Sinhala daily: Sri Lanka tops Asian countries in number of NGOs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 11:18 GMT]
Around 600 Non Government Organisations (NGOs) are officially present in Sri Lanka, while 400 more NGOs are also engaged in Sri Lanka without official presence, Divayina, a Sinhala language daily reported on Saturday. Highlighting that Sri Lanka had become a lucrative country for peace agencies, the paper pointed out that more than one hundred organisations were engaged in peace-related business, benefiting from the CFA. The newspaper criticized 8 organizations for managing to get foreign funding to the tune of 20 million rupees per year and further alleged that these organizations, which claimed to be researching about peace, were in fact supplying "false information" to foreign actors.
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Heavy fighting erupts in Parappaangka'ndal, Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 09:11 GMT]
Heavy fighting has broke out between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Parappaangka'ndal area in Mannaar from early morning Saturday. The main road linking Mannaar and Mathavaachchi was blocked from 10:00 a.m. till noon when ambulances were busy transporting casualties to Anuradhapura from Uyilangku'lam junction and a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter was engaged in air-ambulance sorties from a landing pad near Tha'l'laadi.
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4 SLA killed in Moneragala ambush - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 07:34 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthiraiyan said four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed in a Claymore ambush attack that targeted a SLA tractor at 53 Mile Post near Chellak-kathirkaamam in Moneragala district, around 9:45 a.m., Saturday. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Police said 6 soldiers were wounded in the attack and one of the wounded solider succumbed to his injuries at Kataragama hospital. 2 SLA soldiers were wounded in the attack, according to the Tigers.
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Diaspora groups demand international action over MP’s slaying

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 02:52 GMT]
Tamil Diaspora organisations Friday condemned the killing of Tamil parliamentarian K. Sivanesan Thursday in a fragmentation mine attack blamed on Sri Lankan commandos and called for international action against the Colombo government. Pointing out that Mr. Sivanesan is the latest Tamil MP to be murdered by suspected Army-backed paramilitaries or members of the security forces in recent years, expatriate organisations from Australia, Canada and Britain called for the Sri Lankan government to be held accountable and for international sanctions to be imposed.
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Karaveddi civilians pay homage to slain MP Sivanesan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 00:25 GMT]
Amidst tension in the village of Keava'lai in Karaveddi East due to heavy presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, thousands of civilians paid homage Friday to the slain Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian K.Sivanesan assassinated Thursday in a claymore mine attack allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army, south of Maangku'lam on A-9 Road in Vanni. The body of the slain parliamentarian was taken to his home town in Karaveddi East to enable the public to pay their last respects.
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GoSL lacks will to bring justice – IIGEP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 00:16 GMT]
A lack of will on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) was one factor in the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) terminating its operations in Sri Lanka, Prof. Sir. Nigel Rodley, representing Britain in the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), told BBC Tamil service in an interview Thursday.
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SLN, Police instruct Vanni IDPs away from Mannaar island

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 18:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy and Police officials in Mannaar island have instructed the civil authorities at Mannaar District Secretariat not to accommodate refugees who arrive to the Island from Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas in recent days by boats within the Mannaar island. 28 persons from 8 families who have arrived by boat from Moon'raam piddi, Valaippaadu and Naachchikkudaa from LTTE controlled areas by boat to the Mannaar island were taken by the SL forces to Naanaaddan in the mainland to an old rice mill building.
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SLA's night offensive thwarted in Mukamaalai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 17:26 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Northern Front Operations Command on Friday said the Tigers thwarted an SLA offensive in the early hours of Friday at Mukamaalai in the Northern front. Heavy fighting lasted from 1:00 a.m. Friday till 2:30 a.m., according to the Tigers.
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Pirapaharan confers Maamanithar title to Sivanesan

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 16:58 GMT]
Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) has conferred Maamanithar (Great human being) title, the highest national civilian honour by the LTTE, posthumously to K. Sivanesan, the Tamil national alliance parliamentarian who was assassinated Thursday in Vanni in Claymore attack allegedly carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit. Honouring Mr. Sivanesan, the LTTE leader said: "Mr. Kiddinan Sivanesan is a unique individual who functioned selflessly, honestly, and with courage. He is simple, courteous and loving. He is a sincere politician who possessed high ideals. He labored tirelessly for the advancement and welfare of the workers."
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TNA condemns Sivanesan killing

