Air-strike, a warning to SLAF- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 13:25 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, stating that the air strike by the Tigers on the nerve centre of the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) in Katunayake was "a one hundred percent successful mission," Thursday told media in Kilinochchi that the "precision air strike" by the Tigers on the SLAF was a "clear message" to the Sri Lankan state, to end the sustained bombardment of the Tamil homeland. "Within the last 6 months alone, the Sri Lankan Air Force has carried out at least 2 sorties every other day for more than 90 days. Hundreds of Tamil civilians have been killed, many wounded, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced due to the repeated bombardment," he added
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Kilinochchi residents condemn DPU attacks on civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 10:34 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) demonstrated in Kilinochchi Thursday condemning the indiscriminate penetrative attacks on humanitarian organizations working in the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) of Tamil Eelam administrated areas by the Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of Sri Lankan armed forces, and demanding the international community take steps to stop the attacks. civil society sources in Kilinochchi said. The demonstration, presided by the President of TRO, M. Sivanadiyan, started around 10:30 a.m. in front of the TRO Head Office in Kilinochchi and ended around 12:00 noon at the Office of the Kilinochchi Government Agent.
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Tea, Bhagavad-Gita and vadai

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 10:24 GMT]
Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe, the head of the Foundation for Peaceful Coexistence, launched his website (www.kumarrupesinghe.org) Friday with an event at Barefoot Gallery. In a four page card sent as invitations to guests, Dr. Rupesinghe made a call for coexistence amongst Sri Lankans, setting out brief texts describing notions such as ‘Country’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Tamils’. In the section on Tamils (‘Demala’) he urged Sinhalese to coexist with Tamils, reminding the former of the latter’s valued qualities, including their lovable food.
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SL Govt rejects UNP request to summon parliament

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 02:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka government has rejected the request made by Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), to summon the parliament to debate the current security situation of the island in the wake of the air strike carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Katunayake air base, parliamentary sources said.
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Speaker urged to ensure protection to parliament complex

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 02:55 GMT]
Anura Bandaranaike, Minister for National Heritage, Thursday requested the Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara to summon leaders of all political parties represented in parliament to an emergency meeting to decide on precautionary methods to ensure protection of the parliament complex, sources said.


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Resettle, provide relief to East refugees, TNA urges UN

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 March 2007, 11:45 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a letter to the United Nations representative in Colombo, urged the International Agencies to take steps to resettle displaced refugees, all Tamils, by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive in the East. The TNA also complained most of the refugees's houses have suffered damages and that they be provided with compensation to rebuild their houses.
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Stop SLA troopers looting IDPs' houses, urge Batticaloa MPs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 March 2007, 09:25 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers are breaking into houses of IDPs from Paduvankarai in Battialaoa district west displaced by SLA offensives, and robbing the belongings, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Batticaloa district parliamentarians, in a letter to the President of Sri Lanka, Wednesday evening, urging him to take necessary action to stop the practice.
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Six civilians disappear in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 March 2007, 09:23 GMT]
Abductions and disappearances of Tamil persons in Jaffna district by members of Sri Lankan armed forces and allied paramilitaries are continuing unabated amid accusations by the international community at the 4th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva for Sri Lanka's human rights violations against their citizens, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Within 36 hours from Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening, six complaints of abductions were lodged at the Jaffna branch of the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
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Release abductees immediately, demands Colombo Rights Group

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 23:08 GMT]
Altogether seventy-eight persons have been abducted or gone missing in Colombo and its suburbs since August 2006. We demand they be released immediately and call upon the Sri Lanka Government to take steps to have them freed," said members of the Committee for Finding Missing Persons (CFMP), at the Satyagraha demonstration held in Hyde Park Corner in Colombo Wednesday from 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m, sources in Colombo said.
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SLA MBRL fire paralyses Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 22:38 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Batticaloa launched Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire from their camps towards Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territories in Baticaloa district, Wednesday from 6:00 a.m til 10:30 a.m, sources in Batticaloa said. Government offices and schools were closed.
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India sidesteps LTTE air strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 19:07 GMT]
India treaded with caution and reserve Wednesday while reacting to the Tamil Tigers' air strike on the Sri Lankan Air Force base at Katunayake airport on Sunday, Indian press reports said. Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon was quoted as saying India was concerned general escalation of violence in which the airstrike was one incident.
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SLA attempt to enter Batticaloa LTTE territory beaten

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 11:30 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces thwartted a pre-dawn attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and paramilitary cadres of Karuna group from Chenkalady Black Bridge SLA camp in Batticaloa district Wednesday around 3:30 a.m, to advance into Koduvamadu area in LTTE held territory in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Mirusuvil massacre case inquiry resumes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 11:09 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar (TAB) inquiry into the Mirusuvil massacre case was fixed for June 25 when it was taken up before the specially constituted three member bench comprising Judges Mr.Upali Abeyaratne (Chairman), Mr.Deepali Wijesundara and Mr.Sunil Rajapakse last Monday, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Artillery duel along Jaffna FDLs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 20:05 GMT]
Exchange of heavy mortar and artillery fire and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire continued between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Forward Defence Lines (FDL) from Muhamalai to Kilali in Thenmaradchy and Nagarkovil area in Vadamaradchy east area, Monday evening untilTuesday evening, sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE Air Strike, no terrorism- SAAG

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 12:16 GMT]
B. Raman, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG) Chennai, says in his analysis: "The TAF's [Tamileelam Air Force's] air strike was well-planned and equally well-executed. It was a night operation taking advantage of the weak capability of the SLAF for night operations. It was a precision attack, which carefully avoided causing any casualty or damage in the international airport, which could have roused international ire. There were no civilian casualties----targeted or collateral. As a result, it would not be possible to characterise the attack as an act of terrorism. It was pure and simple a conventional air strike."
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2 Tamil civilians arrested in Colombo after air strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 10:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police took two persons, both Tamils, into custody in Colombo and its suburbs on Monday in cordon and search operations conducted in connection with the air strike on Katunayake air base by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), military sources said.
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Bomb blast kills 2 SLA troopers, 4 EPDP members in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 05:04 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and four Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP) members were killed at Kommanthurai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in Batticaloa district Tuesday around 6:50 a.m, when explosives in a tractor blew up when the troopers opened fire as the driver of the tractor failed to stop on orders, Eravur police in Batticaloa said.
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UNP demands parliamentary debate on air attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 21:13 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), has requested the Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to summon the parliament immediately to discuss the current security situation in Sri Lanka following the Monday predawn air strike by the air wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Katunayake airbase.
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STF shoots dead two youths in Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 21:07 GMT]
Three troopers from Kanthuvil Special Task Force (STF) were injured when unidentified men attacked a road patrol unit at Sankaman on the border of Amparai district Sunday around 7:45 p.m, sources in Amaparai said. Two of the attackers were killed when the STF retaliated, according to STF sources.
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Stop arresting upcountry Tamils without NIC- Trade Union

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 11:41 GMT]
Ceylon National Workers Congress (CNWC), one of the trade unions in the upcountry plantations, has appealed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to order the security forces not to arrest plantation Tamils in the central province who do not possess national identity cards (NIC), sources said.


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