TNA: Jaffna Pass system violates basic human rights

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 15:43 GMT]
Maavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Jaffna in a letter to Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse, protested that procedures instituted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials for Jaffna residents to obtain a “Pass” to travel out of Jaffna require several days, and are causing “tremendous hardships” to the public and demanded immediate withdrawal of the pass system. He accused Colombo of suppressing freedom of movement and of grossly violating basic human rights.
Full story >>

2 civilians missing in Ki'n'niyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2008, 11:12 GMT]
A 35-year old cattle breeder, and a 42-year old auto-rickshaw driver have been reported missiing in Aalangkea'ni, Ki'n'niyaa, during the last three days, according to complaints filed by their relatives with Ki'n'niya Police, media sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Grand finale for Pongku Thamizh in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 July 2008, 02:41 GMT]
Around 30,000 people attended the Pongku Thamizh (Tamil Upsurge) rally in London at the Rorehampton Vale sports ground on Saturday, choking traffic in one of the highways, said the organisers. A number of British parliamentarians cutting across party lines, international representatives of liberation movements, rights activists, and politicians from Tamil and Sinhala communities addressed the event, and sent messages in support of the event. Even by conservative estimates, nearly 150,000 Tamils of North America, Europe, Africa and Australia have so far demonstrated their support to the cause of Eezham during the last one-month through Pongku Thamizh 2008.
Full story >>

Grenade attack on Batticaloa district UNP organiser's residence

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 July 2008, 17:42 GMT]
Unidentified attackers Friday night lobbed a grenade at the residence of opposition United National Party's Batticaioa district organiser and the opposition member of the Eastern Provincial Council, Arasaratnam Sasitharan, wounding two policemen. Mr. Sasitharan, after the attack blamed the TMVP operative, Kalingan, who is also a member of the Batticaloa urban council, for monitoring his activities and for threatening his supporters. This is the second grenade attack on the residences of UNP members in Batticaloa district within the last two months.
Full story >>

State not ready to file charges against Tissainayagam, asks Court for more time

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 July 2008, 16:55 GMT]
The State Counsel, Parindra Ranasinghe, appearing in Tissainayagam’s wrongful custody case, Friday, admitted that investigations in the case had been complete last week, but that decision is yet to be made if the State is going to file charges against Tissainayagam. The Counsel requested from the Court for a further 47 days to make the decision. Tissainayagam has been held in custody for 126 days as of today.
Full story >>

Two civilians disappear in 48 hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 July 2008, 13:10 GMT]
Two men from different suburbs in Jaffna peninsula on their way to work disappeared during the first two days of the week under suspicious circumstances, and are believed to have been abducted, according to complaints lodged by their relatives at the Jaffna office of Human Rights Commission (HRC), sources said.
Full story >>

CTTU extends support for General strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 July 2008, 02:42 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU ) in an official communiqué issued Tuesday called upon all it members to take part in the island wide general strike scheduled for July 10 in a show of support for the one-day token strike organized by the Marxist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) with the blessings of main opposition United National Party (UNP).
Full story >>

State of Emergency extended in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 July 2008, 18:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday after a full day debate adopted the motion to extend the State of Emergency for another by a majority of 97 votes. 111 parliamentarians voted for the motion and 11 against. The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP), splinter group of the JVP supported. Eleven parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against the motion, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>

SL parliament elects new Deputy Speaker uncontested

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 July 2008, 08:58 GMT]
Priyankara Jayaratne was elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament Tuesday. SL Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake proposed and Nimal Sripala de Silva, Leader of the House seconded the name of Priyankara Jayaratne for the post of Deputy Speaker that fell vacant with the resignation of Geethanjana Gunawardene on July 4, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>

112 troops killed, 793 wounded in June - Sri Lankan PM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 July 2008, 08:53 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, the Sri Lankan prime minister Tuesday opening the debate in the parliament on the motion seeking approval to extend the State of Emergency for another month revealed that one hundred and twelve Sri Lankan armed forces personnel were killed and seven hundred and ninety three were injured in the battlefield against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in June.
Full story >>

Spontaneous show of solidarity in Canada

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 July 2008, 23:00 GMT]
In a spectacular show at short notice, more than 75,000 Canadian Tamils spontaneously gathered at Downsview Park in Toronto, Canada, for the Pongku Thamizh event, forging solidarity for the cause of Eezham, on Saturday. It was in fact a response to the oppressive policies of the International Community against Eezham Tamil nationalism, observers say.
Full story >>

