3 IDPs wounded in SLAF attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 October 2008, 15:51 GMT]
A 50-year-old mother of three, a 38-year-old father of one and a 41-year-old father of two, were wounded Tuesday morning around 11:00 when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked two civilian settlements in Ki'linochchi and Paranthan, medical sources at the Ki'linochchi hospital said. The victims were Internally Displaced Persons from Mannaar and Ki'linochchi districts. 750 school children and 17 teachers were attending classes at Paranthan Hindu College at the time of the SLAF air-strike. The college is located 750 meters from the attack site in Kumarapuram where three houses and three huts were fully destroyed, according to TamilNet correspondent who visited the attack site at Kumarapuram and the hospital.
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Violence against upcountry Tamils

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 October 2008, 12:03 GMT]
A gang of about fifteen Sinhalese armed persons entered the house of a Tamil family in Perk rubber estate in Horana electorate Sunday evening and attacked the inmates mercilessly with clubs and knives. Other Tamil families in the area along with the affected family fled into the nearby jungle to escape further attack from the Sinhalese hoodlums. The violence comes as reports in Colombo said an upcountry Tamil minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, Mr. P. Chandrasekaran was currently under presidential investigation for alleged expression of support to the recent protest campaign lauched by the Tamil Nadu government that sought to protect Tamils in Sri Lanka.
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US, India, Israel plot against Sri Lanka, alleges JVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 20:45 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Sinhala nationalist party, appealed to Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse to take stern action against the incumbent US ambassador in Sri Lanka for making a statement derogatory to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. JVP has described the US ambassador's statement as a part of a plot hatched by the USA, India and Israel against Sri Lanka.
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Police uniform clad men abduct Tamil returnee from Korea

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 20:40 GMT]
A Tamil youth from Pazhukaamam, Batticaloa District, returning to Sri Lanka after working in Korea for three years, was abducted Monday afternoon by men dressed in police uniform, the relatives of the victim reported in a complaint lodged with Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Jeyanamthamoothy.
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4 killed, 6 captured, Tigers raid TMVP camp

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 20:38 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Batticaloa district attacked a key paramilitary camp of the paramilitary group TMVP in the early hours of Tuesday, killing four operatives and capturing six gunmen from the camp, located at Chengka'ladi, 13 km northwest of Batticaloa city, according to the Batticaloa Command of the LTTE. Despite the LTTE claim of their attack on the TMVP within a few hours of the raid, the Pillayan faction of the TMVP blamed Karuna operatives for the attack. The Sri Lankan Police said that the Tigers were behind the raid that killed four operatives, Pushpan, Rajan, Mani Master and Ravi.
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Committee appointed to investigate Minister Chandrasekaran

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 19:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has appointed a three-member special committee chaired by the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to investigate the conduct of Minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran over his support to Tamilnadu political leaders in support of the LTTE and Sri Lankan Tamils while holding a cabinet minister post in the Sri Lanka government. The other members of the Committee are Nimal Sripala de Silva, Leader of the House and Minister of Health and Nutrition, and Dinesh Gunawardene, Chief Whip of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Minister of Urban Development.
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STF Commando killed, 2 wounded in Ampaa'rai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 14:20 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commando was killed and two wounded when a guerrilla unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Ampaa'rai ambushed the STF commandos in Kagnchikudichchaa'ru Monday around 12:50 a.m., according to LTTE officials in the East.
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Sideline Narayanan, Menon, on Tamil affairs: CPI leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 12:13 GMT]
M K. Narayanan, the National Security Advisor, and Shiv Shankar Menon, the Foreign Secretary, should be seen refrained from advising on Eezham Tamils and Tamil Nadu, the Communist Party of India (CPI), Tamil Nadu General Secretary, Mr. Pandiyan, urged the Indian government in a press meet on Saturday. He also said that Mr. Ram, Chief Editor of The Hindu could help through his rapport with Mahinda Rajapaksa in fixing the relief sent from India to Eezham Tamils to be accompanied by civil society representatives from Tamil Nadu. Sending relief through the Colombo government is not acceptable, he said.
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Colombo's concessions on fishing rights

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 05:30 GMT]
Indian fishermen may get into Sri Lankan waters other than sensitive areas of coastline designated by Sri Lanka government, implied a joint press statement released by the Indian foreign ministry on Sunday. There will be no firing on Indian fishing vessels. Earlier Colombo's position was against Indian fishermen crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.
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Food to hoodwink, war to continue

