As humanitarian crisis unfolds, Diaspora needs to help – paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 04:55 GMT]
Warning that, faced with determined resistance to its offensives into the Vanni, the Sri Lankan government, like previous ones, will intensify punitive attacks and measures against the Tamil population there, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week called on the Diaspora to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis. “The embargo on food and medicine will be tightened further and civilian centers will be targeted more heavily. The Diaspora has long been the mainstay of relief efforts for the people of the Northeastern warzones. It needs to step forward yet again,” the paper said in its editorial.
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Colombo attempts to create 'health disaster' in Vanni - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 08:16 GMT]
Health services in Vanni are facing a man made disaster created by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry, said N. Selvy, LTTE's spokesperson on Human Rights. Sri Lankan forces have blocked supplies to Ki'linochchi Deputy Provincial Director of Health Service (DPDHS) division. The DPDHS office recently said that medicine quota for the district hospital for the first quarter of 2008 is yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Mullaiththeevu DPDHS has told media that only 20% of the fuel supplies needed to operate the district hospital, two sub-hospitals and six pharmacies in the district, has been allowed across the entry point at Oamanthai by the Sri Lankan forces.
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SLA instructs outstation farm workers to leave Mannaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 02:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have issued instructions to farmers in Mannaar district to send back all laborers brought from outstations. Farmers have brought this matter to the notice of he Wanni district parliamentarian Sivasakthi Aanandan, media sources said.
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Two new parliamentarians sworn in

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 10:28 GMT]
Solomon Cyril of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from Jaffna district, and M.Naushad of the United National Party (UNP) from Ampaarai district, were sworn in as new parliamentarians Wednesday in Sri Lanka's parliament. Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara administered oaths to them when the parliament resumed its sitting Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources said.
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A church in Madu destroyed, dreaded stage of ethnic cleansing, says TNA MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2008, 13:03 GMT]
The Sacred Heart Church of the Madu Shrine complex has been destroyed in SLA shelling after the priests had taken away the image of Our Lady of Madu last Thursday, reveal the photos taken by K. Baskaran, a photographer who visited the Madu church on Sunday. "Any desecration of Madu is likely to be understood as an effort of the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism to erase out the symbols of other religions and thus serving a spiritual blow which is the most dreaded stage in the process of ethnic cleansing," Vanni District Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan told TamilNet Tuesday.
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LTTE urges Norway to take steps to end military assault on Madu shrine

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head B. Nadesan on Monday sent an urgent letter to Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, placing a request to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madu shrine in Mannaar district. "The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church," Mr. Nadesan urged Norway.
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Lankan ploy of Buddhism for subversion in Tamil Nadu: Viduthalai Rajendran

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2008, 06:08 GMT]
Circumstantial evidence supports the hand of the Lankan government’s National Intelligence Bureau in the Buddhist temple-building campaign in Tamil Nadu, observed political analyst TSS Mani in Win TV’s News and Views, reported Tehelka Magazine, on Saturday. It further quoted Viduthalai Rajendran, General Secretary of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK), saying “ the temple-building a ploy to woo Indian Dalits and pit them against Sri Lankan Tamils on religious lines” A Sinhalese delegation of prominent Buddhist monks laid foundation stones for Buddhist places of worship in Tamil Nadu. Most of them are archaeological sites.
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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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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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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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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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Expenditure reduction vital for Sri Lanka's economic growth– UN

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 12:11 GMT]
The economic growth of Sri Lanka is possible only by reducing expenditure and preventing waste, said Socio Economic Research report for South Asia released Monday morning by United Nations at the Law College, Colombo, sources said.
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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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Ki'linochchi facing imminent food crisis

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 13:24 GMT]
The food stock for emergency use in Ki’linochchi district has been completely exhausted due to difficulties in bringing in the required food items N.Vethanayagam, Government Agent (GA) said Thursday, when questioned about the imminent crisis in the region due to the worsening shortage of essential food items.
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SL Police reduces checkpoints between Vavuniyaa-Madawaachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 01:46 GMT]
Vavuniyaa police have agreed to deploy more buses between Vavuniyaa and Madawaachchi to transport passengers to reduce travel delays, and also have agreed not to stop buses at several places for checking passengers and their belonging after they leave Vavuniyaa and before reaching Madawaachchi, according to Wanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, media sources said.
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SLN arrests 11 civilians in Kachchaitheevu seas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 15:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Kayts arrested 11 civilians from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Vanni on their way to Tamil Nadu on Kachchaitheevu seas Tuesday early morning, according to the statements in Kayts Magistrate Court where the civilians were produced Wednesday before Kayts Magistrate Ms. Joy Mahatheva.
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SLN imposes fishing ban in Vadamaraadchi North

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 09:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) issued a special order Tuesday banning all fishing activities in Vadamaraadchi North in seas from Point Pedro Munai and Katkoava'lam up to Valveddiththu'rai (VVT) until further notice. The fishermen who set out for fishing in the morning were turned back by the troops manning the check points along the coast, Fishermen Society Federation sources in Jaffna said.
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Devotees flock to Naagathambiraan temple in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 00:31 GMT]
Annual March Pongkal festival at the historic Naagathambiraan Temple in Pu'liyampokka'nai near Kilinochchi was held Friday and continued throughout night to early hours Saturday morning, sources in Vanni said. Thousands from Vanni attended the event, but sources said, with travel ban through A9 from the north through Mukamaalai, and from the south via Oamanthai, the number of devotees attending the festival was significantly lower than the crowds of past years.
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Black Sea Tigers sink SLN Dvora, 14 SLN killed - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 23:48 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) elite Black Sea Tigers, engaged in a confrontation with a fleet of Sri Lanka Navy in the seas off Mullaiththeevu, attacked and sunk a SLN Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) between Mullaiththeevu and Naayaa'ru at 2:10 a.m. Saturday, LTTE sources in Vanni told TamilNet. At least 14 Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) sailors were killed in the clashes, the Tigers said. Three Black Sea Tigers were killed in action in the fighting that lasted for 45 minutes from 2:00 a.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, SLN sources said 10 SLN sailors were missing. Sixteen sailors were on board the SLN said.
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Two Mannaar Tamil youths arrested at Madawaachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2008, 11:43 GMT]
Two Tamil youths, both residents of Sinnakadai in Mannaar town, were arrested Wednesday night by Anuradhapura police when they were traveling in a vehicle bound for Mannaar. The youths are being detained at Anuradhapura police station and are being subjected to interrogation by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) on a report that they attempted to smuggle explosives and gelignite sticks via Madawaachchi jungles to Mannaar, media sources said.
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