Withdraw troops, lift embargo, demands Trinco Civil group

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 12:17 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Consortium (TDTPC) Thursday requested Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to remove all temporary camps and checkpoints of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) now located in the Trincomalee town following the erection of Buddha statue in the bus stand vicinity on May 15 midnight this year, sources said. The Civil group also demanded that the embargo on essential food and other items to Muttur east be lifted.
Full story >>

Four SLA soldiers injured in grenade attacks in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 11:37 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured in two separate grenade attacks on a SLA camp in the northern town of Chavakachcheri, Friday afternoon. The SLA soldiers have set up road blocks in the area and are conducting a house-to-house search, sources said.
Full story >>

VVT celebrates Pirapaharan's birthday with parade

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Festive atmosphere prevailed in Jaffna district Saturday as residents across the district celebrated the fifty first birthday of Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources from Jaffna said. In Valvettiturai (VVT), his birthplace, school music bands led a parade where villagers and students took his photograph from the Nediyakadu Pillayar temple along VVT hospital to Alady where Pirapaharan's house is located. More than 500 uniform clad members of the recently passed out Auxilliary force also participated in the parade.
Full story >>

Tigers two pronged strategy- Taraki, 1989

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 01:02 GMT]
On the 3 December 1989 issue of Sri Lanka's English daily, Island International, late Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular journalist and Senior editor at TamilNet, writes on LTTE's ascendency after the collapse of the Indo-Lanka accord. Beginning of withdrawal of Indian troops, JVP insurrection in the South that made Sri Lanka a killing field, and the start of Premadasa-LTTE talks provide the political context to the article.
Full story >>

Two civilians, two SLA soldiers injured in Trincomalee grenade attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 18:33 GMT]
Two soldiers and two civilians were injured when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at an Sri Lanka Army(SLA) camp located along Trincomalee Kandy highway about 3 km off east port town Thursday night around 7:40 p.m. police sources said.
Full story >>

Rajapakse to deliver vital policy speech Friday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 17:03 GMT]
Newly elected Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is set to deliver his first speech at the Lankan Parliament Friday where he is also expected to express his stand on the ethnic crisis, the Norwegian facilitation, economic policy and his foreign policy. A motion on re-imposing Emergency Regulations is also expected to be tabled in the Parliament Friday.
Full story >>

Five SLA soldiers, civilian injured in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 14:57 GMT]
Five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured, most of them seriously, when the tractor they were travelling along the the Point Pedro Jaffna highway at Maruthady junction, 500 meters south of Point Pedro town, came under grenade attack by unknown assailants at 7.45 p.m. Thursday night, sources in Point Pedro said. Injured soldiers have been taken to the Palaly Base hospital.
Full story >>

Udathalawinne case concludes, Court's decision in January

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 18:06 GMT]
The High Court Trial-at-Bar inquiry into the Udathalawinne massacre case in which General Anurudha Ratwatte, former Deputy Defense Minister, his two sons, Rohan and Chanuka, and thirteen Sri Lanka Army soldiers have been indicted on seventy two counts, including election violence, grabbing ballot papers and ballot boxes, conspiracy to murder and committing the murder of ten Muslim youths on the general election day on December 5, 2001 at Udathalawinne in Kandy district concluded Monday. Three-member bench of the Colombo High Court reserved its order for 20th January 2006, legal sources said.
Full story >>

SLN soldier disappeared, Nedunthivu under siege, 7 arrested

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 11:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers Monday morning cordoned off Nedunthivu (Delft) and conducted house to house search after two SLN soldiers were reported missing allegedly abducted by unknown men, sources said. Delft islet is under the control of the Sri Lanka Navy. However, SLN sources in Colombo said only one soldier was missing adding that seven youths have been arrested in Nedunthivu.
Full story >>

Troops re-deployed in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 02:21 GMT]
State armed forces who were taken out from the sentry points in the Trincomalee town Thursday early morning took up their positions again following the closure of Sri Lanka presidential polling in the evening. These soldiers were temporarily withdrawn from the town as agreed between the Election Commission and Security Forces commanders that soldiers will be deployed within five hundred meters from the polling stations during polling.
Full story >>

