SLA attacks on Jaffna protesters justified, says Fonseka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 20:52 GMT]
A "third force" in Jaffna is using peaceful demonstrations to instigate violence and therefore Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had to take defensive action, said Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Sri Lanka Army commander, justifying the recent attacks by the SLA soldiers on unarmed protesters in Jaffna, during a meeting between SL President Mahinda Rajapakse and TNA parliamentarians Wednesday at Temple trees, TNA sources said. The Vice Chancellor of Jaffna Campus, the Dean of the Arts Faculty and a TNA Member of Parliament were attacked, several students were injured and a lecturer received gunshot wounds when the SLA soldiers violently brokeup a peaceful demonstration near Jaffna campus Monday.
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SLA Corporal killed, six soldiers injured in Kilaly ambush

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 13:50 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Corporal was killed and six soldiers including two SLA majors were injured when unknown gunmen ambushed a SLA military vehicle along Kachchai-Kilali road in Thenmaradchy at 6.30 p.m. Wednesday, sources in Jaffna said. Gunmen used light machine guns and grenades in the attack, according to sources. Three SLA soldiers were injured in two other grenade attacks in Ariyalai and Kalviyankadu.
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SLA assault on VC, Arts Dean worrisome sign - NPC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 11:02 GMT]
National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based NGO, in a Media release issued on Wednesday condemned the security forces for attacking non-violent protests of students and staff of Jaffna campus, including Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Arts. The violence began when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers attacked the students marching to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices against the killing of Ilyathamby Tharsini (20) in Punguduthivu near an Sri Lanka Navy post. Postmortem examination has revealed that Tharsini was raped before being strangled to death.


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LTTE, SLMM meet in Pallai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 01:03 GMT]
Recent attacks by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers on unarmed civilians have made Tamil people lose all confidence in the peace process and in the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), C.Ilamparithy, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday told a two-member delegation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Tuesday at the LTTE's political secretariat in Pallai. The pattern of attacks clearly indicates that the attacks were premeditated, Ilamparithy further told the SLMM.
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Tharsini raped before murder- Medical Report

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 18:43 GMT]
Ilayathamby Tharshini (20), whose body was recovered from an abandoned well in Punguduthivu Saturday, was brutally raped before being strangled to death, according to postmortem examination conducted in the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Dr.Balasubramaniam, Judicial Medical Officer, who conducted the postmortem examination later handed over the medical report to the Kayts Police. The funeral of Tharshini was held Monday amid intimidation and threat by the Sri Lanka Navy personnel in Punguduthivu, residents said.
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Vavuniya undergrads boycott in support of Jaffna students

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 13:02 GMT]
Undergraduates from Vavuniya campus boycotted classes Tuesday to protesting against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) aggression including physical assault and indiscriminate firing on students at the Jaffna campus, sources in Vavuniya said. Vavuniya students accused the SLA of violating students right to non-violent protest and demanded that SLA immediately withdraw from the Jaffna Campus area.
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SLA attacks protesting auto-rickshaw drivers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 12:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Tuesday 3.30 p.m. attacked group of more than one hundred auto-rickshaw drivers and their vehicles who had assembled in Jaffna town in a protest by the Auto-Owners Union in support of a colleague injured by the SLA Monday, sources in Jaffna said. The auto drivers blocked Stanley Road, Kasturiar road and the roads proximity to the SLA camp when the SLA attacked the protesters.
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SLA trooper knifed in Ampan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 11:43 GMT]
Ajit Kumara, a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier attached to the Ampan SLA camp located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Vadamarachy East, received cut injuries from a sharp instrument by unknown attackers at 10 a.m. Tuesday, security sources said. The injured soldier has been admitted to Palalay military hospital in serious condition.
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SLA soldiers enter university premises, open fire, arrest lecturer, student

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 07:30 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers who entered the premises of the University of Jaffna Tuesday noon opened fire in the air, charged tear gas and attacked the students. The soldiers arrested Mr. Manickavasagar Ilampirayan, the lecturer of physical education and a student, Mr. Gowri Senthooran, university staff said. Hundreds of students who gathered in front the university building have launched a protest setting up road-blocks. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials have rushed to the site to diffuse tension. The University administration has condemned the conduct of the SLA soldiers, who entered the university premises on Tuesday for the first time since 1995.
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No peace talks until SLA atrocities on Tamil civilians cease-TNA MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian speaking during the budget debate in parliament Monday warned the Government not to think of peace negotiations until the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stops attacks on Tamil civilians in Jaffna district. SLA soldiers are seen in front of every house in Jaffna district and people are living under fear. Under these circumstances no meaningful peace negotiations could be held, said Mr. Senathirajah.
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SL troops open fire on demonstration in Jaffna, Lecturer shot, VC attacked

