Rights Group inquires into fishermen's pass system

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 02:27 GMT]
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Wednesday began its inquiry into complaints that Sri Lankan government security forces has again introduced the compulsory pass system for the fishermen of Vadaramaradchchi division in Jaffna district for fishing in northern sea. Mr.Rohitha Priyatharsana, Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the HRCSL accompanied by his Investigating Officer Mr.T.Surenthirarajah visited Point Pedro and Munai area in Vadamaradchchi north and recorded statements from fisheries co-operative societies' officials, sources said.
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SLMC to reveal stand after nomination day- Hakim

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 September 2005, 12:42 GMT]
The support of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in the coming presidential poll would be for a political party that would not act in to weaken the strength of the Muslim political leadership, which has been endorsed by majority Muslim people in Sri Lanka, said Mr.Rauff Hakim, Leader of SLMC participating as the chief guest in the fifth death anniversary religious event of SLMC founder leader late Mr.A.H.M.Ashraff held in Trincomalee Zahira College Friday evening.
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TRO opens first reconstructed village in Jaffna District

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 11:50 GMT]
'Aattu Patti' a village in Karaveddy North, Jaffna District, the first village to have been reconstructed by the Tamils rehabilitation Organizatino (TRO) with ADB funding under the Social Reconstruction programme was declared open and handed over to the beneficiaries on 14 September, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA searches TNA MP's Mannar residence

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 00:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from Mannar camp encircled Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Mr Vino Noharathalingam's residence at 5.15pm Thursday before entering the house, and searched all rooms in the house for suspicious material, the MP said in registering his complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Thileepan's 18th anniversary commemorations begin

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Preparations to commemorate eighteenth death anniversary of Lt.Col.Thileepan (Rasaiah Parthipan), who fast to death during the occupation of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Jaffna, have begun in several parts of NorthEast with red and yellow flags symbolizing the Liberation Tigers being flown at main roads, key junctions, business premises and Government buildings, sources said. Thileepan passed away two weeks into his fast after placing five demands to the Indian Government.
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Court extends interim injunction on P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 16:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday extended its interim injunction on the implementation of certain clauses of the Pre-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) till November 22 and fixed the inquiry into the petition filed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) seeking the cancellation of the P-TOMS on the same date, legal sources said.
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Policeman injured in grenade attack in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 02:31 GMT]
Mr.L.Karunaratne, a police constable, was seriously injured and two civilians sustained minor injuries when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at the police sentry located in Kanchimadam roundabout junction near Trincomalee town, Uppuveli Police said. The junction serves as a gateway to Trincomalee town and villages in the north of the district.
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Trinco TECH holds anniversary event

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 15:44 GMT]
The Trincomalee district branch of The Economy Consultant House (TECH) held its first anniversary event Saturday evening in Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Hall. 42 students who successfully completed the City and Guilds Computer Training Course, conducted with the sponsorship of London TR TECH received certificates. Medals were awarded to students who excelled in computer-information technology. TECH Trincomalee district branch was formed on 10 eptember 2004.
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Vakarai families receive sewing machines, PV systems

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 08:45 GMT]
Tamil expatriate groups in France and Germany donated nine sewing machines and four 40W Solar Home Systems (SHS) in late August costing US$4000 to Vakarai residents affected by tsunami through Trincomalee branch The Technical Consultancy House (TECH), an NGO operating in the NorthEast, TECH officials said.
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Grenade attack on SLA sentry injures two civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 10:45 GMT]
Unidentified men lobbed a grenade at a sentry point of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) located at Mudcove junction, a suburb in Trincomalee town along Mattikali road, Tuesday night around 9.45 p.m. Soldiers manning the sentry point retaliated the attack. A Hindu priest, Mr.Uruthirakurukkal Aravinthakumar (35), and his assistant, Mr.Sivagnanam, who were passing at that time on a motorbike were injured during the incident and were admitted to the Trincomalee general hospital, police said.


