Vavuniyaa court takes action on abduction complaints

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:19 GMT]
Vavuniyaa Magistrate M.Ilancheliyan Friday directed the Cheddiku'lam Superintendent of Police to conduct inquiry into the allegations made to him by parents of two Tamil youths who are allegedly "abducted" by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army at Arasadikku'lam area. The abduction had taken place on February 27, according to complaints by parents to the Magistrate, media sources said.
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Tamil passengers robbed at Fort station

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:17 GMT]
Two Tamil civilians who arrived in Colombo-Fort railway station Saturday from Vavuniyaa via Madawachchi were robbed of their cash, gold rings and other belongings by three persons in civil who identified them as CID personnel, according to complaints made to Fort Police Station and the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC).
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SLA deserters threaten Up-Country Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2008, 08:47 GMT]
A group of more than 15 armed Sinhalese persons, said to be instigated by the arrival of a dead body of a Sri Lanka Army soldier from Ma'nalaa'ru battlefront in the North, entered the 'line' houses of Up-Country Tamils at Kirimetiya watte (estate) in Yatinuwara division of Kandy district in the Central Province and heaped threats of 'collective punishment' a few days ago. Fear gripped the Tamil 'lines' following the episode as many SLA soldiers, recruited from the Yatinuwara area, are engaged in the Northern battlefront.
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Court expresses concern over escalating abductions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 February 2008, 17:11 GMT]
Vavuniyaa District Judge and Magistrate, Mr.M.Ilancheliyan, expressed his serious concern over the increase of abduction of civilians in the district to the army and police top officials in charge of Vavuniyaa and Chettikulam, during a meeting held in the court premises this week. Three women were abducted since February 17 in Vavuniyaa, media reports said.
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Sea travel from KKS to cost more

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 February 2008, 12:22 GMT]
The cost for sea transport by passenger ship from Kankesanturai (KKS) to Trincomalee is to increase from the current rate of Rs.3162.50 to Rs.3300.00 effective Saturday March 01, R.Sivaswamy, Additional Government Agent (AGA), announced in a communiqué issued to the media Tuesday night.
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Bruce Fein: Independence promotes stability

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 February 2008, 02:33 GMT]
"The reason why the Kosovo independence is so significant is because it addresses an issue that's prevalent throughout the world, for example Sri Lanka, where you have a minority that has been oppressed by the majority. And we’ve always had rather blurry lines in knowing, well, when does the oppression reach a sufficiently intense and egregious level that you're entitled to walk away from a sovereign and establish your separate statehood?" asks Bruce Fein in a video commentary on the global significance of Kosovo independence given to U.S-based Real News Network Sunday.
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8 civilians killed in SLA DPU attacks in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 18:01 GMT]
Eight innocent civilians riding in tractors were killed in two different Claymore attacks carried out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit teams that had infiltrated into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas on either sides of the A9 road, north of Vavuniyaa on Wednesday. The first attack, in which four civilians were killed, was reported at Panangkaamam in Moon'ru Mu'rippu GS area of Maanthai East division in Mullaiththeevu district at 1:50 p.m. The second attack was reported at 8:30 p.m. in which another four civilians were slain while they were riding in a tractor from Maruthoadai to Olumadu.
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27 civilians arrested at Veappamadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 12:17 GMT]
Twenty seven civilians, majority of them Tamils, were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka police in a cordon and search operation conducted at Veappamadu village along Puththa'lam-Mannaar road Wednesday from dawn for about five hours, media sources said.
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10 building workers arrested at Wellampitya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 12:14 GMT]
Ten civilians including 8 plantation Tamil youths were taken into custody by the police on Monday at a house construction site in Kumaradasa Place at Wellampitya in Colombo district, and are still being detained in the police station, police sources said.
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Fishing restrictions to remain- SLA commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 01:54 GMT]
Major General G.A.Chandrasiri, commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna at a meeting held Monday afternoon within High Security Zone (HSZ) in Palaly addressing the representatives of various civil groups said that until security in seas surrounding the peninsula improves, fishing restrictions in Jaffna will not be lifted, but added that he will take steps to ease travel for the sick to obtain medical treatment in Colombo.
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Kurunakar parents approach Colombo HRC to file complaints

