SLA forcibly uproots civilians from occupied Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2009, 03:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been engaged in vacating civilians from the coastal villages earlier held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vadamaraadchi East, to Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi and brought around 300 civilians in vehicles along the A9 road Wednesday making a total of 985 civilians along with those brought in during the last four days, according to Divisional Secretariat sources in Chaavakachcheari. Meanwhile, there have also been alleged reports of disappearances in the custody of the SLA. The latest move, to keep the civilians within military High Security Zone in Mirusuvil, has set off fears of military 'detention centres' like the ones reported in Mannaar and Vavuniyaa in recent times.
Full story >>

Fate of 200 fleeing civilians arrested by SLN not known

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 21:15 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police in Jaffna, which had alerted the judicial system and the civil authorities on Monday that around 200 civilians arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) while fleeing in boats from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupied Vadamaraadchi East to Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) held areas in Mullaiththeevu district, were to be handed over to the authorities, on Wednesday said that they had no further updates from the SLN or the SLA on the whereabouts of the refugees.
Full story >>

British premier wants ceasefire in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 20:24 GMT]
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, while responding to a question by Keith Vaz MP about the plight of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and the killing of Sunday Leader editor, said Britain’s Parliament Wednesday that there is a need for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka and that he would be raising the matter with French President Nikolas Sakorzy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Brown was speaking during the first Prime Minister’s Questions of 2009.
Full story >>

13 civilians wounded in SLA shelling on Pongkal day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 09:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells targeting civilians who have been moving from other areas of Vanni towards Puthukkudiyiruppu, causing injuries to 13 civilians, initial reports from Puthukkudiyiruppu said. The indiscriminate shelling has targeted Kaiveali settlement in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district. The bombardment comes on civilian settlement comes on Pongkal Day, a common festival of Tamil identity. The Tamil diaspora has called off Pongkal celebrations.
Full story >>

World oblivious to Sri Lanka's genocide of Tamils, says music phenom M.I.A

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 04:06 GMT]
Maya Arulpragasam, better known by her stage name M.I.A, a British born Tamil and recent U.S. Grammy nominee, reveals that her music was shaped by her experience as a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka, and accuses the International Community for standing idle as Colombo perpetrates acts of genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka's NorthEast. In her interview to an Indian website, Maya adds: "[P]eople need to learn that you cannot wipe out a whole [Tamil] race."
Full story >>

End of peace in India’s south

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 00:40 GMT]
The people of Tamil Nadu in no uncertain terms have said what they wish and have shown their indignation and resentment to what is happening in the island of Sri Lanka. The Tamil diaspora all over the world has demonstrated its solidarity with the national question of Eezham Tamils. The people of USA have firmly voted for the revision of the politics of terrorism. But the few, clinging at the helm of the outgoing administrations of New Delhi and Washington have decided to run amok, defying local and global public opinion. While Bush leaves behind a precarious world legacy to Obama, the Sonia Congress bears personal responsibility for the plight of Eezham Tamils.
Full story >>

Doctors call for attack free zones surrounding displaced hospitals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 23:45 GMT]
In a systematic well planned militarily and politically crucial campaign, the Sri Lankan Government directed military forces are pursuing attacks on densely populated areas east of the A9 in Vanni. Often in close proximity to relocated hospitals and camps of the fleeing population, its strategy seems to be one of aerial bombardment followed by immediate ground attacks, involving heavy artillery and mortar attacks that have caused increased civilian casualties. Above statistics and ground reports, echo a plea from government service doctors in Vanni, who have called for 'attack free zones' surrounding displaced hospitals.
Full story >>

SLA engaged in vacating civilians from Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 21:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers advancing from Ezhuthumadduvaa’l in Thenmaraadchi into areas earlier held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vadamaraadchi are forcibly vacating permanent residents from their villages, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. 208 persons belonging to nearly 50 families brought to Kodikaamam by the SLA soldiers were handed over to Kodikaamam police who produced them before Chaavakachcheari magistrate Tuesday. Directed by the magistrate the vacated civilians have been placed in Jaffna Government Agent’s (GA) special hostel in Koappaay.
Full story >>

Pressure Colombo to stop attacking civilian targets, TRO appeals to India, UN, US

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 13:55 GMT]
In an urgent press released issued Monday, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), appealed to the Government of India, President-Elect Obama, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the international community, to pressure "the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to cease attacks on civilian targets; allow unfettered humanitarian access to the Vanni by the UN and international NGOs; and to allow all necessary essential humanitarian assistance into the area."
Full story >>

SLA shelling hits nursery in Puthukkudiyiruppu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 13:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells hit a nursery killing a 28-year-old civilian Tuesday around 1:30 p.m., reports from Puthukkudiyiruppu town said.
Full story >>