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New Police division will address Women,
Children welfare- Nadesan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 09:30 GMT]
"We have established a new division in our Police Force to focus on the welfare of Women and children in the NorthEast. This division will play a visible role in ensuring that the rights of women and children are protected, and will augment and operate at the same level to the existing five divisions under my leadership," said Tamileelam Chief of Police, Mr Nadesan when TamilNet talked to him on the progress of law and order enforcement in the NorthEast.
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Model micro-hydro feeds electricity to rural homes

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 11:53 GMT]
Many rural households in interior Vanni live close to hydro resources but do not have electricity. Pasupathy Radhakrishnan, a carpenter turned model builder, has built a compact micro-hydro that produces 3KVA and feeds electricity to 12 homes and a temple within a mile radius. The engineering experimentor has recently augmented the system with a voltage regulator and a set of trip switches, features that allow him to provide stable power with the year-long water flow guaranteed from the Mutthaiyankattu irrigation tank. Steps are underway to expand on this concept to build a bigger 30KVA system.
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Tens of thousands attend Tamil resurgence event in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2005, 12:11 GMT]
Around one hundred thousand people from various parts of Vanni mainland took part in the Tamil national resurgence event held in Kilinochchi on Thursday. The event was held in support of the July 27 Vavuniya Convention and was organised by the Tamil Resurgence Task Force. The entire township was decorated with felicitation arches and yellow and red bi-colour flags with a festive appearance. "This event would inform the world that time is ripe for us to decide our own destiny," Mr. M. Sivabalan, president of the Task Force told TamilNet. The event ceremonially began at 4:00 p.m. in Kilinochchi common playground.
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LTTE launches village level civil force in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 14:21 GMT]
Hundred-and-twenty persons passed out in the first batch of special trained village level civil force in Ganeshapuram Central Grounds on Tuesday in LTTE controlled Muttur East in the Trincomalee district. LTTE's Special Commander of Trincomalee, Col. Sornam, particiapted as the chief guest in the passing out ceremony of the first batch that completed a forty-five days' training. Deputy Head of the Tamileelam Police for the Trincomalee district, Mr. Semmanan, who presided the event said that training is being given to five thousand villagers in the district.
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SLA bans outsiders entering Manatkadu at night

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 10:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has imposed ban on outsiders from entering Manatkadu area in Vadamaradchchi east division in the Jaffna district after 9 p.m. Only the residents of Manatkadu would be allowed to enter the village during night hours, security sources said.
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TNA to move motion in parliament condemning Tamil journalist attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 05:41 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided to move an adjournment motion in parliament Friday condemning the attack on Mr.Yathurshan Premachchandran, a trainee photo-journalist of a Colombo Tamil daily Sudar Oli when he was covering the JVP demonstration held in front of the Fort railway Station Tuesday afternoon. TNA parliamentary group has given notice to this effect to the Speaker Wednesday. The Speaker has agreed for a debate on this issue, TNA sources said.
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LTTE releases 21 underage youths to parents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 02:16 GMT]
NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) released twenty-one youths of ages between 15-17 years to their parents 3 months after joining the Liberation Tigers, Tuesday at their offices located at Karadippoku junction 2km north of Kilinochchi town along A9 highway, officials of NESOHR said. Mr Thiagarajah, LTTE liason officer for NGOs, Rev Fr Kanagaratnam, president, and Ms Malathy Naguleswaran of NESOHR were present during the handover of youths which took place throughout the day.
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SLA bans transporting school building materials to LTTE held areas in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 16:32 GMT]
Construction work of new buildings in two schools in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas in the Mannar district has come to a halt due to the ban imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on the transportation of building materials through Uyilankulam and Madu road army checkpoints, sources said.
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NE Human Rights Secretariat calls for withdrawal of ER and PTA

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 11:03 GMT]
North East Secretariat on Human Rights, in a press release issued on Monday called upon the international community to excercise pressure on Colombo to withdraw the Emergency Regulation (ER) which was recently reimposed in Sri Lanka. Also noting that the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) itself is a serious human rights violation, the secretariat said that the two pieces of legislation in force together will lead to a repeat of the large scale human rights violations. Since July 1st, more than 3000 arrests have been reported in the South, according to the press release. It also noted that the increased military presence in Trincomalee is continuing in spite of protest by the Tamils.
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LTTE women's political wing office in Vavuniya attacked

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 August 2005, 01:19 GMT]
Three LTTE women officials were injured when unidentiefied attackers lobbed a grenade through the backdoor of the LTTE Women's political office located in Vairavapuliyankulam, 1.5 km west of Vavuniya town Saturday night at 10:55 p.m., Police said. This is the fourth time that an LTTE office in Sri Lanka Army controlled Vavuniya town has been subjected to attack, sources close to LTTE in Vavuniya said.
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