930 Jaffna IDP families brought to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 October 2009, 12:23 GMT]
2,950 persons of 930 families from Jaffna held in Vavuniyaa Sri Lanka Army (SLA) internment camps arrived in Jaffna Sunday through A9 road and all of them are being lodged in I’nuvil Maththiya Mahaviththiyaalaym and Neerveali Aththiar Hindu College, sources in Jaffna said. Steps are being taken to bring around 20,000 persons of Jaffna origin held in Vavuniyaa internment camps to Jaffna in the next few days, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.
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Sri Lankan Flag to be hoisted in Jaffna Fort

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 October 2009, 04:42 GMT]
Son of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapakse, who is presently staying in Jaffna along with the 250 youths he brought from the South will be officially hoisting the Sri Lanka Lion Flag Sunday in Jaffna Fort, sources in Jaffna said. In 1996 when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupied Jaffna, the then Deputy Defence Minister, Anurathe Rathwathe had ceremoniously hoisted the Sri Lankan Flag in the esplanade in front of Jaffna Fort. Tamils protested vehemently when Sinhala parties adopted the lion flag as the national flag soon after British left the island. Opposition to the flag, since then, has been part of the Tamil national movement.
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SLA refuses permission to Jaffna civilians in Vavuniyaa camps to return home

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 October 2009, 04:24 GMT]
More than 300 families from Jaffna district, now detained in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) internment camps in Vavuniyaa, who had applied to return to their original places are held back as Jaffna SLA high command has refused clearance to them, sources in Vavuniya said. The clearance is denied as they are under suspicion and considered a threat to security, SLA authorities claimed.
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Sarath Fonseka’s stand on relations with Tamils, Muslims should be made public – Mano Ganeshan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 18:32 GMT]
“The persons who try to bring in former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Sarath Fonseka as a prospective presidential candidate should first publicize his stand on his relations with the Tamils and Muslims of the country,” Mano Gnaeshan, Colombo district parliamentarian and the leader of Democratic Peoples’ Front (DPF) told media in Colombo after a discussion held with Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the opposition and United National Party Friday evening, sources in Colombo said.. “We will not write ‘blank cheques’ in favour of any major political party candidate in the Presidential election,” he said. “We do not have any personal hard feelings either towards President Mahinda Rajapakse or Sarath Fonseka; whatever difference of opinion that exists is purely political,” he further said.
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Tamil Nadu must recognize and support establishment of Tamil Eelam: Thirumavalavan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 13:38 GMT]
Stating that there was a total violation of human rights in the Sri Lankan Government's camps for Internally Displaced Persons, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi President Thol.Thirumavalavan, told TamilNet Friday in an exclusive interview of the "appalling conditions" prevalent in these "barbed-wire concentration camps" which he witnessed firsthand as one of the ten-member parliamentary delegation from Tamil Nadu. Pointing out that Tamil people could not become a "permanent slave society" and "live as second class citizens in Sri Lanka," Thirumavalavan sought to emphasize that Tamil Eelam was the only solution to a struggle that had claimed the lives of nearly fifteen hundred thousand Tamils civilians and more than thirty thousand Tamil Tiger fighters.
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Obama lights White House Diya to celebrate Deepavali

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 12:55 GMT]
President Obama celebrated Deepavali by inviting a Hindu priest to light the WhiteHouse Diya (lamp, deepam), and after an inspiring speech to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), said we "begin this work in the week leading up to the holiday of Deepavali, the festival of lights, when members of some of the world's greatest faiths celebrate the triumph of good over evil." The celebrations took place end of last week.
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Tamils hold “Will Break the Obstacles!” rally in Berlin

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 08:44 GMT]
Tamil Diaspora in Germany gathered Thursday in Berlin to stage a protest march in an effort to draw the attention of the international community to the pathetic plight of Tamils interned in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps. Two youths, representing students in Tamil Nadu, T. Sreenivasa Rao and Iraa. Gnanasekaran, on their journey in Europe to take part in the UN conference on Global Warming Awareness in Denmark on 7 December, took part in the march and rally. They have made it their duty to raise their voices for the interned Tamils, in all the countries they pass through, sources in Berlin said.
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UN proposes Goldstone-type mission to investigate Sri Lanka war crimes

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 01:45 GMT]
Following the release of U.S. State Department's report that detailed alleged war-crimes committed by Sri Lanka's protagonists towards the end of war, conducted under Colombo imposed blackout, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said Friday that an inquiry similar to one that looked into fighting in Gaza may be needed to determine if war crimes were committed in Sri Lanka in the final weeks of the war. Brad Adams of HRW had earlier said "[g]iven Sri Lanka's complete failure to investigate possible war crimes, the only hope for justice is an independent, international investigation." Sri Lanka rejected the report as "unsubstantiated and devoid of corroborative evidence."
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SLA conducts Perahera in Jaffna city

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 October 2009, 07:03 GMT]
The 51st Division of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna conducted the ‘Katrima Pooja’ perahera (Buddhist religious procession) of Naakavikaarai located in Jaffna city Thursday night led by Namal Rajapakse, the son of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had come along with 250 youths and 20 Buddhist priests from the South to participate in the perahera. Local residents, however, did not show any significant interest in the perahera conducted by the SLA.
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HRW: US report ignites call for war crimes investigations against Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 October 2009, 04:05 GMT]
The US State Department war crimes report to the Senate submitted as mandated by the explanatory statement to the US Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, detailed day-by-day account in a format similar to a "model indictment," and said the alleged incidents in the final stages of war may constitute "violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or crimes against humanity and related harms." Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said, "[g]iven Sri Lanka's complete failure to investigate possible war crimes, the only hope for justice is an independent, international investigation," and added, "concerned governments should use the US State Department report as a clarion call for an international investigation. There are no more excuses for inaction."
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Madu SLA Brigade commander dies in road accident

