NGOs Consortium urges government for relief to affected in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2008, 18:12 GMT]
“More than 250,000 people affected in the recent cyclone and floods have only been issued relief sufficient for a week costing less than Rs. 500 per family,“ the Consortium of Non-governmental Organizations in Jaffna district said in an appeal to the President of Sri Lanka submitted through the Government Agent (GA) Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said.
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Major General Chandrasiri to retire

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2008, 13:17 GMT]
Major General Chandrasiri is to retire from his current position as Military Commander of the Northern district effective from 6th of January. Promotion to Sri Lanka's Highest Army post eluded Mr Chandrasiri due to the extensions provided to his friend Lt.Gen. Sarath Fonseka. Meanwhile, Maj.Gen. Mendega Samarasinghe is expected to become the new SLA commander for Jaffna, military sources in Jaffna said.
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17-year-old SLA soldier killed in Vanni battlefront

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 16:14 GMT]
One of the Identity Cards recovered with a dead body of a young Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier revealed that the SLA trooper killed in the offensive forefront in Mullaiththeevu district on Saturday was a 17-year-old boy. LTTE officials displayed photos for reporters in Vanni on Sunday. According to the Article 1 of the the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, signed and ratified by the Sri Lankan government, the government (State Party) should ensure that members of their armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities.
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SLN seeks isolation of Delft, residents fear

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 15:03 GMT]
Residents of Delft (Neduntheevu), the Jaffna islet which is under the command of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), have accused the SLN military officials of attempting to curtail communication links with the rest of the Jaffna Peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. A 48-hour new pass system introduced to the visitors of the islet is a step towards keeping Delft isolated, civil society sources in the islet said.
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SLAF bombings kill woman, 10 injured, in Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 10:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kfir fighter jets bombed Saturday three civilian settlements killing a 24-year-old woman and seriously injuring ten persons, including an 18-year-old girl who lost both her legs, sources in Vanni said. The bombers first struck Iyakkachchi around 9:20 a.m and attacked the civilian settlements in Vaddakkachchi, Ira’naimadu, around 2:10 p.m. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) kept firing artillery shells on Iyakkachchi, Ira'naimadu and Vaddakkachchi, as the jets bombed the areas.
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Bomb blast in Colombo suburb kills SLA officer, 6 home guards

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 10:17 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army officer, six homeguards and a male whom the police alleged was a human bomb were killed in a bomb explosion at a military post at Wattala, a suburb of Colombo around 9:00 a.m. Sunday. More than 10 home guards and a few civilians sustained injuries in the explosion, Police said. The explosion has taken place in front of the Civil Defence Force (home guards office).
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Tigers seize arms, recover 16 SLA bodies in A'lampil fighting

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 03:05 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials said Sunday morning that at least 50 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 90 wounded in A'lampil area in Mullaiththeevu district on Saturday. The LTTE officials further said they seized more than 20 guns including 10 Light Machine Guns (LMGs) and 10 T-56 assault rifles, and recovered 16 SLA dead bodies in the clearing mission that followed.
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Large scale search in Colombo, several taken into custody

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 12:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Police and Special Task Force (STF) Thursday and Friday conducted cordon and search operations covering Muhathuwaaram, Kotahena, Wellawatte, Rajagiriya, Dehiwala, Kohuwela and Nugegoda in the western province. Several civilians, majority of them Tamil upcountry residents, were taken into custody. Police headquarters did not reveal till Friday evening the number of civilians under custody, civil sources said.
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2 students, child wounded in SLAF attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 10:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers Saturday noon bombed a locality, at 9th division in Puthukkudiyiruppu of Mullaiththeevu district, where refugees are settled with ICRC provided shelters, causing injuries to at least three civilians, initial reports from the medical authorities at Puthukkudiyiuruppu hospital said. Two teenage students and a 4-year-old child were the wounded victims rushed to the hospital.
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Accidental blast kills SLA soldier, injures 2 in Jaffna FDL

