TIC urges Colombo to reciprocate LTTE's ceasefire

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 19:55 GMT]
In a press release issued Sunday, Tamil Information Center (TIC), a UK-based peace advocacy organization, urged Sri Lankan Government "to view the LTTE’s ceasfire offer as positive, and reciprocate it by making a similar announcement giving rise to a real ceasefire leading to an end to the armed conflict and the beginning of confidence building between the parties, peace talks and agreement on substantive issues that lie at the heart of the conflict."
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SLA shelling targets Theavanpiddi, civilian killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 18:00 GMT]
A civilian was killed and two wounded Sunday when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery and mortar barrage as displaced civilians were engaged in transporting their movable properties at Thevanpiddi, one of the topmost localities of Mannaar district. The SLA launched a day-long intense shelling barrage from 7:00 a.m. targeting Theavanpiddi where the statue of Our Lady of Madu was placed for the past 12 weeks. The shrine was taken on an ambulance by the Church authorities via Omanthai to Mannaar Bishop's House on Friday.
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Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, not far away, says Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 09:40 GMT]
It is "not too far away," to "liberate the people of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu" and make them live under a "democratic set up" now being "enjoyed by the people of the eastern province," declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a provincial election campaign meeting in Anuradhapura on Saturday. The statement comes after Sri Lanka Army officials in Colombo told media that their forces were making "rapid progress" in Vanni claiming that the SLA recovered 37 dead bodies of LTTE fighters together with arms as the Sri Lankan forces were engaged in consolidating an offensive line south of Mallaavi.
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Archbishop of Colombo blames government for 'grossly misleading' distortion

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 07:03 GMT]
Archbishop of Colombo Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, in a press statement issued Saturday blamed the Sri Lankan department of government information for attributing him in a "grossly misleading" way with a news headline, 'Military defeat of LTTE pre-condition for peace'. The title was a "complete distortion," the Archbishop said in his statement adding that he doesn't share the opinion, which most of the people were thinking that has become a common opinion, that the LTTE must be crushed in order to have a peaceful solution.
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Army deserters arrested for entering Yala sanctuary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 02:10 GMT]
Six deserters of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were arrested by the SLA soldiers and Wild Life department officials when they were entering the Yala sanctuary which has been declared out of bound for civilians due to security reasons, sources said.
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Malwatte Mahanayake Thera cancels his visit to North

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 01:34 GMT]
A peace delegation led by Venerable Dibbotuwa Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of Malwatte Chapter in Kandy scheduled to pay a visit to Northern Province this week was cancelled due to security reasons, according to Diyawadana Nilame of Kandy Dalada Maligaawa Thilanga Thela Bandara.
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JHU accuses five UPFA ministers supporting devolution

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 10:54 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party condemned a group of ministers who have been supporting devolution of police and land powers to provincial councils according to the 13th amendment to the constitution. JHU leaders at a press briefing held Thursday said ministers in the UPFA government have formed a movement to urge the government to devolve police and land powers to provincial councils. JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said the JHU would oppose such move and would take stern steps to crush the movement.
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Sinhalese with LTTE identity card arrested in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 03:10 GMT]
A Sinhala man, who attempted to enter the premises of Anuradhapura High Court on July 20 with an identity card allegedly issued by the LTTE, was taken into custody and is being detained for interrogation by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police. Police personnel manning the sentry point at the entrance to the High Court arrested the suspect, police sources said.
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Sri Lanka rejects LTTE truce offer, responses differ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 04:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s government Tuesday rejected the Tamil Tigers offer of a unilateral ceasefire for the period of the SAARC conference (Jul 26 to Aug 4). But senior officials of the Colombo government gave different responses as to the government stance on the truce offer, announced formally by the LTTE Political Wing on Monday.
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LTTE announces unilateral ceasefire during SAARC summit

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2008, 18:30 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Tuesday announced that the movement would observe unilateral ceasefire during the period of SAARC conference from 26th July to 04 August, giving cooperation for the success of the conference. Conveying goodwill and trust of the Tamil people, the LTTE Political Wing, in a press statement issued from Vanni said it wished for the success of the SAARC conference, extending the movement's support to the "countries of our region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives."
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SLA hands over corpse of a civilian gone missing in Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2008, 04:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) handed over a male corpse in a highly decomposed state Thursday to International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) claiming it to be the body of a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The person killed was the driver of a vehicle who had gone missing 13 July in Oddangku’lam in Thu’nukkai in Vanni.
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Impersonator accused of Kalmunai robberies

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2008, 15:17 GMT]
A Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) operative posing as a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been robbing a number of residences of nearly 1.5 million rupees during the past month within Kalmunai police division in Ampaarai, sources said.
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JVP trying to launch another insurgency- SLFP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2008, 12:47 GMT]
The Sinhala Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), has been on its way to the jungle once again after its internal split, said the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and a senior minister in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, addressing a press briefing held in the auditorium of the Mahaweli Centre in Colombo Friday.
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Landmark European ruling says Tamils risk torture if deported

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 July 2008, 10:48 GMT]
In a rebuke of Britain’s efforts to deport Tamil asylum seekers, the European Court of Human Rights allowed Thursday the appeal by one refugee, finding that he was at risk of torture by the Sri Lankan authorities if returned there. Immigration lawyers said the European Court’s ruling was ‘very significant’ as the forcible removal of hundreds of Tamils had been held up pending this judgment. The Court’s decision came as the British government praised the Sri Lankan government’s efforts on human rights.
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LTTE, SLA exchange artillery fire in Jaffna FDLs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2008, 11:38 GMT]
From early morning 6:00 a.m. till late evening Tuesday, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers exchanged continuous artillery fire in Forward Defense Lines in Mukamaalai and Naakarkoyil areas, sources in Jaffna said. Cellular phone networks were disabled during the day, and passenger air-line flights were also suspended from noon. Jaffna was tensed as residents feared breakout of war.
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SLA approval mandatory for Vadamaraadchi development projects

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 01:39 GMT]
The commanding officer of 52nd Division of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), in a letter sent to the Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Friday, has instructed the GA to obtain permission from SLA before implementing any projects in SLA- controlled Vadamaaradchi East.
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British Foreign Minister to meet Pillayan - reports

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2008, 19:40 GMT]
Britain’s Foreign Minister, Lord Malloch-Brown, is to meet Pillayan (Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan), Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and leader of the Army-backed paramilitary group, the TMVP, Sri Lankan press reports said. Lord Malloch-Brown is on a four day visit to Sri Lanka this week, The Island newspaper said.
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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.
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SLA deploys night recon flights to deter LTTE troop buildup

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 July 2008, 19:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Security forces, in a new security plan to reinforce defences in the Northern Forward Defense Lines (FDLs), have been deploying Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters and new generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in reconnaissance missions along the FDLs during nights, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna residents have reported seeing spy aircrafts near Vadamaraachi East and West, Kaangkeasanthurai, and near Jaffna lagoon, during the last few days.
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Tamil woman arrested in Kotmale

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 July 2008, 17:11 GMT]
A Tamil woman arrested at Kotmale in Kandy district on Wednesday night for allegedly providing accommodation to a LTTE woman cadre has been served with detention orders by the Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry. The Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) is conducting further investigation, Kandy police sources said.
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