US condemns suicide attack on Sri Lankan defence secretary

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 December 2006, 10:17 GMT]
The US Embassy in Colombo has condemned the suicide attack on Gotabaya Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan defence secretary and brother of SL president.
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"Cool reception" in Delhi for Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 15:46 GMT]
President Mahinda Rajapakse’s visit to India this week was overshadowed by Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan’s Heroes’ Day address declaring a resumption of the struggle for independence. Sri Lankan and other media have made much of Delhi’s call for negotiations to end Sri Lanka’s protracted civil war, suggesting it was a rebuff for the LTTE’s ‘call for Eelam.’ But experienced political journalists saw India focusing on a different set of concerns – that of the hardline Sri Lankan government’s conduct vis-à-vis the Tamil minority.
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Two fisher families leave Vidathalthivu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Two fisher families comprising eleven members arrived in the government controlled Kothaipiddy seashore in Mannar district by boats Thursday early morning 2.30 a.m. from Vidathaltivu village in the LTTE held area. They left their village due to constant air strike and artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army towards the LTTE held area. The families said that there was severe shortage of supply of food and other essentials.
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LTTE officials dismiss conflicting press reports

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 07:01 GMT]
Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat S. Puleedevan and Military Spokesman of the LTTE, Irasaiah Ilanthirayan Thursday jointly dismissed press reports that cited SLMM officials as saying that the Tigers had conveyed a message to Colombo following the policy address by the LTTE leader. "Our National Leader, in his policy address, has clearly explained everything that was needed to be conveyed to Colombo," Mr. Ilanthirayan said. The LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, in his policy address on Heroes' Day had accused Colombo for having conducted the funeral rites of the Ceasefire Agreement without tearing it apart.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 November 2006, 03:02 GMT]
Jon Hansen Bauer, Norwegian special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, arrived in Colombo Wednesday night around 11:15 p.m. to attempt to revive peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


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Sri Lanka Army bulldozes Heroes' Cemetery in Trincomalee - Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 18:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has bulldozed the Alankulam Heroes' Cemetery in Muthur East, on November 25, said LTTE's Trincomalee District Political Head, S. Elian Wednesday. "Sri Lankan military has once again desecrated a war cemetery. No military in the civilized world, would engage in a such act," charged Mr. Elilan.
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India rejects Rajapakse's call for joint naval patrols - Hindu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 16:36 GMT]
Indian Press Reports Wednesday said that Indian External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had expressed India's concerns at the continuing civilian deaths in Sri Lanka and had reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The proposal for joint naval patrols advanced by the Sri Lankan President was not on the cards, Hindu reported. However, India was prepared to assist the Rajapakse government with "non-lethal" military supplies, according to the report.
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81 lorries with supplies reach Vaharai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 08:00 GMT]
81 lorries of humanitarian supplies from UN aid agency, International NGOs and local NGOs, facilitated and monitored by the ICRC and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, have crossed the Mankerny Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp into Liberation Tigers controlled Vaharai region in Batticaloa district, held under siege by the SLA. However, food supplies in more than 44 lorries were blocked by the military alleging a military build up of the Tigers on Forward Defence Line (FDL) using the supply routes of humanitarian delivery. Trincomalee District Political Head of the LTTE, S. Elilan, when contacted by TamilNet, denied the SLA claim and said that the SLMM was provided access to verify such claims.
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Sri Lanka rejects Vaharai safe haven proposal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 04:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, clashed with international diplomats Tuesday over the humanitarian crisis in the Northeast, the Morning Leader newspaper reported Wednesday. Mr. Rajapakse had resisted the suggestion by German Ambassador Jurgen Weerth of a safe haven for civilians in the Vaharai area, the paper said. He had also defended the closure of the A9 highway, blocking supplies to 600,000 people in Jaffna. Last week the Co-Chairs – US, EU, Japan and Norway – demanded Sri Lanka open humanitarian access routes and set aside safe areas for civilians.
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US presses GoSL, LTTE on CFA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 04:28 GMT]
In the United States’ first reaction to the LTTE’s declaration Monday that successive Sinhala regimes’ intransigence in resolving Sri Lanka conflict has compelled Tamils no option but to seek an independent state, a State Department spokesman on Tuesday called on both sides to honour the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), describing it as the “foundation” for the finding peace, and also called for a return to dialogue.
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US Judge strikes down provisions of terror act

