous Amman Koayil located in Vattaappazhai in Mullaiththeevu district to be held Monday but thousands of uprooted civilians from Mullaiththeevu still held in the camps are disinterested in taking part in the Pongal festival as they have been refused permission to resettle in their own places, sources in Vavuniyaa said. The government, however, is making a great show of the festival providing free transport to Vattaappazhai Pongkal festival from Vavuniyaa, the sources added. Full story >> Sky banners display Tamil genocide message during cricket game[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2010, 23:48 GMT] Banners flown by single engine aircraft displaying "Stop Tamil Genocide; Boycott Sri Lanka" circled the cricket grounds several times during a 20-over cricket tournament held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during this weekend, attendees to the games said. Indian, Pakistani, English, South African, Sri Lankan and Caribbean supporters dominated the attendees at the stadium. In the meantime Sinhalese dissidents opposed to the Rajapaksa regime flew their own message on another plane which said: Sri Lanka - Free Gen Fonseka - Restore Democracy."Full story >> 'Pardoning' Tissainayagam delayed[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2010, 17:10 GMT]Sri Lankan 'presidential pardon' granted to senior journalist J.S.Tissainayagam is delayed due to the withdrawal of his appeal from the law court, claimed Sri Lankan Foreign External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris to Colombo media Friday. Full story >> Left allies in UPFA government for abolishing executive presidential system[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2010, 10:33 GMT]The Common Left Front (CLF) comprising Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Sri Lanka Communist Party (SLCP) and Democratic Left Front (DLF), constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have decided to submit proposals against continuing the executive presidency and to oppose the rescinding of the constitutional restriction for the incumbent president to contest for more than two terms. Instead they demand introduction of the post of executive prime minister. Full story >> Bhikku to conduct pooja in Kathirkaamam Pi'l'laiyaar temple[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2010, 10:03 GMT]A fundamental right violation petition was filed in Matara High Court last week challenging the action taken by the relevant Sri Lanka government authority to appoint a Buddhist monk to hold Pooja and manage the administration of the Chellak-Kathirkaamam Maa'nikka Pi'l'laiyaar Temple in Kathirkaamam. Full story >> Congressman's war crimes call to Clinton to dog Peiris's visit[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2010, 20:39 GMT] Congressman Steve Driehaus (D-OH), a senior member of the United States National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, in a letter to US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, asked her to "urge the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to conduct an investigation into reported human rights violations," in Sri Lanka. The Congressman points out in the letter that "[t]he pain assoicated with this [Sri Lanka's] conflict was further exacerbated as a result of alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious crimes committed during the final phase of the Sri Lanka's civil war." Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris is expected to visit the US this week, and his visit and his meeting with State Department officials are widely believed to be on accountability issues of Sri Lanka's war crimes, according to knowledgeable sources in Washington.Full story >> NP Governor orders priority to Southern contractors in Northern development tenders[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2010, 20:20 GMT]Northern Province Governor and former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, has directed Government Secretaries in the North to prioritize contactors from South in allocating tenders to all development work in the North, sources in Jaffna said. In the context of North being invaded by Southern Sinhalese businessmen and traders Governor’s directive effectively further denies all opportunities to local contractors in the development works in North, the sources added. Full story >> Government planning to bring Sinhalese colonists again to Ma’nalaa’ru in Vanni[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2010, 16:46 GMT]Sri Lanka government is accelerating its plans to colonize Ma’nalaa’ru area in Vanni with Sinhalese people and also to bring back the Sinhalese people who had been earlier brought to this area as colonists, some government officers who had visited Ma’nalaa’ru area said. Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and other de-mining organizations are now at work in the above Ma’nalaa’ru area which includes Janakapura, Parakrampura and the traditional Tamil village Othiyamalai. The government has no plans to resettle the ancient Tamil inhabitants of Othiyamalai, the officers said. Full story >> SLA refuses to permit TNA parliamentarians into Menik Farm camp in Vavuniyaa[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2010, 12:05 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials in Menik Farm Camp in Vavuniyaa did not permit Saturday a group of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to visit the said detention centre and see the Vanni civilians held, sources in Vavuniyaa said. The SLA officials insisted on prior permission from Ministry of Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse and stood firm in their decision though the MPP tried to argue their way into the centre, the sources added. Full story >> UNP to elect leader by secret ballot if contest prevails[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2010, 03:50 GMT]The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Friday decided to elect its leader by secret ballot in an event where more than one name is proposed. It states that the same should apply for the posts of Deputy Leader, Assistant Leader, National Organizer and Chairman, according to the six -member Reforms Committee report handed over to the Working Committee of the UNP and approved by the latter. UNP Chief Organizer Joseph Michael Perera was the head of the Reforms Committee. Full story >> Peiris US bound amid war crime calls in US Congress[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 23:30 GMT] Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris is to visit the United States next week for talks with the US government, and is expected to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during his stay in US, Colombo electronic media reported quoting External Affairs Ministry sources. The hurriedly arranged visit occurs in the wake of a week of concerted calls by several human rights organizations for independent investigations into Sri Lanka war crimes. Congressmen David Price (D-4th District North Carolina) and Danny K Davis (D-7th District Illinois) added their voices for expeditious action by the international community to probe into war crimes in Sri Lanka. Three more Congresspersons made floor statements referring to traditional Tamil homeland and Tamils as a community under threat, and on the condition of Tamil refugees.Full story >> Jaffna SLA blocks efforts to reopen schools, government buildings closed due to war in North[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 17:05 GMT]A conference is to be held Monday in Ki’linochchi to discuss the reopening of the schools in Vanni which remain closed due to war as the government of Sri Lanka shows that it is trying to restore normalcy in the North, sources in Ki’linochchi said. Meanwhile, the Ministries of Public Administration and Defence are to conduct a conference in Colombo soon to explore ways to reopen the schools and government buildings that are being occupied in the North for ten to twenty years. Jaffna SLA Commander, however, is said to be hindering this move as the opening of the schools and government buildings will call for the resettlement of the people uprooted from Valikaamam North, sources Jaffna said. Full story >> SLA demolishes Valvai Monument for victims massacred by IPKF in VVT[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 16:47 GMT] Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has demolished the memorial monument erected by Valveddiththu’rai (Valavai/VVT) people near Theeruvil crematorium grounds for their kith and kin massacred by occupying Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in August 1989, followed by the recent demolishing of Thileepan memorial monument, erected in Nalloor also by the public, sources said. SLA which has systematically removed all traces of Liberation Tigers in the peninsula by demolishing the Heroes’ Resting Homes, Theeruvil memorial monuments for Col. Kiddu, Kumarappa, Pulendran and ten combatants has now begun to demolish memorial monuments erected by public, the sources said.Full story >> Jaffna Mayor, her husband tender apology in Jaffna court for contempt of court[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 14:57 GMT]Jaffna magistrate Friday offered general amnesty and released Ruling United People’s Front (UPFA) Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam and her husband and secretary K. Patkunam charged with contempt of court as both publicly apologized pleading they had not published the announcement in question intentionally, sources in Jaffna said. The magistrate warned the two accused severely and said that they will be punished if they engage in activities amounting to contempt of court in the future, the sources added. Full story >> Tamil Nadu Film society to shun IIFA Festival in Colombo[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 11:06 GMT]Tamil Nadu Film society in its joint statement to media Wednesday said that it has decided to shun the India International Film Awards (IIFA) Weekend Festival to be held in Colombo in June first week for three days. “The death wails of the Tamils killed in the massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka last year still echoes in the hearts of the Tamils in the world and Sri Lanka should not conduct the film festival while the Tamils mourn,” the statement said. Full story >> Death toll rises to 26 in flood fury[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 10:26 GMT]The death toll in the ongoing flood fury in the island of Sri Lanka has risen to 26 by early Friday and the persons affected to nearly 550,000, as several rivers continued to swell to near busting point with officials warning of mass-scale flooding and urged the immediate evacuation of those living close to these water ways. Full story >> 106 schools closed, 60000 students deprived of education in north[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 08:13 GMT]At least sixty thousand children are deprived of their education after the war that concluded last year due to the closure of 106 schools in Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Thu'nukkaai, Vavuniyaa North and Mannaar. Nearly 62,944 uprooted persons from Vanni are still detained in internment camps in Vavuniyaa, parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday claimed at a media briefing held in Colombo. Full story >> Citing photo evidence, HRW calls for UN war crimes probes[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2010, 22:22 GMT] Citing photographic evidence in its possession of war crimes committed in Sri Lanka in early 2009, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Thursday joined a chorus of calls this week for an independent international investigation into violations of the laws of war during the closing months of Sri Lanka’s campaign against the Tamil Tigers. Calling on the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to promptly establish an international investigation to examine allegations of wartime abuse by both sides to the conflict, HRW said it has examined more than 200 photos taken on the front lines in early 2009 by a soldier from the Sri Lankan Army’s Air Mobile Brigade. The pictures include a series showing a captured long-standing LTTE Political Wing cadre being executed by Sri Lankan troops, probably after torture, as well as the possible rape or mutilation of LTTE women cadres.Full story >> TGTE constitution to be drafted within 3 months[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2010, 18:39 GMT]The elected representatives of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) who met in three spots of the world on a 3-day session since 17 May to 19 May resolved to draft the constitution of the TGTE within 3 months and set up an Interim Executive Committee (IEC) Wednesday constituting 8 members, 2 from USA, 2 from UK, 1 from Australia, 1 from Canada and 2 representing the other countries of Europe. