SLMM has no mandate to rule on Tamils sovereign rights - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 May 2006, 09:09 GMT]
"We entered the peace process based on a status-quo achieved in the battlefield in our territory. Nobody has the right to pass judgement on the sovereign rights of our access to the adjacent sea and airspace of our homeland," told LTTE's Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan after having an urgent meeting with the Head of the Scandinavian truce monitors on Friday. The ceasefire and the entire peace process between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is a process based on parity of status and military power of balance. The SLMM statement issued on Thursday was a serious statement affecting this framework, LTTE's Political Head told media.
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LTTE refutes SLMM's controversial statement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 May 2006, 20:26 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head, S. P. Thamilchelvan, in a letter to Major General Henricsson, the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Thursday said that the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission's statement issued earlier Thursday, stating that the Tigers have no rights at sea, was in contradiction to SLMM's earlier stand, as expressed in a Press Release on 25 April 2003. Sea Tigers existed prior to CFA and it contributed to the balance of power that resulted in the CFA. The LTTE statement attached three letters sent to SLMM explicitly asking the SLMM to stop boarding Sri Lankan naval vessels as the Lankan vessels have come very close to the shores of LTTE area firing at their naval bases.
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SLA uses Mannar civilians human shield to avoid claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 May 2006, 14:30 GMT]
Civilians who are traveling by road from Nanattan to Mannar via Vankalai are forcibly taken by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army on foot as human shield to avoid claymore attacks on their way to army camps. Civilians who use transport services between Nanattan-Mannar Road are asked to get down at Vankalai by soldiers and to join them on foot till they reach their two-army camps located in Naravalikulam and Pasthipuram along Nanattan-Vankalai road, civilian sources said.
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SLAF Kfir Jets bomb Kilinochchi suburbs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 May 2006, 12:25 GMT]
Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets have bombed Vanni at least 8 times from 5:15 p.m. till 6:45 p.m. Thursday, sources in Kilinchchi town said. Karuppaddamurippu, between Mankulam and Oddusuddan. Many civilians have fled the areas. Casualty details were not available at the moment.
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Two Forestry workers found dead in Mankulam jungle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 May 2006, 11:14 GMT]
Two civilian employees of Forestry Resources Protection unit attached to the civil administration in Vanni, were found shot dead in Panikkankulam jungle, 5 km west of A9 road northwest of Mankulam Tuesday. The employees who went to the jungle Tuesday, 02 May, were reported missing on 05 May, Tamileelam Police official of Mankulam Thunukkai area, Mr. Vijayakumar said. The decomposed bodies had bullet wounds. The police found four empty cases from the location.
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Relatives await abducted youth’s release

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 May 2006, 06:51 GMT]
Kirubairatnam Suthahiri 22, a building contractor in Kinnaiady in the Valaichenai police division was abducted along with his motorbike by unidentified gunmen on 28th April 2006 around 7 p.m. near the Mankerny Sri Lanka Army (SLA) check point while returning from Pannichankerny. Although abductors have indicated through third party that they will release Sutharhiri, the victim has not been released yet, sources said.
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Homage paid to journalist Jeyaseelan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2006, 09:31 GMT]
"Kanagaratnam Jeyaseelan was a young and dedicated journalist who strove untiringly for the cause of liberation even in the face of threats to his life. His death comes as another blow to us in a time when Tamil journalists are being targeted and killed by paramilitary groups guided and assisted by the Sri Lanka government," said Vellinatham Editor Sri Indrakumar paying homage to Jeyaseelan, Sub-Editor Vellinatham, the weekly edition of Eelanatham daily published in Vanni, at an event held Saturday around 11.30 a.m in the Eelanatham office in Kilinochchi presided by Sudarmany of Eelanatham, said sources from Vanni.
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SLA closes A9 highway to Vanni, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2006, 03:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have closed the A9 entrypoints at Omanthai Monday morning. Muhamalai entry point also remained closed as SLA has imposed a curfew after the bodies of eight civilians killed at Seerani Amman temple in Kelakkai in Thenmaradchi in Jaffna, were reportedly found in Kapputhu, Vadamaradchi. Villagers allege that the SLA was attempting to cover up the killings allegedly carried out by their soldiers at the temple observing Kumbabishekam festival in Manthuvil East, around 7 km northeast of Chavakachcheri.
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NGOs provide food items to Kanniya resettled families

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 May 2006, 17:04 GMT]
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with the support of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and Trincomalee Methodist Church (TMC) Friday distributed about six hundred thousand rupees worth essential food items and other materials to about 234 resettled Tamil families in Kanniya village, who have lost their livelihood due to the recent disturbances and staying in their houses without fleeing to other areas, sources said.
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Tamil farmer arrested by SLA, reported missing

