Emergency raises spectre of past disappearances - Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 23:36 GMT]
"The reimposition of Emergency Regulations has raised the spectre of past disappearances, indiscriminate arrests, torture under custody and the impunity enjoyed by the Sri Lanka security forces for human rights violations against the Tamil people," said Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Vanni district, when TamilNet asked for his reaction to the adoption by Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday of the motion to extend the State of Emergency.
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Thondamannaru Sannithi Temple Chariot festival held

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 16:38 GMT]
The annual Chariot festival of the historic Thondamannaru Sellasannithi Murugan Temple was held Thursday morning. The temple is located in the east of Thondamannaru lagoon in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district. Large number of devotees from all parts of the district participated in the festival.
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Trinco TRO Director released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 07:47 GMT]
Muttur Magistrate Mr.M.Ganesharajah Wednesday ordered the release of Mr.S.Wijekumar, Trincomalee District Director of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) following an application by the Muttur Police that he could be released with the money Rs 2 million he was in possession at the time of arrest, legal sources said. Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning the checkpoint at Kaddaiparichchan to the entrance of the LTTE controlled Muttur east Tuesday evening took into custody Mr.S.Wijekumar, and handed him over to Muttur Police.
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SLA soldiers arrest Trinco TRO director

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 06:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning the checkpoint at Kaddaiparichchan to the entrance of the LTTE controlled Muttur east Tuesday evening took into custody Mr.S.Wijekumar, Trincomalee district Director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and handed over to the Muttur Police on an allegation that he had been carrying about two million rupees, TRO sources said.


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Court remands one suspect in Jaffna explosives case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 02:34 GMT]
Mr.R.T.Viknarajah, Jaffna Magistrate Monday ordered remand for Mr.Reginald Yudithson till August 29th and released two other persons each on surety bail of Rupees 25,000/= when they were produced by the Jaffna Police for allegedly transporting explosives through Jaffna lagoon to the government controlled area, legal sources said.
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Periyakallaru residents receive temporary tsunami housing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 12:33 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) handed over 190 temporary houses to tsunami affected residents of Periyakallaru, a coastal town located 30 km south of Batticaloa town, at a function presided by Batticaloa Director of TRO Mr Baskaran held at 3rd Division, Periyakallaru last week.
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Peterson, Helgesen to attend Kadirgamar's funeral

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 12:26 GMT]
The Norwegian Foregin Minister Mr. Jan Petersen and his deputy Mr.Vidar Helgesen will attend the funeral of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lakshman Kadirgamar Monday in Colombo a press release issued by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Sunday said. Mr.Helgesen will meet Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political advisor of the LTTE on Sunday in London, before leaving for Sri Lanka, press release further said.


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Political cadres blocked at Omanthai checkpoint - Vavuniya LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 August 2005, 09:47 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Omanthai checkpoint, the main entry point to the LTTE controlled Vanni, slamed the doors for all traffic without any prior notice at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. The traffic resumed at 12:25 p.m. travellers said. However, political cadres of the Liberation Tigers were not allowed to cross the Omanthai SLA checkpoint, said Mr. Gnanam, LTTE's Vavuniya district political head. Also, LTTE's political cadres from Vanni were not allowed to cross the border-point, he added.


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First Aid book will help reduce rural deaths- Health officials

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 01:42 GMT]
A book on First Aid written by V Sreetharan and published jointly by the Vanni district St.Johns Ambulance First Aid Brigade and Kilinochchi district Malaria Prevention Movement was officially released Wednesday 3.30 pm at an event held at the Kilinochchi Cultural Hall, sources in Kilinochchi said. Regional Malaraia Prevention official Dr K Sujanthan presided the event.
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SLA urged to reopen Powerhouse Road to ease congestion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 17:09 GMT]
Dr.S.Gunarasa, Jaffna Municipal Commissioner, during a conference held at the Jaffna district secretariat Tuesday afternoon, requested the authorities to take steps re-open the Powerhouse Road for public use to ease traffic congestion in Jaffna town, sources said. The Power House Road in the heart of the town has been declared high security zone where the headquarters of the 51-2 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is located, district secretariat sources said.