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran from USA was appointed as the Interim Chief Executive of the IEC, TGTE members who attended the inauguration told TamilNet Thursday. Full story >> Diaspora cine artists initiate web project to promote Eezham Cinema[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2010, 12:21 GMT]A web-based project to launch a bilingual database and news services related to Eezham Cinema has been initiated by some Tamil diaspora film artists. The move was launched on 18 May, the Gencidal War Crimes Day against Eezham Tamils, and the first phase of the project lasts till 25 July, the Black July Day, according to the initiators behind the project eelamcinema.com. Full story >> British MPs call for war crimes probes at Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2010, 09:36 GMT] Parliamentarians from all three main British political parties addressed a rally Tuesday at Westminster to commemorate the forty thousand Tamil civilians massacred last year by the Sri Lankan government forces during the closing months of the island’s civil war. Addressing 10,000 people who filled the permitted space in Parliament Square, MPs from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, which comprise Britain’s new ruling coalition, and the main opposition Labour party were united in their condemnation of the war crimes and the need for international action on Sri Lanka’s war crimes. Full story >> May remembrance observed in Jaffna amid SLA intimidation[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2010, 08:12 GMT]Despite hindrances and intimidation including death threats to the organizing clergy of the Tuesday memorial events for the people killed in the war on Vanni last year, Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) and Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) observed the commemoration events Tuesday in a peaceful manner, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, commenting on the behaviour of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials, said that their activities have revealed their true face. It is alleged that SLA officers from Jaffna Fort had personally threatened the clergy with death who had organized memorial event in Trimer Hall which was cancelled due to the threats, the sources added. Full story >> New political party in Tamil Nadu vows to fight for Tamil Eelam[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 18:18 GMT] Around 75,000 Tamils, most of them of younger generation, attended the May Remembrance of Vanni massacre and the inauguration rally of Naam Thamilar political party at Virakanoor in the city of Madurai in the Tamil Nadu state of India, vowing to fight for the creation Tamil Eelam by politically capturing the power of the Tamil Nadu state as Tamils world over observed Genocidal War Crimes Day on Tuesday, remembering thousands who perished one year ago. “The Tamil Eelam struggle has been transcended into the hands of Tamil Nadu Tamils and the younger generation in particular,” S. Seeman, a Tamil activist and a popular film director told media. “War is politics with bloodshed, our way would be Politics without bloodshed,’ he told the gathering vowing to take forward the struggle for the freedom of Eezham Tamils and to voice for global Tamil freedom. Full story >> Mass grave discovered in Naachchikkudaa, Mannaar[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 15:15 GMT]De-mining workers of Danish De-mining Group (DDG) have discovered a mass grave in Naachchikkudaa area in Mannaar containing 75 to 100 skeletal remains while engaged in de-mining in the area, informed sources in Mannaar told TamilNet Wednesday. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had not permitted resettlement in Naachchikkudaa earlier claiming that the area was infested with landmines and a great quantity of explosives lying buried at the height of the war had taken place in Naachchikkudaa. It is suspected that the skeletal remains discovered may have belonged to young men and women, the sources added. Full story >> Colombo steps up Sinhalicisation in Trincomalee[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 15:00 GMT]Colombo's district land authority has taken a move to allocate four hundred acres of state land with beach frontage, along the beach of north of Trincomalee district to Sinhalese businessmen of the south in the name of 'tourist development' despite the Tamil speaking villagers of Kuhchchave'li, I'rakka'ndi and Kumpu'ruppiddi in the Kuchchave'li DS division had already made representation to the civil authority to allocate these lands for their residential and occupational purposes. Full story >> SLA to hold Vesak celebration in Jaffna next week[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 12:43 GMT]Elaborate arrangements are being made by the Sri Lanka Army with its command in Jaffna district to celebrate Vesak celebrations in the peninsula on May 27, 28 and 29. Vesak festivities will be held in the Alfred Duraiappah Stadium, Jaffna Public Library and Jaffna Fort by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces stationed in the north. The SLA, which is promoting Sinhala businessmen from south to establish businesses along the A9, has appealed to those in the south who would like to visit Jaffna to make the Vesak festivities an opportunity this year. Full story >> War Crimes Day observed in Norway, France, Canada, Italy[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 07:22 GMT]Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) commemorated the first anniversary of Mu’l’livaaikkaal massacre Tuesday and declared 18 May as ‘War Crimes Day’, sources in Oslo said. Representatives of Norway political parties participated and spoke in the gathering where a memorandum was handed over to them by NCET. Meanwhile, similar events in France, Canada and Italy took place with the participation of Eezham Tamils and political leaders and people from the respective countries. Full story >> SLA releases 495 Tamils detained in special detention centres in Jaffna[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 05:51 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) released 495 Tamil detainees held in Thellippazhai Special Rehabilitation Centre and Kaithadi SLA detention centre in an event held in Jaffna Veerasingham Hall Tuesday. 270 students, 198 boys and girls of school going age, 72 Jaffna University students, 125 men and women claimed to have been former Liberation Tiger cadres were officially handed over to their parents at the event. Full story >> SLA soldiers force Tamils to hoist Sri Lankan flag in Jaffna peninsula[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 05:47 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna celebrating its victory in the war on the Tamils in Vanni forced residents in Jaffna peninsula to hoist the Sri Lankan flag in their houses and vehicles Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA had issued strict instructions to all private and government institutions to hoist the Lion flag Tuesday as a mark of celebrating the SLA victory. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan soldiers had blocked all events that were arranged to commemorate the Tamils killed by SLA in the war on Vanni. Full story >> Senior SLA officer: ‘Kill everybody!’ order came from the top[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 19:33 GMT]A senior Sri Lankan Army commander and frontline soldier have told Britain’s Channel 4 News that point-blank executions of Tamils at the end of the civil war in May 2009 were carried out under orders ‘from the top’. In an extended segment on Sri Lanka Tuesday, Channel 4 broadcast translated video interviews with the two soldiers. Surrendering LTTE fighters and their families were detained, tortured and shot, the trooper said. Channel 4 also interviewed in the studio the former Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, Louis Arbour, who slammed the impunity enjoyed by Sri Lankan forces throughout the armed conflict. Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United Nations, Palitha Kohana, failed to show up, despite agreeing beforehand to appear to defend his government’s record. Full story >> Tamil lawyers decline to appear for EPDP key operatives in Jaffna[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 10:18 GMT]A Sinhalese lawyer from South had to appear Monday in Jaffna magistrate court on behalf of the two Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) key operatives charged with issuing death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate as all lawyers in Jaffna peninsula refused to appear for the suspects. Full story >> Colombo, SLA 'poking spear into an unhealed wound' : JUSU[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 10:17 GMT]Sri Lanka government and its army celebrating their Vanni war victory in the the North and East while the Tamils continue to suffer bearing the wounds inflicted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vanni is like ‘poking spear into an unhealed wound’, Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) said in a media message titled Monday in Jaffna. Meanwhile, SLA key officials took part in several ‘Victory Celebrations’ held in Vanni mainland while people travelling along A9 road were kept waiting on sides for nearly four hours Monday while SLA conducted its celebration event in Ki’linochchi, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> Valikaamam HSZ resettlement issue remains unresolved[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 09:46 GMT]The issue of resettling families uprooted from their properties by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the establishment of High Security Zone (HSZ) discussed in a meeting in Thellippazhai Divisional Secretariat Monday was not resolved due to the non-cooperation of the Tamil political leaders, the representatives of the Welfare Organizations for Uprooted Persons (WOUP) who arranged the meeting said. WOUP had requested all the parliamentarians of Jaffna district to raise their voices together to solve the issue, its representatives said. Full story >> TGTE inaugurated in transnational way, Ramsey Clark stresses importance of history[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 01:49 GMT] 87 of 115 representatives of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) already declared elected from 11 countries are meeting in three spots of the world, in the US city of Philadelphia, in London and in Geneva, in a 3 day inaugural session from 17 to 19 May. The Tamil Eelam flag was hoisted and a representative from each country addressed the public stating that the goal of the TGTE should be the formation of independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the island of Sri Lanka. William Ramsey Clark, a former US Attorney General, was one of the keynote speakers of the inaugural event. He characterized the move to form the transnational government a "brave initiative to find the wisdom and the courage to achieve - as it was for many centuries - a free and independent Tamil Eelam." Full story >> SLA blocks May remembrance events in Jaffna, journalists threatened[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2010, 22:16 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has prevented the first commemoration events of Mu’l’livaaikkaal Massacre of May 2009 being observed in Jaffna Sunday in Nalloor and Jaffna town by chasing away the public from participating, threatening to death the reporters trying to cover the event and detaining Yarl Thinakural reporter who was present in the memorial event observed in Ilangkai Thamizh Arasu Kaddchi (ITAK) office on Martin Road, Jaffna. Full story >> SLA instructs public on celebrating its Mu’l’l’ivaaikkal victory in Jaffna peninsula[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2010, 20:18 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) high command in Palaali military head quarters released Monday a media directive to Jaffna dailies calling all government offices, schools, shops, public markets and people, in Jaffna peninsula to hoist the Sri Lanka National flag in their places Tuesday, celebrating the first anniversary of SLA Mu’l’livaaikkal victory, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, SLA