Jaffna tense: Civilian shot dead by SLA, angry mob kills police officer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 09:14 GMT]
A salon employee, identified as Mr. Jeyaseelan Shantharooban, 24, was shot in his head by Sri Lankan Army soldiers who entered the hairdressing salon located at Innuvil Junction on KKS Road in Jaffna around 1:00 p.m. Thursday, residents said. Another employee Mr. K. Thevathas was injured. Mr. Shantharooban, who was being rushed to Jaffna Hospital, succumbed to gunshot wounds, hospital sources said. Residents angered by the incident blocked the road and were seen throwing stones at SLA vehicles approaching the site. Riot Police were seen firing tear gas at the protesting residents. A Superindent of Police, abducted and attacked by an angry mob, later succumbed to his wounds.
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SLMTA commemorates slain journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 11:01 GMT]
"Mr. Sivaram played an important role as a journalist highlighting the gravity of the NorthEast political and military situation with his in-depth analysis," said Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby, in a tribute to the slain popular military analyst and senior editor at TamilNet, Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram, on Tuesday during a commemoration event organised by the Sri Lankan Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) at Colombo Tamil Sangam in Wellawatte marking the third month of the journalist's death.
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US's strategic interests in Sri Lanka- Taraki

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 July 2005, 18:45 GMT]
What are the US government’s strategic interests in Sri Lanka? If the US has specific strategic interests in the island, then what are the means and modes by which it was and is securing them? Dharmaretnam Sivaram, popular military analyst and senior editor at TamilNet was working on this feature when he was abducted and killed on 28 April 2005.
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LTTE office in Vavuniya attacked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 July 2005, 17:22 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen lobbed grenades at the Administrative Office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vavuniya around 10:00 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured in the attack. The attackers, who came in a motorbike, fired into the building after charging two grenades, Mr. Tharmendra, LTTE's deputy head of political affairs in Vavuniya, told TamilNet. The office is located at Thirunavatkulam, two kilometers north of Vavuniya town. There are two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints, each located 100 meters away from the office.
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US should facilitate equitable, expeditious aid distribution- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 July 2005, 00:39 GMT]
Speaking at a Members' briefing organized by the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Wednesday at the Rayburn building of the Capitol Hill Washington D.C on "Sri-Lanka: Challenges and Efforts to Effectively Deliver Humanitarian Relief in the Wake of the Tsunami," Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Gajendrakumar urged the United States Government to "resolve any legal issues that prevent the US government from directly, equitably and expeditiously providing all forms of assistance to all parts of the Northeast," sources in Washington said.


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P-TOMS Court action, a true tragedy - Prof Plate

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 July 2005, 15:52 GMT]
Expressing his view that that the stay order by Sri Lanka's Supreme Court suspending four key provisions of the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) "a true tragedy," Prof Tom Plate of University of California, Los Angeles, told TamilNet that he is optimistic that aid dollars will still go to NorthEast.
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Mobs attack Tamil estate

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 July 2005, 22:51 GMT]
Sinhala mobs armed with batons attacked Tamil plantation workers in Panthi tea estate near Mathugama, a small town in Western Province, 61 km. from Colombo, Mr. Mano Ganesan, leader of the Western Province Peoples' Front (WPPF) told TamilNet. Two Tamil civilians were injured in the attack that took place around 10:30 p.m. Monday.
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Sri Lanka military pushing for war- Batticaloa LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 July 2005, 15:01 GMT]
"Sri Lankan military is visibly pushing for a war. Sri Lanka Military Intelligence personnel is deployed all over the borders monitoring our cadres. Heavily armed Sri Lankan soldiers are being deployed in SLA held areas of Batticaloa. The situation is getting tense and our political officials in SLA held areas are under threat. If this situation continues, we will be forced to relocate all our political cadres and officials," said Deputy Head of LTTE's Batticaloa-Amparai Political Division, Mr. Dayamohan Thursday.
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General shut down paralyses Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 11:31 GMT]
The normal life in Trincomalee town Tuesday came to standstill following a general shout down called by the Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum (TDTPF), condemning the murder of LTTE memebrs at Chelvanayakapuram by unidentified armed men in military uniform, Sunday.
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Estate Tamils' security is tied to NorthEast's strength- Chandrasekaran

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 July 2005, 23:52 GMT]
"Recognition of the fundamental rights and the right of citizenship of Hill country Tamils is imperative for long term sustainable peace and stability in Sri Lanka," said Parliamentarian and Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Mr Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, when he talked with TamilNet Saturday in Washington D.C. On the future security of the people of Indian origin, Mr Chandrasekaran said, "As a minority community powerless to defend itself against discrimination and repression, the security is tied closely to the security framework to be established by the NorthEast Tamils under the political and military leadership of the Liberation Tigers."
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Supreme Difference

