Heavy flood claims the lives of two, displaces 80,000 in South Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2008, 08:40 GMT]
At least two people have been killed and 20 houses completely destroyed in different parts of Sri Lanka’s south and central areas due to floods caused by heavy rain, according to the officials at the Disaster Management Centre in Colombo.
Full story >>

Grenade attack on Mosque in Kaaththaankudi, 4 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 15:09 GMT]
Four Muslim civilians were wounded when unknown attackers lobbed a grenade into the Al-Husiniya Mosque, situated in the 1st Division, Kaaththaankudi. The attack was reported at 7:45 p.m., police said.
Full story >>

French Tamils protest against killing of Tamils by Sri Lanka State

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 13:30 GMT]
Hundreds of French Tamils in the east of France assembled in front of the European Parliment in Strasbourg between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Friday, and demonstrated against the killing of Tamils, and aerial bombardment in the civilian settlements in the North East, sources in France said. The demonstrators carried pictures of tamils killed by aerial bombings and artillery attacks. The Mayor of Strarsbourg, represented by the Deputy Mayor, Mr Eric Elkouby, showed his support for the demonstration by standing amidst the protesters under heavy rain, attendees to the protest said.
Full story >>

SLA artillery fire kills father, son in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 08:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery barrage on Ki'linochchi town and its suburbs Friday evening, killing a 68-year-old father and his son around 5:20 p.m. while they were moving their household articles to Tharmapuram to escape continuing SLA artillery fire on residential areas. Six shells fell and exploded in the densely populated suburb.
Full story >>

Governor General of Canada voices for UN human rights office in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2008, 21:08 GMT]
"We strongly support the presence of the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human rights in Sri Lanka with a full mandate to report on the human rights situation", said The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean on the occasion of the presentation of credentials by Daya Perera, the new High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada, on Wednesday. "It is important to ensure that civilians in conflict zones are protected, that they have access to humanitarian organizations, and that their human rights are respected", she said while conveying deep concern of her government "over the future of the Sri Lankan people".
Full story >>

Change course or face misfortune: Indian scholar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2008, 21:32 GMT]
The broad sentiment in Tamil Nadu this time is not merely against Colombo but against New Delhi as well. It is widely perceived in Tamil Nadu that New Delhi is collaborating with Colombo in authoring the misery of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, says M S S Pandian in an article appeared in The Times of India on Thursday. "Tamil Nadu had a history of demanding secession from the Indian Union. Yet, over time, it has chosen to integrate itself fully with the national mainstream. If New Delhi does not change course in its Sri Lankan policy, it may plant the seeds towards a reversal of such history. That will be India's misfortune," wrote the renowned scholar on sociopolitical and subaltern studies of contemporary India.
Full story >>

Italian Tamils march to raise awareness about Tamils plight in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2008, 20:29 GMT]
More than two thousand diaspora Tamils in Southern Italy marched Thursday from Piazza Politama to the Palermo office of the Internal Affairs Ministry to hand over an appeal urging awareness on the plight of the Eezham Tamils in Vanni and elsewhere in the island of Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

Thirumavalavan courts arrest with thousands of cadres, asks India to stop proxy war

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2008, 12:05 GMT]
In a powerful state-wide railway blockade of a scale that has not been witnessed in recent years in Tamil Nadu, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thol. Thirumavalavan courted arrest Thursday morning with thousands of his cadres urging the Indian Government to stop the genocidal war against the Tamils within the next twenty-four hours. He said that the ongoing war in the island was "clearly a proxy war being waged by the Indian Government through the Sinhalese forces" and he urged upon New Delhi to put an end to it at the earliest.
Full story >>

Grenade attack on SLA sentry post in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2008, 10:31 GMT]
Unidentified persons hurled a hand grenade Tuesday night on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post located close to Naavalar Veethi in Jaffna, and local residents had heard sounds of gunshots following the attack, sources in Jaffna said. Details are not known if anyone was killed or injured.
Full story >>

SLA steps up fighting in Mu'rika'ndi, Akkaraayan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 2008, 19:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter gunships were deployed in transporting casualties on Wednesday from newly occuppied territories in the southern frontiers of Ki'linochchi as Sri Lanka Army stepped up fighting amid stiff resistance by the Tigers. SLA launched artillery barrage in the frontiers also extended to target the suburbs of Ki'linochchi town, causing panic among the civilians who had come back for temporary stay in their houses due to the lack of shelter elsewhere following the monsoonal rain. More than 80 SLA soldiers were killed and 200 sustained injuries within the past 4 days, according to informed sources in Colombo.
Full story >>