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 October 2009, 18:57 GMT]
Colonel Duminda Amarasekara of the 611 Madu brigade of the Sri Lanka Army died in a road accident Wednesday early morning that took place in Thorayaya in Kurunegala district. The Sri Lankan Colonel had been traveling in an army cab in the direction of Dambulla when the accident had occurred.
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Batticaloa IDPs in Vavuniyaa transferred to transit camps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 October 2009, 18:44 GMT]
The final and fifth batch of 785 members of 298 families among the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs)detained in Vavuniyaa internment camps since the fall of Vanni region to the Sri Lanka Army was sent to Batticaloa to be resettled in their own villages. They arrived in Batticaloa Sinhala Maha Vidiyalayam Wednesday morning in several buses under the escort of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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8 years to complete development project in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 October 2009, 06:51 GMT]
It has taken more than eight years for the government to complete construction of an office building of Agricultural Service Department in Jaffna peninsula, NGOs sources in Jaffna pointed out. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) restrictions and lack of cooperation were the main causes for this long delay, they added on the occasion of the building being officially opened Tuesday by the Minister of Agriculture, Maithiripala Sirisena, Jaffna sources said. Minister Douglas Devananda too attended the event.
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Rajapakse tours Trinco under heavy security

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 October 2009, 03:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse visited Trincomalee under heavy security, and declared open two bridges, one over a strip of sea that divides Trincomalee and Kinniya along A-15 highway that leads to Batticaloa via Veruhal, and the other over Irakkandi lagoon on Trincomalee-Nilaveli road in the north of the district, sources in Trincomalee said. Rajapakse also visited the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple located on the Swami Rock inside the Fort Frederick and attended the special temple prayer.
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EU Commission: Sri Lanka fails to meet Rights thresholds for GSP+

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 October 2009, 02:27 GMT]
"[N]ational legislation of Sri Lanka incorporating international human rights conventions, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is not being effectively implemented. In the light of these findings, the Commission will now consider whether a temporary withdrawal of some or all of Sri Lanka's GSP+ benefits is called for and make a suitable proposal to EU Member States in the Council. If such a proposal is made and subsequently adopted by the Council, it would enter into force six months after the date of adoption," the European Commission said in the notice summarizing the Commission's findings on the Sri Lanka's GSP+ status released today.
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Another batch of IDPs from Vavuniyaa brought to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 October 2009, 07:47 GMT]
Around 2068 persons of 699 families from Jaffna peninsula were brought to Jaffna Sunday from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) internment camps in Vavuniyaa. Though nearly 20,000 IDPs have been brought to Jaffna until now none from Themaraadchi or Vadamaraadchi are among them. There are about 10,000 persons of Jaffna origin still being detained in Vavuniyaa camps and they will be sent to Jaffna before 15 November, according to SLA Vanni Commander, Major. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne.
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Mine explosion injures fisherman in Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 October 2009, 07:40 GMT]
A mine in Jaffna lagoon in Kaakkaitheevu exploded Sunday seriously injuring a fisherman fishing in Kannatheevu, a place where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities have allowed fishing. Fellow fishermen rescued the victim who is now under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit in Jaffna Teaching Hospital, sources from Jaffna said.
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Jaffna judges, magistrates, lawyers can travel via A9 road with SLA permission

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 October 2009, 09:25 GMT]
Minister of Justice and Law Reforms, Milinda Moragoda, said that the judges, magistrate and lawyers in Jaffna peninsula can travel through A9 road to Vavuniya obtaining permission from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commander in Palaali military base in response to a request extended when he met the magistrates, judges and lawyers of Jafna in the Legal building complex in Jaffna town Friday, sources in Jaffna said. People in Jaffna peninsula can travel through A9 road only after getting the ‘travelling pass’ from their local SLA civil authorities.
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Singapore Foreign Minister visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 October 2009, 09:07 GMT]
Foreign Minister of Singapore, Mr. George Yeo, paid a visit to Jaffna peninsula Saturday where he went to the Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) held in Koappaay Teachers’ Training College buildings accompanied by Northern Province Governor and former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander G. A. Chandrasiri, Minister Douglas Devananda and Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh, sources in Jaffna said. The Governor extended a request to the visiting Singapore Defence Minister to help develop computer technology education and related activities in the North, the sources added.
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Forensic analysis confirms execution-video authentic, says US-group

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 October 2009, 02:25 GMT]
A notarized report of preliminary findings from a US-based forensic company that took nearly three weeks to analyze the Channel-4 broadcast video allegedly showing Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers extra-judicially executing Tamil captives stripped naked and hands tied behind their back, said "[t]he video and audio of the events depicted in the Video, were continuous without any evidence of start/stops, insertions, deletions, over recordings, editing or tampering of any kind." US pressure group, Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) which sponsored the study, placed an embargo on revealing the details of the forensic company, until the final report is complete early November.
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