Jaffna journalists donate books to persons in protective custody

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 17:16 GMT]
North Ceylon Journalists Association (NCJA) officially handed over a batch of books to Government Agent (GA) Jaffna Friday to be distributed among persons placed in protective custody due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said. The persons in custody are held in Jaffna Prison, Kurunakar Rehabilitation Centre, and Thellippa’lai SLA Rehabilitation Camp.
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Family of 6 from Thenmaraadchi seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 16:46 GMT]
Two parents and their four children, all below the age of seventeen, from Thenmaraadchi, sought protection Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna, due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries. SLA and paramilitaries were threatening to extort money from the father who has a shop attached to his house at Kaa’li Koayilady, Meesaalai West in Thenmaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said.
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Curfew in Kaaththaankudi, Aaraiyampathi lifted

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 13:39 GMT]
The curfew imposed in Kaaththaankudi and Aaraiyampathi areas in Batticaloa district Thursday, following the killings of three Muslims in revenge by paramilitary and the slaying of a key operative of the TMVP Pillayan group, was removed Friday around 6:00 a.m. Tension continues in the areas as final rites of the victims were held in their respective religious cemeteries while all shops, government and private institutions remained closed, sources in Batticaloa said.
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SLA accelerates colonization in Vaaka'rai

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 13:31 GMT]
Sinhalese fishermen from Puththa'lam, Chilaapam, and other areas of the island are being brought in increasing numbers into Vaaka'rai area in Koa’ra’laippattu North, Batticaloa district by the civilian coordinator of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), residents in the area said.
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Girl, child killed in SLAF bombardment in Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 11:34 GMT]
A 14-year-old girl and a 3-year-old child were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked a civilian settlement in at Kalpaadu in Chu'ndikku'lam 21 km northeast of Kilinochchi Friday around 2:00 p.m. A woman was wounded in the attack.
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16 civilians killed in DPU attack in Vanni, 5 children, 7 females among victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 10:10 GMT]
16 civilians, including 5 children, three girls and two boys, were killed in a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Claymore attack that targeted a Hiace van returning from Akkaraayan hospital to Ki'linochchi on Mu'rika'ndi - Akkaraayan Road Friday around 2:15 p.m., reports from Ki'linochchi said. The SLA on Friday stepped up DPU attacks in LTTE controlled Vanni as the region was observing a national mourning day following the demise of LTTE's Senior Commander Brigadier Balraj.
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Reserved hero: Brigadier Balraj

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 09:00 GMT]
In over two decades of service with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Brig. Balraj, who passed away Tuesday after a heart attack, had been a courageous and skilled fighter and commander whose last years were spent institutionalizing the training of a new generation of LTTE field officers. Although he joined the LTTE later than many of the other top commanders, Brig. Balraj had risen rapidly through the ranks on the strength of his shrewdness on the battlefield and courage under fire, fighters who served with him said this week.
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SLA extends amnesty for deserters

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 23:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has extended the amnesty period of deserters by two weeks, until May 31, reports from Colombo said. SLA had earlier announced amnesty for deserters to return to their earlier ranks from May 2 until May 12.
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Batticaloa Bishop holds meeting to defuse tension

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 21:39 GMT]
A special conference was held Thursday afternoon 5:00 p.m.at the residence of Batticaloa Bishop’s to ease the tension prevailing in Kaaththaankudi, Batticaloa District in the aftermath of Thursday morning shooting incidents in the area that has so far claimed the lives of five men, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Thousands pay homage to Brigadier Balraj

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 21:03 GMT]
Several thousand members of general public filed past the casket Wednesday morning in Mallaawi, Vanni to pay their last respects to Brigadier Balraj, a senior and a special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who passed away Tuesday of a sudden heart attack in Vanni. Meanwhile, a number of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jet fighters flew over the skies in provocative act to intimidate the public Thursday afternoon.
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Family man seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 16:18 GMT]
A 35-year old mason from Urumpiraai West sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Thursday due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries. He will be also placed in the protective custody in Jaffna Prison where nearly 300 persons are already placed in protective custody.
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Tamil woman reported missing in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 15:48 GMT]
A family woman from Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi is reported missing since Saturday when she was traveling in a bus to Negombo from Colombo, according to complaint lodged by her mother to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna, Thursday. Meanwhile, the employees of Udupiddi Multi Purpose Co-operative Society who went on a search Wednesday to find their General Manager who was suspected abducted, at the place of abduction close to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in Kalikai and Yaakkarai, said they could not find his body that was rumoured to be lying in the mangrove land near the SLA camps.
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Muslims shot dead in revenge by paramilitary after the killing of key operative

