IDPs refusing to resettle in new areas refused relief

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 August 2007, 10:12 GMT]
East Provincial Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema is reported to have instructed civil authorities in districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa not to provide food and other relief assistances to Tamil displaced families frpm Moothoor east and Eachchilampathu division who refuse to be relocated in new lands allocated to them by the Sri Lanka government in other parts of the Trincomalee district. Moothoor east and Eachchilampaththu have been declared as high security zone after the military operation and civilians are not being allowed to resettle there, civil society sources said.
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2 civilians shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 00:02 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen killed two civilians in ka'luvaagnchikkudi and Ea’raavoor police divisions Monday night, sources in Batticaloa District said.
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3 Tamil IDPs shot dead in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 May 2007, 09:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers lying in ambush along a lake at Siththaa'ndi in Ea'raavoor police division in Batticaloa district shot dead three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) including a woman, who had gone Sunday to check their cultivation.


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Government officials visit Paduvankarai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 18:58 GMT]
A team of government officials visited Paduvankarai region in Batticaloa district Friday, for the first time after residents had fled the region due to the offensive by the Sri Lankan armed forces in March, sources in Batticaloa said. The team consisting of officials from the Departments of Education, Health, Electricity, Highways, Irrigation, Cooperatives and Agrarian Services were joined by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commanders and Senior Superintendent of Police, Batticaloa.
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IDP shot dead in Kaluthavalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 02:14 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons wearing masks abducted an Internally Displaced Person (IDP), a father of a child, from his temporary dwelling in Seddipalayam and shot him dead around 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Kaluthavalai, a neighboring village 2 km south, in Kaluwanchchikkudy Police division in Batticaloa district.
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GoSL denies air transport to Batticaloa MPs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 April 2007, 02:02 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) refused to provide helicopter transport to the four Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian of Batticaloa district, from Colombo to Batticaloa, to attend the District Development Council (DDC) meeting held at Batticaloa Kachcheri Tuesday, TNA sources said. The MPs requested transport help following death threats from Karuna Group. The meeting was organized to explore solutions to the IDP problems and to endorse the other development activities planned for the current year.
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GoSL must pay compensation to Batticaloa IDPs- MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 04:24 GMT]
One third of the Batticaloa Tamil population has been made refugees and, as a result, the educational, social and economical resources and growth of the Tamil people have suffered grave setback, P. Ariyaneththiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament for Batticaloa district said in a press communiqué Thursday. He urged the Sri Lanka Government authorities to take steps to pay compensation to those who suffered economic loss due to displacement.
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Gothabaya threatens Mirror editor over Karuna story

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 April 2007, 03:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa threatened the editor of a leading English daily on Tuesday, saying the paper’s coverage of actions of the Karuna Group had angered the Army-backed paramilitaries, a media watchdog said. Mr. Gothabaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had Tuesday morning telephoned Ms. Champika Liyanarachchi, editor of the Daily Mirror to say she should not be surprised if the Karuna Group turned its violence against her and if so, she shouldn’t expect government protection, the Free Media Movement (FMM) said.
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TRO to assist IDPs in East through International, local NGOs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 April 2007, 06:14 GMT]
"There is an acute shortage of toilet facilities and 6,000 shelters in the East for Internally Displaced Persons, who languish without adequate food in Sri Lanka Army controlled areas, where the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) was blocked from attending the plight of the refugees," the organisation said a day ahead of the Tamil New Year, resolving to channel the humanitarian assistance through International and local organisations. Several camps lack roofs and 100 persons have to share a single toilet in average, although the NGOs have managed to put up 11,000 shelters and 1,600 toilets for more than 23,000 families that have sought refuge in the service centres.
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Stop alienating elected representatives from their constituents - TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 20:52 GMT]
"Tamil National Alliance (TNA) strongly condemns the sudden postponement of the Batticaloa District Development Committee (DDC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday at parliamentary complex, Colombo, by the President of DDC, Minister Ameer Ali, without informing Batticaloa district parliamentarians," a statement released by TNA Wednesday in Colombo said.
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Torrential rain adds to Batticaloa IDPs woes

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 18:04 GMT]
Nearly 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in 93 temporary camps in different Divisional Secretary areas in Batticaloa are undergoing immense difficulties due incessent rain and flooding in the east, sources in Batticaloa said. A 66.6 mm rainfall was recorded for the last 24 hours on Monday 8:00 p.m by Batticaloa Weather Observation Centre, sources added.


