SLA extends checkpoint hours to assist Convention attendees

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Thallady main camp in Mannar district Monday agreed to extend Uyilankulam checkpoint opening time by more than 2 hours on September 30 for the people from LTTE controlled area to enter Mannar town through Uyilankulam to attend Tamil Resurgence Convention. The SLA agreed to the request when Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, Mr. Noharathalingam and Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan Monday morning met with Colonel Kariyakarawanse and sought assistance, sources said. The SLA also agreed not to deploy soldiers in the vicinity of the convention.
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TNA parliamentarian detained at Omanthai SLA checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 19:35 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the check point at Omanthai on A 9 highway Saturday afternoon detained Jaffna bound Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian, for about one and a half hours even after he identified him as a lawmaker. Mr.Eelaventhan told Tamilnet that soldiers had told him that they were checking his documents and other related materials on the orders of the Sri Lanka government.
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LTTE-SLMM hold talks in Pallai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 14:20 GMT]
Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday met with Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the latter's district political office located in Pallai in the LTTE controlled Killinochchi district, sources in Jaffna said. Mr. Ari Pekka Nimella, Jaffna district head of the SLMM also met with Mr.Ilamprithi at the same venue on Saturday, sources said.
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SLA soldiers assault Vadamaradchchi fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 07:57 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army manning coastal checkpoints assaulted a group of fishermen Saturday early morning for returning to the shore after fishing before the stipulated time given by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Fishermen of Vadamaradchchi North have been ordered by the SLA not to return to the shore with their catch before 6.30 a.m., Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Co-operative Societies Federation Secretary Mr.K.Suriyakumaran said.
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Democratic Freedom of Expression under threat in Jaffna - Gajendran MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 08:27 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament, Mr Selvarajah Gajendran has raised alarm at the detention of a university student and has protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission at the "intimidating tactics" of the Sri Lankan armed forces in Jaffna. Arrest of a Jaffna University student, Friday morning, at the "Crossings” at Muhamalai, sparked off a protest by student community. Gajendran MP and hundreds of students from the University of Jaffna rushed to the spot, freed the student and protested to the SLMM officials supervising the activities at the check-point.
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SLA blocks cement lorry enter Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 10:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Muhamalai checkpoint refused to allow a lorry belonging to Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) taking cement for its rehabilitation work into Jaffna, Thursday morning, TRO officials said.
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Rights Group inquires into fishermen's pass system

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 02:27 GMT]
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Wednesday began its inquiry into complaints that Sri Lankan government security forces has again introduced the compulsory pass system for the fishermen of Vadaramaradchchi division in Jaffna district for fishing in northern sea. Mr.Rohitha Priyatharsana, Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the HRCSL accompanied by his Investigating Officer Mr.T.Surenthirarajah visited Point Pedro and Munai area in Vadamaradchchi north and recorded statements from fisheries co-operative societies' officials, sources said.
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Three SLA soldiers, policeman injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 09:33 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at a Sri Lanka Army and Police joint foot patrol wounding three SLA soldiers and a policeman near Iruthayapuram public market, 2 km north of Batticaloa town, Police said. The incident took place around 12:30 p.m Wednesday. SLA soldiers opened fire for 10 minutes following the attack, civilian sources said.
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General shut down paralyzes normal life in Trinco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 05:09 GMT]
Tamil speaking people observed a general shut down in Trincomalee town and its suburbs, Wednesday, putting forward 8 demands, including the immediate removal of the unlawfully erected Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus terminal, about five months, and to lift the military occupation of the town since then. Tamil civil groups in the east port town issued the general shut down call.
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SLA removes Mannar road blocks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 16:06 GMT]
Three checkpoints and road blocks established by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the heart of Mannar town were removed Tuesday by soldiers of SLA following protests by the Mannar Citizens' Committee (MCC) to Brigadier S.M.D.Rajapakse. MCC delegation led by Rev.Fr Emliyanuspillai met with Brigadier Monday afternoon and expressed their concern for making Mannar a garrisoned city, civil sources said.


