43 SLA killed, 8 bodies recovered in Nalloor, Poonakari - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 November 2008, 12:57 GMT]
At least 43 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 70 wounded in the latest fighting that broke out at Nalloor on Poonakari - Paranthan road, LTTE officials told TamilNet correspondent in Vanni Sunday evening. The fighting went on amid pouring rain and floods, between 4:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Sunday according to the Tigers. The stiff fighting by the Tigers pushed back the Sri Lankan troops in the Poonakari direction, the LTTE said. Meanwhile, heavy rain has led to floods in several places of Vanni causing hardships to thousands of internally displaced people who have been deprived of shelters by the continuous blockade by the Sri Lankan military.
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SLA soldier killed in gunfire ambush on Buttala Road

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 November 2008, 13:59 GMT]
Unknown armed men opened fire on soldiers inside a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) point along Buttala Kathirkaamam Road at 136th Mile Post in Moneragala district Saturday evening around 5:15 p.m., according to informed military sources in the district. One SLA soldier was killed on the spot and a number of soldiers manning the post were wounded, according to the initial details.
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History to abet 'structural genocide'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 November 2008, 12:39 GMT]
The Colombo government at the height of its agenda for 'structural genocide' of Tamils, considered removing a chapter on the Kingdom of Jaffna in the history textbooks of the school children in Sri Lanka. However, to an opposing question by a JVP member in the Sri Lankan Parliament, the Minister of Education replied on Friday that they had dropped that plan. "The Colombo government has every justification to remove the Tamil Kingdom of Jaffna from the history of Sri Lanka if it wants to concede that Sri Lanka doesn't include the Tamil regions," commented Selvam Adaikkalanathan, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian of Vanni.
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Civilians in Vanni protest against Colombo's use of humanitarian supplies as tool of war

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 November 2008, 16:07 GMT]
People in Vanni marched in thousands towards two Government Agents' offices and two Divisional Secretariat offices in four locations on Friday protesting against Sri Lanka Government's restrictions on food and essential supplies, blaming Colombo for using humanitarian supplies as a tool of war to force civilians to flee against their will into the hands of Sri Lanka Army (SLA). K. Mahethevan, a representative of Vanni Peoples Welfare Organisation (VPWO), addressing more than 5,000 protesters in front of Ki'linochchi Government Agent's office at Tharmapuram described how the supplies were reduced from 600 lorries per month in 2007 to 250 lorries per month in 2008, but only 54 have allowed to cross into Vanni in the recent days.
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SLA blocks 200 people, key officials, from entering Vanni at Oamanthai

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 November 2008, 10:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Oamanthai, while allowing 56 lorries carrying humanitarian supplies to enter Vanni, denied entry to more than 200 people including Ki'linochchi Regional Director of Health Services, Zonal Education Directors of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu, 15 school principals of both districts, Peoples’ Bank manager of Mullaiththeevu and four ambulances carrying 50 patients who were discharged from Vavuniyaa hospital after treatment to enter Vanni. When the stranded officials questioned if people are allowed to enter to Vavuniyaa this week as to why they were not allowed, the ICRC has informed the officials that they have not got clearance to be manned at Oamanthai.
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130 SLA killed, 450 wounded in 3 days in Mukamaalai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 2008, 15:45 GMT]
At least 130 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers lost their lives and more than 450 wounded in the offensive push within the last 3 days in Ki'laali and Mukamaalai fronts, according to a reliable Sri Lankan military source. 29 SLA soldiers lost their lives sustaining sniper fire, the source said and added several soldiers were killed while they were trapped in Tiger minefield. The LTTE is yet to release details on the fighting in Northern Front.
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ICRC facilitation of Oamanthai crossing ad-hoc

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 2008, 12:39 GMT]
The ICRC's presence at the Oamanthai crossing point has been temporarily suspended since 18 November, as the organization could not obtain all necessary guarantees for the safe passage of civilians and goods, the organisation said in a press statement issued from Colombo. "Despite its lack of sustained presence at Omanthai, on 19 November, the ICRC staff managed to facilitate the ad-hoc passage of 24 patients from the Vanni seeking treatment in Vavuniya General Hospital and the transfer of 18 bodies of fallen fighters," the ICRC said adding that the ICRC was discussing new crossing-point arrangements with government and LTTE.
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75% of confiscated funds belong to INGOs, says TRO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 2008, 12:03 GMT]
Responding to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) press release that the State has confiscated Rs. 71m from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization’s (TRO’s) bank account, TRO reiterated its denial of allegations that funds were “mainly used for terrorist activies,” and pointed out that the “GoSL has never produced any proof of these allegations in a court of law and has not brought any criminal charges against TRO,” and that Colombo has consistently denied TRO opportunity to defend against the allegations in the courts of law.
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Rajapaksa's three-pronged strategy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 2008, 01:47 GMT]
While celebrating its military achievements, Colombo is secretly prodded on an alternative game. Mahinda Rajapaksa is upto a three-pronged strategy now: limiting LTTE's jurisdiction with a low-profiled war, coercing Tamil political circles for his plans and conducting snap polls. A superficial solution is on the cards through Mahinda-Manmohan protocol. Unity and vigilance of Tamil Nadu are the need of the hour for countering any sabotage of the national cause of Eezham Tamils, writes TamilNet's Special Correspondent in a Situation Report.
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Colombo spent 50 million for every Tiger it killed - Vickramabahu Karunaratne