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Karuna threats prevent Batticaloa MPs from visiting electorates

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 11:57 GMT]
"Due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed Karuna group in Batticaloa district, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians representing constituencies in the district have not been able to go to their electorates for the last six months, affected parliamentarians said. Batticaloa MPs have been unable to even participate in high level planning meetings where the district's urgent needs are discussed and decisions taken,TNA parliamentarians told media Sunday.
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SLA arrests 31 civilians in Eravur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2007, 10:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police arrested 29 men and 2 women, in a cordon and search operation conducted Saturday around 4:00 p.m in Palacholai, Kaluvankerny and neighbouring areas in Eravur police division in Batticaloa. The SLA, after interrogating the arrested civilians, handed them over to Eravur police around 7:00 p.m, for further investigation, sources in Eravur said. The arrested are detained at Earvur police station.


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Torrential rain worsens Batticaloa IDPs woes

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 11:30 GMT]
More than 75 temporary sheds sheltering Internally Displaced People (IDP) in interim camps located in Kaluvanchikudy in Batticaloa district have collapsed due to heavy rain continuing for the third day, causing additional hardships, Kaluvanchikudy Regional Secretary said.
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Husband, wife killed in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 10:23 GMT]
A 42-year-old woman and her 54-year-old husband, parents of four, recently displaced from Vavuniya, were killed Thursday in Paalampiddi, 38 km northwest of Vavuniya town, when a Sri Lanka Army Deep Penentration Unit (DPU) triggered a Claymore mine targeting the IDP couples' bicycle at 1:45 p.m., according to Tamileelam Police.
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White Pigeon British office condemns Mullaitivu air attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 20:25 GMT]
The United Kingdom branch of White Pigeon condemned the mid-day bombing by the Sri Lanka Air Force MiGs of the Puthukkudiyiruppu office where two civilians were killed and four injured, in a press release issued from UK Wednesday. The NGO highlighted that today is 2nd Annual UN declared "International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action."
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IDP child killed in accidental drowning

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 05:44 GMT]
A two-year old Internally Displaced child died at Kaluwanchchikkudy IDP Transit Camp by accidentally falling into a small pond while its mother was bathing in the pond. This tragedy happened around 5:00 p.m. Tuesday while the mother was bathing having placed the child near the pond.
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SLA arrests 35 IDPs in Amparai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 April 2007, 02:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) arrested more than 35 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had gone to 38th Colony, Palayadivettai and Nellikaddu villages, located on the border between Amparai and Batticaloa districts, to inspect their houses which they had fled from, said refugees who escaped from SLA. The detained were taken to Kondaivettuvaan SLA camp in Amparai district, same sources said.
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SLA troopers loot houses, shops IDPs left behind

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:32 GMT]
"Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, paramilitary members and other local Sinhalese persons have looted the houses, shops, temples and co-operative stores in areas invaded by SLA in the Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territories in Paduvankarai and Kokadicholai," S. Seeralan, Batticaloa district LTTE Political Wing Deputy head said Saturday. The SLA troopers are routinely stealing the live stocks left behind by the people and killing them for meat, he said.
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Young IDP killed by stray bullet hit in Vadamaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 March 2007, 00:11 GMT]
A young Internally Displaced Person (IDP) was killed by a stray bullet believed to be fired by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Manatkadu in Vadamarachchy East region in Jaffna district Friday, sources in Point Pedro said. The victim succumbed to his injuries at Manthikai hospital, hospital sources said.
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