US says backs Sri Lanka, urges talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 22:41 GMT]
As the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers prepare for their first face-to-face talks since February, the United States Saturday, whilst supporting the negotiations, threw its weight behind the Colombo government. "We have excellent relations with the government of Sri Lanka. I have met with President [Mahinda] Rajapakse. We are signaling our strong support for the government of Sri Lanka. We do not recognise Tamil Tigers and we don't support them,” Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told a round table of South Asian journalists.
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Abducted youth found dead in Earvur

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 15:52 GMT]
The body of a Tamil youth, abducted by unidentified armed men Wednesday at Santhanamadu in Sithandy area in Eravur police division in Batticaloa, was recovered with assault injuries at 4th Kurichchi, Nagathambiran Road in Sithandy Saturday morning around 9:00, by Eravur police, sources in Batticaloa said.
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SLA embargo burdens Thirukovil residents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 12:28 GMT]
People's representatives of Thirukovil region in Amparai district highlighted the hardships caused by travel restrictions and material embargo imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), to Mr. Herath Abeyaweera, Government Agent (GA) Amparai district, at the Thirukovil Regional Secretariat Thurday 9:00 a.m., Thirukovil Secretariat sources said. The Special Task Force (STF) soldiers of the SLA have blocked medicines, fuel, fertilizer and materials essential for cultivation and building construction to be taken into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas.
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De-merger issue raises lot of questions - Richard Boucher

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, when responding to a question at a press conference at the Galle Face Hotel Friday said that the timing of the "unfortunate" issue of NorthEast de-merger in Sri Lankan politics, raised lot of questions, right before the next round of talks, noting that the Sri Lankans were facing a critical moment and it was time to move forward and reverse the negative momentum.
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Mannar family appeals to trace disappeared youth

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 11:39 GMT]
The family of a Tamil youth of Periyakamam in Mannar district who was reported disappeared eight months ago has sought the assistance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to trace his whereabouts.
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3 abducted Tamils found shot to death in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 21:33 GMT]
Three Tamil residents in Colombo, abducted by unidentified persons driving a white van on Thursday, were found shot to death in Piliyandala and Ragama areas, Police sources said. People Vigilance Committee (PVC), a Committee comprising a number of political parties and civil right organizations in Colombo, in press release issued Friday said, nine Tamils have been killed and thirty-three have disappeared in the last few weeks in Colombo. The release added that nine persons have been released after paying ransom.
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Stranded Jaffna residents protest in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 09:43 GMT]
Jaffna peninsula residents, trapped in Vavuniya district following the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) imposed closure of the A9 land route to Jaffna when clashes erupted between SLA and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) August 11, marched in protest from Vavuniya Secretariat to the offices of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and International Committee of Red Cross in Vavuniya Friday and complained against the long delay in sending them home, Vavuniya Secretariat sources said.


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SLA transport ban impedes development in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 09:23 GMT]
P. Ariyanenthiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Batticaloa said that despite the assurances given by Basil Rajapakse, brother of and Senior Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka, on June 29 that the military-imposed economic and transport restrictions in Batticaloa district would be lifted, situation on the ground has remained the same with all development projects at a standstill without building materials.
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Akashi visits Muttur

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 00:24 GMT]
Mr. Yashushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy, paid a visit to Muthur town Thursday morning and met Muslims, Tamils and Sinhala residents at the Muthur Divisional Secretariat, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Tamil fisherman shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 22:03 GMT]
Unidentified persons shot dead a Tamil fisherman of Division No: 10 of Trincomalee town Thursday afternoon around 2:30 while fishing in Back Bay Sea. The victim has been identified as Rajagopal Karunakaran.
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Hindu Temple, 13 houses damaged in SLAF bombing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 17:55 GMT]
A Pillayar temple, a Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society building and 13 houses were badly damaged Thursday morning around 11:00 when SLAF kfir attack aircrafts bombed civilian settlements in Tharavai and Iralakulam in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) controlled area in Batticaloa district.
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Mannar Tamil youths arrested in Kalpity

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 17:21 GMT]
Seven Tamil youths, aged between 19 and 35, from Talaimannar in Mannar district, arrested by Kalpity Police on Monday, were remanded by the Puttalam Magistrate till October 23. Parents of the youths have lodged complaints with the Mannar District Citizens' Committee, civil sources said.


