Colombo unwilling or unable to contain Rights violations- HRW

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 11:18 GMT]
During the launch of the Report “Return to War: Human Rights Under Siege” in the European Parliament Tuesday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a leading Rights organization based in New York, said after the report was published in the first week of August, disappearances especially in Jaffna have continued, condition of internally displaced have reached alarming levels, climate of impunity continued to prevail, and the Attorney General’s office, have not effectively investigated human rights violations or brought perpetrators to justice. HRW also condemned Colombo's dismissal of international critics as “traitors,” and “terrorist sympathizers.”
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SLA conducts search operation, youth seeks protection with HRC in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 September 2007, 16:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers conducted a combined cordon and search operation covering Point Pedro and Valveddiththu'rai areas in Vadamaraadchi from Tuesday early morning until evening, ordering young women and men to gather in the temples in their respective areas where they were subjected to thorough investigation, sources in Vadmaraadchi said. Meanwhile, a youth who escaped abduction during the search sought protection with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) Tuesday afternoon.


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Accident in Jaffna injures 2 SLA troops

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 September 2007, 16:40 GMT]
A heavy truck and jeep of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) collided at high speed Monday morning at Veambadi Junction in Jaffna, causing serious injuries to two SLA troops inside.
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LTTE's Rights group draws attention to plight of Tamil people

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 September 2007, 13:42 GMT]
The Office of the LTTE Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, in a detailed report released Saturday before UN Human Rights Council session, drew attention to the human rights violations committed by the Sri Lanka State on the Tamil people, and said that more than 1974 Tamil civilians have been killed and 842 Tamil civilians were either arrested or abducted in the 21 months from November 2005 after Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse came to power. The Rights Group called upon the "international and UN representatives who visit Colombo, to also pay a visit to the Tamil homeland and to find out first hand the ground situation."
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Heavy artillery exchange at Naakarkoayil FDL

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 September 2007, 16:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) exchanged heavy artillery fire for nearly 3 hours at Naakarkoayil Front Defence Lines (FDL) in the northern province, Friday morning.
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Youth seeks protection with HRC, civilian missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 September 2007, 07:19 GMT]
A youth from Nelliadi in Vadamaraadchi, due to death threats allegedly from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed armed paramilitary men, surrendered himself directly in Jaffna Court Thursday where the magistrate, Mr. R. T. Vignarajah, directed the youth to be placed in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison. Meanwhile, a civilian from Kodikaamam is reported missing since he left home August 2, according to a complaint by his wife to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna.


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India, Sri Lanka form joint defence panel - report

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 September 2007, 18:15 GMT]
India and Sri Lanka have formed a high-level, joint defence panel following a meeting in New Delhi between top officials of the two countries on September 3 and 4, the Hindustan Times reported Wednesday quoting a release from the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat.
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STF arrests Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 10:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) arrested a young bicycle mechanic in Batticaloa town for carrying bicycle ball bearings, Tuesday around 4:30 p.m and handed him over to Batticaloa police. The youth was in possession of unusually high number of ball bearings, according to the STF, police said.
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Amnesty calls for impartial, international investigations on escalating Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 08:02 GMT]
"There are grounds to fear a return to a pattern of the security forces involvement in extrajudicial killing of journalists and others," the Amnesty International noted in a public statement issued on Tuesday charging that the national Human Rights monitoring mechanisms, including the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), lacked capacity to launch prompt, impartial and independent investigations. The Amnesty called on the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, before the sixth session of the Council, scheduled to be held between 10 - 28 September, to exert pressure on Colombo to invite an international monitoring mechanism to independently investigate rights violations in the country.
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Civilian shot, injured in Kokkaddichcholai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 01:04 GMT]
An unknown gunman shot and seriously injured a Tamil civilian riding a bicycle at Kokkaddichcholai in the Paduvaankarai region in Batticaloa district at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The gunmen escaped after shooting at the victim.
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STF shoots dead 2 youths in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 September 2007, 10:32 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos shot and killed two youths at Mo'rakkoddaagncheanai in Ea'raavoor in Batticaloa district Tuesday morning around 10:30.
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Ex-Karuna cadre shot dead in internal fight

