Hurdling chauvinism: Rohan Rajasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2008, 20:25 GMT]
Expatriate Tamils in London are, this weekend, holding a remembrance ceremony for Rohan Rajasingham, an accomplished sportsman who strove against institutionalized Sinhala majoritarianism to better the conditions for aspiring Tamil sportsmen and women in Sri Lanka. Rajasingham passed away on January 8, 2008 after a brief battle with cancer, aged 50.
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Swiss Tamils condemn assassination of TNA parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 22:28 GMT]
Tamils in Switzerland held a demonstration and public rally in Geneva on Monday in condemnation of the assassination of K. Sivanesan, Jaffna district Tamil National alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army in Vanni on 06 March. The demonstrators called on the International Community to act against the systematic slaying of prominent Tamil leaders, including academics, journalists, civil society leaders by the Sri Lankan armed forces and the paramilitaries.
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3 SLA killed in sniper attack - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2008, 18:11 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Vanni that Tiger snipers gunned down 3 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at Iththikka'ndal in Paalaikkuzhi on Sunday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Kanniyaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 March 2008, 13:05 GMT]
Unknown armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian at Kanniyaa in Uppuve'li police division in Trincomalee district Saturday night around 7:30. The victim is said to be a resident of the village, media sources said.
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LTTE: 3 SLA attempts thwarted, weapons seized

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2008, 07:01 GMT]
22 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed Friday when Tigers confronted 3 different SLA attempts to advance into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) territory in Vanni, the Tigers said. The LTTE Ma'nalaa'ru Operations Command said that the Tigers have seized two AK LMGs, two Law rockets, two T-56 assault rifles, communication equipment and ammunitions after defeating the SLA in Kokkuththoduvaay in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) region where 15 SLA soldiers were killed. Meanwhile, Mannaar Operations Command of the Tigers claimed 7 SLA soldiers were killed and 18 wounded when the Tigers thwarted SLA attempt to break into LTTE territory on two fronts Friday morning.
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US must rethink its narrow focus on terrorism - Armitage

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 18:15 GMT]
Former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage this week urged sweeping changes to current U.S. foreign policy, arguing that the superpower needs to replace its almost exclusive focus on fighting terrorism with a broader agenda. “If your foreign policy is just organized around the global war on terror, you’re missing the bet. I think a new paradigm will emerge. I don’t know what it will be, but in the interim we need to engage with friends and frankly engage with our enemies. Actually, it might be more important to engage with our enemies,” he told The Washington Diplomat journal.
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India risks indictment in war crimes, cautions LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2008, 20:05 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) from its Head Quarters in Vanni on Monday released a statement condemning the Indian 'State welcome' extended to Sri Lanka Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and the statements made by Indian military chiefs in this context. "The Indian State must take the responsibility for the ethnic genocide of the Tamils that will be carried out by the Sinhala military, re-invigorated by such moves of the Indian State," the statement said. "LTTE wishes to point out to the Indian State that by this historic blunder, it will continue to subject the Eelam Tamils to misery and put them in the dangerous situation of having to face ethnic genocide on a massive scale."
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Karunanidhi urges Indian PM to protect fishermen from unprovoked SLN attacks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2008, 08:01 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday wrote to the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to "instruct the [Indian] Coast Guard and the Navy to carry out effective patrolling and surveillance to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen from unprovoked firing" by the Sri Lankan Navy since the situation was "becoming alarming day by day and unprovoked attacks are taking place often", according to reports in the Indian media. "It is necessary to contain the arbitrary activities of the Sri Lankan Navy," his letter noted.
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Genocidal policies exposed, Colombo stands weakened - Nadesan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 22:49 GMT]
"Signs of desperation are evident in Sri Lanka’s defense hierarchy as the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) divisions stay bogged down within a few square kilometers in Mannaar, unable to advance for nearly a year. While SLA commanders are on foreign jaunts to build hurried military alliances, Colombo has also suffered politically with its racist policies in governance exposed internationally, and has earned opprobrium from international community for the escalating human rights violations," said B. Nadesan, head of political section of the Liberation Tigers addressing the event held in Ki'linochchi to pay last respects to the slain parliamentarian, K. Sivanesan, Saturday.
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LTTE leader pays tribute to Sivanesan MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 18:46 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, on Saturday, paid tribute to the slain Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance MP Kiddinan Sivanesan in the Vanni. LTTE's Intelligence Wing Chief Poddu Ammaan, Political Head B. Nadesan and the Head of Financial Division Thamizheanthi were also present with LTTE leader to pay homage to the slain MP at an undisclosed location in Vanni.
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Sinhala daily: Sri Lanka tops Asian countries in number of NGOs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 11:18 GMT]
Around 600 Non Government Organisations (NGOs) are officially present in Sri Lanka, while 400 more NGOs are also engaged in Sri Lanka without official presence, Divayina, a Sinhala language daily reported on Saturday. Highlighting that Sri Lanka had become a lucrative country for peace agencies, the paper pointed out that more than one hundred organisations were engaged in peace-related business, benefiting from the CFA. The newspaper criticized 8 organizations for managing to get foreign funding to the tune of 20 million rupees per year and further alleged that these organizations, which claimed to be researching about peace, were in fact supplying "false information" to foreign actors.
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Karaveddi civilians pay homage to slain MP Sivanesan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 00:25 GMT]
Amidst tension in the village of Keava'lai in Karaveddi East due to heavy presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, thousands of civilians paid homage Friday to the slain Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian K.Sivanesan assassinated Thursday in a claymore mine attack allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army, south of Maangku'lam on A-9 Road in Vanni. The body of the slain parliamentarian was taken to his home town in Karaveddi East to enable the public to pay their last respects.
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SLN, Police instruct Vanni IDPs away from Mannaar island

