Tissainayagam, PTA, and Humanitarian Crisis in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 September 2008, 11:45 GMT]
The action taken by the Sri Lankan Government to indict Tissainayagam, for stating the truth and exercising the right of fair comment he enjoys as a journalist, make it impossible for any dissent from the governments point of view to be published by the press in Sri Lanka. Tissainayagam is the first journalist to be caught up under the Draconian twins, the Prevention of Terrorism Act No:48 of 1979 (PTA) as amended, and the Emergency Regulations (EMR).
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Silence of IC indelible for Tamil memory - Fr. Emmanuel

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 September 2008, 13:15 GMT]
"The roles played by the major powers in overlooking the state terrorism and human rights violations of the Sri Lankan state, will stay permanent in the Tamil memory for ever," said Rev. Prof. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel, the former Vicar General of Vanni region, in an open letter from Germany, reacting to the silence of the International Community to the unfolding catastrophe of civilian sufferings in the districts of Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi, overcrowded with IDPs seeking protection from the atrocities of the Sri Lankan forces. His statement comes as Sri Lanka Army's artillery shells reached Ki'iinochchi in the early hours of Thursday.
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Ki'linochchi youth arrested in Kotmale

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 September 2008, 04:12 GMT]
A Tamil youth was taken into custody by the Kotmale Police in Kandy district on Tuesday allegedly for video recording Kotmale reservoir, Police spokesperson said. The suspect was found to be a native of Ki'linochchi district.
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Tigers locate 29 SLA bodies, 75 SLA killed, 100 wounded in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 15:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, on Wednesday recovered further 10 dead bodies of the SLA soldiers, in addition to the 19 bodies handed over to the ICRC, from the battlefield after Tuesday's heavy fighting on two fronts in Vanni. 45 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 51 wounded in Naachchikkudaa when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted the SLA in a stiff fighting throughout Monday night, and on Tuesday, 30 more SLA soldiers were killed and 50 wounded in another front, between Akkaraayan and Vannearikku'lam, where Tiger fighters fought against the SLA from 5:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m., on Tuesday, LTTE officials in Vanni told TamilNet.
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SLA shells IDP settlements in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery fire towards Union-ku'lam and Oottup-pulam villages with Internally Displaced Persons, southwest of Ki'ilnochchi town, Tuesday morning around 8:10 a.m. Artillery shells exploded near IDP settlements.
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LTTE confronts SLA, recovers 7 bodies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials on Tuesday said their fighting formations confronted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that attempted to advance towards Naachchikkudaa, a fishing port in the Kariyaalai-Naakapaduvaan division of Ki'linochchi district, from Muzhangkaavil since Monday noon. Claiming that the SLA advancement was thwarted, the Tigers said they have located at least 7 bodies of SLA soldiers who were killed in action.
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Poonakari AGA office relocates documents due to SLA offensive

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 12:57 GMT]
Poonakari Assistant Government Agent’s (AGA) office which has been operating from Muddkompan due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shelling, is again moving important documents to Ki’linochchi Government Secretariat as SLA attacks on Muddkompan area have escalated, Poonakari AGA, Mr. Rajan, said.
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NGO vehicle narrowly escapes DPU Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 18:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit soldiers triggered a Claymore mine Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. on a convoy of FORUT, a Norwegian NGO, at Kanakaraayanku'lam, a few minutes after the convoy has passed the entry point to Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet Saturday. Tamileelam police officials charged that the SLA has stepped up Claymore attacks on civilian vehicles in Vanni in a bid to terrorise the people of Vanni. The NGOs and the UN agencies have become under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, which is pressurising a move to force people to vacate LTTE administered areas.
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SLA shelling kills 5 IDPs, children in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 12:15 GMT]
Five civilians, including two children, displaced recently from Mannaar district were killed Saturday evening when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attack on Puthumu'rippu village, situated 7 km southwest of Ki'inochchi town. Three civilians were rushed to Ki'inochchi hospital in critical condition, according to medical sources. The SLA attack, targeting the village, densely populated by IDPs, comes a day after Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets threatening heavy casualties to civilians in Vanni unless they moved from LTTE administered Vanni.
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TID questioned Ganesan on his visits to Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 14:08 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on Tuesday questioned Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan for six hours from 11:00 a.m. The questions were based on his peace delegation visits to Ki'linochchi during the CFA period between 2002 and 2004. The TID wanted to know if he had developed any 'special relationship' with the LTTE during the these visits. Mano Ganesan has vehemently refused any 'special relationship' with LTTE and any link with any arrested 'terrorist suspects', according to a statement released Wednesday by his office in Colombo.
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SLA Claymore attack kills refugee in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
A civilian was killed and three wounded when a group of Internally Displaced Persons, who were riding in a tractor in Thu'nukkaay, were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit Wednesday morning around 10:00, according to Tamileelam Police.
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Catholic commission in Vanni highlights IDPs plight

