Family man seeks protection with Chunnaakam police

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2009, 17:56 GMT]
A family man from Aavarangkaal East in Puththoor sought protection to his life with Chunnaakam police due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, Thursday. He had managed to escape arrest by SLA during a cordon and search conducted in his village after which his wife had tried to commit suicide, he told the police. His wife had later been taken into custody by the SLA and detained while his son who was arrested by SLA had been released as he was a school going student, he said in his statement to the police.
Full story >>

Lankan-ness Vs the Tamilness: thoughts of A.J. Canagaratne

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2009, 16:48 GMT]
Is it possible in today's context to be both a Tamil and a Sri Lankan? I think it is, provided our leaders are statesmen enough to treat all communities as equal and guarantee this equality both in practice and constitutionally. Only time will tell whether the Sinhala political leadership can stop playing games of one-upmanship and indulging in political manoeuvring. It's high time they stop being fixated on a unitary state and think along the lines of a fully federal set-up to preserve the unity of this country, wrote AJ in 2005, a year before his demise, reviewing a publication ‘ Being a Tamil and Sri Lankan by Professor K. Sivathamby.
Full story >>

Revise policies on Tamil struggle: Karen Parker tells U.S. Senate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2009, 00:55 GMT]
The twenty-six year old armed conflict between the armed forces of the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has reached a phase that can only be called genocide-like and catastrophic for the Tamil people in the north and east of the island, said human rights expert Karen Parker, Wednesday to the subcommittee of the US Senate, hearing on the situation in the island of Sri Lanka. Describing the war waged by Colombo as illegal military operations, using illegal weapons or legal weapons in an illegal manner without any international monitoring, she urged the US government to call for an immediate ceasefire and address it most forcefully to the Rajapaksa administration.
Full story >>

Danish media consultant refused entry into Kaarainakar by SLN

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 16:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) did not permit Dr. Henrik Grunnet, the media consultant of the Media Research and Training Centre (MRTC) affiliated to Jaffna University to attend an introductory event of a media course that was to be inaugurated Wednesday at Kaarainakar R. Thiyagarajah Maththiya Viththiyaalayam in his official capacity and as a guest of honour, sources close to MRTC said. Vice-chancellor emeritus of Jaffna University and the Director of MRTC, Prof. Pon. Balasuntharampillai, the chief guest of the event, had accompanied Dr. Henrik Grunnet to Ponnaalai SLN at the entrance to Kaarainakar where Grunnet was sent back by the SLN.
Full story >>

No neogitiations with Tigers even if they lay down arms - SL Premier

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 16:02 GMT]
There is no need to talk to Tigers once they lay down arms, said Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramasinghe on Tuesday. “Sri Lanka will not give in to international countries and bodies pressurizing it to stop the war on Liberation Tigers," he said participating in an event held in his office where his son, Vithura Wicremanayake, handed over essential commodities collected by him for the soldiers engaged in the war in the north and those injured, to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Northern Commander, media sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Vadamaraadchi residents picket Point Pedro Divisional Secretariat

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 2009, 01:24 GMT]
More than a thousand residents of coastal areas of Vadamaraadchi north gathered Tuesday in front of the Point Pedro Divisional Secretariat (DS) to protest against the inadequate relief rations of food provided by the Sri Lanka Governement, and against the fishing ban that is depriving them from earning a livelihood, sources in Point Pedro said. The demonstrators blocked the entrance to the DS from 6:00 a.m but were forced out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and police deployed in large numbers, around 9:30 a.m, to make way for the employees of the DS, the sources added.
Full story >>

Hoodlums attack Tamil settlement in Western province, 1 killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 2009, 19:45 GMT]
Sinhala hoodlums attacked a Tamil settlement in Paadukka estate in Kalutara district in the western province Saturday night killing a Tamil worker and set fire to three houses of Tamil residents. The victim was identified as Selvarajah. Other Tamil workers had fled from the area with their families and sought refuge elsewhere to ensure their safety.
Full story >>

Statement diplomacy of EU

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 2009, 15:26 GMT]
Significantly deviating from its earlier position of justifying war on 'terrorism', the EU Council Conclusions on Sri Lanka, Monday, stressed the need for Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE to comply with ‘provisions of international humanitarian law and principles of the laws of war’, treating them as equal parties engaged in war. Taking this stance, the EU called for an immediate Ceasefire. The EU also reiterated its intention to send a Troika as soon as possible. However, the rest of the EU conclusions are the usual rhetoric, ending with the never implemented GSP+investigation on Sri Lanka, political observers said.
Full story >>

SLA motorcyclist kills Muslim civilian in accident in Ea’raavoor

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 February 2009, 16:18 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers riding a motorcycle accidentally knocked down a Muslim civilian riding bicycle, seriously injuring him, Friday evening along Batticaloa-Vaazhaichcheanai main street, sources in Ea’raavoor said. The injured man was first rushed to Ea’raavoor District hospital and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Full story >>

