Trincomalee Tamil civilian arrested in Peradeniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 23:19 GMT]
Peradeniya Police in the central province took a 53 year-old Tamil civilian P.K.Murugesu of Kannakipuram, Orr's Hill in Trincomalee town into custody Wednesday evening in a cordon and search operation conducted in Peradeniya town.
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Sri Lanka crisis reveals India not ready for global security role

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 20:41 GMT]
The present humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka, which has been completely transparent to international scrutiny for several years, is proving the limits of India's ability to move decisively on 'transnational' security issues, despite its ambitions for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, writes a reader from Tamil Nadu. Delhi's inability to prevail on Sri Lanka's Sinhala government has long been recognised by the region, the reader writes.
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SLA separates relatives of seriously wounded, sends them to internment camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 19:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vavuniyaa, inhumanely separated 122 immediate family members accompanying the seriously wounded 226 civilians transported by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), and sent them to an internment camp in Nelukku'lam, Vavuniyaa, medical sources in Vavuniyaa told TamilNet. Mothers of number of injured children, between ages 8 and 10 years, were also not allowed to remain with their children, and were transferred to the internment camp.
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Shut down observed in East despite SLA threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 17:07 GMT]
A shut down in the North and East Friday called by the Tamil National Alliance to condemn the killing of Tamils in Vanni was totally observed in the East in a peaceful manner despite harassment and threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) of severe consequences for those taking part in the shut down, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Tamils held in prisonlike SLA detention centres - CJPCD

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 16:23 GMT]
“Considering the plight of the 2000 Tamils who had fled war and are detained in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention centres, a justifiable fear arises as to what would happen to those who come to these detention centres which are like prisons; youths detained in these centres are said to have gone missing,” Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Jaffna (CJPCD) said in its appeal sent on its third day of the protest fast observed in Jaffna, against the killing of Tamils in the Vanni, sources in Jaffna said.
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'Vision' of a Sinhala sociologist

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 13:22 GMT]
"This victory should not be lost in the peace. [….] The mono-ethnic nature of the North should be dismantled. [….] 'Defence Colonies' defence settlements should be established all over the North. Retired husband and wife ex-employees of the armed forces should be settled in such strategic settlements. Like in mainland China, and earlier in Korea, Armed Forces owned industries should be established in these areas for both defence and civilian production. Our forces should be further strengthened to deter any future attempts,” writes engineer turned Sinhala sociologist Dr. Susanta Goonatilake in Sunday Times, dated, January 18. His article is a specimen to understand the vision of a section of Sinhala elite on the political process to follow Colombo’s victory.
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TNA salutes Muthukumar’s sacrifice of life to the cause of Eelam Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 13:02 GMT]
“Tamil National Alliance (TNA) wishes to express its deepest grief and condolence to Muthukumar’s family and the people of Tamil Nadu along with the entire Tamils of the world for having laid his live in supreme sacrifice in support of the Eelam Tamils,” the message of condolence released by TNA said.
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Maya tells of Sri Lanka Genocide to U.S., world fans

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 13:00 GMT]
Oscar and Grammy award nominee, Eezham born music phenom, Maya Arulpragasam, in the PBS interview on Tavis Smiley show Thursday told the U.S. listeners and fans worldwide that "there's been a systematic genocide which has quiet thing because no one knows where Sri Lanka is. And now it's just escalated to the point there's 350,000 people who are stuck in a battle zone and can't get out, and aid's banned and humanitarian organizations are banned, journalists are banned from telling the story."
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South Africa calls for permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 12:56 GMT]
Expressing deep concern for the safety and well-being of the 250, 000 civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, reportedly caught up in the conflict in the North-East region of Sri-Lanka, South African government Friday called for a permanent ceasefire. South Africa also urged the parties to the conflict, as a priority, respect existing safe zones and protect civilians, and to allow the delivery of relief supplies, including medicine, food, water and temporary shelters.
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Nadesan regrets misinformation of Colombo UN office

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 12:54 GMT]
A 'security officer' of UN Colombo office, who was only pressing for the transfer of the families of local UN staff, didn't cooperate with the ICRC causing the delay in the transfer of wounded civilians from Vanni. The altercation led to the misinformation by the UN staff of Colombo office that the LTTE initially refused permission for the transfer of civilian patients, LTTE Poltical Head B. Nadesan told TamilNet Friday when he was contacted on the allegation appeared in a section of international media to the extent that LTTE committed a war crime.
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UN spokesperson ducks, Ban Ki Moon meets Basil