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 03:58 GMT]
U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins, in a 21st November decision, ruled as constitutionally vague provisions in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that blocked all the assets of groups or individuals the President named as "specially designated global terrorists" after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Judge also struck down the provision that allowed Secretary of the Treasury to designate anyone who "assists, sponsors or provides services to" or is "otherwise associated with" a designated group, legal sources said.
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Iceland Foreign Ministry official meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 00:15 GMT]
Anna Johannsdottir, Head of Crisis Response Unit of the Iceland ministry of foreign affairs, accompanied by Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Jon Oskar Solnes, and Acting head of the SLMM, Thofinur Omarson, met with LTTE Political Head S. P. Tamilchelvan in the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Tuesday 11:00 a.m., sources in Kilinochchi said.
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HRW: Sri Lanka military complicit in forced child recruitment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 12:39 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces must immediately stop assisting abductions of boys and young men by the Karuna Group and help those abducted return safely to their families, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. A HRW report to be published next month says the Sri Lankan military and police are complicit and, at times, directly cooperating with the Karuna Group. “We have clear and compelling evidence that government forces are helping Karuna forces abduct boys and young men,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate at HRW.
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Rajapakse dismisses Pirapaharan’s comments

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 11:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday dismissed Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan’s declaration Monday that Colombo’s intransigence has compelled Tamils no option but an independent state. Rajapakse, who is visiting India this week said he had not heard the speech. “But I have not taken it seriously. Because he has always been saying these things.” President Rajapakse’s comments come after belligerent and contradictory comments by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, government defence spokesman Rumbekwella and government Peace Secretariat chief Palitha Kohana.
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Food convoy to Vaharai stranded, parties blame each other for attacks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 09:26 GMT]
A convoy with humanitarian supplies towards Vaharai region, under siege by the Sri Lanka Army, was stopped at the SLA camp in Usanettam, south of Mankerny Army camp Tuesday morning by the soldiers. Both the parties, the Sri Lankan forces and the Tigers blamed each other for launching artillery and shell attacks, breaking a pre-agreed cessation of hostilities to facilitate the humanitarian supplies.
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Police forces, Tigers exchange mortar fire in Murunkan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 07:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan police forces exchanged mortar fire for 45 minutes with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Monday night from 8:00 p.m., 15 km east of Mannar in Murunkan, Police officials said. 6th Mile Post and 17th Mile Post centry posts manned by military trained policemen were attacked by LTTE mortar fire, according to police officials who claimed that they launched mortar fire in retaliation. Civilians who reached Mannar from LTTE controlled areas above Murunkan said around 10 mortar shells hit civilian settlements. No casualties were reported.
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72,000 displaced from Batticaloa, Trincomalee districts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 01:47 GMT]
Batticaloa District Secretariat reported Monday that 41,463 people from Trincomalee district and 30,630 people from Batticaloa have fled to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the Batticaloa district from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas. Mr. S. Puniyamoorthy the District Secretary said that the Internally Displaced People have been sheltered in 22 temporary locations in 14 Grama Seveka divisions in Batticaloa district.
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Two SLA troopers injured in Puthur grenade attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 22:23 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed hand grenades on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post near Puthur junction on the Jaffna-Point Pedro road Monday around 8:30 a.m injuring two SLA troopers, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna visited the site of the attack and conducted investigations.
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NTT to broadcast LTTE Leader's speech live

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 10:22 GMT]
National Television of Tamileelam (NTT) will be broadcasting live the annual policy address delivered by the LTTE Leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan at 12:00 GMT Sunday on the occassion of Heroes Day, the officials of the Television in Kilinochchi said. The broadcast, using Eurostar at frequency 11.5 GHz, is viewable in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile, Tamil televisions in Europe and Canada are also expected to broadcast Mr. Pirapaharan's speech live, according to media sources in Europe.
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Tree planting encouraged in Mullaithivu on Pirapaharan's birthday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 November 2006, 18:52 GMT]
Business Union in Mullaithivu, on Sunday, organised an event to celebrate the 52nd birth day of LTTE leader V.Pirapaharan. Sea Tiger Special Commander Col. Soosai took part in the event where tree saplings were gifted, encouraging the local community to plant trees along the coast, ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.
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