Mannar district under tight security

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 10:34 GMT]
Security in Mannar district has been tightened and more police personnel and soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been deployed for patrollling of key roads, civil sources in Mannar said. Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Police have set up additional roadblocks along Pallimunai-Mannar Road and along Talaimannar-Thalvupadu Road, and are thoroughly checking all vehicles.
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SLA accused of claymore attack on passenger bus

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2007, 03:32 GMT]
Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.V.Selvam Adaikalanathan in a statement issued Sunday accused the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the claymore mine attack on the passenger bus at Piramanalankulam bound for Vavuniya from Mannar on Saturday. Eight civilians were killed and about 25 injured in the attack.
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Civilians flee from LTTE-held village in Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 16:50 GMT]
Fifteen persons belonging to four families from Pappamoddai village in the Liberation Tigers controlled territory in Mannar district sought refuge Saturday morning in Sri Lanka government held Pallimunai village. They arrived in a boat at Pallimunai coast and registered their names with the Grama Sevaka Niladhari of the division seeking relief and accommodation, sources said.
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Attacks against civilians devised by Sri Lankan military intelligence - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 04:46 GMT]
Sri Lankan military intelligence has resorted to attacks against Tamil and Sinhala civilians to depict a bad pattern of deliberate attacks against civilians with a "sinister motive" of tarnishing the image of the Liberation Tigers, charged Irasiah Ilanthirayan, military spokesman of the Liberation Tigers, Saturday after the latest Claymore attack that targeted a civilian bus on Vavuniya Mannar Road.
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LTTE, GoSL must work for sustainable peace- Jaffna Bishop

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 10:55 GMT]
Jaffna Bishop, Rt. Rev. Thomas Savundara- nayagam in his Easter Message delivered Thursday said: "In the perilous climate where abductions, disappearances and killings have become normal occurrences, people in Jaffna are leading a life filled with fear and mental trauma. Many are seeking danger-filled ways to escape from this open prison. The Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers must work with sincerity to arrive at a honourable, sustainable settlement to the conflict."
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SLN vessel sunk, 7 killed in Mannar seas - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 07:09 GMT]
Seven Sri Lanka Navy personnel were killed and a SLN gunboat was sunk after a naval clash when three Sri Lankan gunboats blocked a Sea Tiger patrol in Mannar waters at 11:15 a.m. Friday, Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Navy in Colombo claimed to have sunk a LTTE boat and said one of the SLN Inshore Patrol Crafts was slightly damaged and a sailor had sustained small injuries.
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AG given time to file objections on Sooriyarachchi case

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 02:08 GMT]
Avissawella High Court Thursday gave time till April 9 to the Attorney General (AG) to file objection to the bail application of Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government. Mr.Sooriayarachchi, a UPFA parliamentarian has been in remand on an allegation that he had misused a state vehicle after being dismissed from the cabinet, legal sources said.
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SLA fire injures Valaichenai farmer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 12:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers opened fire on two farmers travelling on a tractor to work in paddy fields, Thursday around 11:00 a.m, at Ottuveli area located behind Valaichenai Paper Factory in Batticaloa district, seriously injuring one of them, sources in Valaichenai said.


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SL parliament begins debate on extending State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 09:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Thursday morning tabled a motion seeking its approval for the extension of the State of Emergency for another month. Speaking on the motion Mr.Joseph Michael Perera, chief Whip of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) announced that his party has decided abstain from voting when the Speaker called for division, parliamentary sources said.