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 06:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers opened fire at a peaceful demonstration march by Jaffna University students and staff, wounding at least seven demonstrators including Prof. N. Perinpanathan, a Senior Lecturer, and a student leader of the medical faculty T. Kandeepan. Professor C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, Prof. R. Sivchandran, Dean of Arts, and S. Kajendran, Jaffna MP were severely beaten by the soliders. The demonstration march from Jaffna University towards the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) did not proceed beyond Parameswara Junction where the troopers began firing at the demontrators around 11:00 a.m. Monday. Tension prevails in the area.
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International political advocacy indispensable to maturing Tamil struggle- Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 00:03 GMT]
“Congressional meetings gave me hope that a conducive atmosphere is emerging in the supreme legislative body of the US with regards to the Tamil struggle. It is critical that we maintain sustained efforts to reinforce relationships with congresspersons interested in our struggle, and address human rights issues raised by UN agencies and watchdogs. With the maturing phase of our struggle, focussed political action in major world capitals has become an urgent priority,” said Pathmini Sithamparanathan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna, when she talked to TamilNet in Washington D.C concluding her two-week speaking tour in US Saturday.
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SLA attacks Irupalai auto-rickshaw drivers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 13:04 GMT]
Drivers of auto-rickshaws at Irupalai junction located on Jaffna-Point Pedro road Irupalai, 5 km North east of Jaffna town, were attacked again Sunday morning by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, in retaliation for complaining to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Saturday afternoon when SLA soldiers had attacked them and forced them away from the junction threatening them not to return.
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Punguduthivu erupts in violent protests against SLN

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 08:53 GMT]
Civlians in Punguduthivu Sunday morning protested against the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Punguduthivu following the discovery of the body of Ilayathambi Tharsini (20) from an abandoned well near SLN camp Saturday. A fifty-five years old civilian was rushed to Jaffna Hospital with serious gunshot wounds. Four more civilians sustained minor injuries. All traffic beyond Velanai thuraiyoor remains cut, reports from the islet said. Punguduthivu remains tense. The navy camp, an administrative office of the SLN, was stoned and later set on fire as the troopers withdrew from the camp, sources said.
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Punguduthivu disappeared woman's body found

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 December 2005, 17:06 GMT]
The body of Ilayathambi Tharsini (20), the young woman from Punguduthivu 7th district, who disappeared on Friday, was found in an abandoned well near the Sri Lanka Navy (Navy) camp Friday, sources from Jaffna said.
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SLA cordons off, searches Ariyalai village

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 12:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off and conducted a house to house search Mulli, a village in Ariyalai in Nalllur Pradeshya Sabha Friday morning. Villagers who assumed the presence of SLA troopers as part of intensified patrol of the area were alarmed when troops entered houses and demanded national identity cards from villagers, residents said.
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Jaffna Group warns of attacks if SLA harassment is not stopped

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 14:24 GMT]
If the increasing incidents of rounding up of civilians, and cordon and search of Tamil areas by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers continue, campaign of attacks against SLA will intensify in Jaffna, warned an organization of Tamil youths called "Roaring Tamil Force," in a memorandum submitted to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices in Jaffna Thursday. Twenty-five youths identifying themselves as belonging to the Group delivered the memorandum at the Temple Road offices of the SLMM, sources said.
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SLA soldiers search Jaffna press, threaten workers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 05:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army cordoned off the offices of the popular Tamil daily Namathu Eelanaadu located in Navalar road Jaffna Thursday 6.30 a.m. and searched the editorial, administrative and press sections of the paper's offices thoroughly for nearly half an hour, workers at the premises said. SLA soldiers questioned several workers at the daily and demanded to see workers' national identity cards. Civil groups expressed alarm at this ominous development to suppress press freedom in Jaffna district.
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Jaffna tense as SLA cordon, searches continue

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:14 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off and searched several villages in Jaffna district including Kachchai area in Thenmaradchy, Ariyalai in Jaffna, Myilankadu in Valikamam North, Erlalai North and Mandan in Vadamaradchy area, Wednesday morning as the troops continued their security operations for a second day, sources in Jaffna said. Early reports said seven youths have been detained for futher questioning by the SLA in Mandan area. However, the SLA has not officially released any information on the detention.
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Security forces cordon, search Potpathi Road area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has cordoned the area surrounding the road leading to Potpathi Road Jaffna from Kondavil on Palaly Road and are conducting house to house searches early morning Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA arrested a youth who was involved in brokering motor bike sales. Youth is still in custody, according to reports.
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