SLFP, UNP leaders to meet again on Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 12:15 GMT]
Another round of talks are scheduled to be held between the leaderships of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition party United national Party (UNP) October 5 in the Jayawardhanapura parliamentary complex. The decision to meet for another round was taken at the conclusion of the third round of talks held between these parties Wednesday.
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TNA's sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament enters fifth day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 12:04 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Wednesday continued their sit-in-protest for the fifth day Wednesday in Sri Lanka's parliament demanding the immediate opening of the A-9 land route to Jaffna district linking other parts of the country and lift economic embargo on the Jaffna population since the fresh fight broke out between the Sri Lankan troopers and the LTTE on August 11.
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IPU Secretary General to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 03:17 GMT]
A delegation from the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), a worldwide organization of parliamentarians working for peace and co-operation, led by its Secretary General Mr.Anders B.Johnsson, is to arrive Wednesday in Colombo following an invitation by President Mahinda Rajapakse, poitical sources in Colombo said. The IPU delegation will assist in helping to forge national consensus in among political parties in Sri Lanka in resolving the ethnic question, sources said.
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Armed robberies increase during curfew hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 00:58 GMT]
Seven armed masked men robbed more than Rs. 100,000 in cash, and jewellery worth many hundred thousands rupees Monday night from residents in five houses located in the Kachchery-Nallur road region inside Jaffna Municipality during the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) imposed 'dusk to dawn' curfew hours, sources in Jaffna said. During the same night unidentified gunmen beat to death a 75 year old woman at Elalai North located close to the High Security Zone (HSZ) before disappearing with valuables from her house.
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SLFP, UNP hold third round of talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Third round of talks between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) were held in the Jayewardenepura parliamentary complex Tuesday morning, political sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake led the SLFP delegation and Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader of UNP led the UNP team.
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TNA continues sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:27 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued their sit-in-protest in the well of the Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday for the fourth day demanding the immediate lifting of economic embargo on the Jaffna peninsula, and the re-opening of the A-9 landroute to Jaffna. Normal business of the parliament was conducted without any interruption, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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Jaffna fisher familes driven to abject poverty, starvation - NPFC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 10:25 GMT]
The International community should immediately intervene to help prevent the fisher families in the Jaffna peninsula from being driven close to starvation due to the total ban on fishing enforced by government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) in the peninsula, said the President of Northern Province Fishermen Consortium (NPFC) Mr. C. Thavaratnam, in an urgent appeal made to the International Community Monday, in Jaffna.


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ICRC hands over bodies of slain LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Batticaloa District Commander Col. Ramesh, who had taken command recently, attended the funeral of three of the eleven Tiger cadres who were killed in an alleged Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) ambush inside the LTTE territory in Batticaloa. The bodies of the 11 Tiger cadres killed Saturday dawn in the counter-insurgency Special Task Force (STF) attack, were handed over to the Tigers by the Representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Sunday around 3.30 p.m, according to Batticaloa District LTTE Deputy Political Head, S. Seeralan.
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SLA ban on building materials to Vaharai stays- Basil Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 17:00 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, brother and Senior Advisor to Sri Lanka's President Mr Mahinda Rajapakse, informed a delegation of Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians that no building materials can be transported into LTTE-held Vaharai area north of Batticaloa until further notice, during a meeting held at the office the Srilankan President Friday at 11.00 a.m., sources in Colombo said.
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SL state shows "complete disregard" for human rights obligations - AHRC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 11:23 GMT]
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in a press release issued Friday noted that the "consistent failure" by the Sri Lankan government to respect or to take any measures to implement the view expressed by the Human Rights Committee, has caused the "bewildering absence of protection to the citizens and the total absence of effective mechanisms to investigate, monitor or prosecute gross human rights abuses.
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Norway cannot define talks venue - SL Premier

