TNA MP meets Norwegian Special Envoy in Oslo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 12:14 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Batticaloa District, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, who is currently on a visit to Europe, met Norwegian Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in Oslo on Monday and discussed the political and humanitarian situation prevailing in the North and East. "Rajapaksa government is now attempting to seek regional recognition, especially from India, as it attempts to seek foreign funds for implementing a colonisation-agenda in the East," the MP told TamilNet after his meeting with the Norwegian Envoy.
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9 Up-Country Tamils arrested in Marawila, Kochchikade

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 10:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police took into custody nine Up-Country Tamil civilians including a woman into custody Monday in two separate search operations. Marawila Police took eight Tamil youths and the Kochchikade Police took a Tamil woman. All have been residents of Passara in Badulla district and had been employed in Marawila and Kochchikade.
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9 upcountry Tamils arrested in Marawila, Kochchikade

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 03:56 GMT]
Police took into custody nine Tamil civilians including a woman into custody Monday in two separate incidents for alleged involvement with the LTTE. Marawila Police took eight Tamil youths and the Kochchikade Police took a Tamil woman. All are residents of Passara in Badulla district and have been employed in Marawila and Kochchikade, sources said.
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8 Tamils arrested in Polonnaruwa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 03:03 GMT]
Eight Tamil civilians were arrested Tuesday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted jointly by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police in Polonnaruwa town in the north western province. They are being detained in police station and are being interrogated for alleged involvement in LTTE activity, sources said.
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Canada says WTM is a terrorist group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 01:12 GMT]
Stating that “[t]he Government is once again taking decisive action to protect Canadians from terrorism and to safeguard our nation’s security,” Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, announced Monday that the Government of Canada has listed World Tamil Movement (WTM) as a terrorist group, effective June 13, 2008.
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Peoples decide nations

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2008, 23:49 GMT]
It is understandable when powers aspiring for international imperialism or regional imperialism coming out with statements guaranteeing territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Because, these powers have either failed in integrating their interests with the interests of the oppressed masses in Sri Lanka or have decided on promoting a militarized, oppressive and dictatorial state in Sri Lanka to suit their ambitions. But, why a country such as Norway should take side against an ongoing struggle of a people, by officially coming out with statements on territorial integrity, is the question, that too when it is committed to peace facilitation, asks Opinion Columnist Chivanadi.
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Tamil civilian disappeared in Moneragala

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2008, 17:17 GMT]
Kandasamy Ramakrishnan, a 34 year-old permanent resident of Moneragala is reported to have disappeared from Sunday evening, according to a complaint lodged by his wife with Moneragala police. He had been the owner of a three wheeler.
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Thousands pay their last respects to Thangamma Appakkuddi

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2008, 15:08 GMT]
More than five thousand people gathered together at Thellippazhai Monday to pay their last respects to the mortal remains of Thangamma Appakuddi, the veteran religious and cultural personality of Eezham Tamils, in the homage paying event held around 12:00 p.m. in the Common Hall outside Thellippazhai Thurkkai Amman Koayil, presided by Aa’ruthirumurkan. Most of the schools in the peninsula were closed before lunch interval while all schools, shops, private and public institutions in Valikaamam north were closed before noon enabling all to attend the funeral.
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Italian Tamils express support for Eezham homeland

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2008, 14:40 GMT]
Diaspora Tamils in Northern Italy gathered Sunday for Pongku Thamizh rally held in Piazza Argentina in Milan, one of the largest cities in Italy, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and voiced their support for Eezham Tamil homeland, Tamils right to self-determination, and protested against the Sri Lankan state's aerial bombardment of Tamil civilians and rights violations of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Burani Vainer, a renown lawyer in Italy for his legal defence of freedom struggles, addressed the audience as a chief guest, on the principles of the right to self determination.
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40 Tamil civilians arrested in Polonnaruwa, Chilaw