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 July 2005, 15:24 GMT]
The Supreme Court, the most visible institution of the judicial branch, often plays a pivotal role in promoting trust in the government in a polarized society. Fundamental to the effective functioning of a supreme court is a secular constitution which protects minority rights, and a nation’s executive and legislative branches which practice good governance to enact laws benefiting the nation. Debates on new appointments to US Supreme Court and its recent controversial rulings render an opportunity to look at the functioning of the United States' “final arbiter of the law” to that of Sri Lanka’s.
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LTTE issues 2 weeks ultimatum for ensuring travel safety

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 June 2005, 09:05 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday in a crucial meeting with members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) demanded that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) should provide a clear response on procedures to ensure safety of travel for LTTE cadres in the east. Head of LTTE Political Wing told Scandinavian delegation that Tigers will resume their own armed escort if the GoSL fails to provide satisfactory response within two weeks, sources from Vanni said.
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Alternative to P-TOMS: abolition of CFA, return to war- Prof Oberst

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 June 2005, 22:44 GMT]
Warning that failure of P-TOMS will lead to a breakdown in CFA and possible return to war, Robert C. Oberst, Professor of Political Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University, said on the Muslim question, "Although the way in which the P-TOMS was created is an insult to the Muslim community, the actual document appears to enhance their power," when TamilNet asked for his views on the aid deal signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers.
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District Committees, key to deal's success- US Don

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 June 2005, 10:48 GMT]
For the Joint Mechanism to be successful, "It is important that the District Committee works for the betterment of the district, not a particular ethnic, religious group. Additionally, the Regional Committee has to ensure that the aid reaches those in the most need or those facilities that have the biggest impact on the people in the district, region," said Professor Brian Blodgett of American Military University when TamilNet asked for his views on the recently signed aid deal between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers.
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LTTE Pottuvil office attacked

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 June 2005, 14:00 GMT]
Three unidentified armed men entered Komari, Pottuvil political office of the LTTE around 4.30 pm Sunday and caused extensive damage to the office, LTTE sources in Komari said. The office is located in Akkaraipattu-Pottuvil main road in an SLA controlled area. There were no LTTE officials at the time of the attack, Mr Nilakaran, Udumpankoddam Political Co-ordinator told TamilNet.
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Mannar LTTE offices come under attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 16:51 GMT]
Two offices of the Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area of Mannar have been simultaneously attacked by suspected gunmen belonging to Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) around 9.45 pm Saturday with grenades and gunfire, sources in Mannar said. Sounds of grenade explosions and gunfire were heard near the political office of the LTTE, located in Mannar-Thalaimannar Road and LTTE's administrative office located in Mannar Moor street. TamilNet has not confirmed whether a third office in Moor street of LTTE's financial division was also attacked, sources added.
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Government stays, but will its power? - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 June 2005, 17:38 GMT]
Despite the exit of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a key Parliamentary ally, the stability of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government is assured, not because of its inherent strength, but because none of the other parties want an election at this juncture, Jaffna's Uthayan newspaper argued in its editorial Thursday.
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Batticaloa TRO Official injured in grenade attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 17:00 GMT]
Mr. Packiarajah Thanapalan (22), a Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) official attached to the Batticaloa office, was injured when the TRO office located in Dias Road in Batticaloa town was attacked by unidentified persons Monday night 8.50 PM, Batticaloa-Amparai TRO Director, Mr. Sebastian Sessar told TamilNet. Office entrance was damaged from the explosion of two grenades that were hurled by the attackers, he added.
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Sivaram murder vehicle, SIM card recovered - Police

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 09:31 GMT]
Former military wing leader of PLOTE, Arumugam Sriskandarajan, also known as Peter, who was injured in the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of the Maldives in 1988 and another suspect were arrested by Sri Lanka Police in connection with the abduction and murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram, 46, a senior TamilNet editor and a popular columnist, sources in Colombo said. The SIM card from the cellphone owned by Mr. Sivaram, was recovered by the Police in a house in Maharagama Monday morning, according to Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda. A vehicle, which Police believes, was used by the assains who abducted Mr. Sivaram, was also seized by the Police from the house.
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Civil group fights against Upper Kotmale Hydro Project

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 05:10 GMT]
Mr E Thambiah, an opponent of the Upper Kotmale hydropower scheme and organizer of People's Campaign Against Upper Kotmale Project (PCAUKP), a countrywide grassroots organization with members from all communities, recently spoke to TamilNet on the reasons for their campaign to stop the project. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), however, believes that the project is necessary to fuel economic growth of Sri Lanka.
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