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 10:30 GMT]
Following the killing of a key paramilitary operative Shanthan and his associate of the TMVP Pillayan Group in the Muslim town of Kaaththaankudi around 11:40 a.m. Thursday, gunmen from the paramilitary group opened fire on Muslim travelers in the pre-dominant Tamil village Aaraiyampathi, 1.5 km south of the Muslim town, killing three Muslims, Police said. Four persons, including two Sinhalese were wounded. Tension prevails in Kaaththaankudi and Araiyampathi. Sri Lankan police and Special Task Force commandos have been deployed in the area. A local curfew was imposed and additional forces were sent to the border village, Police said.
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5 abducted following SLA search operation in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 07:18 GMT]
Five civilians including a couple have been abducted in three days last week after the large scale cordon and search operations carried out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vadmaraadchi, according to complaints made to Human Rights Commission Office (HRC) in Jaffna Wednesday. Four of the abductions have taken place during the early hours of the day when the SLA imposed curfew was in force, by armed men in vehicles.
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3 Tamil civilians arrested in Katugastota

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 02:38 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians were taken into custody in a joint cordon and search operation conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police in Katugastota in Kandy district Wednesday following the explosion of a bomb hidden under a bridge along Kandy-Matale rail track Tuesday night around 11:00 p.m., sources in Colombo said.
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Ground facts, Rights lobby cause Sri Lanka's UN debacle

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 00:27 GMT]
Despite determined lobbying by Colombo during and prior to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the stark history of gross rights violations by Sri Lanka Security forces, the unfolding ground situation including the exit of International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) from rights monitoring from the island, and intense lobbying by several Rights organization including three Peace Nobel laureates, have led to the ignominous defeat of Sri Lanka Wednesday in securing the sought after coveted spot in the Human Rights Council of the UN.
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Justice Ministry Secretary visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 14:23 GMT]
Secretary to Sri Lanka Ministry of Justice and the Director for Rehabilitation, from Colombo arrived at Palaali Military Airport Wednesday morning and returned in the evening, sources in Jaffna said. The Secretary inspected Jaffna Prison where nearly 300 hundred persons are placed in protest custody due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, and also other places related to the welfare of the inmates. Although the Director was expected to inspect the proposed Rehabilitation Centre at Kaarainakar held in Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) control, the plan was cancelled due to undisclosed reasons.
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International Law, Human Rights will salute Tamil Statehood- Fein

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 21:52 GMT]
Quoting the words in the American declaration of Independence, “[b]ut when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce [a people] under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security,” Bruce Fein, Washington-based attorney for a Tamil Activist Group, and Chairman of the American Freedom Agenda, said Tuesday that Tamil Statehood is the immediate answer to save innocent lives, and that “[a]n international consensus on statehood would bring the war to a close, as it did in Kosovo.”
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SLA arrests 60 civilians in search operation in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 16:56 GMT]
Hundreds of civilians were brought to the streets, each of them were photographed and around 60 of them were arrested in a joint cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Police in Mannaar from 5:30 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. The search operation mainly targeted housing schemes at Chaanthipuram, Periyakamam, Pa'l'limunai, and Na'lavanvaadi, sources in Mannaar said. The SLA has used masked men in the operation.
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Brigadier Balraj passes away - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 15:32 GMT]
Brigadier Balraj, a senior and a special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), passed away Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. of a sudden heart attack in Vanni, LTTE's Head Quarters said. Brigadier Balraj was the first commander of the LTTE's conventional fighting formation, Charles Antony Brigade, established in 1991 and he served as a key commander in LTTE's major operations, including the LTTE operation on the SLA garrison in Elephant Pass in year 2000. The LTTE leadership has announced national mourning for three days on 21, 22 and 23rd of May.
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