SLA shells IDP settlements in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery fire towards Union-ku'lam and Oottup-pulam villages with Internally Displaced Persons, southwest of Ki'ilnochchi town, Tuesday morning around 8:10 a.m. Artillery shells exploded near IDP settlements.
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Tamil civilian released after 14 months' detention

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 15:40 GMT]
Jaffna born Tharmalingam Pushparajah, a resident of Negombo in the western province for several years was released by the Colombo Magistrate Court Friday after 14 months' detention in Welikada prison under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without any evidence to implicate him with any 'terrorist activity', legal sources in Colombo said.
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30 Tamils interrogated over Colombo bomb blast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:59 GMT]
About 30 Tamil civilians were taken in for questioning by the Sri Lankan police following the bomb blast in Pettah, Colombo, Saturday afternoon. Around 45 civilians were injured in the blast.
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NGO vehicle narrowly escapes DPU Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 18:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit soldiers triggered a Claymore mine Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. on a convoy of FORUT, a Norwegian NGO, at Kanakaraayanku'lam, a few minutes after the convoy has passed the entry point to Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet Saturday. Tamileelam police officials charged that the SLA has stepped up Claymore attacks on civilian vehicles in Vanni in a bid to terrorise the people of Vanni. The NGOs and the UN agencies have become under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, which is pressurising a move to force people to vacate LTTE administered areas.
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SLA shelling kills 5 IDPs, children in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 12:15 GMT]
Five civilians, including two children, displaced recently from Mannaar district were killed Saturday evening when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attack on Puthumu'rippu village, situated 7 km southwest of Ki'inochchi town. Three civilians were rushed to Ki'inochchi hospital in critical condition, according to medical sources. The SLA attack, targeting the village, densely populated by IDPs, comes a day after Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets threatening heavy casualties to civilians in Vanni unless they moved from LTTE administered Vanni.
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DPU attack kills 2 civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 03:49 GMT]
A 15-year-old boy and a 33-year-old vegetable trader were killed on the spot at Olumadu Thursday evening when a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit triggered four Claymore mines targeting the grocery traders who were riding in a motorbike towards Nedungkea'ni in Mullaiththeevu district, Tamileelam Police said. The attack came a few hours before the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets instructing the people of Vanni to move out of the LTTE controlled areas to Vavuniyaa.
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Russian President justifies independence for South Ossetia, Abkhazia

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 07:41 GMT]
Explaining his government’s decision to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said in an op-ed in the Financial Times newspaper: “Not all of the world’s nations have their own statehood. Many exist happily within boundaries shared with other nations. The Russian Federation is an example of largely harmonious coexistence by many dozens of nations and nationalities. But some nations find it impossible to live under the tutelage of another. Relations between nations living 'under one roof' need to be handled with the utmost sensitivity.”
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SLA Claymore attack kills refugee in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
A civilian was killed and three wounded when a group of Internally Displaced Persons, who were riding in a tractor in Thu'nukkaay, were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit Wednesday morning around 10:00, according to Tamileelam Police.
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Tamil civilian abducted in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 10:30 GMT]
Unidentified armed men abducted a newly-wed Tamil family man Tuesday around 3:30 p.m at Ko’ndaiyaangkea’ni area in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district, according to the complaint lodged by his wife with Vaazhaichcheanai police.
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Catholic commission in Vanni highlights IDPs plight

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 00:19 GMT]
Amid pouring rain and thundering blasts of artillery and mortar shells, more than 170,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Vanni are facing a great human tragedy, which is calculatedly concealed from the world outside, said Rev. Fr. James Pathinathan, the president of the Vanni branch of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, in an urgent appeal to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, on Tuesday. "If the International Community doesn't act at once, it will be too late," he told TamilNet after handing over the memorandum to the Residential Representative of the UNHCR in Vanni.
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LTTE air strike on Trincomalee harbour - SLN

