Fall in line with US: American deadline to India

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2008, 03:08 GMT]
Leading Indian opposition parties sense 'blackmailing' underneath U.S. pressure on nuclear agreements. India was recently told that failing to fall in line with the United States could jeopardise its nuclear prospects. Analysts find it significant to note that while setting a deadline to India to process the agreements, the United States has reminded India of their 'partnership' in dealing with India's neighbours in South Asia. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Under Secretary of State named Sri Lanka and Nepal in this context, according to a PTI report on Saturday.
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Nadesan listens to fishermen's grievances

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 19:00 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B. Nadesan gave a patient hearing to the grievances of fishermen at an undisclosed location in Ki'linochchi on Tuesday and assured their representatives that the Tiger leadership would strengthen its support to them to sustain their livelihood.
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Happy, but not content: Sarath Fonseka on Indian military help

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 17:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who is on a six-day official visit to India, on Tuesday admitted that both the countries enjoyed a sound military relationship according to reports in the Indian media. "Militarily we have very good relationships for long time and we hope to continue relationships that we are having right now. We are very happy with that," he told mediapersons after inspecting a Guard of Honour at the Indian Defence Ministry headquarters. "The relations between both countries are good at the political level but need to be increased at the military level," he said having met his Indian counterpart Gen. Deepak Kapoor on Tuesday afternoon.
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LTTE, SLA exchange artillery fire in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 17:05 GMT]
Heavy artillery and Multi-barrel rocket launcher fire duel between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) broke out Tuesday around 7:30 p.m in areas close to the Front Defence Line (FDL) positions in Nakarkoayil in Vadamaraadchi east and lasted until 9:30 p.m.
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SLA DPU Claymore attack kills 4 in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 16:59 GMT]
Four persons riding in a tractor were killed Tuesday when a Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit triggered a Claymore mine targeting their tractor, according to Tamileelam Police. The explosion was reported at 9:15 a.m. between Paalampiddi and Periyamadu at Thadcha'naamaruthamadu.
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Trader, son seek protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 14:10 GMT]
A trader and his 20-year-old son from Thenmaraadchi sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Tuesday due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries. Number of people seeking HRC protection from Thenmaraadchi area has risen sharply in the recent past, HRC sources said.
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SLAF fighter jets bomb Poonakari

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 14:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers dropped several bombs Tuesday around 10:45 a.m on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas in Poonakari after flying over Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. Details of damage or casualties in the air strike are not known. In an earlier raid on 22 February on civilian settlements in Poonakari region eight civilians were killed.
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Body with gunshot injuries recovered in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 13:35 GMT]
Akkaraipattu police recovered the body alleged to be belonging to a Tamil youth Tuesday around 7:00 a.m at Neeththapa’l’li area in Ampaa’rai district on information given by residents of the area. The youth bore gunshot injuries that indicated that the youth was shot and killed sometime Monday morning, police said.
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Court rules detention of minor illegal, orders release

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 12:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday directed the prison authorities to hand over a Tamil underage boy detained at Pallekelle detention centre to his mother and to submit a report to the Court on the incident af the next hearing of the case. Chief Justice Sarath Silva said it is unlawful for law enforcement authority to detain an underage boy in a detention centre, legal sources said.
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Goons intimidate HRC officers in Kandy

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2008, 14:40 GMT]
Goons alleged to be associated with Kandy police threatened a Tamil female high official attached to Kandy Regional Human Rights Commission (HRC) coordinating office and confiscated her National Identity Card (NIC) near Kingston College in Kandy, accusing her of suspicious presence in the school environment, sources in Kandy said.
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Monk accused as LTTE supporter begins fast-unto-death campaign

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2008, 13:16 GMT]
The chief priest of Batticaloa Mangalaramaya Vihara, Ampitya Sumanarathna Thero commenced a fast-unto-death campaign Monday morning from 7:00 a.m., demanding that Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarian Ellawela Thero withdraw the complaint lodged at Batticaloa police station accusing him as a supporter of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Second Tamil youth abducted in Moneragala

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2008, 12:23 GMT]
A Tamil youth driving his three wheeler towards Buttala from Moneragala town was abducted Sunday morning at Orambuwa in Moneragala division, sources said. Police rushed to site and found the abandoned three-wheeler in the jungle near Orambuwa.
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TNA condemns SL Ministers' attempt to mislead Batticaloa voters

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2008, 00:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a media communiqué released Saturday condemned the action of the cabinet ministers of Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) attempting to mislead civilians in Batticaloa for their own political gain by falsely claiming the Japan initiated scheme of reconstructing Kallady bridge as “Dawn of the East," whereas the project is part of the ongoing effort Japan's effort to rebuild bridges after tsunami.
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Tigers say random explosions cause rise in SLA casualties in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 16:59 GMT]
At least 23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded or killed in random explosions within the past week in parts of Mannaar battlefront, the Tigers said Sunday. The SLA has sustained casualties when its soldiers attempted to move around inside no-go zone and during retreats after skirmishes.
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Two pronged SLA operation thwarted in Ma'nalaa'ru - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 16:41 GMT]
Six SLA soldiers were killed and 11 wounded when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday offering stiff resistance to the SLA that attempted to advance beyond no-go zone via two fronts at Ma'nki'ndimalai in Ma'nalaa'ru. LTTE Operations Command in Ma'nalaa'ru said that the Tigers also seized ammunitions from the SLA.
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SLA attempt to advance from Paalaikkuzhi thwarted - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 15:49 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted between the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Sunday from 5:00 a.m. till 11:20 a.m. when the SLA attempted to advance towards Iththikka'ndal from Paalaikkuzhi in Mannaar. The SLA withdrew to its positions in Paalaikkuzhi after sustaining heavy casualties. The Tigers have seized military hardware, according to the LTTE Operations Command in Mannaar.
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Jaffna's fishing industry in peril

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:55 GMT]
Fishing in Jaffna peninsula has suffered a near 95% plunge in the past twenty year period from 1983 due to ban and restrictions imposed on fishing by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), rendering most of the fishermen dependent on relief supplies to survive, Fishermen Society Federation sources in Jaffa said. SLA Commander Jaffna, Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, however, has ruled out lifting of fishing restrictions until security in seas surrounding the peninsula improves.
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Vavuniyaa court takes action on abduction complaints

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:19 GMT]
Vavuniyaa Magistrate M.Ilancheliyan Friday directed the Cheddiku'lam Superintendent of Police to conduct inquiry into the allegations made to him by parents of two Tamil youths who are allegedly "abducted" by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army at Arasadikku'lam area. The abduction had taken place on February 27, according to complaints by parents to the Magistrate, media sources said.
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Tamil passengers robbed at Fort station

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:17 GMT]
Two Tamil civilians who arrived in Colombo-Fort railway station Saturday from Vavuniyaa via Madawachchi were robbed of their cash, gold rings and other belongings by three persons in civil who identified them as CID personnel, according to complaints made to Fort Police Station and the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC).
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Swiss Tamil children challenged in chess

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 07:01 GMT]
More than seventy Swiss Tamil children took part in the S.P. Thamilchelvan Chess Tournament held in Lucern, Switzerland Saturday from 10:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. Competitions, the first of its kind held by diaspora Tamils in Switzerland, were organized into five divisions, under-10, 12, 14, 16, and over-16 age groups, organizers of the tournament said.
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