GOSL to unveil monument for Indian soldiers

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 12:17 GMT]
A monument to soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) who lost their lives, while serving under the Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord in North East of Sri Lanka, is to be opened on February 4, Sri Lanka's Independence day, sources in Colombo said. The monument is located near the Sri Lanka Parliament Complex. Several Indian Military officials have previously made statements to the Indian media of the indifference Sri Lanka had shown towards casualties India suffered during the peace keeping operation.
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Tamil trader shot dead in Ka'luvaangchchikudi

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 12:06 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen on motorcycle shot and killed a shop keeper Sunday around 7:35 p.m at his house in Ka'luvaangnchikudi police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Extortion of money from Tamils in Colombo on the increase

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 11:54 GMT]
Extortion of money from affluent Tamils residing in Wellawatte, Bambalapitya and Dehiwala in Colombo has been on the increase in recent days, according to media reports. Gangs posing as police officers and CID personnel have been waylaying Tamils walking along roads in evening in these areas threatening them with death if not yielded to their demands.
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UK: world must act to protect threatened peoples

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 08:27 GMT]
In a keynote speech Monday during his official visit to India, Britain’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, called for the shaping of a “new world order” in which the international community intervenes where populations are being threatened by "genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes or crimes against humanity, and the state is unwilling or unable to halt or prevent it." The world has "a responsibility to protect" Mr. Brown said. Last week, in a British Parliamentary debate on Sri Lanka, junior Foreign Minister Kim Howell called for a new ceasefire and for UN monitoring of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
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2 SLA troops killed in Pa'divirichchaan

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 January 2008, 05:21 GMT]
Sniper Unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shot and killed 2 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and injured more in a clash at Pa'ndivirichchaan, around 3:00 p.m, Sunday, LTTE Operations Command in Mannaar said.
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4 Tamils arrested in Moneragala

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2008, 23:54 GMT]
Five Up-Country Tamils were arrested by Sri Lanka Army on Saturday at Thanamalwila area in Moneragala division were being detained at Sooriyawewa police station and subjected to interrogation. They were arrested in a cordon and search operation.
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LTTE foils SLA offensive in Ma'nalaaru, recovers SLA body

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2008, 15:56 GMT]
An attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to attack the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) Ceylon Theatre area Sunday afternoon 1:40 p.m. was foiled due to counter attack by LTTE fighters, LTTE sources said. The Tigers have recovered the body of an SLA soldier after the skirmish.
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'Canadian Tamil Village' foundation stone laid

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2008, 05:03 GMT]
The foundation stone laying ceremony for a project costing $625K to build 250 houses and associated village infrastructure for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Raasapuram, Mulankaavil in Kilinochchi district was held Thursday at 12:45 p.m., sources from Kilinochchi said. The foundation stone was laid by the Government Agent (GA) of Kilinochchi District Mr. Vethanayakam, and Mr. Thangan, Deputy Head of Political Division.
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APRC: key to peace or an albatross?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2008, 01:02 GMT]
J.R. Jayawardena's Government claimed that the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution passed in August 1987 fulfilled the promises made in the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, to 'devolve power' to the Tamil people. The Liberation Tigers dismissed the legislation outright, and said it allowed "perpetuation of the domination, oppression and exploitation of the Tamil masses by the racist Sinhala state," and N. Satyendra, a constitutional scholar and attorney who represented ex-militants in Sri Lanka trials, ridiculed the legislation as a "comic opera."
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SLA trooper killed in Mukamaalai clash

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 19:18 GMT]
The forward movement by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Saturday afternoon intending to attack the sentry towers of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) in Mukamaalai area was beaten due to stiff resistance by LTTE fighters, LTTE sources from the Northern Front Line said.
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Alarming increase in Mannaar abductions

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 16:45 GMT]
In the past three weeks, Mannaar has witnessed the abduction of five Tamil civilians, including a leading businessman and a young mother, in broad daylight. In at least two of the cases, the victims had received mysterious phone calls asking them to come to an appointed place at a particular time. Distraught families have been running from pillar to post to trace their missing relatives, but a hostile police force has ensured that they remain groping in the dark.
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Tamil businessman shot dead in Chilaw

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 13:14 GMT]
Unknown gunmen shot and killed a Tamil businessman, Kathiresan Ganesan, 43, while he was driving home with his family at Udappu (Udappuwa) in Chilaapam (Chilaw) police area Saturday around 9:20 a.m. His wife, Pakiyanaathan Puvani, 32, was seriously wounded in gunfire and rushed to Chilaw hospital, Police said.
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Police HQI 'abducts' Up-Country Tamil girl

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 12:36 GMT]
Hatton Police Headquarter Inspector (HQI) Chandana Gamage, Friday night, entered a restaurant in the town, after consuming liquor and dragged an Up-Country Tamil girl into his jeep along with seven other Tamil youth and took the girl to an unknown location after releasing the boys on his way. The HQI is yet to return to duty and the girl was not traced, an NGO official in Hatton told TamilNet Saturday.
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Tamil woman shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 04:02 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot to death a middle aged woman Thursday night in Vaarikkuddiyoor area in Vavuniya, sources said. The victim’s body was recovered by Vavuniyaa police Thursday night and handed over to the Vavuniyaa teaching hospital Friday morning.
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Body of missing police constable recovered in Tellippalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 01:19 GMT]
The body of a police constable attached to Jaffna police station and went missing two weeks ago was recovered Friday in a desolate area, 500 metres from his residence in Tellippalai, with severe head injuries, sources in Jaffna said.
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Karuna group cadre shoots himself to death

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 00:40 GMT]
A Tamil youth employed by Karuna group shot himself to death Thursday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at the office of the Karuna group in Aalayadiveampu, Akkaraippattu area in Ampaarai district, Akkraippatu police said.
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SLA offensives towards LTTE bases in Mannaar foiled

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 January 2008, 00:17 GMT]
A massive ground operation, started by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases located in Paalaiku’li and Adampan in Mannaar area, was beaten due to fierce resistance by LTTE cadres, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE attacks SLA DPU near Madu Church

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 January 2008, 18:32 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) combatants staged a surprise attack on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers from the Deep Penetration Unit lying in ambush having planted claymore devices near Madu Church along Mannaar-Madu road in Mannaar district Thursday around 2.00 p.m causing SLA troops to flee, carrying the wounded, LTTE command in Mannaar region said.
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Nicholas Burns resigns

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 January 2008, 18:16 GMT]
US Undersecretary of Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, U.S.’s third-ranking diplomat and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s right-hand man, is stepping down from his position for personal reasons, according to Washington media.
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SLAF bombing raid injures 3 civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 January 2008, 17:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLA) fighter jets dropped 12 bombs in 3 sorties Friday morning on civilian settlements in Va'l'lipunam in Vanni, injuring three civilians including a woman, besides completely destroying a settlement, sources in Vanni said. An event enrolling new students to Grade I in Udaiyaarkaddu Mahavithtiyaalayam was disrupted when the bombs fell and exploded near by. Chentha'lir Children Home for girls, relocated from Mullaitheevu coast to Va'l'lipunam after Tsunami, narrowly escaped the air-strike.
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