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US diplomat meets Rajapakse, Wickremasinghe, Hakim

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 16:19 GMT]
Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs Thursday held discussions with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. The discussions were centred on the proposed peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and on human rights situation in the country, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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Tigers, Norwegian facilitators agree on Geneva travel arrangements

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 14:31 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, after meeting Jon Hanssen-Bauer, the Norwegian special envoy to Sri Lanka peace process, in Kilinochchi Thursday, told media that the Tigers had given their consent to participate in the talks in Geneva, provided that the International Community, through Norwegian facilitators, guarantees a safe travel arrangement. Switzerland Ambassador also met the LTTE Political Head in Kilinochchi Thursday.
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GoSL urged to ensure legal basis for merged NE before November 7

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 14:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group on Thursday in the Sri Lankan Parliament, urged the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately take the necessary action to validly restore the Status Quo Ante pertaining to the constitution of the North-East as one Unit. "Failure to take immediate steps to validly merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces as one Unit, will permanently shut the door on the possibilities of finding a solution within one country." The TNA has urged the Sri Lankan Government to respond favorably by the 7th of November 2006 the latest.


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TNA boycotts SL parliament protesting NE merger ruling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 08:49 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday morning walked out of the Sri Lanka's parliament in protest of the Supreme Court ruling that the temporary merger of the North and East provinces was illegal and violated Sri Lanka's constitution. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam in a statement to the parliament Thursday said his party would boycott the sittings of the parliament until the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) reveals its stand on the merger decision, parliamentary sources said.


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Illiberal democracy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 16:08 GMT]
The electoral democracy in Sri Lanka, bolstered by regularly held "open, free and fair" elections, is often characterized as robust and vibrant by the international community. However, Sri Lanka has been plagued by decades of ethnic violence. Discriminatory legislation and a politicized judiciary have bred inequality, failed to deliver social justice, and have raised explosive issues related to sovereignty in the multi-cultural state. Reasons for Sri Lanka gaining increasing notoriety as a violator of international norms in human rights, and the State emerging as a killing field, can be traced to its polity's gradual, inexorable shift towards an illiberal democracy.
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"LTTE prepared for talks" - Akashi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 12:09 GMT]
Yasushi Akashi, Japanese peace envoy, after meeting Political Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S.P.Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi Wednesday, said: "We obtained commitments from Mr. Thamilchelvan that LTTE has prepared to go to Geneva for talks on the 28th October. I have insisted the importance of both sides to end all acts of violence and create an atmosphere for peaceful, sincere and honest discussions."
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Woman killed, boy wounded in SLAF bombing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 11:07 GMT]
A 52-year-old woman was killed, a 10-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were wounded Wednesday morning around 10:00 when two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers dropped more five bombs on civilian settlements in Karadiyanaru and Vadamunai in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territory, northwest of Batticaloa town, sources in Batticaloa said. The Kfir bombers returned to Uthuchenai at 11:00 a.m. and bombed the area for an hour.
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Tigers ready for talks, Colombo should end offensives, air-strikes - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 10:08 GMT]
"Colombo drew first blood, launching major offensives and air-strikes into our territory in Vaharai, and in Vanni mainland, even after we made it clear that we were serious about the talks in Geneva, extending our full support and providing necessary assurances following the call by the International Community to engage in talks and cease all violence," LTTE's Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told TamilNet after meeting Japanese delegation headed by Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi at the LTTE Political Head Quarters in Kilinochchi Wednesday. Tigers are prepared for talks in Geneva, Mr. Thamilchelvan said.
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