Colombo snaps outside communication with Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Telecommunication Department has cut off the telephone numbers with +9421228 format (Ki'linochchi lines) for the last few days, disabling the only available mode of communication to the outside world from Vanni at a time when more than 100,000 civilians have displaced in Ki'inochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts due to the Sri Lanka Army offensive. Fundamental services such as hospitals, civil services and media dependent on telephone communication have been severely affected, according to civil sources in Ki'linochchi.
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LTTE to hand over dead body of SLA DPU soldier

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 15:44 GMT]
LTTE officials in Ki'inochchi on Monday said a unit of the Peoples Force of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (PF-LTTE) had recovered the dead body of a Sri Lanka Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) soldier who was killed following the recent attack in Kokkaavil where Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari Divisional Secretariat, Santhalingam Vimalakumar, was slain in a Claymore attack on Friday. Meanwhile, four of the thirty dead bodies were handed over to the LTTE through the ICRC by the SLA, were not identified as belonging to LTTE fighters, the Tigers said.
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SLA offensive repulsed in Paalamoaddai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni told media Monday that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) ground movement in Paalamoaddai in Vavuniyaa into LTTE controlled territory was repulsed by the Tigers after confrontations that lasted from 3:35 p.m. till 4:45 p.m. Five SLA soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the confrontations, according to LTTE officials.
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Australia, New Zealand Tamils Commemorate Black July

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 20:36 GMT]
In marking the 25th anniversary of Black July, Australian Tamils held three different events, a Friday morning rally at the heart of Sydney, followed by a protest meeting at Burwood Park, Burwood, and on Saturday afternoon a photographic exhibition in Melbourne at the State Library Forecourt, opposite the Melbourne Central Railway Station. Meanwhile, New Zealand Tamil Medical Association (NZTMA) and the Tamil Youth Organistion (TYO-New Zealand) organised a blood donation drive, and on Friday held a vigil marking the Black July.
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Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, not far away, says Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 09:40 GMT]
It is "not too far away," to "liberate the people of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu" and make them live under a "democratic set up" now being "enjoyed by the people of the eastern province," declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a provincial election campaign meeting in Anuradhapura on Saturday. The statement comes after Sri Lanka Army officials in Colombo told media that their forces were making "rapid progress" in Vanni claiming that the SLA recovered 37 dead bodies of LTTE fighters together with arms as the Sri Lankan forces were engaged in consolidating an offensive line south of Mallaavi.
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Hindu priest files FR petition in Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 15:28 GMT]
Chief priest of the Colombo-Grandpass Sri Gnanavairavar Swami Temple Balakrishna Ayer Ravishankara Kurukal filed a Fundamental Rights Violation petition in the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court seeking the court order the government to allow Hindus to organize the annual Aadi Amaavaasai (anniversary when children remember their late father) rites along the shore of Muhathuwaaram Sea beach in Colombo without interruption by the security forces. The preliminary inquiry into the FR petition filed by the Chief priest Thursday has been fixed for July 28, legal forced said.
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South African Tamils commemorate Black July

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 12:29 GMT]
More than 600 South African Tamils assembled at the Kharwastan Temple Hall in Chatsworth South Africa to observe the 25th anniversary of Black July, Friday. The African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament, Sisa Njikelana from Gauteng Province, delivered the key note speech, comparing developing situation in Sri Lanka to those in Rwanda and Brundi. The function, organised by the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee of South Africa and presided by Mr Vinoth Rajagopaul, was broadcast live on national radio station, Lotus FM (SABC).
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Homage paid to slain Vimalakumar in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 14:34 GMT]
Homage to Santhalingam Vimalakumar, Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari division in Ki'linochchi District Secretariat killed Friday morning in a DPU Claymore attack at Kokkaavil in Oddisuddaan was paid in an event held Friday in the conference room in Ki'linochchi Secretariat presided by S. Regi Aloysius, the head of Ki'linochchi Secretariat Welfare Association. Government Administrative officials, Medical Officers, Education Department officers and a large number of people took part in the event paying their last respects to the remains of Vimalakumar.
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U.S. rally commemorating Black July draws over 600