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 07:12 GMT]
An accidental explosion occurring Wednesday in one of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in Ki’laali in Notthern Front Defence Line (FDL) area killed a soldier and seriously injured two. Chaavakachcheari Acting Magistrate, S. Kanapathipillai, conducted the inquest into the death at the site.
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Jaffna residents asked to shun Sri Lanka Govt organized tamashas

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 03:03 GMT]
In a fax message sent to the media in Jaffna peninsula Friday night, an organization calling itself Ellaa’lan Force, requested the residents of Jaffna peninsula to shun 'carnival' type events organized in Jaffna by the Government of Sri Lanka. "These events, organized to reinforce a preception of prevailing normality, are mainly used as a cover to avoid international spotlight on the killing of Tamils," the message said, according to sources in Jaffna.
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Boston Globe: Grant Tamils autonomy in homelands

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 22:51 GMT]
Boston Globe in an editorial published today warned that Sri Lanka’s military campaign will only produce “new phase of protracted guerrilla warfare,” and that lasting peace is possible only when Sri Lanka's government “grant[s] the Tamils meaningful autonomy in their homelands.” The paper also asserted a cautionary note to the Sri Lanka Government that “[e]thnic or nationalistic pride should not be allowed to inflict such suffering on civilians who committed no crime but to be trapped in a war zone.”
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SLA strengthens security measures in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 15:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna strengthened security arrangements in and around Jaffna town Friday due to the presence of V. Anandasangari, the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and Minister Douglas Devananda in Jaffna and in view of the Industrial Exhibition that is to take place in Jaffna town from Saturday until Monday, organized by Government Commercial sector in Colombo, sources in Jaffna said.
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Motor mechanic seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 15:23 GMT]
A 39-year-old motor mechanic from Koappaay sought protection to his life with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Friday due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitary men, according to his complaints to HRC officials. The officials are taking action to place him in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison through Jaffna court.
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SLAF bombers attack Christian orphanage for girls

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 13:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers targetted 'Karuna Nilayam', a Christian center and center for orphaned and disabled girls located close to the A9 highway in Ki'linochchi town, at 4:30 p.m. on Christmas day, sources in Ki'linochchi said. The resident girls have been relocated to a different building and no one was injured in the attack, the adminstrators said.
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SLAF bombardment kills livestock

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 13:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir fighter jets bombed Friday morning a locality on Ki'linochchi Paranthan Road killing another herd of cows. SLAF fighter jets continued bombardment on Thursday and Friday while the Sri Lanka Army stepped up artillery attacks on several fronts. SLAF bombers hit 4 times a civilian settlement in Mayilvaakanapuram in Visvumadu Friday around 5:30 p.m.
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SLA artillery shells hit Ki'linochchi Hospital

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 12:46 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells landed within the compound of Ki'linochchi General Hospital at 7:30 p.m. on Christmas day damaging three hospital buildings and narrowly missing several hospital staff, including Medical Superintendent of Ki'linochchi, Dr Sathiyamoorthy, sources in Kilinochchi said. Glass panes of the New-born nursing section for mothers, Outpatients Department, and the Hospital Reception building were damaged in the attack, according to hospital sources.
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Christmas observed in low key in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 06:58 GMT]
Though Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna had lifted curfew on Christmas eve night in Jaffna peninsula the midnight mass and services in the churches in Jaffna peninsula did not draw many, sources in Jaffna said. Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, the Bishop of Jaffna attended midnight mass in Mother Mary’s church in Jaffna.
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SLA soldier loses leg in Batticaloa mine blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2008, 02:04 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier lost his leg in a landmine blast Tuesday around 5:00 p.m at Colony 10 area, located on the boundary between Batticalao and Ampaa’rai districts, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Slain ICRC worker’s funeral held in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2008, 00:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Jaffna closed the offices Wednesday to enable ICRC staff to participate in the funeral of Suntharalingam Gengatharan, their fellow staff slain Tuesday, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Hundreds of people and employees of local SLRC attended the funeral to pay their last respects.
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