Civilians from Valaichchenai arrested in Hatton

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 16:00 GMT]
Nine Tamil civilians from Valaichchenai in Batticaloa district in the eastern province were arrested by the Sri Lanka security forces in a cordon and search operation conducted in Hatton in Nuwara Eliya district in the central province Saturday morning, sources said.
Full story >>

SLA strips bare houses in Vaharai, Sampoor - MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 15:45 GMT]
Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy charged Saturday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are dismantling civilians homes and stripping them of furniture and equipments in the recently captured Vaharai area. The internally displaced people (IDPs) who fled Vaharai before the SLA entered the area, have been prevented from entering the area by the soldiers guarding the entry points, the parliamentarian said. Meanwhile, the refugees from Sampoor had complained that the roofs of their houses have also been removed by the SLA.
Full story >>

20 Tamil detainees on fast unto death campaign in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 14:29 GMT]
Twenty Tamil detainees, taken into custody by the Sri Lankan police and military since 2003 and detained in the Magazine prison in Colombo, are on a fast-unto-death campaign for the fourth day Saturday, urging the Sri Lankan authorities to expedite the investigations against them or release them if there were no charges against them. The health condition of five of the fasting detainees has worsened, according to Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians who visited the prison Saturday.
Full story >>

TNA appeals to international community to back Tamil self-determination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 11:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s ongoing military campaign leaves Tamils with no option but to seek self-determination and self-rule, the country’s largest Tamil party said Friday. In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on the international community to recognise the Tamil struggle pointing out that in the past five years, “the Sri Lankan government has utterly failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamil people. Neither has it contributed meaningfully to a lasting solution to the national conflict.”
Full story >>

SLA intensifies artillery attacks from FDL positions in Thenmaradchy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 00:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stationed at Thenmaradchy Forward Defence Lines (FDL) in Muhamalai and adjoining areas unleashed a barrage of artillery fire and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas Thursday night. The artillery fire continued throughout Friday until dusk, sources in Thenmaradchy said.
Full story >>

Tamil civilian stabbed to death in Mihinthupura

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 February 2007, 22:57 GMT]
Unidentified persons stabbed a Tamil civilian to death on Wednesday evening at Kandiah Road in Mihinthupura along Trincomalee-Anuradhapura Road. The victim was identified as Kathiravelu Paramananthan aged 56 and a retired watcher of a state bank branch in Trincomalee town. Mihinthupura is located about four km off north along Trincomalee-Anuradhapura Road from the east port city.
Full story >>

Displaced Jaffna youth knifed to death in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 February 2007, 12:23 GMT]
The body of a Tamil youth, residing in Parapankandal in Mannar district with his family after being displaced from Jaffna, was recovered Friday early morning at Palaikudi Junction in Nanattan division with severe cut injuries. The victim has been identified as 26-year-old Mariyathas Girithas by his relatives, sources in Mannar said.


Full story >>

Youths to remain in congested prison in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 February 2007, 09:33 GMT]
Jaffna district Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri informed that due to lack of security arrangements, the Rehabilitation Centre at Tellipalai cannot be reopened to accommodate the 40 youths placed under the protective custody in the Jaffna prison, legal sources in Jaffna said. The SLA commander was responding to the application filed by Jaffna police Thursday in the Jaffna District Court before Jaffna District Magistrate R. T. Vignarajah, legal society sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

15 Tamil civilians released from Boosa camp

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 20:22 GMT]
Fifteen Tamil civilians, majority of them residents of northeast and Colombo, including a woman, were released from Boosa detention camp in the Galle district in the southern province Thursday after about one month detention,
Full story >>

Marginalisation of CFA compells Tamils to resume freedom struggle - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in a statement marking five years since the signing of 22 February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), said the CFA formulated with the full support of the international community, had transcended the parameters of Sri Lanka’s majoritarian constitution, recognizing Tamil Eelam’s de facto existence and the balance of power between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE. However, the international community’s insistence on a solution that does not infringe on the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka," is deeply frustrating for the Tamil people, the statement said.
Full story >>

JHU tells JVP: CFA already dead, meaningless to demand abrogation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 12:42 GMT]
The ceasefire agreement CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe, the then Prime Minister and Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) five years ago on 22 February 2002 had already dead with the capture of Mavilaru by the Sri Lankan security forces last year. "Hence there is no point in demanding the government to abrogate the CFA,"said Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, general secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).
Full story >>

SLA conducts house-to-house search in Bogowantalawa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 12:39 GMT]
A house-to-house search was conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers with the assistance of local police in Bogowantalawa town in the central province Thursday morning from dawn to noon. Majority of residents of Bogowantalawa are Tamils of Indian origin from upcountry. Police took several residents, majority of them Tamils into custody for interrogation, sources said.
Full story >>

3 civilians shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 10:15 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot dead three civilians, two men and a woman, in three separate places in Trincomalee district Wednesday, one in Thampalakamam 24 km from Trincomalee town and the other two in the suburbs of Trincomalee town, sources in Trincomalee said.
Full story >>

4000 killed in 15 months - SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 09:54 GMT]
Nearly 4000 people have lost their lives during the past 15 months in contrast to less than 130 deaths during the first 3 years following the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) of 22 February 2002, between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the truce monitors said Thursday in a statement marking the fifth year of the signing of the CFA between the GoSL and the LTTE.
Full story >>

Abrogate CFA, JVP demands in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 06:00 GMT]
Pandemonium prevailed in Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday morning when the ultra nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) removed the Mace from Speakers table demanding an immediate answer from the UPFA-government for not having abrogated the Cease Fire Agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam before the agreement completed fifth year Thursday.
Full story >>

Jaffna youth seeks protection with HRC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 01:16 GMT]
One more Tamil civilian sought protection from the Jaffna branch of the Human rights Commission (HRC) Tuesday, HRC officials said. The 24-year old youth is from Allaippiddy in Jaffna islets and was staying as an internally displaced person at the IDP camp in Our Lady of Rosary (OLR) church when he sought safety with the HRC, officials added.
Full story >>

24 Tamils arrested in Hatton, Bogowantalawa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 00:18 GMT]
Nine Tamil civilians including seven from Vaharai in the Batticaloa district were arrested at Norwood in Hatton Police Division in the central province Monday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted by Sri Lanka government security forces. The arrested are being detained in Hatton police station and being interrogated, civil society source in upcountry said.
Full story >>

SL Government has no deals with LTTE- Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 22:44 GMT]
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Prime Minister, Monday refuted the allegation that the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has a secret understanding with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He was answering a question by Joseph Michael Perera, parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) citing ousted minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi in parliament Tuesday.
Full story >>

Jaffna undergrads boycott classes protesting SLA killing of student

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 21:46 GMT]
Jaffna University students are boycotting educational activities Tuesday and Wednesday to protest against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) killing of Krishnan Kamalathas, a final year Art Faculty student Sunday close to the SLA 52-4 Brigade Head Quarters near his house in Thenmaradchi. Meanwhile SLA troopers forcibly removed the black flags hoisted by the students Monday evening and Tuesday morning at the entrance of Jaffna University.
Full story >>

Hospital vehicle, passenger bus escape DPU attacks in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 05:03 GMT]
A van belonging to Nedunkerni hospital narrowly escaped from a Claymore explosion, triggered by Sri Lanka Army deep penetration unit ambushmen at Manavalanpaddamurippu village, 32 km southwest of Mullaithivu town around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. An hour later, a civilian vehicle on Nedunkeni Periyakulam route narrowly escaped from another Claymore mine, according to Tamileelam Police officials.
Full story >>