Colombo ignoring humanitarian catastrophe - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 15:49 GMT]
Colombo was engaged in "last minute tactics to placate the international community," prior to a scheduled meeting of Co-Chairs in Washington, by dispatching a single lorry into Vaharai where 38,000 civilians were starving for the past fortnight. Likewise, Colombo was showcasing to the media that it would dispatch a single convoy of supplies through A9 into Jaffna where 600,000 Tamils are under military siege in an "open prison," charged S. P. Thamilchelvan, political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday.
Full story >>

"Allow Raviraj's casket to be taken through A9," family requests SL President

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 10:14 GMT]
Assassinated Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian's widowed wife Sasikala Raviraj, Saturday morning when Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera visited the parlour, made an appeal to open the A9 Muhamalai exit-entry point in order to take her husband's remains to his hometown Chavakachcheri for cremation. The funeral is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Chavakachcheri in Jaffna. Hundreds of mourners from all ethnic communities, political leaders, religious dignitaries and social activists gathered in Colombo to pay their last respects to the assassinated Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.
Full story >>

SLMM head visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:26 GMT]
The head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Lars Johan Solvberg, Thursday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. arrived in Mannar by land and held discussions with SLMM monitors in Mannar district office. The discussion centred on the ground situation prevailing in the district. He left Mannar to Colombo around 1:30 p.m. the same day, sources said.
Full story >>

LTTE reiterates SLMM access to Northern FDL, Vaharai region

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 15:01 GMT]
Colombo should allow the neutral Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials to inspect the forward defence line (FDL) areas and provide the SLMM access Vaharai region to undertake independent verification of the ground situation, instead of producing "baseless allegations of LTTE attacks," in Colombo media, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said Monday night. Sri Lankan armed forces have intensified the attacks with a "military intention" of launching another offensive aiming to escalate the armed hostilities, the Tigers spokesman told media from Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

A9 closure is ‘breach of CFA’ – SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2006, 19:37 GMT]
International monitors overseesing Sri Lanka’s truce have criticized the Sri Lankan government for closing the A9 highway at Muhamalai, The Sunday Leader reported. "The government is clearly violating the Ceasefire Agreement and they have trapped more than half a million civilians within the Jaffna Peninsula. The A9 should be opened immediately," acting spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Helen Olafsdottir, said.


Full story >>

560 displaced families face starvation in Vadamaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 November 2006, 12:54 GMT]
Consortium of non Governmental Organizations in Jaffna expressed concern over severe food shortage and harsh living conditions of more than 560 families displaced from their villages behind the Thenmaradchy Forward Defence Line (FDL) border strip along Muhamalai-Nagarkovil and living in temporary accomodation in Vadamaradchy schools, during a press conference held Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the NGO premises in Temple Road Nallur, Jaffna, civil society sources said.


Full story >>

Peace process depends on ceasefire implementation - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 10:49 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers called Saturday for the full implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA), saying "such actions will bring normalcy in the lives of our people, and help in taking forward the peace process towards a satisfactory conclusion." Addressing the opening session of the Norwegian facilitated negotiations in Geneva, LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said: "the best we can hope for from the current talks is therefore, the strengthening of the CFA agreement that has the potential to lead to a permanent, just peace in this island."
Full story >>

Claymore injures SLA trooper in Karaveddy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 October 2006, 13:46 GMT]
One Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper was seriously injured when a claymore attached to a tree exploded on soldiers returning to their camps in Nelliyady, Karaveddy 4 km southwest of Point Pedro after conducting a cordon and search operation in Vathiry area at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, sources in Point Pedro said.
Full story >>

Civilian killed in artillery fire in Mirusuvil

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 01:41 GMT]
A civilian from Thavasikkulam, Mirusuvil in Thenmarachchi region was killed when a shell exploded in the area around 6:00 pm Wednesdy, civil sources said. Sporadic exchange of artillery fire between Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continues across Muhamalai Forward Defense Lines (FDL), according to residents in Thenmaradchy.


Full story >>

Three bodies given decent burial in Mirusuvil

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 October 2006, 09:48 GMT]
Three bodies of civilians killed, during the period after the August 11 clashes in areas close to Thenmaradchchi Sri Lanka Front Defence Lines in Muhamalai, were exhumed at Mirusuvil in Thenmarachchi Monday in the presence of Chavakacheri magistrate Annalingam Premshankar, legal sources in Chavakachcheri said. After the mandatory death inquests and postmortem examinations on the bodies were held they were given decent burial.
Full story >>

LTTE captures SLA soldier, locates 75 dead bodies of Lankan troopers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 13:48 GMT]
LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan Wednesday evening told media that the Tigers had repulsed the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive Wednesday. SLA troopers who broke through the LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL) positions in Kilali and Muhamalai were defeated, leaving around 75 dead bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers inside the LTTE territory in Kilali. A soldier was captured alive by the Tigers, he said. Three tanks were damaged and one destroyed, according to LTTE military spokesman. Meanwhile, SLA sources in Colombo claimed 35 were killed and more than 300 wounded in the Sri Lankan offensive.
Full story >>

