Jaffna security arrangements add to Islets residents woes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 16:48 GMT]
Recent relocation of Jaffna bus terminal to Pannai by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and overflow of traffic along outer peripheral roads due to reconfiguration of traffic flow including prohibition of parking, have created additional burdens to families from the islets entering and leaving Jaffna town, civil society leaders said. Restrictions of intra-islet travel, and of transport in interior land routes have added further hardships for the people in these areas.
Full story >>

Red Cross hands over bodies of six LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 11:15 GMT]
Batticaloa district ICRC handed over to M. Mathy, Karadiyanaru LTTE head of political wing, Friday around 11:00 a.m, bodies of six Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres killed in an ambush by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and its paramilitary troopers Wednesday at Miyankulam. The LTTE cadres, injured in an earlier battle, were being taken for treatment across the Colombo-Batticaloa road at Miyankulam, when they were ambushed, Batticaloa sources said. Miyankulam lies on the border between LTTE held area in Vaharai and SLA held areas.


Full story >>

We've lost a friend, says Norway

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 03:01 GMT]
Norwegian special envoy for the peace process in Sri Lanka Jon Hansen-Bauer praised late Anton Balasingam for his invaluable contribution to the peace efforts, and said Norway will miss a much valued friend. Speaking at a memorial meeting in Oslo arranged at the Tamil Resource and Consultation Centre in Oslo Friday, the Norwegian Special Envoy said that it is through Mr. Balasingham he learned much about the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

Declare Vaharai a safe zone ­-Trinco MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 00:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Trincomalee district, K. Thurairetnasingam, urged the International Community and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to convince the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), to demarcate a safe zone in Vaharai where thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDP) from Trincomalee district who had fled their homes due to SLA onslaught are currently trapped.
Full story >>

INGOs strengthen security of Jaffna Offices

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 22:51 GMT]
Both International and local Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Jaffna are reinforcing security arrangements around their offices in the last two weeks due to violent incidents and abductions taking place close to their offices, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Tamil Nadu leaders express sorrow over Balasingham’s death

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 15:33 GMT]
“I am unable to bear the sorrow over the death of my friend Mr Anton Balasingham, who I have known for many years. Balasingham grieved for his people dismissing his terrible illness as “merely a pebble compared to the vast ocean of tragedy faced by his people,” he captivated Tamils worldwide for his dedicated service to his people, developed, nurtured friendship with Norway and people like us, and kept the flame of self-respect of Tamils burning bright until his last breath,” said M. Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in a report of condolence issued Thursday. “I express my deep sympathies to his wife and friends," he added.
Full story >>

Balasingham's demise creates a great void - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 13:54 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, the Parliamentary Group Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a condolence message following the demise of Liberation Tigers theoretician Anton Balasingham, said: "Mr. Balasingham had a clear understanding of the inequalities and inequities to which the Tamil people as a whole, were consistently subjected by the Sri Lankan State. He was also aware of the collective violence unleashed against the Tamil people when they engaged in peaceful protests and civil disobedience campaigns. He also had clear comprehension of the political aspirations and goals of the Tamil people. He was able to articulate the views of the Tamil people on these questions with clarity."
Full story >>

SLA shelling kills two civilians, injures three in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 12:22 GMT]
Kallaru Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Trincomalee launched shells Friday around 12:30 p.m on Kathiraveli civilian settlements in Vaharai in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory killing two civilians and seriously injuring three, sources from Vaharai said.
Full story >>

STF, LTTE exchange mortar fire in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 10:54 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF), stationed at Pattiruppu Bridge, Kalavanchikudy in Batticaloa, launched mortar shells Friday around 1:30 a.m on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory in Porathivu. The LTTE retaliated with mortar fire. Two civilians were injured in the exchange, sources from Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

LTTE leader's condolence message on the demise of Anton Balasingham

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 07:08 GMT]
LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan, bestowing the title of honour, Voice of the Nation, as a recognition for Anton Balasingham's service for the Tamil freedom movement, said: "There is a permanent place for Bala annai in the development and growth of our expanding movement. As elder statesman, as ideologue, as philosopher, above all as my intimate friend, he gave me inspiration and encouragement; gave advice and support. He shared my feelings and my burden. From the very inception of our movement he shared with me burdens of all the trials, tribulations, challenges and difficulties. He stood as the protagonist in the forefront of our political and diplomatic maneuvers."
Full story >>

