SLA forcibly removes youths from its detention centres in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 May 2009, 17:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have forcibly taken away young men and women among the Vanni civilians held in the SLA detention centres in Thenmaraadchi and Vadamaraadchi, according to NGO representatives who visited the detention centres. The family members who raised protest against the abduction of their children in Mirusuvil detention centre have been taken away from the centre for ‘interrogation’ by SLA soldiers, the sources added. SLA officials say that the youths taken away are to be placed in the SLA Special Rehabilitation Camp (SRC) located in Thellippazhai High Security Zone (HSZ).
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Claymore attack kills youth in Buttala

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 May 2009, 12:43 GMT]
Unidentified men launched a Claymore attack Tuesday morning on a tractor belonging to Pelawathe Sugar Factory in Weliyara village in Buttala in Monaragala district, killing a youth and seriously injuring another man, sources in Puththa’lam said. Meanwhile, Monoragala police arrested two Tamil youths in Monoragala town and have detained them for interrogation, the sources added.
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Colombo SLHRC restricts its Jaffna office functions

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 May 2009, 14:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Colombo Head Office Secretary, Ms. Chandra Ellawela, has instructed Jaffna office not to admit anyone seeking protection to their lives into the office but to get the assistance of the police to check them and not to take them to Court in HRC vehicles but in private vehicles, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, it has been decided to instruct persons seeking protection to their lives to do so in one of the five Magistrate Courts in Jaffna peninsula, in a high level meeting between Jaffna Additional Magistrate, T. Wicknarajah and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander, according to directions released by the Additional Magistrate, the sources added.
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17 Tamil youths arrested in Colombo on May Day

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 May 2009, 17:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and police took into custody 17 Tamil youths in a joint search operation conducted on May Day in Colombo 7, Bambalapitiya, Wellawathe, Watala and Negombo, subjecting hundreds of people going along the streets to severe interrogation, sources in Colombo said. The main political parties did not conduct May Day processions within Colombo city, the sources said.
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SLN, SLA step up confrontations, Tigers sink two SLN vessels

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 April 2009, 11:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) continued to attack Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal shore since Wednesday 4:00 p.m., killing and maiming many. Meanwhile, Liberation Tigers of Tamlieelam (LTTE) Sea Tigers confronted the SLN vessels sinking a water jet gun-boat and Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) around 2:45 p.m. Thursday.
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15 Tamil civilians arrested in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police jointly conducted several cordon and search operations in the Tamil villages of Chaampalththeevu, Nilaave'li, Chelvanaayakapuram, and Kanniyaa in Trincomalee district Tuesday. Police said the operations were conducted to check infiltrators entering Trincomalee town and its suburbs.
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Unprecedented carnage unfolds in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 08:15 GMT]
Medical sources in Vanni reported Tuesday morning "mad shelling" by the Sri Lanka Army into civilian areas in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal north, forcing everyone under the bunkers. Several civilians have been killed. The wounded are let to die as people are not able to move out of the bunkers due to the unprecedented barrage by the SLA from 4:30 a.m. The SLA deployed 'scorched earth' barrage using all kinds of weapons from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday in Valaignarmadam breaking the LTTE defence line. As the shelling by the SLA started to target civilian areas in Tuesday morning, the southern part of Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal has become completely congested and roads are blocked with civilians who managed flee from the northern areas.
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Paramilitary men shoot dead 3 Tamils, a Muslim in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 April 2009, 06:54 GMT]
Paramilitary men operating with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shot and killed Saturday around 8:45 two Tamil civilians including the President of the Nochchiku’lam Peace Committee and a Muslim civilian in Kantha’laay police division in Trincomalee district, sources in Trincomalee said. Meanwhile, paramilitary men gunned down a Tamil civilian Saturday around 9:00 p.m at Shaanthipuram in Kantha’laay police division, the sources added.a
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Bomb blast in SLA camp in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 April 2009, 17:06 GMT]
A bomb exploded with a loud noise Wednesday around 7:30 p.m during power-cut in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp located in Vi’laan, I’lavaalai in Valikaamam, sources in Jaffna said. Though it is said that three SLA soldiers sustained injuries no official report has been released by SLA authorities in Jaffna. Meanwhile, SLA soldiers engaged in road patrol near Jaffna University opened fire Thursday afternoon on some youths riding bicycles, claiming that the youths refused to be checked.
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SLA conducts large scale cordon, search in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 April 2009, 16:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna launched sudden large scale cordon and search operations Saturday and Sunday in many parts of Jaffna peninsula, deploying thousands of soldiers, sources in Jaffna said. Nalloor, Chu’ndukku’li areas in Jaffna, Yaakkarai and Kizhavi Thoaddam in Vadamaraadchi besides certain areas in Valikaamam and Thenmaraadchi were subjected to cordon and search blocking all traffic through the above areas, the sources added.
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Transport of goods through A9 route to Jaffna falters

