TB affected on the increase among uprooted people of Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 06:10 GMT]
Several uprooted Tamil civilians from Vanni following Colombo's genocidal onslaught in Vanni and still kept in detention centres in Vavuniyaa have been diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis (TB), according to Dr.C.Jamunananda who is in charge of the TB control unit in Jaffna district.
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Rejecting nationhood of Eezham Tamils is tactical blunder of India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 04:22 GMT]
Students of international politics know well that India materialised an independent Bangladesh in 1971, but within a few years the USA turned it against India. Even to this day India is struggling hard to make the odds even. The same story is being re-enacted in Sri Lanka, but in a different way. India in strategic complicity decided Colombo winning a war through genocide of Tamils, but the US responsible of equal complicity and now articulating a deceptive ‘reconciliation’ paradigm, aims to emerge as the ‘ultimate saviour’ by hoodwinking Eezham Tamils through sections in the diaspora on one hand and by negotiating survival of state and regime of genocidal Colombo on the other. Failure to recognize the Eezham Tamil nation at this stage will be India’s Achilles Heel internally and externally, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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SLA-tortured teacher dies in Jaffna hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2011, 11:25 GMT]
28-year-old Sampanthan Sakthitharan a male teacher at Chaavakachcheari Hindu College, who was severely tortured by the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna at Thirunelveali on 15 March and dumped on the side of the road three hours later fought for his life at Jafna Teaching Hospital for 10 days with serious injuries in his head and finally succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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300 Tamils, Muslims appeal to LLRC to locate missing relatives

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 March 2011, 15:16 GMT]
The Lessons and Learnt Reconciliation Commissioner (LLRC) Sunday morning commenced its sittings at the auditorium of the Kalmunai (Tamil) Divisional Secretariat and recorded statements from over three hundred persons including Tamils and Muslims who have lost their children and spouses due to the arrest, abduction and killing by the Intelligence Unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and cadres of para military groups led by Karuna and Pilliayan, sources in Ampaa'rai said.
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BBC correspondent blocked from attending Jaffna Festival

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2011, 03:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defense has refused permission to BBC Colombo correspondent Charles Haviland from attending cultural festival in Jaffna, sources in Colombo said. The "Jaffna Music Festival” organized to celebrate the diverse traditional folk arts for three days from 25th – 27th March 2011, is being organized by the Norwegian Embassy, USAID and implemented by Sevalanka Foundation, according to reports from Jaffna.
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Democratic uprising in Tamil Nadu crucial to changes in the region

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2011, 12:38 GMT]
If the so-called post 9/11 paradigm provided an opportunity for repressive forces to mobilise against various peoples in the world and if that worked against the liberation of Eezham Tamils, the recent uprising of peoples against establishments in North Africa and West Asia is a favourable trend the Eezham Tamils and the Tamils of Tamil Nadu have to carefully comprehend and make use of in bringing out changes in South Asia too. Progressive Sinhalese who see the need to recognise the nation of Eezham Tamils for a true reconciliation in the island should also join in. A democratic uprising in Tamil Nadu is crucial to changes in the entire region and that is a big hope for Eezham Tamils too. Tamil Nadu has the potentiality and the reasons for the uprising, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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LLRC to hold sittings in Ampaa'rai, Moneragala

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2011, 11:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed by the Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse is to hold its sitting in Ampaa'rai and Moneragala from March 25 to March 27, LLRC sources said.
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Batticaloa development not transparent, benefits no residents, says Council member

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 11:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka government has been planning development projects in the Batticaloa district to boost the image of Mahinda Chinthanaya and also to help its financial resources, but not to benefit the district residents, according to Mr.R. Thurairatnam, Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) member. Mr.Thurairatnam is also the leader of the Padmanaba wing of the EPRLF and representd Batticaloa district in the EPC.
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‘Trawler diplomacy’ escalates as elections near in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 18:35 GMT]
Three fishermen from Valveddiththu'rai were 'abducted' Tuesday in the seas off Jaffna by Indian Fishermen and were handed over to Indian Police in Koadikkarai (Point Calimere), fishermen society sources in Jaffna said. The incident was reported as talks were taking place in Colombo between the delegations of fishermen from the North and the fishermen from India. Political observers said that the establishments in New Delhi, Chennai and Colombo, in strategic partnership, are effectively deploying a 'trawler diplomacy' to set the Eezham Tamils against Tamils of Tamil Nadu in order to achieve a set of agenda ranging from blunting the national question of Eezham Tamils and setting space for corporate exploitation of the traditional waters of Tamils to tackling electoral questions in the state assembly elections in Tamil Nadu next month.
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TNA MP accuses Pillaiyaan of issueing death threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 01:41 GMT]
Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian C. Yogeswaran has lodged a complaint with the Kaththangkudy Police that he had repeatedly received death threats from the Chief Minister of Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilliayan, according to electronic media reports in Colombo Tuesday.
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Sri Lanka's CID to probe funding sources of local Rights Group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2011, 10:54 GMT]
National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo-based "advocacy and education organization" in media release issued Tuesday said its Executive Director was called to the Head Quarters of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka Police and was informed that the CID will carry out "an investigation regarding the organization's [NPC's] sources of funding, its partners and the activities it was carrying out." The media release added that NPC's "Governing Council is distressed that the current CID investigation would intimidate our staff members and their families, and also gives a negative message to the wider society of official intolerance towards liberal and democratic values."
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UPFA expects cabinet reshuffle