Less than one percent cast vote in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 12:28 GMT]
Election officials in Jaffna secretariat said in a low voter turnout only 2168 votes (0.3% out of 701,938 registered) were cast in Jaffna district. Low number of incidents of violence were reported during the election day where Jaffna district voters appeared to have heeded the call for total boycott by several student organizations.
Full story >>

Low voter turnout in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 11:33 GMT]
No votes were cast until mid-day at the sixty two cluster booths near Omanthai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint. However, few Omanthai residents turned up in the afternoon, sources in Omanthai said. Voting was brisk in Muslim and Sinhala areas in Vavuniya inside SLA controlled areas.
Full story >>

SL Presidential Polls: Near Fizzle-Out in North East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 10:14 GMT]
Very low attendance of voters was reported at the cluster-polling booths in the North-East as the voting in Sri Lanka to elect the fifth executive president began at 7:00 a.m Thursday. Situation in Jaffna remained calm in complete contrast to the polls eve marred with grenade attack incidents in the peninsula. At least six grenade incidents were reported in Batticaloa-Amparai. Two Tamil civilians were killed in Kalmunai. The voting continued till 4:00 p.m. Security was tightened throughout the country.


Full story >>

SL troops temporarily withdrawn from Trinco town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 07:07 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and police personnel of the Sri Lanka Police deployed in main junctions and near schools in the Trincomalee town since the controversy of the illegal erection of Buddha statue in the vicinity of the Trincomalee central bus stand have been withdrawn to barracks from Thursday early morning in keeping with the election law that no security personnel should be seen within five hundred meters from the polling stations, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources in the east port town said.
Full story >>

Grenade explosions, tension mark election eve in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 22:49 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna, and streets were deserted at 7.00 p.m. as several grenade explosions marked the election eve. Unidentified assailants lobbed grenades at the offices of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) offices in Chavakacheri, Manipay, Achchuveli, Point Pedro and Mallakam where the EPDP intelligence operatives and supporters were reportedly co-ordinating plans for vote-rigging. EPDP has campaigned in favour of presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse.
Full story >>

Two grenade attacks in Batticaloa, 3 SLA soldiers, policemen wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 15:42 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army soldiers were rushed to Batticaloa Hospital with serious injuries following a grenade attack at them in Iruthayapuram 2 km north of Batticaloa town at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday, police said. At least two policeman were wounded in a separate grenade attack in Manmunai, 7 km south of Batticaloa.


Full story >>

SLA soldiers dishonor GA permits at checkpoint -TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 18:08 GMT]
Soldiers manning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints at Kaddaiparichchan and Mahindapura in Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division are not honoring permits issued by the Trincomalee Government Agent to non-governmental organizations and other agencies to take building materials to LTTE held areas to implement approved reconstruction and rehabilitation projects, said Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a letter faxed to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Tuesday.
Full story >>

Five Tamil youths arrested by SL troops in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 06:51 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers arrested three Tamil youths at Paddiriuppu Bridge in Kaluwanchikudy, 24 km south of Batticaloa, and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested two Tamil youths at Black Bridge in Chenkalady, 13 km north of Batticaloa Monday. However, the Police in Eravur is yet to confirm the arrest of the two Tamil youths from Kaluwanchikudy, parents said.
Full story >>

Policeman succumbs to gunshot wounds in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 11:36 GMT]
A policeman, Mr. Senanayake, 38, wounded in gunfire by unidentified gunmen at Thirunelveli market in Jaffna around 4:00 p.m. Friday, succumbed to his wounds at Jaffna Hospital, medical sources said. Gunmen riding in a motorbike had fired at a group of policemen who had arrived at Thirunelveli market junction in Jaffna town from Atchchuveli, Jaffna Police said.
Full story >>

SLA tightens restriction on food, fuel transport to Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 17:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) tightened their restriction on transport of goods including eggs, meat and fuel into Muttur east from army controlled areas through the checkpoint of the SLA Kaddaiparichchan army camp from this week. SLA has also barred Muttur east fishermen from fishing after 6 p.m. as they have to pass through the high security zone for deep sea fishing, Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head said Thursday. Muttur east is held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


Full story >>