SL Police, SLA cordon, search Mannar town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 12:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police Saturday afternoon 1:30 p.m conducted a combined cordon and search operation in Sinnakadai, Bazaar in Mannar town. More than seven hundred civilians, men and women were ordered to leave their houses and workplaces, and assemble in the Mannar common playgrounds by the military officials, and were subjected to severe interrogation. Their national identity cards were checked. Civilians were allowed to leave the playground after registering their names and other details with the military authorities, sources said.
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Tigers hand over 4 STF bodies to ICRC in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 06:27 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Batticaloa District Deputy Political Head S. Seeralan handed over four bodies of Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) personnel killed Friday at Pullumalai, to the Batticaloa ICRC Saturday morning, Tiger officials in Batticaloa said. The LTTE has thwarted STF ground troop movement and seized 1 PK LMG, 1 RPG, 1 M16A2 assault rifle, 5 T56-2 guns and ammunition including 40mm mortar shells. A three pronged ground offensive with SLA/STF artillery barrage has forced more than 40 000 Tamils to flee their villages in LTTE controlled area.
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Aid workers massacre probe flawed- ICJ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 06:09 GMT]
Criticizing the probe into the massacre of 17 aid workers of French NGO Internationale Contre la Faim (ACF) in Muttur as flawed, the official observer of International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), Michael Brinbaum, said the investigators had hastily acted on the presumption that the killings were done by the LTTE, and the mid-hearing substitution of a Tamil magistrate was "unlawful." He advocated the use of Australian experts to analyze ballistic evidence and said it is imperative the Sri Lankan Government acts to "dispel serious concerns about whether [its] justice system is now able to carry out independent and credible investigations."
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6 Tamils detained in Dambulla, 3 remanded, 29 released

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 00:38 GMT]
Of the 38 civilians arrested in Dambulla and its suburbs in north central province Thursday, six civilians, all Tamils have been detained in police station for further investigation. Three were produced in Dambulla magistrate court Friday and remanded, legal sources in Colombo said.
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55 civilians killed in Mannar in 14 months

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 00:32 GMT]
Fifty-five Tamil civilians were killed, 105 injured, and 16 reported missing in Mannar district from 2006 January to February 2007 in military operations carried out by the Sri Lanka forces, civil sources said.
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40,000 civilians displaced in two days in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 13:09 GMT]
More than 40,000 civilians were displaced within the last 48 hours in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Paduvankarai area as heavy artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher fire by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued, forcing the civilians to flee from Kokkaddicholai and the surrounding villages. "Batticaloa is experiencing another tragic humanitarian crisis without the attention of the International Community," charged Batticaloa district parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy. Meanwhile, a third front, opened by the Sri Lankan Special Task Force troopers at Pullumalai, 31 km southwest of Batticaloa, was thwarted by the Tigers, according to the LTTE.
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SLA reopens Uyilankulam checkpoint

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 11:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday morning reopened the Uyilankulam checkpoint, the gateway to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory in the Mannar district. The Uyilankulam checkpoint was closed by the SLA following a clash between the government troops and LTTE cadres Wednesday, sources said.


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Tamil civilians arrested in Kandy, Dambulla

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 10:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Armed Forces arrested seven Tamil civilians at Teldeniya in Kandy in the Central Province and 38 civilians in Dambulla and its suburbs in the North Central Province in cordon off and search operations conducted Thursday.


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Thousands displaced in fresh Sri Lankan offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 13:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has launched heavy artillery barrage towards Liberation Tigers controlled territories in Batticaloa district since Thursday morning as Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) began a two pronged ground offensive from Chenkalady through A-15 (Batticaloa Badulla Road) and from Pulukunawa and Syambalanduwa. Around 10 000 civilians were forced to flee from the shelling inside the LTTE territory. Liberation Tigers said their fighters were engaged in a defensive fight on two fronts. Two civilians were killed in SLA shelling on Thandiyadi. Access routes were closed Thursday morning. Wireless telephone link and mobile network remain dead in the district.
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Claymore attack kills one policeman, injures three in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 11:48 GMT]
One policeman was killed and three policemen were injured when unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Wednesday around 10:45 a.m near Velikulam junction along Vavuniya-Mamadu road, Vavuniya police said. One civilian was also injured in the attack. The attack targetted a jeep carrying a group of policemen stationed at Mamadu to Vavuniya town, the police added.
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Sri Lanka parliament debates emergency extension motion