LTTE leader pays homage to Black Tigers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 July 2008, 06:47 GMT]
LTTE leader Mr. V. Pirapaharan participated in the Black Tigers commemoration day events held Saturday in Vanni. 356 Black Tigers have laid down their lives, 254 of them in sea operations, during the last 21 years since 05 July 1987, when the first Black Tiger Captain Miller, drove an explosive laden truck on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops garrisoned at Nelliyadi Central College in Vadamaraadchi in Jaffna. Last year, Black Tiger commandos stormed the Sri Lankan airbase in Anudradhapura in LTTE's first combined Black Tiger and Tamil Eelam Air Force attack, destroying more than 10 air crafts.
Full story >>

Ejected IDP family denies wrongdoing

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 July 2008, 12:39 GMT]
A widowed Tamil woman and three children displaced from Trincomalee district and living in an interim camp in Kalviyangkaadu, Batticaloa, and recently ejected from the camp by the village officer (GS) of the area for immoral conduct, has called for justice from Human Rights Commission (HRC).
Full story >>

NCPC, SPC elections to be held on August 23

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 July 2008, 09:58 GMT]
Elections to the Sabragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) and North Central provincial Council (NCPC) will be held on August 23, the Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake announced Friday at the closure of nominations. Meanwhile all major political parties, ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which suffered a split some months ago have been contesting all the four districts in the two provinces.
Full story >>

Knowledge books mistreat Tamil history

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 07:34 GMT]
The presentation of the History of Eezham Tamils, in some of the international reference material such as Britannica Concise Encyclopedia and The World Factbook by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has become a matter of serious concern for Tamils all over the world. When the discipline of history itself is being deconstructed in the portals of knowledge of the postmodern era on one hand, these international sources of information are still harping on colonial brand of Orientalism, by basing history on myths.
Full story >>

CWC, UPF decide to contest SPC election separately

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 01:34 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), allies of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have decided to contest the Sabragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) separately. Leaders of the CWC and UPF are holding ministerial posts in the cabinet of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Full story >>

Media institutions hold protest demonstration in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 July 2008, 14:41 GMT]
Five media organizations and prominent political leaders staged a protest demonstration Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. at Colpetty Junction, condemning the attacks let loose on journalists and media men. The demonstrators called on the Sri Lankan government to immediately appoint a ministerial sub-committee to conduct inquiries into the Monday attack on Media Director of the Sri Lankan Press Institute (SLPI) Namal Perera and the British Embassy officer Mahendra Ratnaweera.
Full story >>

Tamil family from Kalmunai arrested in Horana

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 July 2008, 13:59 GMT]
Horana police arrested a Tamil family of five including a one-year-old child from Kalmunai who had come to Horana for a wedding, Rajaratnam Lawrence, the youngest member (son) of the arrested family, said in his complaint to P. Rathahkrishanan, Deputy Minister for Vocational Training and Industrial Education. The Inspector in charge of Horana police, Jayantha Wickramaratne, verbally abused Rev. Patrick Lawrence, the priest who was to conduct the marriage, when he appeared at the police station to attest that the family had come to participate in the marriage, the complainant said.
Full story >>

US condemns attack on British Embassy officer, SLPI Director

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2008, 13:46 GMT]
The United States Embassy in Colombo on Tuesday condemned the attack on a staff member of British High Commission and a director of the Sri Lankan Press Institute (SLPI) on Monday in the heart of Colombo. The attack on Media Director of the SLPI Namal Perera and the British Embassy officer Mahendra Ratnaweera was carried out at Narahenpitya in Colombo near the Sri Lankan Department of Information by a group of attackers, who came in a white van Monday evening. The attack came a few days after a government paper alleged that the SLPI had sent members connected to LTTE to a course in Denmark under Journalist label.
Full story >>

Aaraiyampathi youth reported missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2008, 11:28 GMT]
A 17-year-old Tamil boy, resident of Maavilangkuthu'rai, Aaraiyampathi in Kaaththaankudi police division, Batticaloa district has been missing since 22 June, the youth’s mother reported at the office of Human Rights Commission in Batticaloa.
Full story >>