Vessel Yala to carry Jaffna mail from Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 11:50 GMT]
The backlog of about six thousand parcels lying in the Trincomalee general post office and about two thousand such parcels expected to reach east port town from other parts are expected to be dispatched to Jaffna by a vessel "Yala" on March 13, said Trincomalee Post Master.
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SLA reopens Uyilankulam checkpoint

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 11:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday morning reopened the Uyilankulam checkpoint, the gateway to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory in the Mannar district. The Uyilankulam checkpoint was closed by the SLA following a clash between the government troops and LTTE cadres Wednesday, sources said.


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Tamil civilians arrested in Kandy, Dambulla

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 10:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Armed Forces arrested seven Tamil civilians at Teldeniya in Kandy in the Central Province and 38 civilians in Dambulla and its suburbs in the North Central Province in cordon off and search operations conducted Thursday.


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Elderly Tamil trader abducted in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 09:49 GMT]
Unidentified armed men in a white van abducted an elderly Tamil trader Thursday night at Fussels Lane in Wellawatte, Colombo, according to a complaint made to Wellawatte Police.
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TNA MPs visit Tamil political prisoners

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 00:12 GMT]
Seven Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians accompanied by Minister for Justice and Legal Reformation, Dilan Perera, visited the Tamil Political prisoners at Magazine Prison in Colombo Thursday evening and discussed matters related to their release. The prisoners who had begun a fast-to-death campaign on 21 February had called off their action temporarily on February 26 following TNA parliamentarians' assurance to assist them.
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TNA urges Australia not to send back 85 Tamils

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 08:59 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarians urged the Australian and Indonesian governments, in press communiqué released on Wednesday, not to send back the 85 Tamils intercepted by the Australian Navy in Australian Sea on 22 February citing that if they were sent back their lives will be in danger from the Sri Lankan armed forces and collaborating paramilitary groups.
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Parents visit Sinhala soldiers in LTTE custody

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 23:06 GMT]
The parents and relatives of five soldiers of Sri Lanka armed forces currently in custody of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) visited the soldiers in Kilinochchi Wednesday, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. The Red Cross facilitated the visit. The group arrived in Kilinochchi from Vavuniya and met the soldiers at a remand prison of the Thamileelam Police around 11:00 a.m. in the presence of V. Aravindan, Probation Officer of Thamileelam Police , Kumarasamy Kanagalingam, the Chief Inspector of Thamileelam Police and Selvaretnam Jeyapalan, the Chief Prison Guard.
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Tamil milk vendor shot dead in Sambaltivu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 19:25 GMT]
A Tamil milk vendor was shot dead Wednesday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. by unidentified armed persons in Sambaltivu, a Tamil village about 7 km north of Trincomalee town. The victim has been identified as 52 year - old Tharmu.
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SL Parliament votes to extend Emergency Regulations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 12:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Parliament voted to extend the Emergency Regulations by one month during a sitting Wedesday morning after a debate presided by Speaker of the House, M. Locubanda, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. The motion to extend passed with a 105 majority, with 123 MPs voting for, and 18 MPs voting against.
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Tamil youth abducted in Nanattan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 11:34 GMT]
An eighteen-year-old Tamil youth was abducted by a group of armed persons on Tuesday morning in Nanattan division in Mannar district, according to complaints lodged with law enforcement authorities and Mannar Foundation for Co-Existence. The youth has been identified as Amirthalingam Santhakumar, sources said.
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Sri Lanka parliament debates emergency extension motion

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:10 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister tabled a motion in parliament Wednesday morning seeking the approval to extend the State of Emergency for another month. The State of Emergency was declared on 13th August 2005, a day after the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister in his residence in Colombo. Since then State of Emergency is being extended every month with the approval of parliament.
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JVP, JHU to appeal court order on CFA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:09 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and all monks' party, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Wednesday said they will appeal the order of the Court of Appeal dismissing their petitions seeking the cancellation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed by the then Sri Lanka' Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe with Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on 22 February 2002, legal sources in Colombo said. Justice S.Sriskandarajah Tuesday said the petitioners have no valid legal reasons to seek the cancellation of the CFA and the court has no jurisdiction to order such act.
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SLA fires artillery on LTTE-held villages in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday launched indiscriminate artillery fire on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held villages in the Mannar district. The attack commenced at 8.30 a.m. and continued till about 12.30 p.m., sources in Mannar said. Several hundred residents from villages Palaikudi, Parapukadanthan and Adamban fled from their houses and sought refuge in Madhu church.
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SL Government's respect for Human Rights declines in 2006- US

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 05:14 GMT]
US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, reported human rights problems in Sri Lanka including "unlawful killings by government agents, high profile killings by unknown perpetrators, politically motivated killings by paramilitary forces associated with the government and the LTTE, and disappearances."
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LTTE shells hit Manthuvil Base

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 01:26 GMT]
Artillery shells launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) hit the 52 Brigade Head Office of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) situated at Manthuvil in Thenmaradchy region in Jaffna district around 12:00 noon Tuesday. Two shells fell inside the Base and one outside it. Ambulance was seen rushing out of the Base towards Palaly Military Hospital following the attack, civilians of the area said.
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SL Police chief admits Sri Lanka forces involved in abductions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 12:03 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces are involved in abductions of civilians for ransom, the country’s Police Chief admitted Monday, saying a ‘large number’ of officers and troops had been arrested on charges of abduction and extortion. However the Inspector General of Police, Victor Perera also asserted that “organised groups” were conducting abductions and killings “to embarrass the government.”


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Norwegian team visits key institutions in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 11:23 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, and other officials visited Kilinochchi Hospital, Education officials and the North East Secretariat of Human Rights office in Kilinochchi Monday around 3:30 p.m, and held discussions on current issues related to people's medical needs, education and human rights, sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Decomposed body recovered from Kelani river, girl abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 10:40 GMT]
Wellampitiya police recovered the body of a youth in decomposed state from Kelani river at Kohilawatte in Wellampitiya police division Monday, police said. Meanwhile, unknown persons abducted the five year old daughter of a popular Tamil businessman Monday evening in Negombo and have demanded ransom to release her, according to complaints made to Negombo police.
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Appeal Court dismisses petitions challenging CFA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 10:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal Tuesday rejected three petitions, one by the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the other two by all monks' party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), challenging the legal validity of the Ceasefire agreement signed on 22 February 2002 by Ranil Wickremasinghe, then Prime Minister of the United National Party (UNP) government of Sri Lanka and Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), legal sources in Colombo said.
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3 Jaffna youths arrested in Chilaw

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2007, 22:29 GMT]
Three Tamil youths, natives of Jaffna district, were arrested Saturday night in a house located close to Chilaw town in northwestern province. One youth had arrived from abroad few days ago and the other two have been staying in the area for the last two years renting the house.
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