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Four Sinhala farmers shot dead in Polonnaruwa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 08:36 GMT]
Unidentified attackers shot and killed four Sinhalese paddy farmers at Nidanwala in Dimbulagala divisional secretariat in Polonnaruwa District Thursday around 9:30 a.m., Police in Aralaganwila said.
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Stranded workers demand temporary employment in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 00:00 GMT]
Over one thousand graduates from Jaffna peninsula employed in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)- controlled Wanni district began a protest on Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m outside the premises of Jaffna Education department and the Secretariat of Additional Provincial Director of Education located at Nallur, Muthiraisanthy demanding temporary employment in the peninsula until proper transportation arrangements are made.
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SLA shoots dead 2 youths, 2 home guards shot injured, in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 10:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers shot dead two youths Monday evening at Kurukalputhukulam area on Vavuniya-Manar road. The bodies were handed over to Vavuniya hospital Tuesday evening, sources in Vavuniya said.
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2 killed, 4 wounded in SLAF airstrike in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 10:34 GMT]
Two civilian passengers were killed and four wounded on Kaivaeli - Puthukkudiyir'uppu Road in Mullaiththeevu district when Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets bombed the area Wednesday around 1:00 p.m., LTTE officials in Kilinochchi said. NGO office of the White Pigeon Prosthesis Institute in Puthukkudiyir'uppu was damaged in the aerial attack, the sources added. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan military sources in Colombo claimed that they had attacked a Sea Tiger base in Mullaiththeevu.
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SLA arrests 35 IDPs in Amparai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 02:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) arrested more than 35 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had gone to 38th Colony, Palayadivettai and Nellikaddu villages, located on the border between Amparai and Batticaloa districts, to inspect their houses which they had fled from, said refugees who escaped from SLA. The detained were taken to Kondaivettuvaan SLA camp in Amparai district, same sources said.
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Amnesty’s Sri Lanka campaign on a sticky wicket

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 01:04 GMT]
Amnesty International’s efforts to build support for international monitoring of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka using the topical theme of cricket drew the fury of the Colombo government this week and, in a rare moment of southern solidarity, the main opposition UNP party joined the Sinhala hardline JVP and the ruling SLFP in denouncing the group’s move.
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Karuna cadres shoot dead refugee in Kaluvankerny

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 00:11 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men, alleged to be Karuna group members, riding a bicycle, shot dead a refugee staying at the Koralankerny refugee camp at Kaluvankerny in Eravur police division in Batticaloa district Tuesday around 7:45 a.m, sources in Eravur said. He was taking a bath at a well near the camp when he was shot
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Panchayat Raj brought back in Rajapakse deliberations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 16:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while on his visit to the 14th SAARC Summit being held at New Delhi had discussions with Mr. Mani Shanakar Ayyar, Indian Central Government Minister on Panchayat Raj system Sunday at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, a press release from the Presidential office said. In October 2006, when the inclusion of the Indian third tier administrative model was first brought up and touted as “ray of hope” to solve Sri Lanka’s “domestic problems,” Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian dismissed the concept saying "It is foolish to think Panchayat scheme will satisfy Tamil people."
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Colombo battles to sidestep Human Rights focus - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 15:58 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is trying to sidestep International Community's focus on Colombo's worst record of human rights abuses and institutionalized impunity for crimes against the Tamil people, by attempting to use the forum of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit against Tamil people's right to defend themselves, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told TamilNet when asked to comment on Colombo's focus shift to LTTE's air capability, prior to the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi.
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Peace talks, only path to resolve ethnic conflict-Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 10:53 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) said in parliament Tuesday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has proved its might with recent air strike on Katunayake air base that it has the capability of attacking any target in the country. He said that the ethnic conflict should be resolved through peace talks and not by military means, parliamentary sources said.
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US responds to LTTE airstrike

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 08:37 GMT]
Asked for the United States’ reaction to the LTTE airstrike on the military airbase at Katunayake last Monday, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O’ Blake said: “The LTTE’s successful deployment of an offensive air capability is a matter of great concern.” He told Sri Lanka’s state-owned Daily News: “We do not believe there can be a military solution to this conflict. Rather, both sides should cease hostilities so talks can take place on a negotiated settlement.” He also said that the US “does not perceive a specific threat to our citizens who intend to travel to the tourist areas.”
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