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2008, 20:18 GMT]
Leader of New Left Front, Dr Wickramabahu Karunaratne, in a column that appeared last week in Lankadeepa accused India for instigating the current war in Sri Lanka. After enough damage has been done, now they push Rajapaksa government to stop the war and to go for talks. “They [the Colombo government] spent 500 billions of national wealth to kill Tigers. Accordingly, for each Tiger killed, they have spent 50 millions. All this is wealth of the people. How many thousand Sinhala were sacrificed in this war? Today mounts of Sinhala dead bodies are stacked under Palmyra trees," he wrote.
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Newborn baby dies, 31 patients suffer as SLA refuses ambulances to reach Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2008, 19:54 GMT]
A baby born at Mullaiththeevu hospital, in need of urgent treatment at Vavuniyaa hospital, pathetically died on Tuesday as medical authorities were not allowed by the Sri Lankan forces Vanni headquarters to allow ambulances to reach Oamanthai exit point since Tuesday morning, according to medical authorities in Vanni. Four ambulances carrying 14 patients from Mullaiththeevu hospital and 17 patients from Ki'linochchi Tharmapuram hospital waited for hours in front of the ICRC office in Puthukkudiyiruppu, but were forced to return to their hospitals with seriously ill patients.
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Amnesty urges Sri Lanka to end policy of blocking humanitarian aid

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2008, 18:30 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan government must immediately end its policy of blocking humanitarian aid needed to reach an estimated 300,000 displaced people in the Wanni region of northern Sri Lanka," the Amnesty International said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
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ICJ has jurisdiction to hear Genocide claims against Serbia

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Croatia won the right Tuesday to sue Serbia for genocide after the United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, based in Hague Netherlands, ruled it has the legal power to decide the case, AP reported. Describing the ruling as "symbolical and just," Croatian President, Stipe Mesic, said the decision came on the 17th anniversary of the fall of the city of Vukovar, where at least 1,500 Croats were killed and thousands expelled by rebel Serbs.
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SLA Claymore attack kills 3 Tamil civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 November 2008, 11:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit triggered a Claymore mine targeting a civilian vehicle killing a 12-year-old boy, his 53-year-old father and a 34-year-old man on the spot at Channasip-Paranthan, 5 km north of Pu'liyangku'lam on Pu'liyangku'lam Nedungkea'ni Road Tuesday morning around 8:45, Tamileelam Police said. The mother and the driver of the vehicle were seriously wounded and rushed to Mullaiththeevu hospital. The vehicle was returning to Vavuniyaa after delivering weekly newspapers to Vanni.
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Tigers repulse SLA in North, SLA targets Maangku'lam

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2008, 12:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched another offensive push for the third consecutive day from Jaffna Monday morning. 8 SLA soldiers were killed and 29 wounded when the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) put up stiff resistance from 5:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m., thwarting a three frontal attack by the SLA on LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Mukamaalai, Ka'ndal and Ki'laai, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, the SLA which claimed its forces entered Kumizhamunai near Naayaa'ru lagoon south of A'lampil in Mullaiththeevu district, on Monday said its forces from Vannivi'laangkulam were attempting to occupy Maangku'lam on A9.
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Civilian killed in SLA Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 November 2008, 07:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) attackers Saturday noon triggered two Claymore mines targeting the motorbike of a vegetable trader, killing him on the spot at Kollar Pu'liyangku'lam in Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials said.
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Rajapaksa claims occupation of Poonakari

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 November 2008, 09:07 GMT]
Sri Lankan President and Commander-in-Chief of the SL Armed Forces Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday claimed that his forces have occupied the "full stretch of the A-32 road" (Mannaar- Poonakari) and the Poonakari area Saturday morning. "Now, we can open a land route to the Jaffna Peninsula after many years; I think we can say, it was after the Second Eelam war," Mr. Rajapaksa said in a message to the Sri Lankan media.
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Youth of India voice for Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2008, 14:37 GMT]
More than 10,000 students, coming from all the states of India marched to the Indian parliament on Friday in New Delhi, pressing educational demands including a 10 percent allotment of state expenditure on education. Political observers find great significance in the highlight of Eezham Tamil issue as a demand in this all India student rally. This is their only demand outside of the purview of education. The agitation took place against a backdrop of Sri Lankan president ruling out the possibility of stopping the war in the island, while on a visit to New Delhi on Wednesday. Even the Indian Prime Minister who received him hasn’t said anything on stopping the war, according to news reports.
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60% of 327,730 IDPs in Vanni without adequate shelters - TRO

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2008, 13:28 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a local-NGO attending to the relief needs of the more than 320,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including the 90,000 tsunami and previously affected, in Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts, said shortage of nearly 40% basic essential food for the IDPs have to be urgently met through local production, while embargo by the Sri Lankan government on building materials have left 60% of the refugees without adequate shelters, in a report issued this week.
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Colombo creates human crisis at entry point - Nadesan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 2008, 10:54 GMT]
The closure of entry point at Oamanthai in Vavuniyaa by the Colombo government for the last three days has created a human crisis affecting emergency patients and supply of medicines to civilian hospitals, said B. Nadesan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Thursday. Intense shelling by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on the entry point has made the ICRC officials posted there to leave. "By imposing a sanction on food, medicine and by maintaining an inhumane economic blockade, the Sri Lankan government is pinpointing the war at the civilians, disregarding International norms to be observed. The indications are that Colombo is adamant in pursuing an aggressive war," he told TamilNet.
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