Tamil trader found with gun shot injuries in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 14:36 GMT]
The 23-year old owner of a computer shop in Vavuniyaa town who went missing 22 July around 3:00 p.m was found alive with gun shot injuries on the head and neck, in Sreenakar in Vavuniyaa by his relatives, source said. He was admitted to Vavuniyaa hospital first and immediately transferred to Anuradapura hospital for further treatment.
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Australia, New Zealand Tamils Commemorate Black July

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 20:36 GMT]
In marking the 25th anniversary of Black July, Australian Tamils held three different events, a Friday morning rally at the heart of Sydney, followed by a protest meeting at Burwood Park, Burwood, and on Saturday afternoon a photographic exhibition in Melbourne at the State Library Forecourt, opposite the Melbourne Central Railway Station. Meanwhile, New Zealand Tamil Medical Association (NZTMA) and the Tamil Youth Organistion (TYO-New Zealand) organised a blood donation drive, and on Friday held a vigil marking the Black July.
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TIC urges Colombo to reciprocate LTTE's ceasefire

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 19:55 GMT]
In a press release issued Sunday, Tamil Information Center (TIC), a UK-based peace advocacy organization, urged Sri Lankan Government "to view the LTTE’s ceasfire offer as positive, and reciprocate it by making a similar announcement giving rise to a real ceasefire leading to an end to the armed conflict and the beginning of confidence building between the parties, peace talks and agreement on substantive issues that lie at the heart of the conflict."
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Basil Rajapaksa visits Batticaloa to discuss ADB allocation of funds

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 17:04 GMT]
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated 4,015 million rupees for the development of agriculture and irrigation tanks in Batticaloa district and a conference presided by Basil Rajapakse, the brother and Senior Advisor to SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa and member of parliament, was held Sunday in Batticaloa District Secretariat to discuss ways of making use of the ADB funds, sources in Batticaloa said. Sri Lankan ministers and heads of local and provincial governments of the ruling UPFA, TMVP alliance attended the conference. Members of parliament from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Batticaloa district were not invited.
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Tamil youth abducted in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 04:53 GMT]
Jeganathan Dinesh, 24, working in a communication centre along Vihare Mawatte in Wellawatte, was abducted by unidentified armed persons arrived in white van Saturday night around 9:30 p.m., according to complaints lodged with the Wellawatte Police and human rights groups.
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Speeding SLA Buffel crushes woman to death in Chaavakachcheari

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 14:25 GMT]
A 62-year old Tamil woman was crushed under a speeding Buffel Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) military vehicle at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning along the Jaffna-Kandy road in front of the Government Hospital in Chaavakachcheari, sources in Jaffna said. The woman died on the spot.
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South African Tamils commemorate Black July

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 12:29 GMT]
More than 600 South African Tamils assembled at the Kharwastan Temple Hall in Chatsworth South Africa to observe the 25th anniversary of Black July, Friday. The African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament, Sisa Njikelana from Gauteng Province, delivered the key note speech, comparing developing situation in Sri Lanka to those in Rwanda and Brundi. The function, organised by the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee of South Africa and presided by Mr Vinoth Rajagopaul, was broadcast live on national radio station, Lotus FM (SABC).
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JVP parliamentarian accuses government of 'white van culture'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 06:38 GMT]
Parliamentarian Mr.Wijitha Heart, Propaganda, propaganda secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), told media Friday that abductions are now being carried out in the country with the blessing of the government. The excavation of a corpse of a Tamil person who is alleged to have been abducted and later found to be dumped in the premises of the office of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in Batticaloa, clearly points complicity of Colombo in the abduction-murder, the JVP MP added. EPDP is a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, and the leader of EPDP is a cabinet minister.
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Traders' Association President shot dead in Akkaraippattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 16:25 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed Friday around 8:30 p.m a Tamil vegetable trader in Akkaraippattu in Ampaa’rai district as he was going home after closing his shop in Aalayadiveampu Public Market, sources in Akkaraippattu said.
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U.S. rally commemorating Black July draws over 600