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 May 2006, 11:51 GMT]
Mr.Visanthy Aloysius, a Tamil farmer of Vellalarkaddu in Nanattan division in Mannar district is now reported missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on April 29. He was arrested by a group of soldiers when he was going to Sooriyakaddaikadu to sell vegetables. Several villagers witnessed the arrest. Now, SLA officials are denying arresting the farmer, said Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan and Mr.S.Noharathalingam, Wanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians in a letter sent Friday to the Sri Lanka President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse.
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International Community should protect Tamil media - TMF

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 May 2006, 11:04 GMT]
"The threats, attacks, and killings of Tamil journalists carried out by the Sri Lanka Security Forces and the collaborating paramilitary have reached unprecedented levels. The entire Tamil media is being targeted and intimidated by Security Forces," said the Tamil Media Forum in its memorandum to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse handed over to Killinochchi Government Agent (GA) Mr. T. Rasanayagam Thursday at 11.30 a.m, said sources from Kilinochchi.


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TRO opens Pubic Hall in Mallavi, distributes ADB loans

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 May 2006, 21:02 GMT]
Mr. S. Gajendran, Pandiyankulam Village Coordinator presided over the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Public hall built by Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, at Thirunagar in the Malavi region in Mullaitivu district, held Wednesday around 10.30 a.m, said sources from Vanni.
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Fifty passengers escape Claymore blast in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 May 2006, 14:48 GMT]
A bus carrying around 50 passengers from Puliyankulam northwards in LTTE controlled area in Periyakulam in Vavuniya North narrowly escaped a Claymore blast around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Tamileelam Police sources in Kilinochchi said. Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is blamed for targeting civilian passengers in LTTE controlled areas recently.
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LTTE complains to SLMM of SLA's deep penetration attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 May 2006, 14:39 GMT]
Mr.S.Iniyavan, Mannar District Political Head of the LTTE complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) at a discussion held at LTTE district political secretariat located in Karukkaikulam Wednesday of escaling attacks by the deep penetration unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the LTTE held territory in Mannar district, sources said.
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IATJ raises concerns for Tamil Journalists' safety

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 May 2006, 11:08 GMT]
The International Association of Tamil Journalists (IATJ), based in London, called upon the International Community, Media and Human Rights Organisations of the world to focus their attention to the fast deteriorating safety of the Tamil journalists in Sri Lanka and to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to adopt internationally accepted standards in the treatment of the media and its journalists in Sri Lanka.
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May Day observed as a day of mourning in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 May 2006, 02:22 GMT]
Hundreds of people in the Vanni wearing black bands, observed the International Workers' Day as a day of mourning, starting in a demonstration march from the Kilinochchi public playground Monday morning around 10 a.m, carrying effigies of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse, Wimal Weerawansa, Propaganda secretary of JVP, and other Southern Sinhala extremist political leaders, and marching toward a public meeting held at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi, sources said. The meeting ended with the burning of the effigies.


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Allaipitti man shot by SLN, dies without medical help

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 May 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers Allaipitti area in Kayts within High Security Zone (HSZ) shot and killed a 74-year old civilian in his home at 8 p.m. Sunday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Sivaram memorial held at Colombo Tamil Sangam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 15:05 GMT]
Speaking at the one year memorial event held at the Colombo Tamil Sangam by the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance Friday evening, C.A. Jothilingam, a popular political analyst, called for making Sivram's death anniversary, a Day for remembering all journalists slain for their writings in Sri Lanka.
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Jaffna journalists pay tribute to Sivaram on first death anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 01:18 GMT]
"Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) has failed in its attempt to stifle the voice of the entire Tamils by killing Sivaram. Many young Tamil journalists are in the forefront, continuing his mission, informing the international community of the perils faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka. This is the greatest tribute we journalists can pay Sivaram," said Mr. S. Kathirgamathamby, president North Ceylon Journalists Association (NCJA) in his address at the first annual memorial day Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki), a senior editor of TamilNet, held at the Media Research and Training Center in Jaffna University Friday evening at 4 p.m.


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Sivaram remembered in Batticaloa and Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 07:19 GMT]
The first death anniversary of reputed journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki), a Senior Editor of TamilNet, who was assassinated a year ago in Colombo was held in Batticaloa on Thursday and Friday morning in Jaffna. Batticaloa Rural Development Organization in collaboration with Thamileelam Education Development Board organized the event held at Ramakrishna Mission School in Kokkadichcholai. Jaffna District Media Association (JDMA) organized the Jaffna event.
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