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 00:19 GMT]
Amid pouring rain and thundering blasts of artillery and mortar shells, more than 170,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Vanni are facing a great human tragedy, which is calculatedly concealed from the world outside, said Rev. Fr. James Pathinathan, the president of the Vanni branch of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, in an urgent appeal to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, on Tuesday. "If the International Community doesn't act at once, it will be too late," he told TamilNet after handing over the memorandum to the Residential Representative of the UNHCR in Vanni.
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LTTE air strike on Trincomalee harbour - SLN

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 16:26 GMT]
Heavy explosions rocked the Trincomalee Harbour around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday and again at midnight. The Sri Lanka Navy sources have confirmed that at least one LTTE aircraft had dropped bombs, but refused to comment on the casualty details. Tension prevailed in Trincomalee town Tuesday night from about 9.05 onwards as Sri Lankan forces surrounding the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters located along the Trincomalee harbor continuously fired towards sky for about half an hour following the alleged attack. The city was deserted. 11 Sri Lankan soldiers have been admitted at Trincomalee hospital. Explosions were heard again at midnight.
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TID interrogates Mano Ganesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 08:02 GMT]
The leader of the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) and a Member of Sri Lankan Parliament Mano Ganesan is being questioned by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) Tuesday morning, informed sources in Colombo told TamilNet.
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6 Tamil youths of north arrested in Nuwara Eliya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:10 GMT]
Six Tamil youths, residents of Maangku'lam and Ki'llinochchi in Vanni and Nelliyadi in Jaffna district, arrested on August 19 while residing in a rented out house located in Elgin area in Nuwara Eliya-Lindula police division are being held in detention in the police station under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Police said.
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Fuel crisis cripples IDP movement in Vanni - Ki'linochchi GA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 11:24 GMT]
More than 100,000 Internally Displaced People in Vanni, languishing in dark beneath shrubs, bushes and in public buildings throughout Ki'linochchi district, and affected by various hardships imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has crippled the ability of the IDPs to move themselves and their belongings, according to the Government Agent of Ki'linochchi district. 134,868 IDPs belonging to 35,353 families are heavily affected by the economic blockade in Ki'inochchi district. Meanwhile the rainy season has begun in Vanni and more than 75 percent of the families are getting drenched by the torrential rain.
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Colombo instructs Mullaiththeevu, Ki'linochchi GAs to work from Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:37 GMT]
Government Agents of Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts are reported to have been 'advised' by the Colombo Public Administration and the Sri Lankan Home Affairs Ministry to work from Vavuniyaa due to 'tense situation' in the two districts, informed sources told TamilNet.
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GoSL suspends postal service to Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 16:40 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has suspended postal service to Vanni since 8 August, completely cutting off all communications between Vanni and other districts. The GoSL had already suspended telephone connections with Vanni and the suspension of postal service has effectively isolated the LTTE controlled area in Vanni. People displaced in their thousands are undergoing innumerable hardships due to lack of food, shelter and medicine in Vanni and are unable to contact their relatives or friends outside Vanni.
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SLA artillery shells target civilians in Kanthapuram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 07:37 GMT]
Residents of the civilian settlements in Kanthapuram in Ki’linochchi district are fleeing from their residences due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery attack Sunday from 3:20 p.m and again during the night.
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SLA steps up night shelling from three fronts on Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 11:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has continuously engaged its artillery batteries from the Northern Front, Mannaar Front and Ma'nalaa'ru Front with grinding bombardment during nights targeting residential areas in the rear of all the frontiers of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts since Tuesday. The systematic barrage has destroyed several houses properties and cattle abandoned by the fleeing residents besides damaging countless fruit trees. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) were continuously engaged in surveillance over Ki’linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts during the nights.
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