Humanitarian tragedy unfolds in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 12:32 GMT]
If Tamil Nadu fails to exert pressure on New Delhi to stop the Sri Lankan offensive in Vanni within a few hours, there will be no hope left for civilians who fear being subjugated by the Sri Lankan military, say displaced peoples representatives in Vanni as thousands of civilians were fleeing towards Puthukkudiyiruppu from Tharmapuram and the adjoining areas as Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) shelling intensified Tuesday. Hospital at Tharmapuram has been displaced and the streets were full of vehicles with Internally displaced civilians.
Full story >>

Security of Diyatalawa town tightened

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 12:19 GMT]
The security of Diyatalawa, a town in Nuwara Eliya district where the Sri Lanka Army Academy, main training camp of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and Sri Lanka Surveying Institute are located, has been tightened, media sources in Colombo reported. More security points and road blocks have been established to monitor the movement of vehicles and civilians.
Full story >>

Tamil civilian reported missing, in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 10:35 GMT]
A Jaffna born Tamil civilian residing in Wattala in Colombo district has been reported missing since Thursday, according to complaints lodged with Wattala Police Station by his relatives.
Full story >>

SLA intensifies artillery attacks on civilian targets, hospital targeted

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 06:34 GMT]
Many civilians were wounded Tuesday morning when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery guns targeted civilian settlements on all fronts of Vanni. A 38-year-old woman was killed and six wounded around 10:00 a.m., when Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital premises and its environs came under artillery fire. Meanwhile, four civilians, including 2 children of the same family, were killed in Visuvamadu. 2 more civilians were reported killed on Monday in Vaddakkachchi. More than 20 civilians have been wounded so far on Tuesday in the indiscriminate bombardment.
Full story >>

SLN arrests 200 civilians fleeing from Jaffna to Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2009, 16:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers arrested Monday around 200 civilians fleeing war from Vadamaraadchi East areas earlier held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to LTTE held Mullaiththeevu district in Vanni, in their fishing boats by sea route, sources in Jaffna said. The arrested civilians have been brought to areas in Jaffna peninsula under control of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the government officials are facing a critical situation as no prior arrangement has been made to shelter these refugees, sources close to Jaffna Secretariat said. Meanwhile, the Deputy Ambassador for Britain in Colombo made a sudden visit to Jaffna Monday where he met Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh and key SLA officials, the sources added.
Full story >>

Pillayan group men abduct Tamil civilian, in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2009, 15:52 GMT]
Pillayan group TMVP men, led by its main operative Jenthan, arriving in a white pickup vehicle abducted a Tamil civilian Friday around 2:00 p.m in Karuvappangkea’ni in Batticaloa police division, according to complaints lodged with Batticaloa Human Rights Commission (HRC) office. The abducted civilian is being held and tortured in Thaamaraikea’ni TMVP office and his wife who went to see him was assaulted by the men in the office, according to complaint made to Batticaloa police.
Full story >>

Tamil diaspora calls off Pongkal, Vanni situation 'precarious'

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2009, 08:45 GMT]
The representatives of Eezham Tamil diaspora organisations in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States on Sunday said they were suspending all Pongkal celebrations as the situation of civilians in Vanni has reached intolerable limits. The announcement came as the Sri Lankan military was preparing for an all out war on densely populated territory in the northeast of Vanni. The diaspora representatives in a joint electronic message said it was "only the pressure from Tamil Nadu that could halt the genocidal onslaught on Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces on Tamils in Vanni."
Full story >>

Civilian casualties increases 8 fold in Ki'linochchi district

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2009, 00:54 GMT]
Ki'linochchi hospital, which was functioning in the town earlier has been moved closer to civilian centers, and is now functioning from Tharmapuram and two schools in Visuvamadu - at Visuvamadu Maha viththiyaalayam and Punnaineeraavi school - and in Kallaa'ru in Chu'ndikku'lam. The hospitals are functioning in difficult conditions and are overwhelmed with civilian casualties from the air strikes and artillery attacks. Only during the first week of January 2009 the hospitals belonging to Ki'linochchi district had to attend a number of casualties equaling that of 8 weeks during the months of November and December in 2008.
Full story >>

12 wounded, SLA shells Puthukkudiyiruppu, Ka'ndaava'lai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2009, 19:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery fire on several fronts of densely populated Vanni throughout Sunday. Artillery shells exploded near Puthukkudyiruppu hospital, and the outskirts of Visuvamadu in Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Pu'liyampokka'nai in Ka'ndaava'lai and Vaddakkachchi in Karaichchi divisions of Ki'linochchi district. Several roads of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts were fully busy with vehicles and bicycles carrying the displacing civilians, despite the roads were being targeted by the artillery.
Full story >>

SLA shells hit Health Secretariat of Ki'linochchi district

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2009, 18:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells have hit the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services (DPDHS) Secretariat for Ki'inochchi district, located at Pu'liyampokka'nai in Ka'ndaava'lai division Sunday noon. The attack on the DPDHS secretariat has come despite the government forces were given the coordinates of the secretariat, health officials said.
Full story >>