has also announced that more than 600 young women held in Thellippazhai SLA Special Rehabilitation Camp and Kaithadi SLA detention camp are to be released in an event to be held in Jaffna Veeraisngham Hall Tuesday, the sources added. Full story >> Tamil Nadu Police denies permission to Muthukumaran statue[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2010, 13:43 GMT]Tanjavoor police in Tamil Nadu Sunday denied permission to erect the statue of Muthukumaran of Kolaththoor in Tamil Nadu who had set himself ablaze demanding to stop the war waged on Eezham Tamils by Sri Lanka Army. ‘I’lanthth Thamizhar Iyakkam’ (Young Tamils Movement) had decided to erect the statue of Muthukumaran near Tanjavoor in Tamil Nadu and to hold a public meeting named ‘Mu’l’livaaikkaal Veerava’nakkam (Mu’l’livaaikkaal Homage of Valor) Sunday. Tamil Nadu Police banned the meeting and the Torch Marathon that was to be held before the meeting and the opening of the statue event, sources from Tamil Nadu said. Full story >> NESoHR: Except Dublin, world remains without action on Colombo's War Crimes[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2010, 09:09 GMT]"For the last one year, there has only been talk of war crime charges. Repeated attacks on hospitals; killing, torture, rape and sexual abuse of people escaping the war zone are some of the charges leveled against the Sri Lankan forces. But, except for the verdict passed by the Dublin Permanent People’s Tribunal there has been no other concrete action," said the exiled team members of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), the Humanitarian body which was earlier based in Vanni, in a statement issued Monday. "The 300,000 people who walked out of the war zone are witnesses to these war crimes. Each one of them would have narrowly escaped death at least once in those safe zones. Fear, extreme fear, prevents the 300,000 eye witnesses from speaking. Even those who escaped from the island to other countries are silenced by fear." Full story >> Sri Lanka responsible for mass killings - ICG[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2010, 01:24 GMT]The report by International Crisis Group, a Europe based NGO, said that despite its [Colombo’s] promises to protect civilians and aid workers as it made its assault on the Tigers, the Sri Lankan government had bombed relentlessly in areas where it knew unarmed people were present, according to the Monday edition of New York Times. “Evidence gathered by Crisis Group provides reasonable grounds to believe that during these months [the security forces intentionally and repeatedly shelled civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations,” the paper said quoting from the text of the ICG report, and added that “[i]t [the report] also provides reason to believe that senior government and military officials were aware of the massive civilian casualties due to the security forces’ attacks, but failed to protect the civilian population as they were obliged to under the laws of war.” Full story >> SLA soldiers deployed again in road checks, patrol in Jaffna peninsula[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 19:11 GMT]Thousands of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are deployed along with the police in carrying out checks and patrol of the main roads in Jaffna peninsula again, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna SLA Commander Mahinda Kathrusinghe informed that SLA forces are being deployed to help the police in Jaffna peninsula to contain the escalating abductions for ransom, killings, robberies and sexual violence on women, deteriorating law and order in the peninsula, in a meeting with the Jaffna district lawyers and magistrates Saturday. Full story >> SLA tears down Tamil Heroes memorial monuments in VVT[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 15:28 GMT]More than a hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers deployed Sunday evening in Theeruvil in Valveddiththu’rai, the birth place of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader V. Pirapaharan in Vadamaraadchi, are tearing down the memorial monuments erected in memory of twelve combatants including senior Commanders Kumarappa, Pulenthiran and another memorial monument of Col. Kiddu, sources in Valveddiththur’ai (VVT) said. Meanwhile, former TNA parliamentarian Sivajilingam told that he too had received complaints about the demolishing of LTTE memorial monuments. Full story >> SLA converts Tiger Heroes Resting Homes into bases in Vanni, Jaffna[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 14:25 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities are hastily converting the Heroes Resting Homes where Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) war heroes are buried in Vanni main land and Jaffna peninsula, to obliterate all traces of them and to prevent their dear and near ones visiting the tombs in fond memory, sources in Jaffna said. Another reason for the demolishing of the Heroes Resting Homes (HRH) is to prevent people from South seeing them when visiting North, the sources added. Full story >> “I don’t know why Kalaignar Aiya sent me back”: Parvathi Amma[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 14:02 GMT] “I do not know why Kalaignar Aiya [Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi] sent me back,” Parvathi Amma, mother of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Pirapaharan, admitted to Valveddiththu’rai (VVT) hospital told TamilNet Sunday. Being very frail after going through the ordeal of being sent back to Malaysia from Chennai and coming to Sri Lanka from Malaysia in her old age and paralyzed condition, she ended the conversation saying, “I went there only to get medical treatment.” Meanwhile, many Sinhalese journalists come to Jaffna to see her at the hospital and some of them touching her feet with reverence on leaving, moves the hearts of those around, hospital sources said.
Full story >> Tamils commemorate Vanni massacre at Lincoln memorial[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 12:20 GMT] More than four hundred Tamils in the U.S. held a remembrance rally in Washington D.C. for the nearly 40,000 Tamil civilians massacred by the Sri Lanka State in Mu'l'livaaykkaal during the final months of 2009. "We had the event at the very heart of the Nation built on promise of freedom and justice; we demonstrated first in front of the White House, and after a one mile procession, at the reflecting pool adjoining the Lincoln memorial to symbolize and demonstrate our resolve that we will never forget this atrocity, and that until we bring the perpetrators of this dastardly crimes, we will not rest," Dr Jeyarajah, the main organizer of the event said.Full story >> Swiss Tamils observe May Remembrance, highlight geopolitical injustice[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 May 2010, 12:03 GMT] Twenty-six democratically elected members of the Switzerland Council of Eelam Tamils (SCET) took oath in front of the masses, who gathered at Helvetia in Zurich Saturday evening in an emotional remembrance event, paying tribute to the victims of the genocidal onslaught on Vanni last May. Switzerland representative of the Sudanese political movement voicing against the genocide in Darfur and Green Party politician Zefari Zidun, explained how his people experienced the genocide in Darfur and said there was no struggle that has been won without experiencing major political setbacks. A dance theatre presented the geopolitical injustice experienced by Tamils, depicting how the war against Tamils was abetted by the powers of the world. Full story >> Former caretaker of Uduppiddi LTTE Heroes Resting Home found dead in Jaffna[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 May 2010, 19:26 GMT]Former caretaker of Uduppiddi E’l’langku’lam Heroes Resting Home of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eezham (LTTE) was found dead Saturday evening near the cremation grounds in Veampadi area in Thunnaalay South, Karaveddi, Vadamaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said. His body was naked and hands bound with many assault injuries. Full story >> Champoor resettlement not in agenda- Governor[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 May 2010, 18:28 GMT]Nearly one thousand seven hundred uprooted families from traditional Tamil villages, such as Navaratnapuram, Koonitheivu, Champoor, Soodaikuda, and Kadatkaraichchenai in Moothoor east in Trincomalee district since April 2006 in the military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) will not be resettled immediately. The decision to resettle them should come from the Government of Sri Lanka, Eastern Provincial Governor Mohan Wijewickrema told a delegation of the Association of Champoor Uprooted Tamil Families that met him in the Governor's located in Trincomalee Friday, sources said. Full story >> Power cut in Jaffna peninsula to continue indefinitely[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 17:16 GMT]Despite government publicity that all facilities have been restored to Jaffna peninsula the present power cut continues to be enforced in rotation and is likely to remain indefinitely due to shortage of electricity production in the peninsula, Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) Jaffna office sources said. The failure of the Chinese firm ‘Northern Power, which is alleged to be the shadow company of Basil Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, that had entered into a contract with the government three years ago to supply electricity for the entire peninsula, is the basic cause for the shortage, the sources added. Full story >> 6 Jaffna Halo Trust deminers injured in accident[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 16:25 GMT]A vehicle transporting deminers of Halo Trust, a humanitarian organization, on its way to Halo Trust office in Jaffna from Ki’linochchi met with an accident Friday injuring six women deminers, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, a male deminer engaged in demining in Mirusuvil in Thenmaraadchchi was seriously injured when a landmine went off unexpectedly, the sources added. Full story >> Tracing Missing Persons Association to hold demonstration in Vavuniyaa[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 15:15 GMT]A mass demonstration is to be held in front of the Vavuniyaa bus stand 18 May to draw the attention of humanitarian organizations and law enforcement authority to the fate of thousands of missing persons after Vanni war last year, according to the convener of the Association of Tracing Missing Persons, Mr. K. Mahendran. Full story >> Mahinda Rajapakse leaves to Iran to accept G-15 chairmanship[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 15:11 GMT]President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to leave Colombo on Sunday to attend the forthcoming G-15 Summit to be held in Tehran on Monday. He is to take over the Chairmanship of the G-15 from the incumbent chairman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, according to Colombo External Affairs Ministry. Full story >> Lest We Forget: Children affected by Genocidal War Crimes of Colombo[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 04:01 GMT] Tamils all over the world mark 18 May as Genocidal War Crimes Day, observing one year remembrance of thousands who perished in the war, waged by the Sri Lankan state and its abettors, on the de-facto state of Tamil Eelam. Despite its repeated pledges to the International Community, the Sri Lankan state and its military machine vowing to erase 'separatism demand' from Tamils for generations, to turn heavy arms on civilian population claiming the lives of thousands of children and women in addition to depriving them of food, medicine and medical evacuation on time. The conduct of the Sri Lankan state, which disregarded all norms of humanity in the war, has posed a civilisational question, and justice remains undelivered. TamilNet releases 14 of 512 photos taken by a humanitarian worker to mark the Genocidal War Crimes Day.Full story >> Ranil returns home after India visit[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 03:50 GMT]Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader in the parliament and the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), returned home Thursday evening after a four-day visit to India. He had held talks with several Indian leaders including External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna in New Delhi Wednesday. Full story >> SL Cabinet approves establishment of Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 03:44 GMT]Sri Lanka Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal by the President Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission to study the causes that led to the conflict and to prevent such future occurrences, according to Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. The Commission would comprise seven eminent Sri Lankans and its terms of reference are to be gazetted in a few days, he said. Full story >> California street fair embraces Sri Lanka boycott message[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2010, 03:16 GMT] Members of the US-based Tamil political action group, USTPAC Boycott Campaign, joined the madness at the 11th annual How Weird Street Faire in San Francisco on Sunday, May 9th 2010 to publicize the group's mission to the attendees to event, organizers of the Tamil group said. Twenty-foot tall banners advertising the “No Blood for Panties” video series on boycotting apparel made in Sri Lanka adorned the backdrop of the catwalk, according to activists participating in the street fair.Full story >> Jaffna magistrate calls for statement from Jaffna Mayor[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 16:49 GMT]Jaffna magistrate A. Anantharajah Thursday directed the police to obtain the statement of Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam, Jaffna Mayor of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) on the issue of the advertisement published by Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) which was counted as contempt of court, sources in Jaffna said. The police were further directed to submit a report based on the statement when the courts takes up the case 17 May. The said advertisement, titled in Tamil language calling the ‘Judiciary to render justice’ was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice and the Justice Service Commission by the magistrates of Jaffna district. Full story >> Parvathi Amma treated with loving care in VVT hospital - DMO[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 16:02 GMT]“Parvathi Amma is being served with special loving care by our hospital staff which is hard to come by either in India or any other country and she is continually attended by our medical specialists,” Dr. A. Mayilerumperumal, District Medical Officer (DMO) of Valveddiththu’rai (VVT) government hospital told TamilNet in the context of Ms. Parvathi Velupillai, mother of LTTE leader Velupillai Pirabaharan, being admitted to VVT hospital in Jaffna, Wednesday evening. “We believe that she will soon recover as we offer her medical treatment equal to international medical standards,” he further said. Full story >> Pirapaharan's mother admitted to VVT hospital in Jaffna[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 12:24 GMT] Parvathi Velupillai, mother of LTTE leader Velupillai Pirabaharan, has been admitted to the Valdveddiththu'rai (VVT) hospital in Jaffna, Wednesday evening. Parvathi amma, denied entry to Tamil Nadu and deported back to Malaysia earlier, was brought down to Sri Lanka earlier this week and stayed at a lodge in Colombo in a bedridden state. Full story >> Panadura North police assaults Sinhala resident, victim denied justice[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 11:04 GMT]A 32-year-old Sinhala resident of Panadura, south of Colombo, was dragged from his house on May 02 and was beaten unconscious by Panadura North Police. The police did not show any warrant or informed the victim of the complaint. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday said: "Although the hospital arranged for a report by a Judicial Medical Officer and hospital police took a statement, the magistrate who saw him after his discharge asked for neither and remanded him. He was not allowed to collect his prescribed medicine from the hospital. The victim has been released on bail but his wife's complaints against the police have reportedly not been responded to by the authorities. The family fears further intimidation." Full story >> SLA junior officer recovered dead in Jaffna[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 09:39 GMT]Vaddukkoaddai police recovered the corpse of a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Second Lieutenant Wednesday around 11:00 p.m near Periya Thampiraan temple in Araali with more than four bullet wounds on the head, sources in Jaffna said. Police are investigating to find out whether internal conflict among soldiers was the reason or he was shot and killed out of the camp. Full story >> US welcomes Sri Lanka's dud commission[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 23:07 GMT]While Sri Lanka's committee probing war crimes acknowledged that "it does not have the legal power to investigate alleged rights abuses during the final stages" of Sri Lanka's conflict, US's UN Ambassador Susan Rice commended Rajapakse for appointing the commission, and acknowledging that "accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law is a crucial pillar of national reconciliation and the rule of law." Reacting on the committee's lack of judicial power, Professor Francis Boyle commented that "this should satisfy the requirement of complementarity necessary for Ban-ki Moon to open his war crimes investigation. There is now NO excuse left for inaction by Ban-ki Moon. He must move forward and immediately establish that War Crimes Investigation Committee." Full story >> Explosion in SLA Point Pedro camp causes tension[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 15:57 GMT]A deafening explosion in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 524 Division camp in Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi Wednesday around 4.30 a.m and gun shots which followed for nearly half an hour upset residences in the neighborhood. SLA sources said that the explosion was an accident due to electric short-circuit in the ammunition stores in the camp. The sources, however, did not provide any information on casualties or injuries. Full story >> Vanni uprooted civilians in Raamaavil camp protest against suspension of food supply[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 15:02 GMT]Nearly a hundred Vanni civilians uprooted due to war and sheltered in Raamaavil camp in Kodikaamam in Themaraadchi gathered Wednesday in front of Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretariat protesting against the suspension of relief food since 1 May. As the uprooted civilians are free to go out of the camp Jaffna Government Agent (GA) had ordered the suspension of relief food items to the refugees expecting them to find employment and their own means of living, Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretariat sources said. The civilians complained that their children are starving and demanded immediate resettlement in their own places. Full story >> Australia must ratify Tamil referendum results: Greens MLA[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 08:52 GMT] Citing the overwhelming consensus for independence as expressed by the Australia’s Tamil Diaspora in the recent Tamil Referendum on independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam, Greens Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Ms. Amanda Bresnan, who witnessed the referendum as an observer, has urged the Australian government to ratify the results, also citing the overwhelming support in similar referendums held across Europe and Canada. The referendum is “to reaffirm the political aspirations of the Tamils in the isle of Sri Lanka, that the opinion of Tamils living overseas can be used to determine the political solution to ethnic conflict, that the results be taken to governments and international bodies and that this bring about national and global solidarity amongst Tamils and bring consensus on the national question” she said. Full story >> Jaffna peninsula people gripped in shock, fear as abductions escalate[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 06:16 GMT]Unidentified men arriving in a van forcibly took away a family woman Tuesday morning as she was returning along Karaveddi Sampanthar shop area after having taken her son to school, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. The abductors had attacked the woman with the intention of killing her and dumped her among the shrubs in a deserted area in Valvai where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are on patrol. Meanwhile, a teenage girl student had managed to escape from abductors with injuries Tuesday in Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi while some men had tried to abduct a young woman in front of Jaffna Teaching Hospital as she was coming out of the hospital after treatment, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> JMC Commissioner released on pleading innocence by Jaffna magistrate[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 05:39 GMT]Jaffna Municipal council (JMC) Commissioner, M. S. Saravnabavan pleaded that he has no involvement in the advertisement made in the name of JMC in the local dailies Tuesday which contained sentences amounting to contempt of court, sources in Jaffna said. On directives from the Chief Justice and Justice Service Commissioner, Jaffna magistrate had ordered Tuesday to arrest the JMC Commissioner and produce him in the court as the Commissioner had failed to appear in the court for inquiry into the said advertisement. Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) opposition members of JMC said that Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam’s husband is responsible for JMC administration to be controlled by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and expressed concern for disrespect brought on JMC administration. Full story >> Arbour to campaign for independent war-crimes inquiry in Sri Lanka[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 23:29 GMT] Louise Arbour, president of the NGO International Crisis
Group (ICG) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "will examine these allegations [of war crimes in Sri Lanka] and make the case for an independent international inquiry as a necessary step in making Sri Lanka's tenuous and bitter peace more just and sustainable," said a note sent to the invitees for a conference on "War Crimes in Sri Lanka" to be held Monday at the premises of the event's joint sponsor, Chatham House, London.Full story >> Cancellation tactics make potential candidates withdraw from TGTE elections[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 13:14 GMT]Four candidates, including two who had come within the first five in the poll conducted 8 days ago for the TGTE in the London South West Constituency, withdrew their candidature Monday after there were delays in announcing the results. Dr. N.Sathiyamoorthy, Mr. A.Vairavamoorthy and Mr. David Joseph, candidates sharing a common opinion said in their withdrawal letter that "even though it was hard for us to come to this decision, we feel it is necessary to make such decision to take our struggle to the next level through the TGTE, without giving any room for the Sri Lankan state or the IC to shame our Tamil Nation." The election committee delayed the announcement of the results citing ‘complaints’ and there were behind the scene manoeuvrings by certain members of the CWG that conducted the elections, in selecting candidates without a re-poll, said a journalist who did not wish to be named. Full story >> Jaffna Mayor demands detained deputy mayor to be released within 3 days[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 10:45 GMT]Ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jaffna Mayor, Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam said that unless Jaffna deputy mayor, Ilango alias Regan arrested and detained in Jaffna remand prison is released within three days Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) employees will abstain from their duties bringing all the work of JMC to a stand still, in a media release to local dailies. Meanwhile, JMC opposition parties accused Mayor’s husband Patkunam of forcing JMC employees to abstain from duty Tuesday. The employees however gave up the protest when Minister Douglas Devananda and the Mayor requested them in the afternoon to do so. Following this Mayor Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam issued the media massage, which has drawn the attention of peninsula residents who consider it as an open challenge to the judicial system, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> SL government stages hidden agenda in Jaffna peninsula – Jaffna MP[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 