Eastern Tamils oppose merger of Universities

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 00:32 GMT]
The initiative of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, 'Myown' Mustafa to amalgamate the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) with the Muslim-dominated South Eastern University, faces stiff resistance from Tamils and Muslims living Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Three Tamils abducted in Mannar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 February 2007, 08:00 GMT]
Unidentified persons abducted three Tamils in Mannar in two separate incidents when they were traveling along Mannar-Talaimannar main road, Tuesday afternoon, according to complaints made by their relatives with the regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL).
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Three Plantation Tamils arrested

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 16:05 GMT]
Several plantation Tamils were taken into custody in cordon and search operations conducted Friday morning by Sri Lanka security forces in Talawakelle, Pundoloya and Lindula in the central province. All were released after their identities were checked except three Tamils who are being detained in police stations and being questioned, sources said.


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SLA strips bare houses in Vaharai, Sampoor - MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 15:45 GMT]
Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy charged Saturday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are dismantling civilians homes and stripping them of furniture and equipments in the recently captured Vaharai area. The internally displaced people (IDPs) who fled Vaharai before the SLA entered the area, have been prevented from entering the area by the soldiers guarding the entry points, the parliamentarian said. Meanwhile, the refugees from Sampoor had complained that the roofs of their houses have also been removed by the SLA.
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TNA appeals to international community to back Tamil self-determination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 11:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s ongoing military campaign leaves Tamils with no option but to seek self-determination and self-rule, the country’s largest Tamil party said Friday. In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on the international community to recognise the Tamil struggle pointing out that in the past five years, “the Sri Lankan government has utterly failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamil people. Neither has it contributed meaningfully to a lasting solution to the national conflict.”
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Marginalisation of CFA compells Tamils to resume freedom struggle - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in a statement marking five years since the signing of 22 February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), said the CFA formulated with the full support of the international community, had transcended the parameters of Sri Lanka’s majoritarian constitution, recognizing Tamil Eelam’s de facto existence and the balance of power between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE. However, the international community’s insistence on a solution that does not infringe on the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka," is deeply frustrating for the Tamil people, the statement said.
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SLA conducts house-to-house search in Bogowantalawa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 12:39 GMT]
A house-to-house search was conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers with the assistance of local police in Bogowantalawa town in the central province Thursday morning from dawn to noon. Majority of residents of Bogowantalawa are Tamils of Indian origin from upcountry. Police took several residents, majority of them Tamils into custody for interrogation, sources said.
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24 Tamils arrested in Hatton, Bogowantalawa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 00:18 GMT]
Nine Tamil civilians including seven from Vaharai in the Batticaloa district were arrested at Norwood in Hatton Police Division in the central province Monday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted by Sri Lanka government security forces. The arrested are being detained in Hatton police station and being interrogated, civil society source in upcountry said.
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30 Tamil civilians arrested in Kandy

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 15:58 GMT]
Thirty Tamil civilians were arrested in Kandy and Teldeniya in the central province Monday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police. Most of the arrested are natives of North East and Colombo. Government security forces on a tip off blocked all roads and searched all vehicles.
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Security tightened in southern province

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 11:17 GMT]
Security has been tightened in Kataragama, Hambantota, Ambalantota, Hungama, Tissamaharagama, Lunugamvehera, Sooriyawewa and Tangalle, all police divisions in Galle district in southern province that come under Superintendent of Police in Tangalle in Galle district, Police said.


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Civilians arrested in Kandy still under detention

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 February 2007, 18:04 GMT]
Fourteen civilians including nine Tamils, three Muslims and a Sinhalese arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted by the army and police covering Kandy bus stand area following a bomb scare on Friday evening are still being detained in Kandy police station and being interrogated by a special police team, sources said.
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Kandy police arrest 14 civilians

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 February 2007, 00:30 GMT]
Kandy Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested 14 civilians, majority of them Tamils, in a cordon and search operation conducted Friday evening following a tip off that a bomb had been placed in the Kandy bus stand, sources in Kandy said. Kandy general hospital was also put on alert to meet any emergencies.
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SLFP dissidents urge Colombo to prevent Rights abuses

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 04:19 GMT]
Former Sri Lanka's Foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and former Port Development Minister, Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, on Thursday accused the Mahinda Rajapakse government of alleged human rights violations, and warned that Sri Lanka faced international isolation unless steps were taken to stem the tide of disappearances and extra judicial killings, sources in Colombo said. Addressing a press conference at the Parliamentary complex, Mr. Samaraweera said his concern about the growing human rights violations in Sri Lanka was one of the main reasons that he was sacked by Mr Rajapakse.
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UNP condemns abductions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 21:41 GMT]
Tamils who have no connections with war and terrorism are being abducted in Colombo and other areas in the country, said Lakshman Kiriella, Kandy district United National Party parliamentarian addressing a press briefing held Thursday at the office of the Leader of the Opposition.
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SL Police arrests 19 Tamil civilians in Moratuwa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 11:31 GMT]
Moratuwa Police took into custody 19 Tamils, all of them from areas of NorthEast, Thursday morning in a midnight to dawn cordon and search operation conducted by the government security forces in the Soysapura Flat area in Moratuwa police division, sources from Colombo said. The arrested are being detained and interrogated in Moratuwa police station.
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UN urged not to ignore Rajapakse regime

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 12:58 GMT]
The UN security council working group which is set to study underage recruitment in Sri Lanka later Friday should not ignore the practice of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse’s regime in the practice, a senior columnist with The Guardian newspaper wrote in Friday’s edition on Guardian's 'Comment is Free' section. And condemning political movements for the violence they turn to, “whilst ignoring their complaints and the degree of support they command leads only to political stalemate and more bloodshed,” Jonathan Steele said in his column. He criticised President Rajapakse for destroying the 2002 truce by trying to reoccupy the areas recognised as under Tiger control.
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Ratnapura attacks spark strike by plantation workers

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 February 2007, 14:02 GMT]
Seven housing units belonging to Tamil plantation workers in Farm Garden Estate in Ratnapura were destroyed by fire Friday night at 8:30 p.m. when a group of unidentified gangsters, allegedly from the neighboring Sinhala village of Navanagara, armed with hand bombs set ablaze more than fifty housing units. The mob kicked the doors open, removed valuables from the units, splashed accelerants before setting fire to the units. The workers at the Farm Garden Estate went on strike Sunday to protest against the violence, and the lethargic response shown by the Estate Management, spokesperson for the workers said.
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Tamil Americans pay tribute to Anton Balasingham

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 February 2007, 01:29 GMT]
Several hundred Tamil Americans braved the weather to pay tribute to the later Anton Balasingham, theoretician and political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), at a memorial event held in Manmouth Middle School in New Jersey, 5:00 p.m. Saturday. Mr Balasingham was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in the middle of November, and passed away on 14 December 2006.
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300 Tamils arrested in Colombo ahead of Independence Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 February 2007, 03:04 GMT]
More than 300 persons, majority of them Tamils, were arrested during a combined cordon and search operation conducted by Sri Lanka security forces in Fort and Pettah areas in Colombo, Sunday morning.
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266 Tamils arrested in search operation in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 February 2007, 07:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police said 266 Tamils, including 53 women, were arrested in a dawn to noon house-to-house search operation, conducted by hundreds of police and armed troops in Fort area and its suburbs in Colombo city, Saturday. They are detained in Fort Police Station and are being interrogated by specially appointed police investigation teams, the police said. The police said the arrested are permanent residents of Jaffna district.
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