Sri Lankan DPU attack kills civilian, 2 wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 2008, 19:12 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit triggered a Claymore mine at Thikkuvil in Poonakari (Pooneryn) Wednesday around 1:00 p.m., killing a civilian and wounding two, initial reports from the Poonakari said.
Full story >>

KKS harbour activities stall following Sea Tiger attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 2008, 14:43 GMT]
Activities of Kaangkeasanthu'rai harbour came to a halt Wednesday following the early morning Sea Tiger attack on two Sri Lankan supply ships in Kaangkeasanthu'rai harbour, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) jointly searched villages east and west of Kaangkeasanthu'rai harbour, and fishing boats in the seas off the same coastline, sources added.
Full story >>

Pandemonium in Indian Parliament over Eezham Tamil, Indo-U.S. issues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 October 2008, 09:35 GMT]
Uproarious scenes over the issues of plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra caused the both houses of the Indian Parliament to be adjourned till noon within few minutes of assembling on Tuesday, Press Trust of India reported.
Full story >>

6 civilians including woman seek protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 October 2008, 20:14 GMT]
Five civilians from Thenmaraadchi, including a young woman and a family man from Valikaamam sought Monday protection to their lives due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna. Four of them were instructed by Chaavakachcheari Magistrate Court to surrender with HRC Jaffna office, HRC sources said.
Full story >>

Karnataka Tamils urge Delhi to recognise Eelam

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 October 2008, 12:53 GMT]
Stop the war, withdraw military assistance, recognise Eelam Tamils right to self determination and extend recognition to Tamil Eelam as India recognised the right to self determination of Bengalees in East Pakistan, said a memorandum issued by Karnataka Thamizhar Makkal Iyakkam (KTMI), which held a sit in (Dharna) agitation before the Gandhi statue on the M. G. Road in Bangalore on Monday.
Full story >>

Tamil Nadu film industry vows support to Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 October 2008, 11:38 GMT]
Bringing the entire Tamil film industry in Tamil Nadu state of India to a standstill, more than two thousand artists converged at the southern tip of Rameswaram (Raameasvaram), which is situated in the close proximity to the island of Sri Lanka, expressing their support for Eezham Tamils struggle. Actors are also expected to hold a fast on November 01 to express their solidarity with the civilians who suffer due to the military offensive by the Sri Lankan forces.
Full story >>

'Allow us to speak': French Tamil diaspora demonstrates

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 October 2008, 01:45 GMT]
Allow us to speak. We are not terrorists. What is happening in Sri Lanka is genocide: These were the voices of the thousands of Eezham Tamil demonstrators who braved defying a government ban and gathered in Paris on Sunday. Reflecting on his experience, Mr Somasundaram Sarveswaran, a participant said what is abominable that goes against all norms of civilization is silencing the civilian voice. "The Tamil national cause and the struggle against genocide of a people are not terrorist issues. There is a tendency today to look at everything related to Tamil as terrorism. This is why we earnestly look upon the leaders of Tamil Nadu to secure us our righteous global space as a priority, by recognizing the Tamil right to self-determination in the Island of Sri Lanka," he said.
Full story >>

Mahinda telephones Manmohan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2008, 23:15 GMT]
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to discuss recent developments in Sri Lanka. While the Sri Lankan press release is silent on details, the Indian brief discloses the PM's concern for the safety of civilians, ensured relief supply to IDPs, not enmeshing the Tamil community in the hostilities with LTTE and nurturing democracy in the East, apart from the usual reiterations on political solution, united Sri Lanka and Indian fishermen casualties. The Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee was invited by his Sri Lankan counterpart to visit Sri Lanka at an early date, according to SL press release.
Full story >>

Civilian shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 18:40 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motorbike shot dead a 42-year old family man Thursday afternoon in Thirunelveali area in Jaffna around 100 meters from his house, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna magistrate Vasanthasenan conducted the inquest at the site of the incident and directed Jaffna police to hand over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Full story >>

SLAF steps up air attacks in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 13:58 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers dropped more than ten bombs Wednesday around 9:10 a.m. on the civilian settlements in Manthuvil along Puthukkudiyiruppu - Mullaiththeevu road destroying eight houses. The bombers again dropped eight bombs on Keappapilavu civilian settlements along Puthukkudiyiruppu-Mu'l'liyawa'lai around 10:50 a.m destroying seven houses besides causing severe damage to paddy-fields. The attacks caused heavy damage to two roads.
Full story >>