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 11:58 GMT]
People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), a US-based advocy group, held a rally Thursday at Russell Senate Park, commorating the 25th anniversary of Black July, and the rally was attended by over 600 participants from several U.S States. Two U.S. Congress members through letters of support read at the rally recognized the American Tamils' effort highlighting the human rights crisis in Sri Lanka. The rally also protested the financial support provided by the Chinese Government to the Governments of Sri Lanka and Burma.
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JHU accuses five UPFA ministers supporting devolution

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 10:54 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party condemned a group of ministers who have been supporting devolution of police and land powers to provincial councils according to the 13th amendment to the constitution. JHU leaders at a press briefing held Thursday said ministers in the UPFA government have formed a movement to urge the government to devolve police and land powers to provincial councils. JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said the JHU would oppose such move and would take stern steps to crush the movement.
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4 Boosa detainees transferred to Terrorism unit, 8 freed

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 10:44 GMT]
Four Tamil civilians detained in Boosa detention camp in the Galle district for several months were transferred Wednesday to the Prevention of Terrorism Unit (PTU) located in Chaitiya Street in Colombo. Meanwhile, eight other Tamil civilians detained for about six to eight months in Boosa Detention Centre had been released without any charges, sources in Colombo said.
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Development official killed in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 05:35 GMT]
Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari (Pooneryn) division and a development official at Ki'iinochchi District Secretariat, Santhalingam Vimalakumar, 33, was killed Friday morning following a Claymore attack that targeted his motorbike at Kokkaavil in Oddisuddaan. Mr. Vimalakumar was on his way to Vavuniyaa on official engagement while he was attacked, according to officials at the District Secretariat.
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Legend missing in Thiruva'l'luvar statue in London

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 17:02 GMT]
The prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London displays a statue of the ancient Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruva'l'luvar in its premises. The plaque noting him a Tamil scholar and the palm-leave book in his left hand are missing for some time.
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Reflections on Black July in art, literature and theatre

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 14:05 GMT]
Artists and writers in different parts of the world reflect through various ways on Black July 1983, the state-sponsored pogrom against Tamils in Sri Lanka, marking its 25th year. Citing some of the aesthetic expressions, a play in English to be staged in Canada on Saturday is based on the post-pogrom phenomenon of refugee hearing. While an ongoing art exhibition in Colombo documents life after 1983 in the eyes of a Sinhala photographer, a novel that comes from Australia bases itself on the psychological scars of the pogrom.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Thampalakaamam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 12:06 GMT]
A 60-year old Tamil civilian was shot dead Wednesday night when he was riding in a motor bike to his paddy field by unidentified armed persons at Potkea'ni, a suburb in the traditional Tamil village Thampalakaamam in Trincomalee district, police sources said.
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Voices of 1983: Basil Fernando's poem remembered

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 10:18 GMT]
A poem, based on an eye-witness account of an event during 1983 pogrom captures the determination of a Tamil father at the time of his agonising death. The poem by Basil Fernando, a Sinhala lawyer, encapsulates the impelling spirit of the Tamil struggle of the post-pogrom years. Mr. Basil Fernando is at present the Executive Director of the Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission.
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Tamil trader shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 20:01 GMT]
A Tamil trader was shot dead by unidentified armed persons Wednesday morning in front of his shop located near Chiththivinaayakar Temple at Veappangku'lam along Vavuniyaa-Mannaar road, Vavuniyaa police said.
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Tamil trader abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 16:10 GMT]
An upcountry Tamil trader residing in Dehiwala in Colombo for more than 20 years was abducted by unidentified persons Tuesday night when he was in his shop selling greeting cards. His shop is located along Galle Road in Dehiwala, according to complaints lodged by his relatives with the Dehiwala Police and human rights groups.
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US Tamils to hold Black July rally, vigil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 11:23 GMT]
People For Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), an advocacy group composed of over 1,800 Americans concerned about the crisis in Sri Lanka, is organizing a protest rally and vigil in Washington DC on Thursday at 12 pm to remember the victims of Black July 1983, an ethnic pogrom, where organized mobs backed by the Sri Lankan government killed approximately 3,000 Tamil civilians, displaced several thousand Tamils and destroyed over $300 million worth of Tamils’ property. The rally will be held at the Russell Senate Park, at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Delaware Avenue, Washington DC, according to the organizers.
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