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:10 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister tabled a motion in parliament Wednesday morning seeking the approval to extend the State of Emergency for another month. The State of Emergency was declared on 13th August 2005, a day after the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister in his residence in Colombo. Since then State of Emergency is being extended every month with the approval of parliament.
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SLA fires artillery on LTTE-held villages in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday launched indiscriminate artillery fire on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held villages in the Mannar district. The attack commenced at 8.30 a.m. and continued till about 12.30 p.m., sources in Mannar said. Several hundred residents from villages Palaikudi, Parapukadanthan and Adamban fled from their houses and sought refuge in Madhu church.
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SL Government's respect for Human Rights declines in 2006- US

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 05:14 GMT]
US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, reported human rights problems in Sri Lanka including "unlawful killings by government agents, high profile killings by unknown perpetrators, politically motivated killings by paramilitary forces associated with the government and the LTTE, and disappearances."
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LTTE shells hit Manthuvil Base

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 01:26 GMT]
Artillery shells launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) hit the 52 Brigade Head Office of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) situated at Manthuvil in Thenmaradchy region in Jaffna district around 12:00 noon Tuesday. Two shells fell inside the Base and one outside it. Ambulance was seen rushing out of the Base towards Palaly Military Hospital following the attack, civilians of the area said.
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SLAF bombs Vanni, DPU Claymore targets civilian bus

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 13:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir bombers Tuesday morning bombed Vallipunam in Mullaithivu district. No casualties were reported. The air raid was reported at 8:30 a.m., according to LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan. Meanwhile a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army has detonated a Claymore mine targeting a van carrying civilians from Mallavi to Palappani in Mullaithivu district Tuesday afternoon.
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SLA abducts 5 civilians in Chunnakam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 12:19 GMT]
Three civilians in Chunnakam were abducted by armed Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in uniform in Chunnakam area during the last three days following the claymore attacks in Uduvil and Urelu, officials of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission said. Two civilians were arrested by the SLA following cordon and search operations, bringing the total to five the number of civilians disappearing in Chunnakam area during 4th, 5th and 6th of March, HRC officials said. Meanwhile, another civilian was abducted by armed men in a white van in Eechamoddai coastal town Tuesday morning, according to a complaint registered with the HRC.
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SL Police chief admits Sri Lanka forces involved in abductions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 12:03 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces are involved in abductions of civilians for ransom, the country’s Police Chief admitted Monday, saying a ‘large number’ of officers and troops had been arrested on charges of abduction and extortion. However the Inspector General of Police, Victor Perera also asserted that “organised groups” were conducting abductions and killings “to embarrass the government.”


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3 Jaffna youths arrested in Chilaw

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2007, 22:29 GMT]
Three Tamil youths, natives of Jaffna district, were arrested Saturday night in a house located close to Chilaw town in northwestern province. One youth had arrived from abroad few days ago and the other two have been staying in the area for the last two years renting the house.
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UNP to launch campaign against abduction, killings, HR violations

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2007, 21:36 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to launch a mass protest campaign across Sri Lanka against the increased number of abduction, killings and other human rights violations. The campaign will begin in April led by Ranil Wickremasinghe, opposition leader, said S.B.Dissanayake, national organizer of the UNP.
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SLA arrests Tamil civilian in Kinniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 March 2007, 12:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday arrested a Tamil youth, Ponniah Satyaraj, a resident of Poovarasanthivu in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district, following the recovery of a live claymore mine along Alankerni-Poovarasanthu road Friday evening, sources in Trincomalee said.
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