Ki'linochchi facing imminent food crisis

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 13:24 GMT]
The food stock for emergency use in Ki’linochchi district has been completely exhausted due to difficulties in bringing in the required food items N.Vethanayagam, Government Agent (GA) said Thursday, when questioned about the imminent crisis in the region due to the worsening shortage of essential food items.
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SL Police reduces checkpoints between Vavuniyaa-Madawaachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 01:46 GMT]
Vavuniyaa police have agreed to deploy more buses between Vavuniyaa and Madawaachchi to transport passengers to reduce travel delays, and also have agreed not to stop buses at several places for checking passengers and their belonging after they leave Vavuniyaa and before reaching Madawaachchi, according to Wanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, media sources said.
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South African media regrets the act of Indian consulate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2008, 20:35 GMT]
It would have been better if a representative of the Indian Consulate had accepted the memorandum from the peaceful protestors, even if the consulate was not in agreement with their views, aired the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in its morning news last Friday while reporting the demonstration conducted in front of the Indian consulate in Durban the previous day by the Indian community in South Africa in support of the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka.
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SLN arrests 11 civilians in Kachchaitheevu seas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 15:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Kayts arrested 11 civilians from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Vanni on their way to Tamil Nadu on Kachchaitheevu seas Tuesday early morning, according to the statements in Kayts Magistrate Court where the civilians were produced Wednesday before Kayts Magistrate Ms. Joy Mahatheva.
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Pilayaan group’s interference stalls Siththaandi housing scheme

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 10:42 GMT]
A housing scheme about to be implemented as a joint venture by Swiss Red Cross Society (SRCS) and Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in Siththaa’ndi First Division in Batticaloa district has come to a halt due to interference and demands by Pillayan group, the affected civilians in the area said.
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Claymore attack in Batticaloa kills 2 policemen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 06:08 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Police officials, providing escort to Japanese funded ProPoor project, were killed when they were caught in a Claymore blast that targeted a road patrol of elite Special Task Force (STF) foot patrol at Vaazhakkaaddu (Ma'nalpiddi) junction on Kokkaddichchoalai - Vavu'natheevu Road, 7 km west of Batticaloa city, around 9:00 a.m., Wednesday. 2 STF personnel were seriously wounded, Police said. 3 civilian cyclists were also wounded.
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Abducted Tamil man released at Kalubowila

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 17:57 GMT]
A Tamil civilian from Dehiwala, Edward Premanandan, 37, who was abducted Saturday night at Wellawatte in Colombo, was dropped by unidentified persons near the Kalubowila government hospital Monday night. He immediately admitted himself at the hospital for medical examination, according to media sources.
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5 Tamil civilians arrested at Modera

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 17:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and police launched a cordon and search operation Tuesday morning at Modera police division in Colombo and arrested five Tamil civilians. Police said they were being interrogated following the recovery of a consignment of explosives.
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Five civilians reported missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 15:25 GMT]
A complaint has been lodged Tuesday morning with Batticola police, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) that two masons from Chinna Oo'ra'ni area within Batticaloa city police division have gone missing on Sunday. Meanwhile, two civilians from Ma'nmunai area and one from Kokkuvil area are said to have disappeared recently and no information is available regarding their whereabouts, sources in the region said.
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450 Trincomalee IDPs to be resettled Tuesday

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 02:46 GMT]
A group of civilians from Trincomalee district, internally displaced due to military offensives, and residing in welfare centres in various parts of Batticaloa district, are being taken to their original places of residence Tuesday in 15 buses, Batticaloa kachcheri officials said.
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Police arrests Tamil youth in Matara