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 16:26 GMT]
Heavy explosions rocked the Trincomalee Harbour around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday and again at midnight. The Sri Lanka Navy sources have confirmed that at least one LTTE aircraft had dropped bombs, but refused to comment on the casualty details. Tension prevailed in Trincomalee town Tuesday night from about 9.05 onwards as Sri Lankan forces surrounding the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters located along the Trincomalee harbor continuously fired towards sky for about half an hour following the alleged attack. The city was deserted. 11 Sri Lankan soldiers have been admitted at Trincomalee hospital. Explosions were heard again at midnight.
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25 Tamils arrested in Gampaha

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 11:39 GMT]
Twenty five Tamil civilians were taken into custody Tuesday morning in a cordon and search conducted in Gampaha police division in the Western Province by the Sri Lanka Army and police with the assistance of homeguards.
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Devotees reported missing in Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 August 2008, 09:11 GMT]
A 27-year-old Public Health Inspector and his 34-year-old friend who were among the devotees, allowed to enter Ponnaalai Varadarajah Perumaa'l temple inside the Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone (HSZ) at the entrance to the Kaarainakar island in Jaffna, have been reported missing on Sunday.
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Thenmaraadchi farmer seeks refuge with HRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2008, 19:19 GMT]
A 27-year-old farmer from Thenmaraadchi sought refuge Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitary men. HRC officials took steps to place the farmer in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison.
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25 Tamil civilians arrested in Puththa'lam, Badulla

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 16:22 GMT]
35 people including 25 Tamil civilians were taken into custody in two separate cordon and search operations conducted by the police with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army and civil volunteer groups in Badulla and Puththa'lam on Tuesday and Wednesday. Five Tamil youths were arrested in Badulla police division on Tuesday evening and 30 persons including 20 Tamils were arrested in Puththalam police division. The search operation conducted in Puththa'lam commenced on Tuesday night and concluded on Wednesday, civil sources said.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Vavu’natheevu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 12:16 GMT]
Five unidentified armed men who forcibly took away a Tamil civilian Wednesday around 12:00 p.m from his house in Koththiyaapuram in Vavu’natheevu police division in Batticaloa shot and killed him, sources in Batticaloa said. Four of the five armed men were clad in pants similar to those worn by Special Task Force (STF) commandos, the sources added.
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Tamil civilian abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 12:06 GMT]
Unidentified armed men in a white van abducted a Tamil civilian Wednesday around 6:30 a.m. from his house on Christ Mawatte in Marawila in Negombo police division, according to the complaint lodged by his wife with Marawila police.
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Tamil man abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 12:02 GMT]
A 31-year old Tamil civilian, R.F. Mariyakumar, was abducted Wednesday morning around 6:30 a.m. from his residence along Christ Mawatte in Marawila in Negombo police division by a group of unidentified armed men, according to a complaint lodged by the victim's with the Marawila Police, sources in Colombo said.
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Fuel crisis cripples IDP movement in Vanni - Ki'linochchi GA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 11:24 GMT]
More than 100,000 Internally Displaced People in Vanni, languishing in dark beneath shrubs, bushes and in public buildings throughout Ki'linochchi district, and affected by various hardships imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has crippled the ability of the IDPs to move themselves and their belongings, according to the Government Agent of Ki'linochchi district. 134,868 IDPs belonging to 35,353 families are heavily affected by the economic blockade in Ki'inochchi district. Meanwhile the rainy season has begun in Vanni and more than 75 percent of the families are getting drenched by the torrential rain.
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University of Jaffna observes silent protest in solidarity with civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 09:40 GMT]
Hundreds of students and the staff of the University of Jaffna Tuesday morning gathered for a silent protest against the isolation of civilians in Vanni by the Sri Lankan government. The silent protest by the University society, expressing solidarity with thousands of displaced people in Vanni, comes after a long period of time marked with targeted annihilation of protesting voices in Jaffna.
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