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Co-Chairs reiterate commitment, demand action

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 05:39 GMT]
As Sinhala nationalist forces opposed to a negotiated federal solution, Norwegian facilitation and the western influence, were gaining momentum in the South and a shadow war was being waged in the NorthEast, the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference, who met in New York Monday reaffirmed their strong support to Norway as facilitator and a federal solution as a framework. The Co-Chairs called on the Liberation Tigers to end political assassinations, recruitment of under age youth and underlined the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government to "disarm or relocate" paramilitary groups from the NorthEast. They expressed fear that the Cease Fire is facing its "most serious challenge".
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Mannar rape victim disappears before court hearing

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 17:16 GMT]
Mr.M.Remedius, human rights lawyer said Monday that Ms Ehambaram Wijakala, one of the two women complainants in the Mannar rape incident is reported to be missing and the other victim Ms Sinnathamby Sivamani has received threats that she will be killed if she gives evidence in Anuradhapura High Court where the case is listed for hearing on Wednesday September 21, legal sources said.


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SLA to intensify Pass system in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 10:44 GMT]
Tension has built up again in the coastal area in Point Pedro district, over SLA’s new order to intensify the "Pass System," among Tamil fishermen. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 524 Bridgade military officials in a meeting held Monday between 12 noon and 1 am at the brigade headquarters in Point Pedro presided by Col N. Ratnayake decided to reintroduce passes for Vadamaradchy fisherman through the fisheries Unions, SLA officials said.
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Buddha statue erected in Chunnakam SLA camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 September 2005, 22:14 GMT]
A new Buddha statue was erected, and an opening ceremony with special prayers was held Poya day, Saturday inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 513 brigade camp located in Chunnakam on Kankesaturai Road, residents of the area said.
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Mannar has become a garrisoned city, says Citizens Committee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 September 2005, 05:13 GMT]
Mannar Citizens' Committee (MCC) Friday complained to Mr.V.Visvalingam, Government Agent of the district that Mannar town has become a garrisoned city with the deployment of several hundred additional government troops and establishment of new checkpoints and sentries. Civilians are harassed by troops during checking at roadblocks, MCC further said.
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SLA, Police cordon, search Batticaloa suburbs

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 14:24 GMT]
More than five-hundred soldiers of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police cordoned off and searched Sinna Urani and Iruthayapuram, two outer suburbs of Batticaloa town Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., civilian sources said. SLA soldiers collected family details of selected households in the area. Policemen with paint-brushes painted number of family members with a number they assigned to households on the walls, sources added.


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SLA searches TNA MP's Mannar residence

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 00:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from Mannar camp encircled Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Mr Vino Noharathalingam's residence at 5.15pm Thursday before entering the house, and searched all rooms in the house for suspicious material, the MP said in registering his complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Paramilitary leader killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 04:52 GMT]
The leader of the Razeek Group, Mr. Sivaguru Navaratnarajah, 38, known as 'Kanthy', was killed in a grenade attack by unidentified attackers Wedensday morning. The attack took place at 6:25 a.m. inside the high security zone in Batticaloa town where Razeek group's well fortified military camp attached to Sri Lanka Army base at Lake Road is located. 'Kanthy' was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital with serious injuries and died at the hospital, Police said. He was in charge of Razeek Group since 'Razeek', the feared leader of the group was killed in 1999. SLA soldiers and police opened fire, cordoned off and searched the area following the attack, civilian sources said.
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Sun TV retransmission station attacked

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 06:17 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a handgrenade and opened fire at the Sun Television retransmission station in Vairavarpuliyankulam, located one kilometer west of Vavuniya town at 9:15 p.m. Monday, Vavuniya police said. No one was injured in the attack, according to an official of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation, the organisation that operates the retransmission station in Vavuniya. The station, located 50 meters away from a paramilitary camp belonging to Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) was also attacked in June 2005.
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Policeman injured in grenade attack in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 02:31 GMT]
Mr.L.Karunaratne, a police constable, was seriously injured and two civilians sustained minor injuries when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at the police sentry located in Kanchimadam roundabout junction near Trincomalee town, Uppuveli Police said. The junction serves as a gateway to Trincomalee town and villages in the north of the district.
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