SLA arrests 10 Tamil civilians in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 February 2009, 16:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested 10 Tamil labourers 16 February in a cordon and search launched jointly with the police in Kalmunai police division in Batticaloa district, according to their relatives who had lodged complaints to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Batticaloa. Only seven of the arrested Tamils were produced in Batticaloa court Friday while the fate of three of them is not known, the relatives said.
Full story >>

SLA arrests Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 February 2009, 15:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested a Tamil youth in Maangkea’ni in Vaakarai police division Friday as he was going from Puchchaangkea’ni to Maangkea’ni and took him to a jungle area, sources in Batticaloa said. The youth who tried to escape was arrested again by SLA soldiers but it is not known where he is being held, the sources added.
Full story >>

SLA soldiers search Kurunakar Technical Institute in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 February 2009, 14:51 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers suddenly surrounded Wednesday around 9:00 a.m the premises of Advanced Technical Institute (ATI) in Kurunakar and ordered all the students out of their classes before conducting a scrupulous search of all the buildings of ATI, sources in Jaffna said. The soldiers subjected the students, who numbered more than a hundred, to rigorous checking, the sources added.
Full story >>

SLA arrests student in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 February 2009, 14:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers took away a 16-year-old school student from his house in Aavarangkaal in Valikaamam east in a search conducted in the area Wednesday claiming that they had found medicinal items including glucose from his house, sources in Jaffna said. The boy’s mother took kerosene oil in an attempt to kill herself while his father is said to have gone into hiding. This incident is related to the killings of two youths shot by SLA soldiers recently in Aavarangkaal, residents of Aavarangkaal said.
Full story >>

UNICEF alarmed at plight of children in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2009, 12:23 GMT]
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday that it was extremely alarmed at the high number of children being injured in the fighting in the northern area of Sri Lanka known as the Vanni. “Scores of injured children have been evacuated in the past week,” said UNICEF’s Duamelle. “Children are victims of this conflict by being killed, injured, recruited, displaced, separated and denied their every day needs due to the fighting.” The main injuries to children have been burns, fractures, shrapnel and bullet wounds. UNICEF reiterates the call it has made time and again to Government and the LTTE – civilians, especially children, must be given every protection from the fighting.
Full story >>

UN sheds responsibilities - NGO official

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 February 2009, 18:01 GMT]
The UN said 15 of its local staff and 75 of their dependents were not allowed to leave the conflict area by the Tamil Tigers, who had forcibly recruited one of the UN staffers, reported AFP on Monday. "The UN for the first time openly acknowledges its agenda of withdrawing even the remaining few local staff from the conflict zone, completely shedding its responsibility of caring for the civilians trapped here," said Velupillai Sivanadiyar, the president of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the only NGO working in Vanni. The latest UN stand implies that the apex security system of the world has written off the fate of more than 250,000 civilians to the discretion of Colombo’s hostile and encircling army of 50,000, a ratio of 1:5.
Full story >>

SLA shoots dead two youths in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2009, 08:00 GMT]
A group of unidentified armed men launched an attack Saturday night around 9:45 p.m on Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) soldiers posted at an electricity transformer point in Kapputhoo, Vaatharavaththai area in Valikaamam East, sources in Jaffna said. SLA soldiers opened fire in retaliation killing two of the armed youths while the rest had fled, SLA sources claimed.
Full story >>

Trinco town security tightened after arrival of Vanni wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 February 2009, 15:01 GMT]
Security of Trincomalee town has been strengthened by the government security forces since the admission of two groups of Vanni civilians in Trincomalee General Hospital. Vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians are being checked by police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers deployed at the sentry points along roads leading to the hospital.
Full story >>

SLA shoots dead 2 youths in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 February 2009, 11:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers engaged in road patrol opened fire on two youths as they were cycling along Aadiyapaatham Road near Thirunelveali junction in Jaffna, killing them on the spot, Thursday around 11:30 a.m, sources in Jaffna said. One of the youths killed is from Nainaatheevu who had come to see his bride-to-be in Thirunelveali but SLA claimed that they gunned down the two youths because they opened fire on the soldiers, seriously injuring one of them.
Full story >>

Jaffna people's resilience will trump current atmosphere of fear, says US diplomat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 February 2009, 00:34 GMT]
“Though the people of Jaffna peninsula live in an atmosphere of fear and difficulties they are looked upon as a people who successfully overcome them by everyone,” James R. Moore, the Deputy Chief of Mission attached to US Embassy in Sri Lanka, said in an event held in the office of the Regional Director of Health Service (RDHS) in Jaffna Wednesday, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh, Regional Health Service Director, Dr. Ketheeswaran and other Government officials participated in the event where a new system of ambulance service was inaugurated.
Full story >>

SLA launch large scale cordon, search in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2009, 17:20 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers conducted a large scale cordon and search from early morning Wednesday till evening in Karaveddi area in Vadamaraadchi, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. The religious rites for the local ICRC employee killed recently which took place at his house in Karaveddi Wednesday where many people had gathered may have triggered the SLA search, the sources said.
Full story >>