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 18:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy and Police officials in Mannaar island have instructed the civil authorities at Mannaar District Secretariat not to accommodate refugees who arrive to the Island from Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas in recent days by boats within the Mannaar island. 28 persons from 8 families who have arrived by boat from Moon'raam piddi, Valaippaadu and Naachchikkudaa from LTTE controlled areas by boat to the Mannaar island were taken by the SL forces to Naanaaddan in the mainland to an old rice mill building.
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Pirapaharan confers Maamanithar title to Sivanesan

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 16:58 GMT]
Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) has conferred Maamanithar (Great human being) title, the highest national civilian honour by the LTTE, posthumously to K. Sivanesan, the Tamil national alliance parliamentarian who was assassinated Thursday in Vanni in Claymore attack allegedly carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit. Honouring Mr. Sivanesan, the LTTE leader said: "Mr. Kiddinan Sivanesan is a unique individual who functioned selflessly, honestly, and with courage. He is simple, courteous and loving. He is a sincere politician who possessed high ideals. He labored tirelessly for the advancement and welfare of the workers."
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TNA condemns Sivanesan killing

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 14:38 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a statement issued Friday strongly condemned the killing of its Jaffna district parliamentarian K.Sivanesan on Thursday at Maangku'lam along A9 highway. TNA has been expressing its deepest sorrow and distress over the killing of Mr. Sivanesan in a claymore explosion, the statement added. "Mr. Sivanesan worked hard for the emancipation of the Tamil people, against social injustice and for the development of co-operative movement. He won the hearts of Tamils by his unwavering stand on the freedom struggle by his deed and speech. He dedicated himself from the young age for the liberation of his people," the TNA statement said.
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Norway condemns assassination of Sivanesan MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 14:31 GMT]
The Norwegian government on Friday condemned the killing of Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament K. Sivanesan of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and his driver Periyannan Maheshwararajah, following a claymore attack in the Vanni on 6 March 2008. "Attacks on members of Parliament are seriously undermining Sri Lanka’s democratic traditions and institutions. A political solution to the conflict is vital, to put an end to the spiral of violence," the Norwegian statement said.
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Jaffna TNA MP Sivanesan killed in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2008, 09:59 GMT]
Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, K. Sivanesan, was killed in a Claymore attack carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit on A-9 road, 30 minutes after he crossed into Vanni through Oamanthai / Pu'liyangku'lam entry point Thursday. The Claymore attack has taken place between Pu'liyangku'lam and Maangku'lam around 1:20 p.m., according to initial reports. The MP's vehicle was targeted when he was returning to his residence in Mallaavi, after attending the parliamentary sessions in Colombo. His driver was also killed in the attack. The DPU attackers have exploded four Claymore mines in a row, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet.
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Tigers say random explosions cause rise in SLA casualties in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 16:59 GMT]
At least 23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded or killed in random explosions within the past week in parts of Mannaar battlefront, the Tigers said Sunday. The SLA has sustained casualties when its soldiers attempted to move around inside no-go zone and during retreats after skirmishes.
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"Near perfect" interview that never aired

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 14:52 GMT]
An interview recorded by the popular 'Hard Talk' show in BBC channel-24 with Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal related to Sri Lanka’s 60th Independence Anniversary has not aired yet, media reports from Colombo said. Colombo weekly Sunday Island spurned as unbelivable reported BBC response that the tapes had been accidently erased.
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CT Scanning laboratory, nursing student’s hostel opened in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 03:58 GMT]
Computed Tomography (CT) Scanning laboratory built by the Ministry of Health at a cost of Rs.70 million was opened Saturday morning 10:00 a.m. at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, sources in Batticaloa said.
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