Youth reported dead in STF roundup in Akkaraippattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 August 2007, 11:06 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force commandos in Akkaraippattu cordoned off the house of a family that runs a foreign employment agency Friday around 11:30 a.m. and fired at a 28-year-old man who was visiting the house. The victim, identified as Gunaratnam Ranjan, 28, was reported dead by the Police who said the death occurred due to the intake of cyanide. The family that runs the business has fled the area and contacted Human Rights Commission officials in Batticaloa seeking protection as the Police alleged that the visitor was a Liberation Tigers of the Tamileelam (LTTE) cadres, initial reports said.
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Japan's aid not conducive to peace in Sri Lanka - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 July 2007, 19:38 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has said that the decision by Sri Lanka's major donor country Japan, to continue economic aid to Sri Lanka, will soften the International pressure on the SL government to seek a political solution and strengthen Colombo to pursue the military option. Pointing out Sri Lanka President's categorical statement that there would be no change in his policy on a "unitary structure of a government" with the "district as the unit of devolution," Mr. Sampanthan dismissed the efforts of All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) as "no more than a mere pretense" to show some action is being taken towards political solution.
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‘The gun is silencing the pen’ – Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 May 2007, 11:49 GMT]
Following the recent murder of another journalist in Jaffna by suspected Army-backed paramilitaries, the Journalists Union there has appealed to the international community to defend media freedom in Sri Lanka. Despite international media watchdogs’ disquiet over threats to Sri Lankan journalists, paramilitaries are openly threatening media workers and civil society activists in the northern peninsula, reporters say. The journalists appeal was supported this week by an appeal to the government signed by the Tamil Nationalist Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party.
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SLA threatens Jaffna media to censor news of student abductions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 02:03 GMT]
"I strongly condemn the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel intimidating the Jaffna media not to publish any news of the student agitation calling for the immediate release of the four students. This is a gross violation of the freedom of the press," S. Gajenthiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian said.
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RSF condemns murder of Jaffna journalist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 May 2007, 01:12 GMT]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF - Reporters Sans Frontiers) the French based Journalist organization condemned the killing of young journalist, Selvarajah Rajivarman, who was killed in Jaffna Sunday by a lone gunman riding a motorbike.
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SLN shoots dead Hindu priest in Velanai

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 April 2007, 20:34 GMT]
The chief priest of Mudippi'l'laiyaar Hindu Temple in Velanai west was shot dead in the firefight between Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and a group of youths during a cordon and search operation Sunday around 10:00 a.m in Velanai, in the islets of Jaffna, sources in Kayts said. Meanwhile, unidentified armed men shot and killed a tailor shop owner at Naaranthanai in Kayts Tuesday evening, the sources added.


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Taraki Sivaram remembered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 10:14 GMT]
"We once again remember with pride the service rendered to the media by Taraki Sivaram. He exercised his right to freedom of expression without fear. We bear this in our minds as we take it among the people on his second death anniversary," the statement issued by North Sri Lanka Journalists Association (NSLJA) Friday said. Members of NSLJA and Jaffna University Media Research & Training Centre (MRTC) jointly took part in the first event of a programme launched to remember Taraki Sivaram, the well-known, political analyst and senior editor of TamilNet, on the second anniversary of his assassination on 28 April 2005.
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3 youths reported missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 07:08 GMT]
Two youths have gone missing at Sathira Junction along Hospital Road, Jaffna Friday at different times in broad daylight, according to complaints registered by their relatives with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Friday. Meanwhile, a student of Jaffna Technical College (JTC) was reported missing from Monday, HRC sources in Jaffna said.
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Fisheries society member abducted in Valigamam

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 April 2007, 09:21 GMT]
More than ten masked armed men in civil clothes abducted a fisheries society member Wednesday around 10:00 p.m from his house at Kerniyady, Mathagal in Valigamam, according to complaints registered by his wife with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Thursday.