17:23 GMT]Suresh Premachandran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian, accused Sri Lanka Government for purposely encouraging crimes in Jaffna peninsula such as abduction and killing for ransom, robbery, sexual abuse of lonely women so that it could continue to hold the peninsula in its authority, in a press meet held Monday at his Jaffna office. He further blamed the government for having abandoned the resettled civilians in Mullaiththeevu district who had been uprooted and detained during the war on Vanni. Full story >> EPDP Jaffna Deputy Mayor placed in remand prison[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 16:57 GMT]Jaffna magistrate Mr. Anantharajah ordered Monday the second suspect Ilango alias Regan, Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, for alleged involvement in threatening Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, to be placed in Jaffna remand prison until 24 May, when he was arrested and produced in Jaffna magistrate court, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, ruling party Jaffna Mayor announced that all employees of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) are to abstain from duties Tuesday in protest against the arrest and detention of the Deputy Mayor, the sources added. Full story >> Colombo accelerates Sinhalicisation of Madu[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 12:57 GMT] Colombo has launched a large scale Sinhala colonisation at Madu Road Junction, located on Mannaar-Madawachchi Road, which branches off the main route to Madu shrine, situated in the middle of traditional Tamil area, by officially claiming to "resettle" 80 Sinhalese families after renovating a Buddhist temple into a large Vihara at the junction. Categorising the Sinhalese settlers as "Internally Displaced Persons," the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry officials said the Sinhalese "IDPs" had met Resettlement Minister Milroy Fernando and G.A. Chandrasri, the former SLA commander of Jaffna, who is serving as the Northern Province Governor, with the Chief Incumbent Buddhist Monk of the Vihara. Caritas, a Catholic agency for justice, peace and development has been pressurised to construct the houses for the Sinhalese settlers.Full story >> SLA declares 'Sri Lankan war heroes week' from May 12[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 01:55 GMT]The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order have declared a week to commemorate Sri Lankan war heroes commencing on May 12-18, on May 12 in the Central Province, May 13 in Uva, East and Northern Provinces, May 14 in the North Western, May 15 in Southern Province, May 16 in the North Central and on May 17 in the Sabaragamuwa Province, according to Military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe to media. Full story >> SL Parliament to meet in evenings in future[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 01:19 GMT]Sri Lankan parliament will be meeting in the evenings in future, according to a proposal by the ruling UPFA government in Colombo. Leaders of the political parties represented in the Sri Lankan parliament have agreed to the change the sitting time at a meeting held on Friday, media sources said. Full story >> TGTE member from New Zealand speaks on Vaddukkoaddai Resolution[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 00:13 GMT] Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, in his last ever speech in the Sri Lankan parliament on 19 November 1976 said: “Our Party is moving with the idea of establishing a separate state. It is not an easy matter to get a separate State; it is a difficult matter. We know it is difficult. But either we get out of the power of the Sinhala masses or we perish. That is certain. Therefore, we will try and get this separation.” Citing the speech Mr. A. Theva Rajan, member of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, from New Zealand, said that the relevance of Vaddukkoaddai Resolution today is unique in historical terms as "the reign of Percival Rajapakse" fully demonstrated to the world that the Tamils are facing a genocidal onslaught. "Rajapakse brothers made the Tamil genocide open, indelible and internationally recorded,” he said.Full story >> Jaffna reports highest number of Dengue victims[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 May 2010, 23:14 GMT]Sixty percent of dengue patients who died this year up-to April were adults between the ages of 20-25 years. Last year the victims were mostly children between the ages of 10-15 years, according to the Epidemiology Unit of the Sri Lankan Department of Health. Sri Lankan Health Ministry sources revealed a sharp rise of dengue about 200 percent has been noted in the first four months of this year compared to last year. Full story >> Trade Unions slam Australia’s treatment of refugees[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 May 2010, 15:46 GMT]Leaders of Australia’s most powerful unions have united to voice their “concern at the growing stance of indifference towards and demonisation of asylum seekers from both sides of Australian politics” in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Rudd released on Monday. Full story >> Colombo adopts failed Sudanese ruse to deflect war crimes charges - Prof. Boyle[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 May 2010, 14:38 GMT] Commenting on Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse's announcement that Colombo will appoint a 7-person commission to "search for any violations of internationally accepted norms of conduct in such conflict situations, and the circumstances that may have led to such actions [in Sri Lanka], and identify any persons or groups responsible for such acts," Francis A Boyle, professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law said "after it was announced that the ICC was going after Sudan, they hired a British lawyer to advise them on setting up some type of fake internal procedure of investigation/ prosecution in order to head off the ICC, pretending to satisfy the requirement of complementarity. It miserably failed, and Sudan's Al Bashir is now under ICC's arrest warrant."Full story >> UPFA government to table 1st budget in June[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 19:11 GMT]The first budget of the new United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government for the year 2010 would be tabled in parliament in June, according to a statement by the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Economic Development Ranjith Siyambalapitya in parliament Friday. Full story >> Rajapaksa to appoint new heads to state corporates[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 19:11 GMT]Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to appoint new heads to all corporations and statutory bodies on May 10. All held those posts under the last government had tendered their resignation on the instruction of Mr. Rajapaksa, SL Presidential secretariat sources told media. Full story >> Australia playing “political football” with refugees: Amnesty International[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 17:20 GMT]Amnesty International in Australia have slammed the Federal Government’s decision to freeze asylum claims from Tamil and Afghan refugees, accusing both Ruling and opposition parties of “using some of the world’s most vulnerable people as political footballs”, and urging the nation to adhere to its “legal and moral obligation” to provide protection to refugees who have “suffered torture, violence, fear and persecution that we could never imagine”. Full story >> UNP leader to be elected by secret ballot[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 16:55 GMT]The leader of the main opposition United National Party is be elected by secret ballot, according to a unanimous decision taken by the party’s working committee held last week. All office bearers will be elected and not on selection, party sources said. Full story >> Game of smoke and mirrors, HRW blasts Sri Lanka's new commission[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 02:02 GMT] Commenting on Sri Lanka's announcement that it is appointing a laws-of-war commission, Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, "[e]very time the international community raises the issue of accountability, Sri Lanka establishes a commission that takes a long time to achieve nothing. Ban should put an end to this game of smoke and mirrors and begin a process that would ensure justice for all the victims of Sri Lanka's war," adding, "Secretary-General Ban should not let Sri Lanka bully and manipulate him into abandoning justice for Sri Lanka's war victims," Adams said. "It is time for him to demonstrate that he is squarely on the side of the victims of Sri Lanka's long war."Full story >> SLA builds base on demolished LTTE War Heroes’ Resting Home in Uduppiddi[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 16:53 GMT]More than 200 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are engaged in constructing a military base since Friday morning on the very place of E’l’aangku’lam Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) War Heroes Resting Home in Vadmaraadchi which had been razed to the ground by SLA 03 May night using heavy equipments, sources in Jaffna said. Defence Secretary Gothabaya who recently visited Jaffna is understood to have issued the orders to demolish the above War Heroes Resting Home and to build a military base on the ground where it had stood, the sources said. Full story >> Jaffna HRC summons Jaffna Prison officers alleged of attacking political prisoners[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 16:37 GMT]Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) Coordinating Officer, T. Kanagarajah has summoned the Assistant Superintendent of Jaffna Prison and the prison guards alleged of assaulting eight political prisoners on 30 April, on the basis of statements from the victims presently receiving treatment in Jaffna Teaching Hospital on the orders of Jaffna magistrate, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna magistrate court too had directed Jaffna police to record the statements of the eight victims and to submit the report immediately. Meanwhile, the prison guards who had attacked the political prisoners are all Tamils, the sources said. Full story >> SL Defence Ministry blocks international media persons visiting North[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 16:23 GMT]Sri Lanka Defence Ministry has blocked ‘Life Line’ resident advisor of ‘Internews’ Fiona Partol from coming to Jaffna to participate in a five-day training course for local media persons, media sources in Jaffna said. The Defence Ministry does not allow international media persons who are not supportive of the government to visit Jaffna and other areas in the North, the sources added. Recently a French journalist had been arrested and deported from Sri Lanka on the orders of Defence Ministry. Full story >> UPFA to table constitutional amendments in June: Sirisena[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 15:52 GMT]The ruling alliance of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is formulating its constitutional amendments, which are likely to be tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament in the month of June, according to a leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) Maithiripala Sirisena. The SLFP is the main constituent of the UPFA government and Mr. Sirisena is a senior minister in Rajapaksa's cabinet. Full story >> 'Minnal Ranga' tipped to cross over to Rajapaksa alliance[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 15:26 GMT]Two parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are likely to cross over to the ruling party shortly, according to political sources in Colombo. One is Mr.M.A.Abdul Cader and other is Mr.Ranga Jayaratnam, a well known personality in the electronic media as he was conducting Minnal programme in Sakthi TV of the MTV organization. Full story >> Fonseka to face 3rd court martial[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 15:18 GMT]Third court martial is likely to be appointed against former Sri Lanka Army Commander (retd.) General Sarath Fonseka, six Colonels and a Brigadier of the SLA over alleged arms deals committed by them when Fonseka was serving as the Commander of the SLA, Colombo media reported quoting Sri Lankan Defence ministry sources. Full story >> Journalists declaring assets not mandatory: Rambukwella[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 15:15 