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 14:38 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a statement issued Friday strongly condemned the killing of its Jaffna district parliamentarian K.Sivanesan on Thursday at Maangku'lam along A9 highway. TNA has been expressing its deepest sorrow and distress over the killing of Mr. Sivanesan in a claymore explosion, the statement added. "Mr. Sivanesan worked hard for the emancipation of the Tamil people, against social injustice and for the development of co-operative movement. He won the hearts of Tamils by his unwavering stand on the freedom struggle by his deed and speech. He dedicated himself from the young age for the liberation of his people," the TNA statement said.
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Norway condemns assassination of Sivanesan MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 14:31 GMT]
The Norwegian government on Friday condemned the killing of Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament K. Sivanesan of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and his driver Periyannan Maheshwararajah, following a claymore attack in the Vanni on 6 March 2008. "Attacks on members of Parliament are seriously undermining Sri Lanka’s democratic traditions and institutions. A political solution to the conflict is vital, to put an end to the spiral of violence," the Norwegian statement said.
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Jaffna SLA commander calls upon LTTE cadres to surrender

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 04:34 GMT]
Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, the Head of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the North in a media communiqué released Tuesday night called upon the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres operating in the peninsula to surrender themselves at the military bases in the peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
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'Frankenstein' franchise in Batticaloa - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 01:52 GMT]
"Ceylon was the first country in Asia to receive universal adult suffrage as early as in 1931. Even though many at that time eulogized it, from the very beginning, it was doomed as it was implemented in a country where the voting was communal. The Tamils boycotted the first elections. The curse continued and has become a Frankenstein monster in Batticaloa today. People are terrified at the thought of elections and would feel greatly relieved without it," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy while sharing his opinion with TamilNet on Friday on the local elections in Batticaloa.
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Japan-UNDP sign agreement to assist resettlement in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 01:14 GMT]
Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, during a meeting held on Tuesday at the office of the Sri Lanka's Nation Building Plantation Infrastructure Ministry said, to promote peace efforts in Sri Lanka, the Government of Japan is ready to provide the much needed assistance to the conflict-affected people of the north and east to enjoy the fruits of peace.
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Jaffna TNA MP Sivanesan killed in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2008, 09:59 GMT]
Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, K. Sivanesan, was killed in a Claymore attack carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit on A-9 road, 30 minutes after he crossed into Vanni through Oamanthai / Pu'liyangku'lam entry point Thursday. The Claymore attack has taken place between Pu'liyangku'lam and Maangku'lam around 1:20 p.m., according to initial reports. The MP's vehicle was targeted when he was returning to his residence in Mallaavi, after attending the parliamentary sessions in Colombo. His driver was also killed in the attack. The DPU attackers have exploded four Claymore mines in a row, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet.
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SLAF fighter jets bomb Poonakari again

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2008, 03:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers dropped several bombs Wednesday around 9:00 a.m for the second day at a stretch on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas in Poonakari after flying over Jaffna peninsula at low altitude for several hours, sources in Jaffna said. SLAF bombers struck Poonakari Tuesday in three sorties, the sources added.
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SLA hands over 3 female cadres dead bodies to Police

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2008, 12:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army handed over three female dead bodies to the Police Tuesday evening after a fighting with the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam south of Adampan in Mannaar, Police said.
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Armed men abduct 2 teenage girls in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2008, 12:08 GMT]
Fatigue uniform clad armed men who came in a white van abducted a 16-year-old girl student Monday night around 11:30 from her house in Karungkaalichchoalai in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district and another 16-year-old girl student from the same area Tuesday night around same time from her house. The armed men had also tried to abduct a young woman from another house in Karungkaalichchoalai but had let her go when she, amidst wails, had begged saying she is married, residents in the area told TamilNet.
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Ambush wounds SLA soldier in Vilpattu border

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2008, 09:04 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier was seriously wounded in a gunfire ambush attack near the crosspoint SLA detachment in Puththa'lam district at Ilavangku'lam, bordering Vilpattu wildlife sanctuary. The ambush comes after SLA claimed it had cleared the area from LTTE operations after bringing the Chilaavatturai area into its control.
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SL Police arrests 2 Tamils at Anuradhapura railway station

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2008, 08:29 GMT]
Two Tamil youths aged 22 and 27 were arrested Wednesday morning by the Sri Lankan police at Anuradhapura railway station when they were traveling to Colombo from Madawachchi.
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