Jeyaraj Fernandopulle killed in bomb blast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 03:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Highways & Road Development, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, was killed in a bomb blast at the public playground in Weliweraya, located in the Gampaha district of Western Province, around 8:00 a.m. Sunday. 13 persons were killed and 60 wounded in the attack that took place while the minister was waving a flag to start off a marathon race in connection with the Tamil and Sinhala New Year celebrations. 16 of the wounded have sustained serious injuries, Police said.
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Two new MPs to be sworn in on Tuesday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 02:23 GMT]
Two new parliamentarians Solomon Cyril, representing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and M. Naushad from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), are to be sworn in April 8 to fill the vacancies in the districts of Jaffna and Ampaarai when the parliament meets on Tuesday, parliamentary sources said.
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Our Lady of Madu statue reaches Theavanpiddi

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 15:45 GMT]
The fleeing reverend priests and sisters with the statue of Our Lady of Madu reached St. Sebastian Church at Theavanpiddi, located around 70 km northwest of Madu, Thursday night, according to Bishop's House in Mannaar. Theavanpiddi is situated north of Iluppaikkadavai in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Manthai West DS division.
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Our Lady of Madu reaches Theavanpiddi

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 15:45 GMT]
The fleeing reverend priests and sisters reached St. Sebastian Church at Theavanpiddi, around 70 km northwest of Madu, Thursday night, according to Bishop's House in Mannaar. Theavanpiddi is situated north of Iluppaikkadavai in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Manthai West DS division, which belongs to Mannaar Diocese.
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Weerawansa suspended from JVP politburo

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 14:40 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Jantha Wimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was suspended from the politburo of the JVP. The decision was made at a JVP politburo meeting, chaired by party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. It is widely suspected that stand related to India, the question of disarming a paramilitary group and how to work with the ruling UPFA government, were reasons for the rift between two factions within the JVP.
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The temporal and spiritual conquest of Tamils: Mahinda's book of dreams

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2008, 07:18 GMT]
More than security concerns, the sentiments of Tamil Christians and their mistrust of Sri Lankan State seem to be the impelling force behind the decision of taking away Our Lady of Madu from her abode. Those who could look at how Kathirkaamam was confiscated from the predominance of Tamils and how the ancient temples behind the Tamil Saiva myth are inside ‘High Security Zones’, could understand the fear of Tamil Christians. The question is whether the International Community and India, which contribute to the military option, don’t understand or don’t want to understand the fact that if there is anything to be defeated militarily in Sri Lanka, it is the chauvinism of the Sri Lankan State.
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'Sinhala regime transforming holy land into battlefield': LTTE Political Head

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 19:59 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B Nadesan in a statement issued Thursday from Ki'linochchi strongly condemned the indiscriminate shelling on the Madu Church and urged the International Community and Human Rights organizations to condemn the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for 'barbarically' transforming a sacred shrine that offered refuge to displaced people into a battlefield. He criticized GoSL for unleashing its army on an area that was ought to be free of war according to war ethics and UN conventions.
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No foreign monitors for eastern polls - Bogollagama

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 19:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Thursday that there would be no independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections to the Eastern Provincial Council. Meanwhile, whilst addressing a strategic think tank in London earlier this week, Mr. Bogollagama was challenged by the Times newspaper over his government’s bar on foreign media, a statement issued Thursday by the British Tamil Forum, an expatriate lobby group, said.
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LTTE, SLA exchange artillery fire in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 17:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam exchanged heavy artillery fire along forward defence lines of the Thenmaraadchi sector on the Jaffna peninsula, Wednesday evening, civilian sources in the area said.
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SLA fired shells, rounds hit Madu Shrine premises - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 15:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has launched sporadic offensive pushes from Pa'ndivirichchaan targeting Madu on Tuesday and Wednesday, LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Vanni. Meanwhile, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet that the SLA-fired artillery and mortar shells exploded inside the mess of the Madu shrines premises, in the vicinity of the well and on priests' quarters. All civilians, except the priests, have vacated the premises. LTTE has lost one fighter while facing the offensive initiated by the SLA, 1.5 km away from the Madu premises. The Tigers said 15 SLA soldiers were killed in two days in Pa'ndivirichchaan and 10 near Giant's Tank on Wednesday.
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Thousands march in Mannaar, urge protection for Madu shrine