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 11:58 GMT]
People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), a US-based advocy group, held a rally Thursday at Russell Senate Park, commorating the 25th anniversary of Black July, and the rally was attended by over 600 participants from several U.S States. Two U.S. Congress members through letters of support read at the rally recognized the American Tamils' effort highlighting the human rights crisis in Sri Lanka. The rally also protested the financial support provided by the Chinese Government to the Governments of Sri Lanka and Burma.
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Development official killed in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 05:35 GMT]
Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari (Pooneryn) division and a development official at Ki'iinochchi District Secretariat, Santhalingam Vimalakumar, 33, was killed Friday morning following a Claymore attack that targeted his motorbike at Kokkaavil in Oddisuddaan. Mr. Vimalakumar was on his way to Vavuniyaa on official engagement while he was attacked, according to officials at the District Secretariat.
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Sinhalese with LTTE identity card arrested in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 03:10 GMT]
A Sinhala man, who attempted to enter the premises of Anuradhapura High Court on July 20 with an identity card allegedly issued by the LTTE, was taken into custody and is being detained for interrogation by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police. Police personnel manning the sentry point at the entrance to the High Court arrested the suspect, police sources said.
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Plans afoot to restart production in KKS cement factory

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 10:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Cement Corporation’s newly appointed Chairman S. J. Paranagama said that steps are being taken to recommence cement production in Kaangkeasanththu’rai (KKS) Lanka Cement factory, during a press meet held Tuesday for Jaffna media in Jaffna. He expressed hope that certain sections of the factory will be able to function within two months, sources in Jaffna said.
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Looming humanitarian crisis in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 11:25 GMT]
45,338 additional persons have been displaced in Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ki'linochchi, and Mullaitivu districts, due to the shelling and aerial bombardment by th Sri Lanka Security Forces in the last four weeks, adding to the Internally Displaced People (IDP) population of 107,048 in Vanni, said a report released by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). The report warned that the restrictions imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka to humanitarian agencies to attend to the IDP needs have created conditions for an imminent humanitarian crisis in Vanni.
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Thousands flee SLA artillery barrage

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 04:20 GMT]
Thousands of civilians from Moon’raampiddi, Paaliyaa’ru, Ka’neasapuram, and Theavanpiddi areas are moving out of their villages due to continued artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on their settlements, seeking temporary refuge in Vannearikkulam and Akkaraayan areas in Ki'linochchi district, sources in Vanni said.
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LTTE announces unilateral ceasefire during SAARC summit

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2008, 18:30 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Tuesday announced that the movement would observe unilateral ceasefire during the period of SAARC conference from 26th July to 04 August, giving cooperation for the success of the conference. Conveying goodwill and trust of the Tamil people, the LTTE Political Wing, in a press statement issued from Vanni said it wished for the success of the SAARC conference, extending the movement's support to the "countries of our region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives."
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SLA hands over corpse of a civilian gone missing in Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2008, 04:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) handed over a male corpse in a highly decomposed state Thursday to International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) claiming it to be the body of a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The person killed was the driver of a vehicle who had gone missing 13 July in Oddangku’lam in Thu’nukkai in Vanni.
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SLA approval mandatory for Vadamaraadchi development projects

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 01:39 GMT]
The commanding officer of 52nd Division of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), in a letter sent to the Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Friday, has instructed the GA to obtain permission from SLA before implementing any projects in SLA- controlled Vadamaaradchi East.
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Grand finale for Pongku Thamizh in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 July 2008, 02:41 GMT]
Around 30,000 people attended the Pongku Thamizh (Tamil Upsurge) rally in London at the Rorehampton Vale sports ground on Saturday, choking traffic in one of the highways, said the organisers. A number of British parliamentarians cutting across party lines, international representatives of liberation movements, rights activists, and politicians from Tamil and Sinhala communities addressed the event, and sent messages in support of the event. Even by conservative estimates, nearly 150,000 Tamils of North America, Europe, Africa and Australia have so far demonstrated their support to the cause of Eezham during the last one-month through Pongku Thamizh 2008.
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Large scale SLA cordon, search in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 July 2008, 15:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna peninsula launched large scale cordon and search operations Friday morning till evening in areas of Vadamaraadchi including Uduppiddi and Valveddiththu'rai, residents of Vadamaraadchi said. Vehicular traffic on main roads were blocked with SLA Buffel armoured personnel carriers and battle tanks from Palaali military complex, and the people were subjected to intensive search. The escalation of small scale attacks on SLA in the peninsula in recent times have triggered this intensified search, according to informed sources.
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'Conversations in a Failing State'

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 July 2008, 04:00 GMT]
Towards the end of 19th century, the renowned American writer Mark Twain visited Colombo. While he was admiring the plurality of colour in the native dresses, somewhere in Pettah, he saw native children coming out of an English school, in line, in white uniform and in the same hairdo. ‘What an ugly scene’, he wrote, being sad at the way colonial institutions depriving natives of their pluralism. More than a century later, Patrick Lawrence, another American, comes to Sri Lanka to record the net results, a failed nationalism and a failed state, as consequences of the loss of pluralism.
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