SLA corrals 3 additional Jaffna buses for military use

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 00:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commandeered three new buses from Koandaavil bus depot adding to the scarcity of serviceable buses available for public transport, further burdening the Jaffna SLTB officials reeling from fuel crisis, Jaffna transportation officials said. SLA handed back three buses, irrevocably damaged due to claymore attacks or misuse, officials at the Koandaavil depot said.
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Search operation in Theakawatte, Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2008, 12:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police Thursday launched a cordon and search operation in parts of the Vavuniyaa town following the recovery of a claymore mine weighing about 8 kg at Theakawatte in Vavuniyaa, media sources said.
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EU expresses serious concern of Sri Lanka's Rights abuses

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2008, 12:00 GMT]
While noting with regret that Independent International Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) has decided to terminate work, and expressing concern that the Commission of Inquiries lack compliance with international standards, the European Union, in a press release issued Tuesday said, the EU "continues to believe in the importance of guaranteeing access to Kilinochchi for the Norwegian facilitator and other Co-Chairs, as well as the UN and other concerned organisations." The release also said, "[i]n 2006 the EU listed the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. Since then there have been a number of criminal prosecutions against LTTE fund raising in Europe."
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SLA shelling kills civilian in Poonakari, student wounded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 18:23 GMT]
A 24-year-old father of a child was killed Tuesday in Poonakari (Pooneryn) at Ellaikkal-ku'lam when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attack on the residential area. A 16-year-old student of Chellaiatheevu School was wounded in the attack and admitted to Muzhangkaavil hospital. The artillery barrage lasted for 10 minutes from 10:10 till 10:20 a.m.
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Boston Globe advocates "Self-rule in a confederal structure for Tamil region"

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2008, 10:01 GMT]
Pointing to Sri Lanka's documented pattern of "abductions of civilians by security forces," and Rajapakse Government's complicity in "large scale disappearances," Boston Globe in an editorial Monday said: "[t]he bottom line is Sri Lanka's conflict is political, and it must be resolved by political means. A lasting solution will require that the central government grant meaningful self-rule to the Tamil region, perhaps in a confederal structure that maintains the unity of the country. Continuing attempts to resolve the conflict militarily can only produce more suffering and more war."
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Civilians call for transfer of Aalaiyadiveambu STF Commander

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2008, 01:11 GMT]
Civilian groups in Aalayadiveampu in Akkaraipattu police division, Ampaa’rai district, are agitating for the immediate transfer of the Thirukkoayil Special Task Force (STF) commander after he failed to attend a special meeting convened Saturday by higher officials to discuss sexual abuse of women by unidentified armed men, local sources said.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Kanniyaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 March 2008, 13:05 GMT]
Unknown armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian at Kanniyaa in Uppuve'li police division in Trincomalee district Saturday night around 7:30. The victim is said to be a resident of the village, media sources said.
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HR groups complain against security forces videoing civilians

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2008, 13:54 GMT]
Human rights groups have complained to the Batticaloa Additional District Judge and Vaalaicheanai Magistrate Mr.M.Ganesharajah against security forces video taping civilians during cordon and search operations conducted in certain parts of the districts of Batticaloa and Ampaarai in east, media reports said.
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Colombo irked by US Rights report

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2008, 14:53 GMT]
The 2007 Country Report of Human Rights Practices in Sri Lanka released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. State Department has created shockwaves within the Rajapakse Government according to Media reports in Colombo Friday. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had called on the US Ambassador in Colombo, Robert O Blake, to register “Sri Lanka’s serious concerns” on the report, Colombo media reported.
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SLN fires on civilian boat in Jaffna lagoon, 1 killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2008, 11:01 GMT]
A civilian, identified as Selvarajah Kodeeswaran was killed and 28-year-old youth, K. Suthaharan, was wounded when Sri Lanka Navy fired at a boat with 7 civilians in Jaffna Lagoon, Friday morning.
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Tamil civilian shot dead at Aandanku'lam

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2008, 08:19 GMT]
Unknown gunmen Thursday night around 7:00 p.m. shot dead a 35-year-old Tamil civilian at Aandanku'lam in Uppuve'li division in Trincomalee district. Aandanku'lam is located along Trincomalee-Kandy road, about 4 km off Trincomalee city.
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215 Tamil civilians in detention camps in Boosa

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2008, 04:40 GMT]
138 Tamil civilians including nine women are currently being detained in Boosa detention centre under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER). 77 Tamil civilians including 6 women are being detained in PTE detention centre located in Chaitiya Street in Colombo city, media reports quoting civil sources said.
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SLA unloads ammunition consignments in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2008, 11:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessels carrying large consignments of weapons to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) are reported being unloaded Tuesday and Wednesday in Kaangkeasanththu'rai (KKS) harobour, informed sources in Colombo said. Meanwhile, convoys of covered SLA heavy vehicles were seen going from KKS harobour to the Northern Front Defence Line (FDL) areas in Mukamaalai and Naakarkoayil in Vadamaraadchi east day and night on both days.
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No compensation in sight for Vaakarai, Champoor victims

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2008, 11:14 GMT]
Even after a lapse of one-and-a-half-year, the families of at least 100 civilians killed and 84 wounded in Vaakarai region of Batticaloa district during Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive, are still waiting for their compensations from the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). In the meantime, the families of the victims of previous SLA offensives before the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), who were assured of their sanctioned compensations, complained that the authorities were still delaying their payments. Before the local elections in Batticaloa in March 2008, the GoSL offered some fishing nets to fishermen societies and gifted 25,000 rupees per temple in Vaakarai.
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Torrential rain floods Batticaloa, Ampaarai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 14:23 GMT]
Continuous heavy rain fall for more than a week has resulted in flooding of low lying areas in Batticaloa and Ampaarai districts, officials said. Poaratheevupattu and Vellaave'li areas have been worst hit by the flood, and parts of many key roads have become impassable, according to officials.
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Tamil civilian abducted in Moneragala

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 12:38 GMT]
A Tamil youth Sellarasa Jeyakanthan who was released by the Moneragala Magistrate Tuesday was abducted by unknown persons in a three wheeler on his way home from courts. He was one of those arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in the area earlier by the government security forces.
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LTTE ending use of child soldiers - US

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 04:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) “is eliminating the recruitment and use of child soldiers,” the US State Department said this week in its annual human rights report. The LTTE had not complied with its promise to end the practice by end of 2007, but its policy of recruiting one person from each family targeted those 18 years or older, the report said. Sri Lankan government forces were complicit in conscripting children for the TMVP (Karuna Group), “which used coercion, extortion, rape, and murder to force children and adults to join their ranks,” the report said.
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Koaralaippattu North residents not issued NICs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 02:45 GMT]
More than sixty percent of the people residing in the area belonging to 16 Grama Sevaka (GS) divisions under the administration of District Secretariat of Koararalippattu North, Batticaloa, have not received their National Identity Cards (NIC), according to statistics released by the Secretariat. Without the NICs, youths are targets for arrest by Sri Lanka security forces, civil society sources said.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Nilaave'li

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 19:47 GMT]
A Tamil youth abducted by unknown persons Monday night was found dead with gunshot injuries at 7th mile post at Nilaave'li village along Trincomalee-Kuchchaveli road Tuesday morning. The victim has been identified as Sivagnanam Kulasingham, 34, and a father of three children, Uppuve'li police said.
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12 Tamils arrested at Gokarella, Kandy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 11:43 GMT]
Nine civilians, all said to be Tamils, were taken into custody on Sunday morning at Gokarella by the police when the bus they were traveling in was stopped and searched at the sentry point. Gokarella is located along Dambulla-Kurunagala road.
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