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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STF, police torture, forcibly drown Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 02:28 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and policemen forcibly drowned Friday around 6:50 a.m in Urukaamam Punnaiku’lam lake in Velaave’li police division in Batticaloa district, a Tamil youth arrested by STF commandos five days ago after having tortured him, residents in Urukaamam alleged. STF claimed that the youth was a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and that they had recovered a pistol and a hand grenade from him, the sources added.
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SLA denies permission for paddy cultivation in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 06:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna denied permission for the Maha Season paddy cultivation in areas adjoining its High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ma'ravanpulavu, Thanangki'lappu and Koayilaakka'ndi in Thenmaraadchi, depriving thousands of Internally Displaced families of their sole livelihood, farmers representatives in Jaffna said. The farmers have repeatedly requested Jaffna Government Agent to allow them to cultivate their paddy fields.
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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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Airstrike targeted SLN Eastern HQ - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 19:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Wednesday claimed that the Air Tigers carried out a successful air strike on the Eastern Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy located in the inner harbour of Trincomalee Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. At least 4 SLN sailors were killed and more than 35 wounded in the air strike, which inflicted heavy damage on the SLN base, the Tigers claimed.
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TID questioned Ganesan on his visits to Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 14:08 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on Tuesday questioned Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan for six hours from 11:00 a.m. The questions were based on his peace delegation visits to Ki'linochchi during the CFA period between 2002 and 2004. The TID wanted to know if he had developed any 'special relationship' with the LTTE during the these visits. Mano Ganesan has vehemently refused any 'special relationship' with LTTE and any link with any arrested 'terrorist suspects', according to a statement released Wednesday by his office in Colombo.
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Tamil Diaspora must act to prevent humanitarian tragedy - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 09:39 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament from Jaffna District, Selvarajah Gajendran, on Tuesday, urged the Tamil Diaspora to provide assistance to local aid agencies working among the IDPs in Vanni and to campaign in their host countries to exert pressure on the GoSL to remove restrictions on the transport of emergency supplies to Vanni and urge the International Community to support the Tamil people's right to live in peace in their homeland. The Sri Lankan government has ordered Government Agents to operate from Vavuniyaa and has actively discouraged even UN agencies from entering Vanni, the MP said.
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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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SLA restrictions affect cattle owners, farmers in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 09:56 GMT]
Cattle owners and farmers in Koara'laipattu South, Ea'raavoorpattu and Chengkaladi divisions of Batticaloa district have appealed to their respective Divisional Secretaries and Batticaloa Government Agent to help lift Sri Lanka Army (SLA) imposed restrictions in engaging in their livelihoods of dairy farming and agriculture. A threatening situation prevails in the remote villages of Batticaloa, especially against the cattle ownrs, as SLA soldiers manning the posts in Paduvaankarai region have stepped up deployment along jungle tracks and cattle posts used by cattle herders.
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TID interrogates Mano Ganesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 08:02 GMT]
The leader of the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) and a Member of Sri Lankan Parliament Mano Ganesan is being questioned by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) Tuesday morning, informed sources in Colombo told TamilNet.
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6 Tamil youths of north arrested in Nuwara Eliya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:10 GMT]
Six Tamil youths, residents of Maangku'lam and Ki'llinochchi in Vanni and Nelliyadi in Jaffna district, arrested on August 19 while residing in a rented out house located in Elgin area in Nuwara Eliya-Lindula police division are being held in detention in the police station under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Police said.
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Journalist Tissanayagam further remanded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 16:56 GMT]
Sunday Times columnist J.S.Tissanayagam and two others were ordered further remand till September 9 Wednesday by the Colombo Chief Magistrate, Manjula Thilakaratne when they were produced in court. Mr.Jaseeharan and Ms Valarmathi who had been running the printing press, were the other two suspects, legal sources said.
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SLA intensifies artillery barrage in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 17:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from its bases in Thenmaraadchi and Vadamaraadchi launched Sunday afternoon heavy artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory in Mukamaalai and Nakarkoayil, sources in Jaffna said. The intensified shelling comes while the SLA troops are reportedly engaged in sporadic clashes with LTTE combatants for the third consecutive day. Night shelling continues from the SLA 52nd Division base in Va’ra’ni, Kodikaamam base and Point Pedro Munai SLA base.
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GoSL suspends postal service to Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 16:40 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has suspended postal service to Vanni since 8 August, completely cutting off all communications between Vanni and other districts. The GoSL had already suspended telephone connections with Vanni and the suspension of postal service has effectively isolated the LTTE controlled area in Vanni. People displaced in their thousands are undergoing innumerable hardships due to lack of food, shelter and medicine in Vanni and are unable to contact their relatives or friends outside Vanni.
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SLA, LTTE clash in Ki’laali FDL

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 05:30 GMT]
Heavy clashes between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Ki’laali Northern Front Defence Lines (FDL) erupted Saturday afternoon, lasting for an hour and again in the evening fighting erupted around 6:00 p.m and went on till 7:00 p.m,. Heavy artillery and Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire were exchanged in the clashes. No information is available about casualties.
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War needs to continue, dependancy on the West bypassed - Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 10:16 GMT]
"The war against the LTTE will continue without a break until the capture of the Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu", declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday while addressing a public meeting following the inauguration of an irrigation project in Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province. Mr. Rajapaksa also proclaimed that the era of rulers who were dependent on the West was over with his regime in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Somawanse Amarasinghe, the leader of the Sinhala extreme nationalist JVP, charged that Mr. Rajapaksa has 'surrendered the sovereignty of Sri Lanka' to India.
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Loss of GSP Plus to cost 2% of Sri Lanka's GDP - Economist

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 10:07 GMT]
Referring to the conclusion of a research study by economists at the University of Sussex that "losing GSP Plus would lead to a 4% cut in Sri Lanka’s garment exports," and "[o]verall, it would cost 2% of GDP," the Economist in an article published in the 15th August edition, predicted dire economic future, and pointed out, "[a]nnual inflation is close to 30%. The rupee has appreciated against the dollar, further hurting exporters. By one estimate, economic growth—which was 7.6% in 2006—will be 4.3% this year. As elsewhere, inflation is being driven by high food and energy prices."
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Fear of arrest haunts Matale Tamils

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 11:03 GMT]
Tension and fear prevail among upcountry Tamil residents in Matale district in the central province due to the daily cordon and search operations being conducted by Sri Lanka Police from Monday, sources in Matale said. Police have arrested several Tamil youths and are interrogating the detained youths on suspicion that the youths have links to Liberation Tigers.
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Sri Lanka doesn't have Tamils on its side - India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 13:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka may win the battle against the Tamil Tigers but not the war as 'they haven't got the Tamil population on their side', India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan said in an interview with the Straits Times newspaper published Tuesday. Saying India understands the Tamils, Mr. Narayanan asked of Sri Lanka, “Do they want a situation like many countries have faced?” His comments come after a survey in a leading Tamil Nadu weekly suggested the majority of people there support the LTTE and want Indian intervention in Sri Lanka.
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Tiger penetration attack kills 21 SLA in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 11:44 GMT]
Twenty-one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed in the early hours of Sunday at Ki'laali in the Northern Front, according to well-placed Sri Lankan military sources. The SLA sources attributed the ambush to 'Deep Penetration Units' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileealm (LTTE). The latest information on SLA casualties come in the wake of SLA stepping up sporadic clashes in the Northern Front after a long pause since it suffered a debacle in April 2008. The LTTE is yet to issue details on the latest episode in the Northern Front.
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