Paramilitaries release two TRO workers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 February 2006, 11:54 GMT]
Two of the five pre-school teachers who were abducted by paramilitaries working with the assistance of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Sunday 8.00 p.m. were released unharmed and returned to their families in Batticaloa on Wednesday, TRO representatives in Batticaloa said. The fate of the remaining 8 persons abducted by the paramilitaries is not yet known.
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Traders call for hartal in Vavuniya Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 February 2006, 11:39 GMT]
Vavuniya Traders Union has called for a complete shutdown (hartal) of all businesses, private and Government offices in Vavuniya on Thursday as a protest against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the escalating incidents of arrests, harassement and disappearances in the NorthEast, spokesperson for the Union said.
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NGO Consortium urges immediate action to release kidnapped TRO staff

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 February 2006, 08:08 GMT]
The Consortium of Non Governmental Organisation in Vavuniya, representing 43 NGOs in Vavuniya District, on Tuesday, appealed to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, the representative of the International Committee for Red Cross in Colombo (ICRC), the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the chairperson of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies in Colombo, to take immediate action to safeguard the lives and to ensure the safe return of NGO workers who have been kidnapped.
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Another five TRO staff reported missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 17:17 GMT]
Five persons, four Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Pre School Education Development Center (PSEDC) personnel, and their driver, have been reported missing in the East, the TRO said in a press release issued Tuesday evening. The team, which was expected to have returned to the Kilinochchi FORUT office Tuesday, had left Valaichchenai, Batticaloa District, Sunday around 7:00 p.m. The PSEDC personnel had gone to Batticaloa to carry out the final assessment of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) funded Temporary Pre School Construction Project for Tsunami Welfare Centers and to evaluate the progress of the construction of Permanent Pre Schools funded by Save the Children in Sri Lanka.
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Paramilitaries abduct 5 TRO staff in Welikande

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 19:54 GMT]
"Five (5) staff members [of Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO)] travelling from the Batticaloa office to Vanvuniya for training have been stopped by unidentified paramilitary personnel immediately after the Welikanda, (Polunnaruwa District) Sri Lankan Army Checkpoint at approximately 2:00 pm 30 January, 2006," TRO said in a press release issued Monday.
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Indian Air Force Chief arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 14:04 GMT]
The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P.Tyagi arrived Monday in Sri Lanka on a five-day official visit, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) officials in Colombo said. During his stay in Sri Lanka, he is scheduled to meet SL President Mahinda Rajapakse, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse, Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Daya Sandagiri and the commanders of the three forces.
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Another grenade attack on civilian residence in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 08:38 GMT]
Unknown attackers lobbed a grenade at a civilian residence in Vavuniya Sunday night. No one was wounded in the attack, which was the sixth grenade attack to be reported on civilian residences within the last few days, Vavuniya Police said. At least two houses of reputed businessmen were among the targets in Vavuniya. Incidents of extortions and violence, allegedly by paramilitary cadres, have escalated in Vavuniya.
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Three wounded in grenade attack on Vavuniya trader's house

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 January 2006, 11:16 GMT]
A 13-year-old boy, his 14-year-old sister, and their mother were wounded when unknown attackers lobbed a grenade Saturday night around 8:40 p.m. on the front-yard of the residence of a reputed trader in Vavuniya, Police said. The cause of the attack on the house of the businessman, Chandrakumar, the owner of Gopi Agency, is not known, the Police said. This is the fifth grenade attack to be reported in Vavuniya town within the past 7 days, sources said.
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Tamil students allege discrimination in University Admissions

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 January 2006, 15:19 GMT]
Two Tamil female candidates who sat for the Sri Lanka Law College entrance examination have filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) application in the Supreme Court alleging discrimination against Tamil medium candidates. Both have begged the court to order for re-correction of their answer scripts, legal sources said. Meanwhile, fifteen Jaffna students filed another FR application challenging admission procedures to the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine, legal sources added.


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Hartal against civilian killings brings Vavuniya to standstill

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 January 2006, 10:40 GMT]
Normal life and business in Vavuniya town and suburbs came to a standstill Friday by a hartal (shut down) organised by Tamil Student's Union in protest against the killings of civilians in NorthEast by the Sri Lankan Armed forces, Intelligence operatives and paramilitaries. Very few vehicles plied the streets, shops remained closed, schools were closed, businesses and private institutions remained closed and the town was deserted. The hartal was peaceful, Vavuniya Police said.
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LTTE releases Sri Lanka Policeman