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2008, 01:00 GMT]
The voice of Tamil Nadu people has certainly shaken the power centres of India, but what they really heard or orchestrated was the US ambassador's voice. The establishments are not prepared to change course immediately either on stopping war and military assistance to Colombo or on coming out with meaningful political solutions to Eezham Tamils, but rather the 'machinations' are to bring in a wedge between the suffering people and their fighters, said a Colombo based political analyst. Only a resolute Tamil people and ground realities in Sri Lanka may able to convince the 'strategic partners' of the futility of going against the aspirations of the oppressed, observed the analyst.
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LTTE Jayanthan brigade commandos raid paramilitary camp, 2 killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2008, 23:36 GMT]
A commando unit of the elite Jayanthan Brigade of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Batticaloa raided a paramilitary mini-camp in Vavu'natheevu Saturday night killing two and causing injuries to several others, the Tigers said in a note issued to media from Batticaloa on Sunday. The Tigers claimed they seized four assault rifles and ammunitions from the camp.
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TNA condemns forced participation of civilians in Batticaloa paramilitary meeting

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2008, 23:47 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a communiqué issued Sunday, condemned the actions of paramilitary factions led by Karuna and Pillaiyan for forcibly transporting Batticaloa residents, who did not extend their support to the meeting conducted by paramilitary groups expressing solidarity with the Government of Sri Lanka, to the venue of the meeting.
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Point Pedro youth arrested in Katunayake

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2008, 08:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka police arrested a Tamil youth in a sudden cordon and search operation conducted in Katunayake international airport area, a high security zone in Colombo district, Thursday night around 11:00 p.m. The Tamil youth has been identified as resident of Puloali in Point Pedro in Jaffna district and was temporarily residing in Wellawatte, according to sources.
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TMVP, Karuna groups organize demonstration in East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 14:02 GMT]
Paramilitary-cum-political parties, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and the Karuna faction, which operate along with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the Eastern Province, have announced that a demonstration will be held 26 October, and have issued notices to the public in Eastern Province including NGO staff, school children and other public and private institutions to participate. The groups have warned the public of severe consequences if they fail to join in the demonstration.
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French Tamils protest against killing of Tamils by Sri Lanka State

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 13:30 GMT]
Hundreds of French Tamils in the east of France assembled in front of the European Parliment in Strasbourg between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Friday, and demonstrated against the killing of Tamils, and aerial bombardment in the civilian settlements in the North East, sources in France said. The demonstrators carried pictures of tamils killed by aerial bombings and artillery attacks. The Mayor of Strarsbourg, represented by the Deputy Mayor, Mr Eric Elkouby, showed his support for the demonstration by standing amidst the protesters under heavy rain, attendees to the protest said.
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STF commando killed, 2 wounded in Batticaloa - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 12:47 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Batticaloa said Saturday that they carried out a commando attack on a Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) post in a high security area on A5 road in Koappaavea'li in Batticaloa district Friday evening around 7:00 p.m.
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Time for Colombo to defeat LTTE with political solution: U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2008, 10:16 GMT]
"The U.S. view is that the [Sri Lankan] government could further isolate and weaken the LTTE if it articulates now its vision for a political solution," said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake while addressing an interactive session at the University of Madras on Friday, The Hindu reported. While ruling out the military option, Mr. Blake has alluded that the U.S. position was to militarily weaken the LTTE to defeat it politically. The United States has been a key player of the Co-Chairs for the Sri Lankan process, which has been managed by the facilitation of Norway till Sri Lanka unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire.
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Rain highlights depth of emotions in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2008, 23:19 GMT]
The heavy downpour that started simultaneously with the Human Chain agitation in Tamil Nadu on Friday has in fact helped to understand the level of emotional involvement of the leaders and people of Tamil Nadu in the cause of the Eezham Tamils in Sri Lanka. It was a singular sight to see prominent politicians, celebrities of the cine-world, trade unionists, pontiffs of mutts, members of Churches and civil society activists amidst hundreds of thousands of people, largely students of both gender, completely drenched and standing in ankle deep water, voicing solidarity with their brethren across the Palk Straits, reported media sources in Chennai.
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Colombo to avoid reporting casualty figures on Vanni fighting

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2008, 22:36 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Friday continued in its attempt to advance further into southern Ki'linochchi facing stiff resistance from the Tigers, according to the officials of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Vanni. Fighting intensified as SLA attempted to advance towards Naachchikkudaa on Friday, they said adding that the SLA has suffered heavy casualties. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Defence Ministry officials said they have suspended reporting casualty figures of their side in the offensive that has been stepped up in Vanni.
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Governor General of Canada voices for UN human rights office in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2008, 21:08 GMT]
"We strongly support the presence of the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human rights in Sri Lanka with a full mandate to report on the human rights situation", said The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean on the occasion of the presentation of credentials by Daya Perera, the new High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada, on Wednesday. "It is important to ensure that civilians in conflict zones are protected, that they have access to humanitarian organizations, and that their human rights are respected", she said while conveying deep concern of her government "over the future of the Sri Lankan people".
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