2 Police constables shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 17:50 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motorbike shot dead two police constables Monday around 7:40 p.m. at Muthalikkulam in Vavuniya district. The police handed the bodies of the two victims to Vavuniya hospital around 10:00 p.m.


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American Tamils call for Recognition of Tamil Sovereignty for NorthEast Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 11:46 GMT]
Pleading to the international community that "the just aspirations of the Tamils should not be held hostage by fictitious claims of protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a failed state," a consortium of Tamil organizations in the US, in a press release issued Monday, urged the International Community to "recognize the current de-facto Tamil state should their authentic representatives exercise the right to external self-determination," and called upon fellow Americans "to stand with the Tamil Americans in support of the inalienable right of self-determination."
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Youth shot dead in Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 08:24 GMT]
Unidentified armed men following a youth riding his bicycle to purchase goods shot him dead Sunday around 8:00 p.m at Veeramunai in Sammanthurai police division in Amparai district. Sammanthurai police recovered the dead body Monday morning and handed it over to Sammanthurai hospital for inquest into death.


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India donates second warship to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 February 2007, 19:24 GMT]
India is to grant the Sri Lanka Navy another ocean-going warship as part of greater cooperation between the two countries, media reports in Colombo said Sunday.
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SLA intensifies attack on LTTE territory in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 21:35 GMT]
Batticaloa district plunged into darkness due to interruption of electricity supply following a 15 minute heavy artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) barrage by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Batticaloa Brigade camp and Mylambaveli SLA camp on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territories , Saturday from 6:30 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said.
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SLA alleges discovery of arms at Kopay Training College

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 18:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Palaly announced Saturday that troopers conducting a sudden search in the premises of Kopay Training college on Friday found a T-56 type rifle concealed in the roof of the students hostel. Last week the troops claimed that telecommunication equipment and hand grenades were found in a room in a catholic church near the residence of Bishop of Jaffna. Civil society sources, however, suspect that the claims are without substance, and intended to silence the dissenting voices of the Catholic clergy and the Education officials in Jaffna.
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TNA appeals to international community to back Tamil self-determination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 11:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s ongoing military campaign leaves Tamils with no option but to seek self-determination and self-rule, the country’s largest Tamil party said Friday. In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on the international community to recognise the Tamil struggle pointing out that in the past five years, “the Sri Lankan government has utterly failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamil people. Neither has it contributed meaningfully to a lasting solution to the national conflict.”
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SLA intensifies artillery attacks from FDL positions in Thenmaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 00:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stationed at Thenmaradchy Forward Defence Lines (FDL) in Muhamalai and adjoining areas unleashed a barrage of artillery fire and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas Thursday night. The artillery fire continued throughout Friday until dusk, sources in Thenmaradchy said.
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GA attends to Mannar farmers' transport woes

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 February 2007, 12:43 GMT]
Hundreds of farmers in LTTE held territory in Mannar district cultivating subsidiary food crops and paddy have been undergoing severe difficulties to sell their produce at good price in the government controlled areas or to buy seed materials and other needed materials needed for their cultivation after the closure of Uyilankulam army check point in August last year, sources said. Mannar Government Agent (GA) V.Visuvalingam is making efforts to arrange transportation to affected farmers, sources said.
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Marginalisation of CFA compells Tamils to resume freedom struggle - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in a statement marking five years since the signing of 22 February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), said the CFA formulated with the full support of the international community, had transcended the parameters of Sri Lanka’s majoritarian constitution, recognizing Tamil Eelam’s de facto existence and the balance of power between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE. However, the international community’s insistence on a solution that does not infringe on the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka," is deeply frustrating for the Tamil people, the statement said.
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JHU tells JVP: CFA already dead, meaningless to demand abrogation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 12:42 GMT]
The ceasefire agreement CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe, the then Prime Minister and Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) five years ago on 22 February 2002 had already dead with the capture of Mavilaru by the Sri Lankan security forces last year. "Hence there is no point in demanding the government to abrogate the CFA,"said Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, general secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).
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SLA conducts house-to-house search in Bogowantalawa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 12:39 GMT]
A house-to-house search was conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers with the assistance of local police in Bogowantalawa town in the central province Thursday morning from dawn to noon. Majority of residents of Bogowantalawa are Tamils of Indian origin from upcountry. Police took several residents, majority of them Tamils into custody for interrogation, sources said.
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4000 killed in 15 months - SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 09:54 GMT]
Nearly 4000 people have lost their lives during the past 15 months in contrast to less than 130 deaths during the first 3 years following the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) of 22 February 2002, between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the truce monitors said Thursday in a statement marking the fifth year of the signing of the CFA between the GoSL and the LTTE.
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SL Government has no deals with LTTE- Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 22:44 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Prime Minister, Monday refuted the allegation that the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has a secret understanding with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He was answering a question by Joseph Michael Perera, parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) citing ousted minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi in parliament Tuesday.
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Jaffna undergrads boycott classes protesting SLA killing of student

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 21:46 GMT]
Jaffna University students are boycotting educational activities Tuesday and Wednesday to protest against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) killing of Krishnan Kamalathas, a final year Art Faculty student Sunday close to the SLA 52-4 Brigade Head Quarters near his house in Thenmaradchi. Meanwhile SLA troopers forcibly removed the black flags hoisted by the students Monday evening and Tuesday morning at the entrance of Jaffna University.
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SL Minister's threats condemned by media associations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 02:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Champika Ranawaka's statement in Ravaya "advocating brutal suppression of democratic dissent," and call for the "elimination of those the JHU and NMAT perceive to be aiding and abetting the cause of the LTTE, including all pro-peace civil society activists and media activists," was condemned by a group of media associations in a press release issued Monday.
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Student shot dead in Jaffna, tension prevails

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 11:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers shot dead a final year Art faculty student of Jaffna University Sunday around 6:30 p.m close to the SLA 52-4 Brigade Head Quarters and near his house in Iyattalai in Varani in Thenmaradchi region. Black flags were flown in the Jaffna University which was reopened Monday for studies after nearly six months. SLA soldiers were deployed around the University premises as the students observed a remembrance event paying homage to the dead student at Kailasapthy stadium in the Jaffna University.
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Ad Hominem

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 00:28 GMT]
Allan Rock, Special Representative for United Nations Committee on Children and Armed Conflict, came under scathing personal attack in Sri Lanka Government controlled media for his report implicating Colombo for complicity in child recruitment. Ad hominem, a fundamental fallacy much detested in the field of rhetoric, and legal and scientific debate, has become a common tool in Sri Lanka Government's arsenal in confronting bad publicity in matters that have drawn negative international attention.
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NPM urges Rajapakse to nullify CFA with LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 February 2007, 18:37 GMT]
The National Patriotic Movement (NPM) Sunday made an urgent appeal to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to nullify the ceasefire agreement (CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe, the then Prime Minister and Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of LTTE, before the CFA completes five-year period on February 22, sources in Colombo said.
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SL Parliament to meet amid political tension

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 February 2007, 13:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is to meet Tuesday again amid political tension in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government created by the sacking of three ministers by President Mahinda Rajapakse. Parliament met last time amid tension created by the defection of eighteen parliamentarians from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to government side, sources said.
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