GMT]Declaring assets and liabilities by journalists is not mandatory but it is optional, said Sri Lanka's Minister for Media Keheliya Rambukwella after assuming the post. The government earlier declared that it is mandatory for journalists to declare their assets and liabilities Full story >> Jaffna Fishnet Factory opened[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 04:26 GMT]The Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ms. Kathy Klugman, the French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ms. Christine Robichon and the resident representative of the Holy See in Sri Lanka took part in the opening ceremony of the Jaffna Fishnet Factory Thursday located in Kurunakar on the coast of Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Caritas HUDEC constructed the factory with UN aid. HUDEC Jaffna representative, Rev. Jeyakumar, speaking at the event said that the acute shortage of fishing nets in Jaffna district will be met while providing job opportunities for local people with the opening of Jaffna Fishnet Factory. Full story >> Lawyers continue to abstain from appearing in courts in Jaffna district[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 18:10 GMT]Lawyers in Jaffna peninsula continue to abstain from appearing in courts in protest against the alleged death threats by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) key operatives to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna High Court Judge, R. T. Vignarajah summoned an urgent meeting Thursday attended by the magistrates, police officials and lawyers in Jaffna peninsula where he informed that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse had assured him that immediate action will be taken to maintain law and order in the peninsula and requested the lawyers to give up their boycott of courts, legal sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> Justice Minister of war crimes government appointed as UN human rights official[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 17:01 GMT]Ivan Simonovic, Justice Minister of Crotia, who served a government of human rights violations and ethnic cleansing and whose ministry failed to cooperate satisfactorily with UN war crimes investigations, has been appointed as top human rights official to liaise with the Geneva office of Navi Pillai and the UN headquarters. He was selected among more than a hundred applicants in a secret process, after becoming one of the four in the shortlist prepared by Navi Pillai, reports Foreign Policy, Thursday. A couple of months ago Ban Ki-moon decided to make Palitha Kohonna, the war crimes accused ambassador of Colombo and Vijay Nambiar, the UN chief of staff, accused of shady deals during the Vanni War as panel members to advice him on the war crimes in Sri Lanka. Full story >> Nirupama to inaugurate conference on Sri Lankan peace[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 16:58 GMT]Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao will be inaugurating an international conference on ‘Taking the Sri Lankan Peace Process Forward’ in New Delhi, scheduled on May 10 and 11. The conference will be participated by experts from Sri Lanka and representatives of Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, media reports said. Full story >> No court martial inquiry against Fonseka when parliament meets[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 16:20 GMT]The Speaker Chamal Rajapakse Thursday directed that the Court Martial inquiry against Sarath Fonseka, parliamentarian from the Colombo district, should not be held on dates when parliament meets. Former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka has been facing two court martial inquiries by the Sri Lanka Army. He is under detention in the Navy Headquarters since his defeat in the presidential election held on January 26. Full story >> “Threat to country shifted from battle field to diplomacy” - SL Foreign Minister[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 16:16 GMT]“The country has been facing a different type of threat that is shifted from the battle field to diplomacy,” Foreign Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris Thursday said in parliament Friday. “Elements friendly to the LTTE have been actively working towards establishing a ‘transnational government in exile’ to carry forward the LTTE campaign,” he added. Full story >> EU demands release of Fonseka, Colombo told[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 12:40 GMT]Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the opposition and the United National Party (UNP) Thursday informed Sri Lanka' parliament that the European Commission has demanded the release of Sarath Fonseka from detention as a condition for granting GSP+ preferential trade status, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Meanwhile, Fonseka has told AFP that he would "expose" any war crimes committed during the end of the country's civil war last year and said he would go "out of his way" to assist with a probe, AFP reported. Full story >> Information Department, Rupavahini get new heads[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 11:17 GMT]Sri Lanka Government has appointed Ariyaratne Athugala as the new Director of Information and Sarath Kongahage as Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC). Ariyaratne Athugala earlier functioned as the Chairman of the SLRC. The incumbent Director of Information Anusha Palpita has been appointed as the Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) Full story >> Colombo announces reconciliation commissison classifying 1,350 LTTE POWs as criminals[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 11:04 GMT]While on the one hand keeping uprooted civilians subjugated in open prisons and inside internment camps under a military-led administration, engaging in systematic demographic genocide in Tamil homeland in the form of Sinhala colonisation encroachments, abetting cultural genocide by erecting the symbols of Mahavamsa mindset and destroying the Tamil heritage, on the other hand the Sri Lankan President and Commander-in-Chief Mahinda Rajapaksa has come up with the announcement of appointing a commission for truth and reconciliation. Announcing the move, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne said in SL parliament on Wednesday that his government had categorized around 1,350 ex-LTTE members as "criminals who will be dealt with according to the law." Full story >> 8 political prisoners assaulted by Jaffna prison personnel[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 19:01 GMT]Jaffna magistrate, informed of the attack on eight political prisoners held in Jaffna Prison by prison officials and guards on 30 April, ordered the victims to be admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) for treatment, sources in Jaffna said. The victims who were among 60 fellow prisoners locked in a cell had tried to escape, Jaffna prison authorities claimed. One of the relatives of the victims had informed Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna officials of the attack on the political prisoners and they being refused medical treatment by prison authorities. The eight political prisoners suffering with fractured bones and some of them passing blood with urine were admitted to JTH Wednesday morning, hospital sources said. Full story >> Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 15:33 GMT]Sri Lanka parliament Wednesday after a two day debate adopted a motion moved by the government to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 118 votes. 132 parliamentarians from the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and a rebel MP of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) voted for the motion. Two parliamentarians of the UNP who were present in the House at the time of voting and 12 MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against. The State of Emergency is in force since 12th August 2005 and being extended every month with the approval of the parliament. Full story >> Abducted girl student escapes in Ka’luthaava’lai in Batticaloa[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 14:04 GMT]Unidentified persons arriving in a black van abducted P. Niranjala, a Grade 10 student of Ka’luthaava’lai Tamil Maha Viththiyaalayam, in front of her school Wednesday morning. She managed to escape from the abductors, according to the complaint made to Ka’luvaanchchikkudi police later, sources in Baticaloa said. Niranjala told the police that she saw six girl students in a state of unconsciousness at the place she was held captive. Full story >> English language journalist assaulted in Colombo[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 13:54 GMT]Sandun Jayasekara, a senior journalist of the Daily Mirror, the English daily published from Colombo, is said to have been assaulted Wednesday morning by some security officers who are members of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on security duty at the Maharagama cancer hospital. The journalist went to the hospital with an official media invitation to cover an event President Mahinda Rajapaksa was attending Wednesday morning in the hospital. The matter was reported to the new Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella immediately, sources in Colombo said. Full story >> Sri Lanka joins international issues in British parties’ focus[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 13:50 GMT]Sri Lanka’s ethnic crisis is among international issues that have drawn comment by all three main political parties in Britain ahead of the general election on Thursday. The main opposition Conservative party insisted Sri Lanka “take immediate steps to address the concerns of the Tamil people” and emphasised the importance of “meaningful political reform” for lasting peace. The Liberal Democrats, the second largest opposition party, demanded an end to Sri Lanka’s “land-grabbing” and called for the formation of “an independent body to end all fraudulent claims to land.” The ruling Labour party, which raised warcrimes probes in its manifesto, said its 13-year government “had consistently sought to help Sri Lanka achieve a lasting solution and is committed to an inclusive political process.” Full story >> Armed men keep six girls in unconscious state in Batticaloa[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 13:35 GMT]A grade 10 student of Ka'luthaava'lai Tamil Maha Viththiyaalayam, who managed to escape from abductors has revealed that she had seen six girl students in unconscious state in the place where she was held captive, Police said. The girl, P.Niranjala, was alleged to have been abducted by unidentified persons who arrived in a black coloured van in front of the school escaped from their clutch Wednesday morning, according to a complaint she made to the Ka'luvaagnchikkudi Police. Full story >> Indian High Commissioner opens Visa handling office in Jaffna[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 12:16 GMT]Mr. Asok K. Kantha, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanaka, officially opened a branch of Indian Visa handling office Wednesday around 3:00 p.m in a private building on Brown Road in Jaffna. This office will receive applications for visa to India and send them to Colombo Indian High Commission for processing and then deliver the visa to the applicants, it was said in the opening event. Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Suresh Premachandran and Mavai Senathirajah participated in the event. Minister Douglas Devananda, the head of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), who usually participates in events of this nature, was a notable absentee as he was not invited, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam of ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) though invited turned up only when the event had ended and the guests were leaving. Full story >> 4 Sri Lankan ministers, 6 deputy ministers take oaths[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 09:32 GMT]Four new Sri Lankan ministers and six deputy ministers were sworn in before SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday morning. Keheliya Rambukwella has been appointed Information and Media Minister, S.B.Dissanayake as High Education Minister, Arumugan Thondaman as Livestock Development Minister and Tissa Vitarana as Technology and Research Minister, presidential media unit said. Full story >> Fonseka begins fast as military prevents attending parliament[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 08:22 GMT]Democratic National Alliance Parliamentarian Sarath Fonseka Wednesday morning began an indefinite fast in the Navy Headquarters where he is being detained since his arrest after the defeat in January presidential election, as the military forced him to attend the second court martial hearing fixed on Wednesday. He was prevented from leaving the Navy Headquarters to parliament on Wednesday morning. Full story >> UN failed to protect Tamil civilians - Lord Patten[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 01:24 GMT] Noting British foreign policy is unlikely to change after the May 6th election, and that United Nations is better at "normative diplomacy than at launching action on the ground," Lord Patton, current chancellor of University of Oxford, and who as European Commission External Relations Commissioner visited Kilinochchi during the ceasefire, said, while having endorsed the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to prevent atrocities, "UN was paralysed when political and diplomatic intervention was required to protect Tamil civilians in the Sri Lankan government campaign to wipe out the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," in an article in Financial Times.Full story >> “To tell the truth is crime in Sri Lanka” - wife of disappeared Sinhalese journalist[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 15:21 GMT]Sandhya Ekneliyagoda, the wife of Sri Lankan Sinhalese journalist Prageeth Ekneliyagoda, who disappeared 24 January and still missing, distributed an appeal among parliamentarians on the very first day of the new Sri Lankan parliament demanding their intervention to find the fate of her husband which remains unknown even after a hundred days, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDSL) said in their report Tuesday. Sandhya who blames the Sri Lankan police for purposely dragging their feet says she is deeply sceptical about the way the investigations are being handled. Having failed to evoke any positive response for her appeals to Sri Lanka government and its parliamentary opposition Sandhya tells the International Community that, “Sri Lanka is a country where grave human rights violations are taking place”, in her exclusive interview Tuesday to JDSL. Full story >> Sri Lanka cricketers told to shun Dalai Lama over China ties[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 14:22 GMT]Sri Lanka stopped cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara and another player from calling on the Dalai Lama out of fear that a meeting would anger China, AFP reported Tuesday. Sangakkara and former skipper Mahela Jayawardene were advised not to join their Indian Premier League teammates who paid a courtesy call on the Tibetan spiritual leader last month, Sri Lanka cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told AFP. "We were made to understand that we should not upset relations with China," he said. Full story >> SLA provides protection to Chaavakachcheari court[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 14:16 GMT]In the wake of alleged death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) operatives, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, Major Gen. Mahintha Kathurusinghe, has provided military protection to Chaavakachcheari courts in addition to police protection from Tuesday. The Commander said that he has also arranged for military protection to Pirabakaran’s vehicle when he travels from Jaffna to Chaavakachcheari and back. Meanwhile, another suspect in the above case, Regan, Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, a key operative of EPDP, has gone into hiding following his associate Charles, EPDP Thenmaraadchi organizer, being arrested and detained in Jaffna prison, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >> Tamils’ cause finds support amongst candidates of all main British parties - paper[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 13:34 GMT]Dozens of parliamentary candidates from all three major British parties responded this weekend to inquiries by the Tamil Guardian newspaper regarding their stance on the Tamil question in Sri Lanka. The responses from, or on behalf of, eighteen Labour, fifteen Liberal Democrat and twenty four Conservative candidates reflects increasing engagement in Britain’s political spaces with Sri Lanka’s protracted and entrenched ethnic crisis, the paper’s researchers said. Full story >> Germany elects first representative for TGTE[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 10:35 GMT]Vithiya Jeyasangar B.Eng was elected Sunday as the representative for Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) from Berlin in Germany. The elections for remaining constituencies, except one constituency where 2 representatives are elected uncontested, will take place on 16 May. Full story >> Court turns down CID application to record Fonseka statement[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 10:00 GMT]Colombo Chief Magistrate Monday turned down an application tendered by the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D) of Sri Lanka Police seeking permission of the court to record a statement from retired General Sarath Fonseka over a statement that latter had given to a Sunday English weekly regarding the killing of surrendering LTTE cadres at the last stage of the war, legal sources said. Full story >> No threat SL state sovereignty, no need for emergency, says Fonseka[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:54 GMT]“There is no threat to the sovereignty of the country any longer. As such the government should completely lift the State of Emergency Regulation,” former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and a parliamentarian from Colombo district representing Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Tuesday, said participating in a debate on the extension motion moved by the government. Full story >> Colombo Court remands Vavuniya Tamil youth[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:48 GMT]Colombo Fort Magistrate Monday ordered further remand for a Tamil youth till May 17 when he was produced in court by Sri Lanka Police on a report that he had allegedly been involved in bomb attacks in the south during pre-war situation, legal sources said. Full story >> SL Parliament meets, Fonseka complains of breach of his privileges[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:44 GMT]Sri Lanka Parliament Tuesday morning commenced its four day sittings with Speaker Chamal Rajapakse in the chair. The Prime Minister was scheduled to table a motion on behalf of the government with certain relaxation in elements of the Emergency Regulations (ER) seeking the extension of the State of Emergency now in force since August 12, 2005 for another month. Full story >> Colombo relaxes some provisions of Emergency Regulations[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:03 GMT]The Government of Sri Lanka Tuesday relaxed some provisions of the Emergency Regulations now in force since 12 August 2005. The relaxed provisions are such as holding meetings, imposing curfew, printing certain literature and providing the house holder’s name to the police, according to SL External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris while speaking in the parliament that began Tuesday two-day debate on the extension of the State of Emergency for another month. Full story >> 31,000 vote in Canadian TGTE elections[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 21:48 GMT]25 representatives have been elected from Canada in the elections where 31,072 voters took part. Tharani Prapaharan topped Toronto GTA and Vicinities list with 4,967, Vanitha Rajendram topped Eastern Ontario with 8,451, Iyampillai (Shan) Shanmuganathan received 5,049 votes in Western Ontario and Maharajah (Nanthan) Nanthakumar in Quebec & Eastern Canada. Five candidates have been elected without contest in Western Canada. Full story >> SLA destroys Liberation Tiger war heroes tombs in Uduppiddi[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 20:49 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna using bulldozers completely destroyed E’l’laangku’lam Liberation Tiger War Heroes’ Resting Homes in Uduppiddi in Vadmaraadchi Monday night, former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Sivajilingam said. He told that local residents in Uduppiddi had conveyed the information by phone. Full story >> SL Parliament to hold 2 day debate on emergency extension[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 20:26 GMT]Two day debate on the motion to extend the State of Emergency will be held from Tuesday in Sri Lanka’s parliament. The Prime Minister is to table the motion seeking the approval to extend the emergency amid reports that the government is likely to withdraw some elements of the Emergency Regulations but to keep Anti-Terrorism Laws and Terrorism Investigations Act intact, Foreign Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris told media Monday. Full story >> Appeal Court restrains SLA commander to proceed with 1st court martial[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 20:24 GMT]Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal Monday issued interim order restraining the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from proceeding with the first Court Martial against General Sarath Fonseka until May 21.The President of the Appeal Court Justice Sathya Hettige dissented from the majority decision of the bench. Full story >> Jeyananthamoorthy tops TGTE list in UK[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 20:08 GMT] Senathirajah Jeyananthamoorthy, former TNA parliamentarian of Batticaloa district is elected for Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) topping the list of North West London. He secured 8,357 votes. The others elected from the constituency to TGTE are: Deluxon Morris (6,334), Balambigai Murugadas (5,879), Lalithasorubiny Pratheeparaj (5,521) and Jeyavani Atchuthan (5,446). Meanwhile, another former TNA parliamentarian, Mr. M.K.Eelaventhan has been declared elected for TGTE from Canada. Full story >> Eezham Tamils in Denmark elect 3 representatives for TGTE[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 17:41 GMT]3102 Eezham Tamils in Denmark took part in the elections for Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, electing three representatives: Remmon Washington polling 2738 votes, Sukenthini Nimalanathan polling 2626 votes and Maheswaran Ponnampalam polling 2556 votes. Full story >> TGTE election results for Switzerland announced[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 16:06 GMT]Seven candidates have been elected in five constituencies and three elected uncontested in two constituencies in the polls for the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam Sunday. 12,243 voters participated in the elections in Switzerland. 