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 April 2009, 16:03 GMT]
The transport of goods to Jaffna through the newly opened A9 route had only been possible three times, in 56 lorries, since the launch of this procedure amidst much government publicity last month, sources in Jaffna said. The Defence Ministry does not permit the transport through A9 route because of the security risk of the goods and personnel involved, Jaffna Traders’ Union (JTU) sources said. The sources further expressed concern that the goods they wanted to bring from Colombo to Jaffna in lorries had first to be handed over to the SLA controlled Government Stores in Welisara where they have been delayed for weeks.
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Night robberies escalate in Jaffna despite SLA presence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 April 2009, 15:37 GMT]
Night time robberies in Jaffna town and other areas of the peninsula which is under the complete control of Sri Lanka Amy have escalated markedly in the recent past. Though persons caught red-handed had been handed over either to the police or the SLA most of them have not been produced in the court, civil society sources in Jaffna raised accusation. As the culprits caught operate closely with SLA-backed paramilitary men in Jaffna, they manage to escape prosecution and punishment, the sources alleged.
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Kurunakar fish market reopened in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 April 2009, 19:33 GMT]
Kurunakar fish market in Jaffna town which had remained closed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for nearly 20 years due to security reasons and occupied by the SLA for the last 15 years was officially reopened by SLA Wednesday for public use, sources in Jaffna said. Fisheries and Marine Resources Ministry, Jaffna Deputy Director, N. Tharmalingam, SLA officials, Fisheries Society representatives and political party persons took part in the event where fishermen sold their catch to public, the sources said.
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Sri Lankan soldiers sell jewelry pilfered from battle areas

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 April 2009, 11:57 GMT]
Jewelry shops in Anuradhapura in the north central province are reportedly busy purchasing gold items from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who return home from Wanni battle field on leave. Three-wheel drivers are allegedly working in hand in glove with SLA soldiers in disposing these items to jewelry shops in Anuradhapura town, according to media reports.
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3 Tamil youths from Vavuniyaa reported missing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 April 2009, 02:51 GMT]
Three Tamil youths from Vavuniyaa who left to Colombo Thursday morning and interrogated by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at Oamanthai check post are reported missing with Colombo Human Rights Commission office by the their relatives. The youths had travelled up to Madawaachi SLA check post where they had gone missing, the relatives said in the complaint.
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SLA takes away 65 detainees including students to Thellippa’lai Camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 April 2009, 17:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers forcibly took away Saturday and Sunday 65 detainees including students from three SLA detention centres in Jaffna district where civilians fleeing war in Vanni were held, sources in Jaffna said. The soldiers took away the 65 detainees to the SLA Special Rehabilitation Camp (SRC) in Thellippa’lai claiming they were involved in terrorist activities. Though this matter was expected to be raised in the Tuesday meeting in Jaffna Secretariat held to discuss the problems faced by the inmates in the SLA detention centres, none of the representatives of the local and international organizations serving the interests of children, including UNICEF and the education officials, had mentioned the abduction of the detainees by SLA soldiers during the week-end, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.
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24 Tamil youths arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 April 2009, 03:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police arrested 24 Tamil youths Saturday and Sunday in the suburbs of Colombo city, according to complaints made to Deputy Minister P. Rathakrishnan by the youths’ relatives. Meanwhile, security measures in Colombo have been strengthened on the assumption that Liberation Tigers may launch attacks in Colombo during the forth coming New Year celebrations, police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said.
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SLA abducts 11 students from Koappaay detention camp

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 April 2009, 14:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers forcibly took away Sunday eleven students held along with their parents in the SLA detention camp in Koappaay Teacher Training College hostel, according to Education officials who visited the detention centre Monday. The students were taken to the SLA Rehabilitation Camp in Thellippalai, the parents of the students told the officials. This incident has created shock and fear among the detainees held in the SLA detention centres in Jaffna and Thenmaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said.
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17 Tamil youths abducted, gone missing in Trincomalee, Ampaa’rai

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 April 2009, 14:11 GMT]
Seventeen Tamil youths have been either abducted or gone missing in the past two weeks in Moothoor East in Trincomalee district and Thirukkoayil in Batticaloa district, according to complaints made by the youths’ relatives to Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian K. Thurairatnasingam. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and paramilitary military men who operate with them come to the houses of the youths in white vans and forcibly take the youths away, the relatives said in the complaint.
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More than 10 SLN soldiers injured in accident in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 April 2009, 16:01 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vehicle carrying SLN soldiers along the causeway between Ponnaalai junction and Valanthalai junction in Kaarainakar in the islets of Jaffna lost control and leapt into the water causing injuries to more than ten SLN soldiers in the vehicle, Friday around 6:20 a.m. Some of the injured who were rushed to Kaarainakar SLN base are said to be in critical condition, according to unconfirmed sources in the islet of Jaffna.
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