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 September 2007, 15:19 GMT]
Armed men, alleged to be Karuna group members, shot dead Sunday around 7:30 p.m, a former member of Karuna group at Koththiyaapula in Vavu'natheevu police division. The killers, arriving at the victim's house, had called him out and tried to take him away for interrogation. They shot him dead when he tried to escape.
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SLA artillery fire kills one, injures another in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 September 2007, 12:26 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday around 1.30 p.m. launched artillery fire from government held area towards Adamban, a village in LTTE held territory. Sellathurai Yohan, 34, a father of one child was killed and 37 year-old S.Yohanathan, father of two children was seriously injured, civil society sources said.
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4500 civilians displaced from Musali to Naanaaddaan in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 September 2007, 00:54 GMT]
More than 4500 civilians were forced to flee Musali division in Mannnaar district Saturday when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) moved in, without any direct confrontation, into the area located south of Mannaar-Madawachchi Road where Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) were known to have been present in pockets of areas. No Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) were maintained by either warring party in the said areas. The coastal villages located between Mannaar and Puththa'lam. Naanaaddaan MV school and Don Bosco technical college where 1136 IDPs of 327 families were residing have been surrounded by the SLA and the Sri Lankan police.
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Couple shot, injured in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 September 2007, 12:59 GMT]
Unidentified armed men, alleged to be from Karuna group, shot and injured a farmer and his wife Saturday around 7:45 p.m, in an attempt to abduct the farmer from his house at Kannangkudaa area in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Hope amid tragedy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 September 2007, 19:40 GMT]
Antony, a six year old boy lost his leg, his 4-year old brother Reginathan was killed, his mother and 6-month old brother were injured, and his father Jegan lost his leg during 02 January attack by Kfir fast attack aircrafts of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at the coastal hamlet of Padakuththu’rai in Iluppaikadavai, Mannar town. Jegan lost four of his siblings. Amidst this tragedy, Antony showed remarkable resilience and a unique enthusiasm for his school work when TamilNet visited the family for an interview this week.
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SLA uses Muslim villagers as human shields in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 September 2007, 12:33 GMT]
Around fifty Muslim families in the Muslim villages in Musali division in Mannnar are being used as human shields by the Sri Lanka Army that entered the area Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the Tamil civilians in Mu'l'likku'lam village, are moving to LTTE controlled area, sources in Achchangku'lam in Naanaaddaan division said. The area concerned is accessible to both LTTE and SLA but there has been no resistance from the LTTE, the sources added.
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DPU Claymore kills 9 fleeing civilians in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 September 2007, 07:09 GMT]
Nine civilians fleeing from a Sri Lanka Army offensive towards Chilaavaththu'rai in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled territory in Musali, Mannaar, were killed and six including children wounded in a Claymore attack carried out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Saturday at 8:35 a.m. Two ambulances sent from Mannaar hospital to transport the wounded were blocked at Chi'rukka'ndal SLA camp. It has taken more than 6 hours to transport the wounded towards Mannaar hospital through a separate route via Achchangku'lam, medical sources said.
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SLA Mannaar advance defeated, one body recovered - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 August 2007, 18:07 GMT]
Liberation Tigers offered stiff resistance against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), defeating the SLA attempt Friday around 6:40 a.m, to advance from Vi'laathiku'lam in Mannaar district into LTTE territory, according to LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan. The body of an SLA trooper and weapons left behind have been recovered by the LTTE, Ilanthirayan said.
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LTTE areas in Mannaar come under SLA artillery fire

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 August 2007, 02:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army Wednesday evening around 4:00 p.m. launched artillery attack from Thallaady base and Senath bar base on areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Mannaar district.
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