19 candidates contested the elections. Full story >> Lawyers in North protest against death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 10:31 GMT]The lawyers practising in Chaavakachcheari court abstained from appearing in court Monday expressing their protest and condemnation against the death threat issued to their magistrate Pirabakaran allegedly by two Eelam Peoples Democraatic Party (EPDP) operatives, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. They were soon joined by all the lawyers of the courts in the districts of Jaffna, Vavuniyaa, Mannaar, Ki’linochchi and Mullaiththeevu paralyzing all activities in all the courts in the North, the sources added. Full story >> SL Military Intelligence men issue death threats to Thenmaraadchi journalists[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 10:11 GMT]Sri Lanka Military Intelligence wing men in Jaffna Monday issued death threats to the journalists who covered the case of alleged death threats to Chaavakachcheari Magistrate K. Pirabakaran by EPDP operatives when it was taken for inquiry Monday in Chaavakachcheari court and published news of it in the local dailies, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. The intelligence men had first gone to the offices of the dailies that had published the news and procured the addresses of the said journalists in Thenmaraadchi before going to their houses, the sources added. Full story >> EPDP operative to be placed in remand in Jaffna prison[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 08:04 GMT]Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran Monday ordered suspect EPDP coordinator of Thenmaraadchi, Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles arrested for suspected involvement in the abduction and killing of student Kapilnath and for allegedly threatening Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, to be placed in remand prison, when he was produced in Chaavakachcheari court, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. Meanwhile, the lawyers practising in Chaavakachcheari court did not appear in court Monday condemning the death threat issued to magistrate Pirabakaran, the sources added. Full story >> Rajapaksa decides to pardon journalist Tissainayagam[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 07:38 GMT]Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa is reported to have decided to pardon and release the senior journalist J.S.Tissainayagan who had been convicted and sentenced to twenty years rigorous imprisonment on 31 August 2009 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), according to External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris to media Monday. Full story >> Withdrawal of SLA forces from Jaffna peninsula to be reconsidered[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 05:00 GMT]The earlier decision taken by Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahintha Kathursinghe to withdraw SLA forces in stages is to be reconsidered as per request of newly appointed Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahintha Rajapakse, Mahintha Kathurusinghe told the editors of Jaffna dailies in a meeting Sunday night at Gnanams Hotel SLA base. The decision is to be reconsidered due to the current deterioration of law and order in Jaffna peninsula which the Defence Secretary explored into with the key officials of SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) at Palaali SLA Head Quarters Saturday, the Major General told the editors. He further alleged that armed men of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), were involved in the social crimes in Jaffna peninsula in the meeting with the editors. Full story >> Candidates of common opinion elected in Norway for TGTE[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 01:09 GMT]3511 Eezham Tamil voters turned out to elect 3 representatives for Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) Sunday in a technically well conducted election across 17 centers in Norway. Dr. Sivakanesan Thillaiampalam (2449 votes), Jeyasri Balasubramaniam (2342) and Murali Sivanandan (2321) representing a common shade of opinion on how the TGTE should be structured, were elected. Full story >> SL Police arrests EPDP operative in Jaffna[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 23:53 GMT]Sri Lankan Police in Chaavakachcheari Sunday arrested the EPDP coordinator of Thenmaraadchi zone, Alexander Soosaimuththu alias Charles, for allegedly threatening Chavakachcheari Magistrate K. Prabakaran for having issued arrest warrant on EPDP suspects involved in the abduction and murder of student Kapilnath. Mr. Charles would be brought to the courts on Monday, according to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, who met local press at Gnanam Hotel Sunday night. Full story >> IUSU demands detainees' names made public[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 19:06 GMT]Inter University Students Union (IUSU) has given ultimatum to the Sri Lanka government authority concerned to release the names of uprooted persons detained in internment camps enabling their relatives to identify their kith and kin who are reportedly missing during the war or later. In failing to do so relatives of those missing would hold demonstration in front of detention centres with victims’ photographs, said IUSU President Udul Premaratne at a media briefing held Friday. Relatives of the missing persons brought down from Mannaar were present in the media briefing, media sources said. Full story >> Missing youth's body found in Chettikulam well[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 19:04 GMT]The body of a Tamil youth who is reported to have been missing from Friday was recovered from abandoned well in Chettikulam in Vavuniyaa Saturday evening. The victim has been identified as Gnanasingham Thanushan, 26, police sources said. Full story >> Uprooted Vanni civilian shot dead, first killing in Jaffna after May 2009[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:51 GMT]A 26-year-old male, Sivalingam Satheesan, an uprooted civilian who settled in Jaffna after leaving the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated internment camp in Vavuniyaa, has been gunned down on Jaffna - Point Pedro Road Sunday around 7:30 p.m. by armed men riding a motorbike. The killing has taken place in SLA-guarded road near Ceylinco insurance company and Vadamaraadchi telecommunication building. This is the first killing by gunmen reported in Jaffna after the Eelam War - 4 ended in May 2009 in Vanni. The targeted killing of Vanni IDP comes in the wake of a recent visit by Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Jaffna. Tension prevails in the area. Full story >> MIA spreads genocide message through video, album[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 17:15 GMT] In a recent release of a video called "Born Free" containing "a hyper-violent mini-film" as a pre-release to her forthcoming album to be released on June 29, Oscar and Grammy award nominee, Eezham born music phenom, Maya Arulpragasam (MIA) expresses her sympathy for genocide victims with the powerful imagery of her video. YouTube yanked her video Tuesday, triggering an avalanche of publicity, including a detailed narrative of MIA's album that appeared in the weekend edition of the Washington Post, MTV, and Los Angeles Times among other media outlets.Full story >> Final nail on APRC's coffin[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 15:46 GMT]Professor Tissa Vitarane's omission from the ministerial list "reinforces the contention that the APRC [All Party Representative Committee] was set up for the sole purpose of placating the international community and India in particular," said Dr. Paikiyasothi Saravanamuttu, director of Colombo-based think-thank, in the Saturday edition of Daily Mirror, adding that the APRC was "never meant by the regime to be anything else." Saravanamuttu was one of the few who were unique in articulating publicly that APRC was constituted for mere presence than for action. Full story >> Protest march in Jaffna given up[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 09:45 GMT]The protest march against the deterioration of law and order in Jaffna peninsula that was to begin Sunday morning from Muniappar temple precincts by a newly formed organization called ‘Makka’l Sakthi’ was given up as police at the location did not permit the march to begin, sources in Jaffna said. Though it had been announced in local media about the protest march no other than the sole organizer turned up to march in protest. The media reporters and the police constables on duty at the spot were the only people present, the sources added. Full story >> Police carelessness, cause of deterioration of law, order in Jaffna peninsula[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 04:37 GMT]Jaffna District Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahintha Kathurusinghe said that the carelessness of police authorities in the peninsula is responsible for the present deterioration of law and order while informing the local media Saturday that according to President Mahintha Rajapakse’s order SLA will not interfere in civil administration in the peninsula anymore, media sources in Jaffna said. The SLA Jaffna Commander has also invited the editors of local dailies for a meeting Sunday at SLA 512 Division Head Quarters in Jaffna Gnanam Hotel. Meanwhile, a newly formed party called ‘Makka’l Sakthi’ (People’s Power) is to stage a protest march Sunday against the deterioration of law and order in Jaffna peninsula, the sources informed. Full story >> Sivaram showed how Sri Lankan state was dependent on oppression of Tamils: Prof. Whitaker[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 17:10 GMT]Sivaram’s biographer and close friend Professor Mark P. Whitaker said Thursday that Sivaram’s ability as a professional journalist to show convincingly how the Sri Lankan state was dependent upon its oppression of Tamil people, was one of the key reasons why he was targeted and killed exactly five years ago. Professor of Anthropology of the University of South Carolina , Mark P. Whitaker made these observations when delivering a speech at an event in London to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of Sri Lanka ’s top journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, well-known by his pseudonym as Taraki. Full story >> UPFA plans 'War Heroes Week' in mid May[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 16:42 GMT]The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to celebrate War Hero’s Week (Ranaviru Sathiya) from May 12 to May 18, said the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse during an informal talk with media persons at Elephant Pass in the north Friday while he was on a visit to Jaffna. Media sources in Colombo commented that the model being implemented by the Sri Lankan military and the UPFA, ignoring the advice from its global partners who advocate 'reconciliation' and 'development' as 'post-conflict' paradigm in the island. Full story >> CWC to accept ministry relevant to plantation community welfare[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 16:39 GMT]The politburo of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance Friday decided to accept a ministry that is relevant to the welfare of the plantation community. Hence the leader of the CWC has been waiting for the response of the President Mahinda Rajapakse who returned from Bhutan Friday, CWC sources told media. Full story >> Colombo plans Buddhist vihara in Mullaiththeevu town[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 16:16 GMT]Sri Lankan government has planned a large Buddhist vihara at the entrance of Mullaiththeevu town at Karaichchikkudiyiruppu, 150 meters near the Kachcheari building, said former Jaffna MP Selvaraja Kajendren Saturday. The government is spending millions in construction of the Buddhist temple and in constructing at least two memorial sites for Sri Lanka Army commanders killed in action, while the Tamil civilians are not provided with meaningful aid for resettlement, Mr. Kajendren told media. Full story >> First UPFA Cabinet meeting to be held on May 5[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 15:17 GMT]The first Cabinet meeting of the new United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government that came to power following April 8 general election is to be held on Wednesday (May 5). The first parliamentary group meeting of the ruling UPFA was scheduled to be held on Saturday, UPFA sources said. Full story >> Major parties hold May Day rallies without procession[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 14:38 GMT]Major political parties held their May Day rallies without procession Saturday. The ruling party United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held its May Day meeting at Colombo Municipal Grounds. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) decided not to hold its May Day procession. Full story >> TamilNet releases Sivaram video footage on Tamil journalism[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 10:55 GMT] TamilNet has released video clippings from a lecture conducted by late D. Sivaram (Taraki), the well-known political and military analyst and senior editor of TamilNet, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of his assassination, at a remembrance event held in Oslo by the Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils on Thursday.Full story >> SLA protection provided to Chaavakachcheari magistrate’s residence[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 05:10 GMT]On instructions by Judicial Service Commission and Justice Secretary to Jaffna Superintendent of Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, military protection in addition to police protection is provided from Friday to the residence of Chaavakachcheari Magistrate, P. J. Pirabakar’s residence in Paa’ndiayan Thaazhvu in Jaffna in the context of allegations reported to Chaavakachcheari Court by Paandiyan Thaazhvu residents against two key men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) for trespass into Magistrate Pirabakar’s residence more than two times with the intention of issuing death threats or to kill him, sources in Jaffna said. Full story >>
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