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 11:49 GMT]
When press over reports the Sri Lanka Army had shelled UN staff in the government-declared ‘safe zone’ in Vanni this week, Marie Okabe, the Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon refused to answer journalists Thursday. Ban Ki-Moon met with Basil Rajapakse, brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, the Inner City Press also reported.
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LTTE salutes sacrifice of Tamil Nadu Journalist Muththukumar

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 10:18 GMT]
"The LTTE salutes the sacrifice of Muthukumar, who carried the emotional message of the 70 million Tamil Nadu people against the genocidal war by the Sinhala chauvinism in Tamil Eelam," said the condolence message from LTTE Political Head B. Nadesan.
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Only international-sponsored ceasefire can lead to the end of conflict - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 09:14 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B. Nadesan Friday blamed Colombo for stepped up genocidal artillery attacks on civilian targets Friday after committing a war crime of issuing ultimatum to civilians to move against their will into the hands of the genocidal military. Most of the civilians are continuously forced to live inside the bunkers and civilian casualties were mounting in Udaiyaarkaddu, Thearaavil and other areas, Mr. Nadesan charged. Only a permanent ceasefire mooted by the International Community and negotiations followed by it would resolve the conflict as envisaged by the Tamil people and the LTTE, Mr. Nadesan said.
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Last statement of Muthukumar

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 09:04 GMT]
Journalist Muthukumar distributed a 4-page statement in Tamil before his self-immolation Thursday in Tamil Nadu. TamilNet provides a translation for the English readership to grasp the significance, without taking responsibility for the accuracy of facts. "The sacrifice of young and idealistic Muthukumar is lamentable beyond words and thoughts of re-enactment should never become a necessity to anyone. It is a reminiscence of the Vietnam of 1960's when self-immolation of monks protesting brutal atrocities as a consequence of US military campaign was common. Such acts occur as a last resort of public frustration when governments suppress democratic space and don't respect overwhelming public opinion of emotional importance," said a diaspora Tamil academic.
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Batticaloa district Tamils condemn killing of Tamils in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 07:47 GMT]
The Association of Tamil People (ATP) in Batticaloa district vehemently condemns the systematic killings of the Tamils in Vanni by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) while urging the International Community to come forward to stop the genocide and exert pressure on GoSL for an immediate ceasefire, according to an appeal made by the Association Thursday.
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India's devastating 'play with fire' in the island of Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 07:11 GMT]
The Indian game that doesn't enjoy any popular support from any quarter concerned, can only be autocratic and will prove to be devastative to the entire island. The present Indian Establishment is incapable of doing anything constructively new, other than destroying Tamil safeguards. India is not only heading for maintaining perpetual trouble in Sri Lanka, but also is inviting turmoil to a part of its own country. The Co-chair countries need to immediately neutralize the disastrous Indian adventure that is totally bereft of public support, by stopping the war, by not insisting on a solution based on a united Sri Lanka and by de-proscribing the LTTE, which is looked upon as the vanguard by most of the Eezham Tamils, writes a political analyst in Vanni.
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4 Indian military experts wounded in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 07:01 GMT]
Four Indian military experts, assisting the Sri Lankan military, were wounded this week in Vanni and are undergoing treatment in Colombo, reliable sources told TamilNet Friday. The story, first broke by the Australia based Global Tamil Vision (GTV) on Thursday, had said the wounded were Indian soldiers who were undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Colombo. Although TamilNet was able to confirm through reliable sources on Friday that there are at least 4 Indian military experts undergoing treatment, specific details were not obtainable due to the prevailing threat on the right to know information in the island.
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Tamil family man reported missing in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 06:58 GMT]
A Tamil family man from Kimbulawela in Colombo is reported missing since 16 January on his way home after leaving his video rental shop around 8:30 p.m, according to a complaint lodged with Mukaththuvaaram police by his father.
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4 SLA soldiers killed in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 06:41 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) combatants killed 4 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Thursday around 9:45 a.m, in an attack on the SLA road patrol team at Nilaave’li in Trincomalee district, LTTE sources in Trincomalee said.
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Advocates in Tamil Nadu announce indefinite court boycott

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2009, 06:39 GMT]
Demanding the International Community to impose sanctions on Sri Lanka and calling for the resignation of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for his approach to the Tamil issue, the Madras High Court Advocates Association Thursday called for an indefinite boycott of courts. The Tamil Nadu Advocates Association, the other major lawyers collective, has also asked its members to abstain from court proceedings for the next one week.
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