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Court releases 8 Tamil youths, orders detention of one woman

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 April 2007, 21:01 GMT]
Colombo Chief Magistrate Wednesday ordered the release of six Tamil civilians and detention of one Tamil woman to a Rehabilitation Centre in the south. They were arrested in a cordon and search operation in Moratuwa in western province two months ago and detained in the Boosa detention centre in Galle.
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GoSL denies air transport to Batticaloa MPs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 April 2007, 02:02 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) refused to provide helicopter transport to the four Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian of Batticaloa district, from Colombo to Batticaloa, to attend the District Development Council (DDC) meeting held at Batticaloa Kachcheri Tuesday, TNA sources said. The MPs requested transport help following death threats from Karuna Group. The meeting was organized to explore solutions to the IDP problems and to endorse the other development activities planned for the current year.
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Tamil businessman abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 April 2007, 01:31 GMT]
A leading Tamil businessman in Colombo was abducted by unidentified armed persons in a white van at Perera Lane junction along Galle road in Wellawatte while he was walking along the road around 8:30 p.m. Monday, his relatives lodged complaint at Wellawatte Police, sources in Colombo said.


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CID searches TNA MP's residence in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 April 2007, 00:53 GMT]
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka police conducted an intensive search in Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian N. Sri Kantha's official residence in Mathivela, Colombo Monday around 5:30 p.m. TNA parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah's secretary Selvarajah Samuel who was at the residence during the search was interrogated for nearly three hours, according to sources in Colombo.
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Rajapaksa delegates civil police powers to military

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 April 2007, 11:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has delegated civil powers hitherto discharged by the Police to the three armed forces, Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) by a recent Extra-Ordinary Gazette Notification of 1491/18 under Chapter 40 of the Public Security Ordinance dated April 06, 2007. Civil powers entrusted with the police throughout the whole island have been delegated to the military by Mr. Rajapaksa.
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Bail refused for former East Provincial Secretary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 April 2007, 08:30 GMT]
Colombo Additional Magistrate Friday refused bail for Mr.L.S.C.Siriwardene, former East Provincial Education Secretary who is on remand in connection with allegedly accepting bribe of fifty thousand rupees from a volunteer teacher to give permanent appointment. The suspect was ordered further two week's remand.
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GoSL must pay compensation to Batticaloa IDPs- MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 04:24 GMT]
One third of the Batticaloa Tamil population has been made refugees and, as a result, the educational, social and economical resources and growth of the Tamil people have suffered grave setback, P. Ariyaneththiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament for Batticaloa district said in a press communiqué Thursday. He urged the Sri Lanka Government authorities to take steps to pay compensation to those who suffered economic loss due to displacement.
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Sri Lankan soldiers kill 5 in fire ambush in Chenkaladi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 April 2007, 08:16 GMT]
Five persons, including a 3-year-old baby boy, a 15-year-ld girl and another civilian were shot and killed by a group of Sri Lankan troopers at Kanapathipillai village in Chenkaladi division in Eravur Police division around 8:30 p.m. Friday. The Sri Lankan soldiers who had taken cover alongside a road had opened fire on two persons suspected to be carrying weapons, according to civilian sources in the area. The two youths said to be carrying arms were yet to be identified. However, Sri Lankan military sources in Colombo have claimed that all 5 victims were civilians and blamed the Tigers for the killings.
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Stop alienating elected representatives from their constituents - TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 20:52 GMT]
"Tamil National Alliance (TNA) strongly condemns the sudden postponement of the Batticaloa District Development Committee (DDC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday at parliamentary complex, Colombo, by the President of DDC, Minister Ameer Ali, without informing Batticaloa district parliamentarians," a statement released by TNA Wednesday in Colombo said.
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2 ambulances with 11 patients turned back at Omanthai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 07:40 GMT]
Two ambulances from Kilinochchi district hospital, in need of urgent medical transportation to Vavuniya hospital, were forced on Tuesday to return to Kilinochchi as the ambulances were not allowed to proceed beyond Omanthai SLA checkpost due to the closure of the entry point by the Sri Lanka Army. Exchange of artillery fire following Sri Lankan troops attempt to move into LTTE territory had caused the closure of Omanthai gateway.
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Colombo court releases two Tamil youths

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 05:59 GMT]
Two Tamil youths from Jaffna, arrested and detained in Colombo on suspicion that they were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were released Tuesday on the instruction of Colombo Chief Magistrate Sarojini Kusala Weerawardene.
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