Anton Balasingham - The Times’ Obituary

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 06:52 GMT]
In an obituary Friday, The Times of London described Mr. Anton Balasingham, the theoretician and chief negotiator of the LTTE who passed away Thursday, as “the one man the Tigers could trust with their destiny in what looked like being a breakthrough in talks.” At one stage in the Norwegian peace process, the British broadsheet noted, Mr. Balasingham had steered the Tigers away from their demand for independence. However, it said, “everybody underestimated the determination of hardcore Sinhalese organisations like the JVP and hardline Buddhist clergy to scuttle any deal that gave the Tamils even a hint of autonomy.”
Full story >>

Tamil homeland, diaspora in 3-days mourning for Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 21:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers officials in Kilinochchi announced a 3-day mourning period, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for the death of LTTE's theoretician and political advisor Anton Balasingham. Meanwhile, representatives of the diaspora Tamil organisations, expressing condolences following the demise of Mr. Anton Balasingham, have also announced a 3-day mourning, according to IBC Tamil radio.
Full story >>

LTTE leader salutes 'Voice of the Nation'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 18:42 GMT]
LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan in his condolence message following the demise of Anton Balasingham Thursday said that a "source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished," and conferred the title "Voice of the Nation." LTTE leader, in his message further said: "Bala Annai has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy. He shared my sorrows, my anxieties and my travails."
Full story >>

Anton Balasingham passes away

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 14:11 GMT]
Anton Balasingham, theoretician and political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has passed away in London Thursday. Mr. Balasingham has been associated with the Tamil liberation struggle for more than 30 years and participated as chief negotiator on behalf of the Liberation Tigers in almost all political negotiations, beginning with the Thimpu talks in 1985. He was diagnosed with bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), a rare and aggressive malignancy of the biliary system, in the middle of November.
Full story >>

Sanctioning Impunity

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 13:20 GMT]
“Memories of psychological trauma, physical pain from torture, and the loss of dignity while I was incarcerated in prison for one year in 1993 after I was arrested under PTA, still haunt me. Nightmares have returned after I heard that PTA has been reimposed. All local and international organizations concerned of human rights should exert pressure on Colombo to repeal the act," "Mahes", 38, a father of three children, from Valaichchenai said Monday.
Full story >>

JVP meets US

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 13:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka's ultra-Sinhala nationalist JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Perumana) is building a 'cordial' relationship with United States, which it earlier denounced as an imperialist force conspiring to divide Sri Lanka, reports in Colombo said.


Full story >>

Mannar shuts down, traders ignore SLA threats

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 11:36 GMT]
General shut down was observed in Mannar Thursday in remembrance of the internally displaced people in Vaharai in Batticaloa district killed due to the indiscriminate artillery fire and air strike by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Mannar said. The appeal for show of solidarity was made by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Full story >>

Vavuniya shuts down in remembrance of Vaharai victims

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 08:46 GMT]
Normal life in Vavuniya Wednesday was affected to a great extent because of the shut down observed in remembrance of the dead Internally Displaced Persons of Vaharai in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) rocket and artillery fire. Shops, bankss, government and private institutions remained closed in response to the request made by the Vanni Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians.


Full story >>

Leaked Expert panel's reports trigger controversy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 13:19 GMT]
The 17-member panel of "Legal/Constitutional Experts" tasked by Sri Lanka' president Mahinda Rajapakse to aid the sub committee on Constitutional Reforms to formulate proposals for constitutional changes, in June 2006, failed to agree to produce a single set of recommendations, and instead produced four separate, competing reports which were leaked to the media. The exercise widely believed by the Tamils and noted Think-tanks in Colombo, as a project by Colombo to buy time while engaginng in military offensives in the East, has triggered controversy in ruling circles, as Colombo attempted to distance itself from recommendations in the main reports.
Full story >>

EROS founder dies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 01:20 GMT]
Eliyathamby Ratnasabapathy, one of the founder members of the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), passed away Tuesday morning in London after a prolonged illness. He was 68.
Full story >>