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 02:51 GMT]
The relatives of the two school students from Kurunagar, Jaffna arrested recently by Jaffna police have lodged a complaint at the National Head office of Human Rights Commission (HRC), Colombo stating that the office of Jaffna HRC has refused to accept their complaint.
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30 civilians arrested in Colombo, Embilipitia

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 11:34 GMT]
Thirty civilians, majority of them Tamils, were arrested in cordon and search operations conducted in the western province and Embilipitya since Sunday. Thirteen persons were taken into custody in house-to-house search conducted in the western province, and seventeen were arrested in Embilipitya, media sources said.
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Second Tamil abducted in Bandarawela

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 11:26 GMT]
Unknown persons abducted a a 27-year old Tamil employee of the Bandarawela Urban Council Monday increasing the number of Tamil civilians abducted in Bandarawela since Sunday night to two, sources in Bandarawela said.
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Sri Lanka sliding into humanitarian nightmare- Geneva Group

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 04:37 GMT]
Pointing out that the number of civilian deaths has jumped sharply after the election of Rajapakse Government and that "the present government displays little appetite for peace," Director of Small Arms Survey in Geneva, Robert Muggah, in an article appearing in Canada's The Star, recommends that if Sri Lanka rebuffs pressure to abandon military solution "U.S. and the EU could consider withdrawing the country from the General System of Preferences," U.N. should appoint a special envoy to start documenting under-reported armed violence, and U.N. should use article-99 to take up the issue in U.N. security council.
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Sinhala cattle breeder arrested in Buttala

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 13:04 GMT]
A Sinhalese villager was arrested Friday by the police on a report that he had supplied meals and cigarettes to unknown persons hiding in Buttala jungle. He is to be produced in Buttala court on Monday, media sources said.
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7 Tamils arrested in Mount Lavinia

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 13:00 GMT]
Seven civilians said to be Tamils were taken into custody Sunday in the continuing cordon and search operation in Mount Lavinia area that started on Saturday following the explosion that took place on Saturday morning at Mt. Lavinia junction. The suspects are being detained in the police station and interrogated. Several Tamil civilians were questioned and released after preliminary investigations, media sources said.
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Suicide attacker kills 2 paramilitary men in Batticaloa - Police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 06:46 GMT]
An unknown attacker with a hidden explosive triggered the device killing himself and two Pillayan Group paramilitary personnel, when he was blocked by the paramilitary personnel near the place of an election-campaign meeting by the Pillayan Group in Ka'luvaagnchchikkudi Sunday morning at 9:30. Police characterized the attack as the first attempted "suicide attack," possibly planned to target a key paramilitary operative after the Sri Lankan forces had brought the district under their military control. A cordon and search operation launched by the Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos lead to a total traffic standstill between Kalmunai and Batticaloa, following the explosion.
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SLAF air strike victim succumbs to injuries

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 04:32 GMT]
A 68-year-old woman, one of 12 civilians being treated for injuries they sustained in the indiscriminate air attack carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Friday in Kiraagnchi in the Poonakari (Pooneryn) division, succumbed to her injuries Saturday night. Nine civilians, including five women and 3 children, were killed. 11 civilians, including four children are being treated for their injuries.
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Details of mine safe areas in Jaffna released

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 00:17 GMT]
The coordinating office for the removal of land mines in Jaffna peninsula, situated in Jaffna secretariat, in a communiqué issued Saturday, said mine clearing activities in areas permitted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is nearing completion and released details concerning the areas cleared of land mines.
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SLA conducts search operation in Ratota, Kandy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 16:12 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police conducted a cordon and search operation in Ratota town in Kandy district Saturday and questioned several Tamil civilians. Police said they launched the operation on the recovery of a bomb weighing 2 kg buried in a home garden.
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