SLA meets stiff resistance in Jaffna offensive

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 11:16 GMT]
Twenty two Sri Lanka Army troopers were killed and 113 injured when LTTE retaliated advancing SLA troopers towards the LTTE territory from SLA Muhamalai Defence Line Wednesday, military sources in Colombo said. Major clashes between Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka Security forces took place in Thenmarachy Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) and seas along littoral villages from Kilali to Sangupiddy along Jaffna lagoon from early morning Wednesday.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka launches offensive in Jaffna, curfew imposed in Thenmaradchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 04:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has launched ground troop-movement into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled territory with heavy artillery and MBRL rocket fire since 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told media. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was notified by the LTTE on the Sri Lankan offensive, LTTE officials at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi said. The offensive, shattering peace hopes, comes few hours after an official announcement by Norway that parties had agreed to meet in Switzerland from 28 to 29 October.
Full story >>

SLA reinforces artillery batteries in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 October 2006, 16:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was seen moving truck loads of military hardware from its Palaly main base to Forward Defence Lines in Jaffna Monday. Consignments of artillery ammunition, mortar shells, and rockets were rushed in heavy military vehicles via two routes, Palaly-Jafffna Road leading to the A9 Muhamalai FDL, Ariyalai area and Point Pedro Road towards Nagarkovil FDL in Vadamaradchi East since Saturday night. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Navy ordered fishermen in Gurunagar to hand over more than 240 outboard motors and fishing boats, according to fisheries union officials in Jaffna.
Full story >>

SLA reconnaissance unit repulsed in Muhamalai, 5 killed - Ilanthirayan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 October 2006, 13:01 GMT]
A unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, on a frontal reconnaissance mission, moved into the LTTE territory across Muhamalai Forward Defence Line (FDL) Sunday morning around 6:30 a.m., LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. The SLA unit was repulsed into no-go zone, with at least five dead bodies, and the unit retreated leaving behind 3 weapons, he said. Meanwhile, residents in Jaffna said the SLA intensified Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) artillery fire towards LTTE territory Sunday evening.
Full story >>

SLA preparing for Jaffna offensive, Tigers warn SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2006, 16:30 GMT]
Heavy deployment of Sri Lankan armed forces is reported in Thenmaradchi and Vadamaradchi East along the Northern Front Saturday, LTTE sources said. The Peace Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Saturday night, in an urgent communiqué to the Head of SLMM, informed Sri Lanka's military build-up and urged the monitors to take immediate steps to visit Muhamalai FDL and confirm Sri Lanka's preparations for the offensive. LTTE's Political Head told TamilNet that LTTE is concerned of SLMM's limited access to Muhamalai. Unhindered access is vital for a fair and neutral judgement on the SLA offensive that will likely lead to a full-scale war, Thamilchelvan said.
Full story >>

LTTE Defence Council discusses military situation - Ilanthirayan

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 October 2006, 09:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers, engaged in a new offensive, have moved north of Mankerni into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled area in an offensive drive towards Panichchankerni, according to Tigers. "The Sri Lankan offensive has disregarded the assurances of ceasing all violence acts and the call by the International Community for talks," LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. The Tigers have called on the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to ensure monitoring access to the border areas where Sri Lankan forces were engaged in offensive acts. The Defence Council of the LTTE has been summoned to discusss the current development, he further said.
Full story >>

SLAF Kfir jets bomb Vadamaradchi East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 04:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers flew over Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Kudarappu in Vadamaradchi East and dropped at least nine bombs in the area around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. Four Tsunami reconstructed houses were destroyed in the bombardment, according to residents.
Full story >>

Parents flee SLA death threats, 6 children with UNICEF in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 09:40 GMT]
Six children below 15 years of age from a family threatened by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Madduvil, Thenmaradchi, were taken to UNICEF by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission officials as the parents had fled the area following alleged death threats from the soldiers, according to NGO sources in Jaffna Saturday. Meanwhile, residents in Madduvil said women and children in the area were sexually abused Thursday night when the soldiers launched a cordon and search operation. Around 15 families fled the village and their houses have been plundered.
Full story >>

SLA balks at returning vehicles to Jaffna owners

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 02:40 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) officials are refusing to return the vehicles appropriated from Jaffna traders and residents under emergency regulations for military use following clashes between the Liberation Tigers and the SLA broke out in Jaffna district on 11 August, said the vehicle owners in a complaint registered with the Government Agent (GA) of Jaffna, Ganesh, Friday. 106 lorries, several mini-vans and a large number of motorbikes belonging to Jaffna residents are currently being used by the SLA, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>