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2008, 09:01 GMT]
More than five-thousand people of Mannaar city gathered at St. Sebastian's Cathedral Wednesday morning for an special prayer service and staged a peace march towards the District Secretariat and handed over an appeal, urging the warring parties, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) to respect the area of Madu Shrine as a 'Zone of Peace'. "Shells are falling within the Church premises several times and many of those staying there have been compelled to leave, while priests and the other church workers who are still remaining, live in fear and are being forced to seek shelter in bunkers," an appeal from the Bishop of Mannaar said.
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15 SLA killed, heavy fighting in Mannaar - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 17:20 GMT]
Heavy fighting ensued between the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam and the Sri Lanka Army Tuesday from 5:30 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. when the SLA stationed in Iththikka'ndal attempted to break into LTTE held territory in Ka'rukkaayk-ku'lam with Tanks and heavy artillery barrage and mortar attacks. 15 SLA soldiers were killed and 25 wounded, LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Vanni.
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UNICEF Child Protection team visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 15:31 GMT]
UNICEF Child Protection Project residential representative in Colombo paid a visit to Jaffna Tuesday to learn first hand of the conditions of the children and mothers placed in the protective custody in Kurunakar Rehabiltation Centre due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said. The representative met Jaffna Magistrate R. T. Vicknarajah and explored ways to attend to the needs of the children placed in protective custody.
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Colombo offensive claims civil victims- Washington Post

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 11:50 GMT]
"...[U]nder a recent military offensive to wipe out those rebels [from LTTE], government forces have abducted hundreds of members of the Tamil minority group, including civilians, according to human rights groups. Many of the "disappeared" never turn up again," Washington Post said in an article in the Tuesday edition, adding, "Abductions are carried out in various ways, according to activists and relatives of those who have disappeared. Sometimes Tamil men of fighting age are rounded up at checkpoints, hurried into white vans and never heard from again. Sometimes they are arrested with little explanation in house-to-house raids at night."
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U.S. film festival features Black Tigers documentary

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 March 2008, 01:29 GMT]
"My daughter the terrorist," a documentary on the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers, produced by Norwegian film maker, Beate Arnestad, is to be featured in a premier documentary film festival in the United States to be held in Durham, North Carolina 4th of April. More than 100 documentaries are to be shown during the four-day festival from 3rd to 6th April. TamilNet talked to Arnestad during her visit to the U.S. to present the documentary at the Durham festival.
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LTTE, SLA clash in Paalamoaddai, Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2008, 14:48 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Vavuniyaa told media Saturday that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attempt to break into LTTE territory in Paalamoaddai, launched at 4:15 p.m. was thwarted after a confrontation that lasted for 40 minutes.
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SLA moves weapons, explosives to Northern FDLs

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 17:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) transported heavy weapons and explosives in large quantities from Kaangkeasanththu’rai (KKS) harbour to its Northern Front Defence Line (FDL) areas in Ki’laali, Mukamaalai, Nakarkoayil and the islets of Jaffna, Thursday and Friday, sources from Jaffna said.
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Close down Sri Lankan mission in Chennai - Thirumaavalavan

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 11:49 GMT]
The leader of Viduthalai Chi'ruththaika'l Kadchi (VCK, Liberation Panthers Party), Thol. Thirumavalavan called upon the Indian Government to close down the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Tamil Nadu, while addressing a demonstration held in Chennai on Thursday by Tamil Protection Movement, attended by a large gathering.
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Furore in Tamil Nadu over 'anti-Tamil' film

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2008, 19:29 GMT]
Politicians and film personalities from Tamil Nadu have taken strong exception to a Sinhalese film that seeks to "vulgarize the Tamil liberation struggle in Sri Lanka." Tamil Nadu Film Producers' Association President Rama. Narayanan condemned the film for disgracing the Tamil people at the end of a special screening. Tamil Protection Movement President Thol. Thirumavalavan vowed to take legal action to prevent the film's release in Tamil Nadu since he felt that it not only degraded the Eelam liberation struggle and hurt Tamil sentiments but it was also capable of disrupting communal harmony in Sri Lanka.
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15 SLA killed, body recovered in Ma'nalaa'ru - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2008, 05:59 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Ma'nalaa'ru on Thursday said the Tigers confronted two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive pushes within the last two days in the region. On Wednesday, the LTTE thwarted an SLA attempt to break into LTTE territory after 2 hours confrontation at Ceylon Theatre area from 1:15 p.m. 5 SLA soldiers were killed and the Tigers recovered the dead body of one SLA soldier with arms and ammunition. On Tuesday, 10 SLA soldiers were killed in a similar confrontation that erupted when the SLA attempted to advance, the Tigers said.
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