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2008, 11:51 GMT]
Matara Police Friday arrested a 35-year old Tamil civilian residing at Pitapatara estate in Matara police division and have him at Matara police station, media sources said. Terrorist Intelligence Division is interrogating the man on a report that he had been sent to Matara from Killinochchi to collect information about important personalities in the area, sources added.
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SLA forces civilians to cleanup checkposts, military bases in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2008, 02:48 GMT]
More than 600 men of all ages were rounded up Sunday around 7:00 a.m. by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers in Vara'ni, Kudamiyaan and suburbs in Thenmaraadchi and taken away in military vehicles to be deployed for clean up and restoration work within and outside the military bases, sources in Jaffna said. The civilians were forced to work the whole day at gun point in and around the army bases, check posts and shrub lands along Kodikaamam – Point Pedro road, officials from Thenmaraadchi District Secretariat confirmed.
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15 Tamil civilians arrested at Wattegama

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 March 2008, 14:57 GMT]
15 Tamil civilians including five women were arrested at Wattegama in Kandy district during a cordon and search operation conducted Sunday morning. Houses, shops and vehicles were searched during a four hour operation that commenced around 9.30 am., media sources reported.
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Tamil civilian reported missing in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 March 2008, 02:02 GMT]
A Tamil civilian, resident of Dehiwala, has been reported missing from Saturday night after he left his mother's house at Wellawatte in a three-wheeler, according to complaints lodged with the Wellawatte police.
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Destroyed East villages, MP chronicles history

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 16:33 GMT]
"Population of Sinhalese in the East was a mere 0.53 percent in 1827 but due to systematic colonisation and subsequent establishment of military camps along the borders of traditional Tamil areas, Sinhala settlers encroached into more than 25 percent of land owned by Tamils," said Maavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, addressing, as the chief guest, to a gathering in Colombo Saturday on the occasion of the release of a book "Destroyed Tamil villages," authored by fellow Member of Parliament (MP), S.Jeyananthamoorthy, literary sources in Colombo said. T. Kangasabai, Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian presided the function.
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SLA accelerates colonization of east

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 15:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is involved in planned encroachment of lands belonging to Tamils in Koaraalaipattu North in Batticaloa district, and colonization of other Sri Lanka Government controlled areas by resettling Sinhala civilians, local residents of affected areas in Koaraalaipattu said.
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Jaffna women group calls for end to violence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 04:47 GMT]
More than 500 women attending a meeting organized by the Jaffna based Centre for Women and Development (CWD), held at the auditorium of Jaffna Public library Friday, expressed unified voice against the escalating violence in the peninsula in general, and the variety of problems faced by women in particular, and issued a media communiqué detailing a host of social issues unique to the female population in North. The meeting was chaired by Mrs.Saroja Sivachandran, coordinator of CWD.
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FMM expresses outrage at militarization of media

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 23:54 GMT]
Pointing to the appointment of the recently retired Army Major General Sunil Silva as Additional Director General (Administration) of the State controlled TV station Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation (SLRC), the Free Media Movement (FMM), in a press release issued Thursday said: "The militarisation of State apparatus under this regime is not new, but this is the first time it has extended to the media. Not only does this set an extremely disturbing precedent, it irrevocably vitiates the independence of State media from regressive party political patronage, influence and coercion."
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Ambush kills 2 SLA soldiers in Mannaar, 8 wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 16:00 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 8 wounded when a pressure mine ambush targeted their bus, which was on its way to South Bar SLA camp, on Station Road, 2 km south of Mannaar city, Friday around 7:30 p.m. The SLA and Police blocked the road and launched a cordon and search operation. Hundreds of civilians who are residents of Chaanthinakar located close to South Bar, were stranded on the road, when they were returning after attending Good Friday rituals at St. Sebastiyan Cathedral.
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VVT Sivan Temple holds Ther festival

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 12:13 GMT]
Chariot festival at the historic Sivan Temple in Valveddiththu'rai, the spring board of Tamil armed struggle and the home town of Leader of Liberation Tigers, Pirapaharan, was held Thursday amidst continued military activities and travel restrictions, sources in Jaffna said. Thousands of devotees from many parts of the peninsula attended the grand festival, and local residents exhibited their determination to preserve the culture and heritage.
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