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 March 2011, 23:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to replace the incumbent SL Prime Minister D.M.Jayaratne with a new face in a new cabinet reshuffle expected at any time, UPFA sources in Colombo said.
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US based sources gave hope on evacuation: Nadesan told a journalist

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 March 2011, 02:08 GMT]
According to a senior journalist, the late LTTE political head, Mr. B Nadesan, consulted him over some messages Nadesan had been receiving from a US based former LTTE member that assurances had been given by the US State Department about evacuation of the LTTE cadres during the final stages of the war. The journalist, who cautioned Nadesan to be sceptical, says that he is prepared to give affidavit to any international investigation if the investigative body could arrange his safe appearance. The US based former LTTE member cited by Nadesan was known for claiming that he was associated with a ‘think tank’ of Prof. James Clad, who between 2007 and 2009 served as the US Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs.
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Expo Pavilion manager in Jaffna reported missing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2011, 23:50 GMT]
Unknown men who came in motorbikes on Friday night around 11:00 p.m. have abducted 32-year-old Kulasingam Vaseeharan, the manager of Expo Pavilion, a newly established motel run by Expo Aviation and is located near Jaffna District Secretariat in Jaffna. The abduction has taken place at a location that is heavily guarded by the Sri Lankan military that checks the identity of every person riding motorbikes, sources in the area said. Mr. Vaseeharan was earlier the Jaffna manager of Expo Lanka's subsidiary Expo Aviation that was operating an airline between Colombo and Jaffna.
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Jaffna university alumni association formed in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2011, 07:07 GMT]
Perceiving the need for a non-political, civil society organisation, the old students of the University of Jaffna, on Saturday, formed an alumni association in London. Around 45 graduates attended the inaugural step initiated by the first batch of the students of the University. An ad hoc committee of 15 members was formed with Mr. K. Sivaraja, Mr. S. Jeyaraja and Mr. K. Sivanandan as president, vice-president and secretary respectively. The gathering decided to make the association global and to hold the first general meeting in September. UK based lawyer Mr. Srikanthalingam has been assigned with the task of drafting a constitution. The association is open to all old students of the university from any part of the island, the organizers said.
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JHU Buddhist monk accused of sexually abusing child monks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2011, 14:04 GMT]
Buddhist monk and former parliamentarian representing Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party of Sri Lanka, Aparekke Punnananda Thero, is accused of sexual abusing five underage novice monks, reported BBC Sinhala Service Friday. The Child Protection Authority (CPA) of the island produced two novice monks allegedly abused before the Colombo Magistrates Court and the court ordered the SL police to produce the other three child monks also, after the magistrate hearing the secret statements of the two child monks in her chambers. The CPA earlier informed the court that the suspect has admitted sexually abusing child monks under his custody.
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Amid Sinhala colonization, Dinamina claims SLA vacates Jaffna Town HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2011, 12:50 GMT]
State run daily Dinamina claimed Friday that Sri Lanka military has vacated high security zones in Jaffna town after nearly twenty years of occupation. The announcement came after handing over of Subash Hotel, and the reopening of Jaffna's Victoria Road which links Jaffna-Palaly main road and the Clock Tower road, according to the daily. Large parts of Jaffna Peninsula still remains as prohibited zone for resettlement of evicted Tamil civilians, with Colombo selling large parcels of land to Sinhala businessmen for economic profiteering, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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Sri Lanka police arrest 52 Jaffna Tamils in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2011, 23:27 GMT]
Colombo Chief Magistrate, Rashmi Singapuli, Tuesday ordered remand for 48 Tamils, all residents of Jaffna, till March 27, legal sources in Colombo said. Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of Sri Lanka Police last week arrested fifty two persons, including four children less than 10 years of age, while they were staying in lodges in Colombo and Negombo.
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Sri Lanka has sinister plans in confiscating lands of Mu’l’livaaykkaal

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2011, 05:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka has sinister plans to confiscate the three large coastal villages, Mu’l’livaaykkaal East, Mu’l’livaaykkaal West and Ampalavan Pokka’nai, where the last stages of the Vanni war took place. Original inhabitants of 18 hamlets of the villages are not allowed to resettle and there are secret plans to relocate them to confiscate the stretch of rich marine wealth, said a press release of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF). Mines are still the pretext, but even after 22 months the SL military has not even permitted de-mining the land where thousands of Eezham Tamils and their fighters sacrificed their lives. Meanwhile, with Chinese assistance, colonial SL occupying the country of Eezham Tamils has recently built a fortress-like military base over a cemetery of the LTTE heroes at Koappaay in Jaffna.
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Harvard lays bare Sri Lanka newspaper's distorted reporting

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2011, 00:48 GMT]
Professor Nicholas Burns of Belfar Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, in a letter to Colombo-based Nations news paper, pointed out several inaccuracies in the reporting of the March 1 Harvard event on Sri Lanka, and said, the article neglected to mention the substance of the discussions where the wartime conduct of Sri Lanka Government was criticised. Prof. Burns added that "the LTTE had no role whatsoever in the event" whereas the paper had alleged that LTTE was occupying most of the seats.
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