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Disappeared youth in SLA custody, parents complain

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 10:15 GMT]
Karunakaran Sasikaran (16) of Allarai Kodikamam in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district who is alleged to have been taken into custody by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Muhamalai checkpoint recently when he was crossing to enter Wanni has not been released yet, according to complaints lodged by the parents of the boy with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Monday, civil sources said.


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SLA collects information on Nedunthivu resettlers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 00:56 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have started collecting names of displaced persons who are resettled in Nedunthivu, one of the islets in Jaffna peninsula, after the ceasefire agreement came into operation, residents said.
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Rebuilding Kaddaiparichchan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 August 2005, 11:36 GMT]
The Social Development Centre (SDC) headquartered in Killinochchi, has drawn up plans to rebuild the war-destroyed Kaddaiparichchan village in the Muttur east in the Trincomalee district, officials said. SDC has sought the assistance of non-governmental organizations to rebuild the village currently in an abandoned state with uncleared mines, shrub jungles covering residential areas which once flourished with coconut trees and banana cultivation with villagers gainfully employed in animal husbandry and other cottage industries.
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Training school exhibition held in Ariviyal Nagar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 15:17 GMT]
Exhibition and one year anniversary of Work Training School for war affected children located in Ariviyal Nagar, Kilinochchi was held Thursday. The school is administered by the Rural Economic, Education Research and Development Organization (REERDO) and was built with funding from International Labor Organization (ILO). Director of the Training School, Mr Sivarajah, presided the event.
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Curfew lifted in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 09:47 GMT]
The curfew imposed in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in Jaffna district since 8:00 p.m. Thursday night was lifted around 12:30 p.m. Friday. Normal life is returning slowly and transport services commenced immediately to and from Jaffna through Muhamalai SLA checkpoint in the afternoon Friday, police said. However, police sources said a night curfew may be imposed Friday.
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SLA soldiers harass devotees at Jaffna checkpoints

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 09:01 GMT]
Jaffna residents attending to celebrate "aadi amavasai" festival at the Keerimalai Naguleswarar temple and at Keerimalai seas were subjected to severe checking and harassment at the Tellipalai and Senthankulam Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints in Jaffna Thursday, sources from Jaffna district said. Hindus commemorate death anniversary of their fathers on 4 August.
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NE schools to get 2915 graduate teachers, planning officers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 08:53 GMT]
Interviews to recruit 2188 graduates as teachers (1684 Tamil medium and 504 Sinhala medium) and 727 graduates (629 Tamil mediums and 98 Sinhala medium) as Planning and Financial Assistants for schools in the North East province are to begin on August 4 in the districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kalmunai and will be conducted till August 10, said Mr.R.Thiakalingam, Provincial Education Ministry Secretary.
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Committee formed to co-ordinate psychosocial counselling

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 July 2005, 13:07 GMT]
In a meeting held at the Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) in Kilinochchi 10.30 am Saturday to draw plans for further promoting effective delivery of psycho-social services, Rev Father Edmond Reginald was elected to lead a Committee that is tasked to co-ordinate such efforts in the NorthEast, sources in Kilinochchi said. Director of TamilEelam Health Services, S Vickraman presided the event.
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US's strategic interests in Sri Lanka- Taraki

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 July 2005, 18:45 GMT]
What are the US government’s strategic interests in Sri Lanka? If the US has specific strategic interests in the island, then what are the means and modes by which it was and is securing them? Dharmaretnam Sivaram, popular military analyst and senior editor at TamilNet was working on this feature when he was abducted and killed on 28 April 2005.
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Danish Demining Group briefs Jaffna media trainees

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 July 2005, 16:12 GMT]
Forty four percent of land mines and anti personnel explosives are buried in Jaffna district, said Ms Bodil Jacobsen, Programme Supervisor of the Danish Demining Group (DDG), at a discussion held with trainees of the Media Research and Training Centre of the Jaffna University Saturday, sources said.


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