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 18:48 GMT]
Forty civilians, most of them are Tamils were taken into custody in two separate cordon and search operations conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police in Polonnaruwa and Chilaw police divisions. All are being detained in police stations and being interrogated by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID).
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Thangamma Appakkuddi passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 18:32 GMT]
Veteran religious and cultural personality of Eezham Tamils, Thangamma Appakkuddi, passed away on Sunday noon, at the age of 84, after bedridden for a few weeks in a stage of coma at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Apart from her religious leadership, Ms. Thangamma Appakkuddi, was a philanthropist and a social worker, caring for the much needed requirements of women and children in a war-torn society. She was an institution by herself. The funeral rites are scheduled to take place on Monday 2:00 p.m. at Kadduppeddi crematorium in her native village, Thellippazhai.
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SLAF airstrike kills 4 Tamil civilians, 10 wounded

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 06:45 GMT]
Three civilians were killed on the spot Sunday morning when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombed a civilian settlement of Internally Displaced Persons in Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaiththteevu district. Another civilian succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 10 civilians, including a pregnant mother, were wounded in the air attack, Tamileelam Police said. Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College, located 100 meters away from the IDP settlement, zonal office of education, and temples in the vicinity have sustained damage in the SLAF attack. Tension prevails in the town as shrapnels from the air-blasts of the bombs were spread around the area.
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Civilian shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 05:13 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Tamil family man Saturday around 6:10 p.m. at Anpuvea’lipuram in Trincomalee.
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Abductions have blessings of Colombo- Ganeson

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 00:01 GMT]
Responding to the recent press communiqué released by the Presidential secretariat, Mano Ganeshan MP, the leader of Western Province People Front (WPPF) and Convenor of Civil Monitoring Commission on Extra judicial killings and Disappearances state, in a press release issued Friday said: "It is good to note that the President is concerned of this situation but we did not create this situation. In fact this was created due the abductions created with the blessings of this Government."
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Norwegian Politician regrets irrationality of International Community

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2008, 23:56 GMT]
The International Community, stamped out all important Tamil organisations by branding them as terrorists, while remaining passive to the misdeeds of the Sinhala government. By doing so, the IC has acted irrationally, said Trond Jensrud, a ruling Labour Party (AP) politician of the Oslo Municipal Council while addressing the Pongku Thamizh rally held at Valle Hovin stadium in Oslo, the capital of Norway, on Saturday. The Norwegian government should seriously consider the Tamil stance stated clearly in this rally and take it up with the International forum, he further said.
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Diaspora Tamils launch Pongku Thamizh 2008

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2008, 13:41 GMT]
Diaspora Eezham Tamils on Saturday began rallying in support of the Eezham Tamils Right to Self-Determination in 'Pongku Thamizh,' which means 'Tamil Upsurge', an annual move aimed at Tamil awakening through cultural programmes. First country to mark the move was New Zealand, where Tamils gathered at Potters Park in Auckland for two hours on Saturday between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
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Tissainayagam in wrongful custody, Jasikaran tortured, allege counsels

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 June 2008, 19:07 GMT]
Senior Tamil journalist and Sunday Times columnist, J.S Tissainayagam, under detention since his arrest on March 6, was produced Friday before the chief magistrate N. Hettiarachchi 98 days into his detention, legal sources in Colombo said. The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry objected to Tissainayagam and other detainees from being moved to the Fiscal Custody according to regulation 21 (2) of the emergency regulations of 2005.
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Tamil youth abducted in Kuchchave'li

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 June 2008, 17:05 GMT]
A Tamil youth was abducted Thursday afternoon in Kuchchave'li village in Trincomalee district by unidentified armed person who arrived in a white van, according to complaints lodged with the police by his relatives.
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Tamil trader shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2008, 22:30 GMT]
A Tamil trader was shot dead Tuesday night by unidentified persons at Champalthoaddam in Nelukku'lam in Vavuniyaa, according to complaints lodged by his relatives with the Vavuniyaa police station. The victim has been identified as Veluppillai Sivasuthan, 38.
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East CM wants foreign funds for rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2008, 16:16 GMT]
"We need assistance from foreign countries to provide dwellings to resettle displaced," said Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the Chief Minister of Eastern Province and the head of TMVP paramilitary. "My administration will not show any discrimination while maintaining law and order with our own police force," he said.
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