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 January 2006, 10:17 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eleam released Thursday one of the three Sri Lankan policemen held in custody since September 2005 for illegally entering into Liberation Tigers controlled area. S.Thangan, Deputy Head of the Political Wing handed over the policeman to Liaison Officer of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. The policeman was handed over Sri Lankan Government Security Forces in Vavuniya, the SLMM said.
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Private tutor shot dead in Vavuniya, one wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 January 2006, 12:51 GMT]
An unidentified gunman riding in a motorbike shot and killed a private tutory teacher on Goodshed Road, 1.5 km west of Vavuniya town around 5:00 p.m. Monday. The victim, Kamalachandran, who received seven 9 mm gunshot wounds, died on the spot. A friend of the victim was rushed to Vavuniya Hospital with serious wounds, Vavuniya Police said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Special Task Force (STF) soldiers were deployed at the site following the shooting incident.
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Norwegian Ambassador, SLMM Head to meet LTTE Political Head

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2006, 11:11 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, and the Head of Mission of the Scandinavian truce monitors, Hagrup Haukland, will be visiting Kilinochchi to meet the Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, S P Thamilchelvan on Tuesday, according to the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. The LTTE is likely to press for urgent de-escalation of violence in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas of the NorthEast in the meeting viewed to be a preparatory meeting for the visit of Norwegian Development Minister Erik Solheim, expected to take place at the end of the January as announced by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
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Nine SLN sailors killed, 10 wounded in Claymore blast in Chettikulam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 January 2006, 10:48 GMT]
Nine Sri Lanka Navy sailors were killed and ten wounded when their bus hit a Claymore mine in Chettikulam Thursday evening around 4:20 p.m., Sri Lankan naval sources said. The attack took place on Madawachi - Mannar Road. A Sinhala home guard was reported killed and a Muslim youth was wounded in SLN gunfire following the attack. Sri Lanka Army soldiers who cordoned off and searched the area have attacked civilian residents in Veerapuram village located close to the site of explosion. Tension prevails in the area, civilian sources said.
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SLA attack on LTTE sentry said repulsed

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 18:54 GMT]
The deep penetration unit of the Sri Lanka Army, backed by paramilitary groups, entered the no-man zone in Vavunatheevu and attacked the LTTE sentries in the area at 7:30 p.m. Monday night, but the LTTE returned fire and the attackers withdrew, LTTE sources in Batticaloa said, quoting Mr. Thayamohan, the political head of the LTTE for Batticaloa-Amparai.
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Abducted men found dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 06:48 GMT]
The bodies of two men who were abducted by unidenfied persons, Sunday night were found with gun shot injuries at Skanthapuram cemetary, 6 km. southwest of Vavuniya, Monday morning, police said. Meanwhile, according to civilian sources in Vavuiya, the two victims were believed to be Sri Lankan Intelligence personnel, Ajith and Suresh, who worked at Omanthai checkpoint of the Sri Lanka Army.
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Claymore attack on SLA tractor in Vavuniya, 2 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 January 2006, 07:23 GMT]
Two SLA soldiers were wounded in a Claymore attack on a SLA tractor at Thevakulam, near Ichankulam northwest of Vavuniya around 9:45 a.m. Thursday. One SLA sergeant with serious wounds was rushed to Vavuniya Hospital, Police said. Seven soldiers were traveling in the tractor.
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SLA's Deep Penetration Unit responsible for Claymore attack - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 January 2006, 13:40 GMT]
LTTE's Political Head of Mannar District, Mr. Iniyavan, said Wednesday that there were two Claymore mines bound to a tree and wired to a triggering device operated a few meters away from the spot where LTTE Vavuniya West Political Co-ordinatar Major Jeyanthan was killed with a civilian supporter riding in a motorbike Tuesday. "A deep penetration unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is known to operate from the Iranai Illuppaikulam SLA base," Iniyavan told TamilNet after showing the site to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) members Wednesday morning. The Claymore explosion that claimed the life of Maj. Jeyanthan, took place 4 km near Chinnavalayankattu, 47 km east of Mannar.
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Abducted PLOTE cadre's body found in Kepitikollawa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 January 2006, 01:01 GMT]
The body of Krishnasamy Thirunavukarsu, 26, also called Mani, a paramilitary operative of the People's Liberation Organisation of Thamil Eelam (PLOTE) who was abducted from his home in Veppankulam in Vavuniya Saturday, was found Wednesday morning at the Sinhala border village of Attambusgasgoda located 15 km southeast of Vavuniya town, Kepitigollawa Police said.
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LTTE official, civilian killed in Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 January 2006, 12:43 GMT]
Major Jeyanthan, Liberation Tigers Vavuniya West area political head and a civilian, Mr. Vinotharan Thevarasa, were killed when a Claymore mine exploded hitting the motorbike in which they were riding in LTTE controlled area at Chinnavalaiyankattu, 45 km east of Mannar town, LTTE sources said. The Claymore mine was allegedly exploded by a group of Sri Lankan soldiers around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, according to the sources.
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