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 07:00 GMT]
The role of Norwegian facilitator, fronted by the donor countries, must be limited to that of a "marriage broker," Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said addressing a public meeting in Matale, in the Central Province, Firday. A "marriage broker" is not empowered to decide the date and venue of the "wedding," he told the gathering. "We are capable of resolving problems through talks within the country and without foreign intervention," Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said, stating that the talks should be held within the country.
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Five youths abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 20:14 GMT]
Four teenagers including two 15-year-olds, and a 21-year-old youth were abducted allegedly by paramilitary cadres in separate locations in Eravur Police division of Batticaloa district, Police said Friday.
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3 men abducted in Colombo, killed in Valaichchenai, 1 decapitated

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 12:49 GMT]
Three Tamil men who were abducted in Colombo Wednesday, were found shot and knifed to death in Valaichchenai, 30 km north of Batticaloa, Thursday night. One of the victims was decapitated, two shot and killed Thursday night around 11:30 p.m. The decapitated man, a former cadre of the paramilitary group EPDP, had left the group two years ago, opposing the activities of the group. A white-van squad had visited the families of the victims earlier in the day.
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Two civilians shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 10:51 GMT]
A betel leaves vendor was shot dead inside the High Security Zone (HSZ) of Jaffna town by unknown gunmen at 7:25 a.m., and another civilian was shot dead in Kopay at 8:10 a.m. by unidentified gunmen riding in a motorbike, sources in Jaffna said. The arbitrary killings, following nearly a week of absence of violence in Jaffna, have brought back fear in the peninsula and has raised the specter of 1996-1997 killings and disappearances.


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TNA parliamentarians continue sit-in-protest third day

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 08:10 GMT]
The sit-in-protest by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued for the third day Friday in the Sri Lanka's parliament demanding the immediate re-opening of the A9 landroute connecting the Jaffna district with the rest of the country and the lifting of economic embargo on the Jaffna population since the fresh fight broke out between the government troops and the LTTE on August 11, parliamentary sources said.
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Colombo said considering alternate land route to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 19:56 GMT]
Anura Priyadharsana Yapa, Minister of Media and Information, said Thursday the Sri Lanka Government is considering an alternate land route for Jaffna district instead of re-opening the A9 highway which is closed after fighting broke out in August between the government troops and the LTTE. However Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday announced that its parliamentarians would continue their sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament until the government re-opens the A9 highway and lifts the economic embargo on Northeast.
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TNA parliamentarians continue sit-in-protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 11:43 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued their sit-in-protest second day Thursday in Sri Lanka's parliament demanding the re-opening of A9 landroute and lifting the economic embargo imposed on the Jaffna population after the fighting between the Sri Lankan troops and the LTTE broke out on August 11. They wore black bands when they entered the well of the house to continue their protest, parliamentary sources said.
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Chandrakanthan sworn in as TNA national list parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 September 2006, 11:51 GMT]
C.Chandrakanthan, son of slain former parliamentarian Ariyanayakam Chandra Nehru, was sworn in as national list parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) before the Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara soon after Sri Lanka's parliament resumed sitting Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) has nominated Mr.Chandrakanthan to fill the vacancy created by the assassination of Joseph Pararajasingham.
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"Lift embargo, re-open land routes," - TNA in sit-in-protest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 September 2006, 05:38 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians launched a sit-in protest in the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday morning demanding the re-opening of land routes to Jaffna and the East and urged the Government of Sri Lanka to lift the economic embargo. However, the peaceful protest, which did not disturb the proceedings of the parliament, has been ignored by the house, parliamentary sources said.
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SLA intensifies artillery, MBRL fire on LTTE territory

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 September 2006, 17:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) intensified artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher attacks into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory from Palaly military base and the 52-4 Brigade headquarters in Varani, Thenmaradchi, Tuesday evening around 6:00 p.m. Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, S. Kajendran, charged that the SLA is continuing attacks in Nagarkovil and Muhamalai areas to avoid re-opening the A9 landroute to Jaffna.
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