Wickremasinghe pledges support to TNA protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 October 2006, 01:26 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the opposition, pledged support to the TNA protest when Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah, and Suresh Premachandran led by R. Sampanthan met Mr Wickremasinge Wednesday evening in the Sri Lanka Parliament complex to discuss opposition party's stand on their sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament, TNA sources said.
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Mannar Tamil student released on surety bail

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 13:31 GMT]
A Tamil student arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday afternoon during a search operation following the discovery of a ten kilo weighed claymore mine at a site located closed Uyilankulam SLA camp was allowed in surety bail by the Additional Mannar Magistrate T.J.Pirapaharan.
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TNA's sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament enters fifth day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 12:04 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Wednesday continued their sit-in-protest for the fifth day Wednesday in Sri Lanka's parliament demanding the immediate opening of the A-9 land route to Jaffna district linking other parts of the country and lift economic embargo on the Jaffna population since the fresh fight broke out between the Sri Lankan troopers and the LTTE on August 11.
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SLAF Kfir jets bomb Vadamaradchi East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 04:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers flew over Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Kudarappu in Vadamaradchi East and dropped at least nine bombs in the area around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. Four Tsunami reconstructed houses were destroyed in the bombardment, according to residents.
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IPU Secretary General to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 03:17 GMT]
A delegation from the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), a worldwide organization of parliamentarians working for peace and co-operation, led by its Secretary General Mr.Anders B.Johnsson, is to arrive Wednesday in Colombo following an invitation by President Mahinda Rajapakse, poitical sources in Colombo said. The IPU delegation will assist in helping to forge national consensus in among political parties in Sri Lanka in resolving the ethnic question, sources said.
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Civilians turn to SLHRC for protection amid death threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 00:06 GMT]
More than 15 internally displaced families from Maduvil north in Thenmaradchchy complained that they have been receiving death threats from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and sought protection from the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Jaffna office, civil society sources in Jaffna said Tuesday. IDPs say they fear for their lives if they return to their homes in Thenmaradchy without security guarantees, the IDPs said.
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TNA continues sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:27 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued their sit-in-protest in the well of the Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday for the fourth day demanding the immediate lifting of economic embargo on the Jaffna peninsula, and the re-opening of the A-9 landroute to Jaffna. Normal business of the parliament was conducted without any interruption, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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SLAF bombs Vanni as Special Envoy meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:07 GMT]
Three Kfir jet bombers of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) flew over Vanni and attacked Pooneryn as Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer met the Liberation Tigers Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi to discuss the modalities for creating a conducive environment for talks, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. Mr. Thamilchelvan told media after the meeting that Colombo was continuously engaged in "offensive aggression," despite the assurances given to the Norwegian facilitators following the call by the Co-Chairs to cease all violence. Tigers were still extending support to unconditional talks as urged by the International Community, the LTTE political head told TamilNet.
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Jaffna fisher familes driven to abject poverty, starvation - NPFC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 10:25 GMT]
The International community should immediately intervene to help prevent the fisher families in the Jaffna peninsula from being driven close to starvation due to the total ban on fishing enforced by government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) in the peninsula, said the President of Northern Province Fishermen Consortium (NPFC) Mr. C. Thavaratnam, in an urgent appeal made to the International Community Monday, in Jaffna.


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12 Tamils arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 02:55 GMT]
Twelve Tamils were arrested in Colombo suburbs of Dehiwela, Bambalapitya, and Colpetty during a search conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Sri Lanka Police Monday afternoon lasting four hours, sources in Colombo said.
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Sectarian violence re-surfaces in Muslim town, Kattankudy

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 17:37 GMT]
Clashes between orthodox Muslims against an Islamic sect that preaches pantheism resurfaced in Muslim town Kattankudy Sunday and continued for the second day, in which 32 houses and a van were damaged and 3 motorbikes burned down. Police curfew was re-imposed Monday.
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Sri Lanka expels MSF from Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 15:56 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) expelled three medical specialists of Médecins Sans Frontiérs (MSF) (France) serving in Point Pedro Manthikai Government hospital in Vadamardchchi Sunday, medical sources said. The hospital fell inside newly extended High Security Zone (HSZ) declared by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) after Aug 11 when clashes erupted in the Jaffna peninsula between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the SLA, said Manthikai hospital sources.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Killiveddy

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 07:57 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian at Bharathipuram in Killiveddy in Muttur division Saturday evening. He was identified as S.Thangarajah, 44 and labourer, police sources in Muthur said.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 17:43 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Jon Hanssen Bauer arrived in Colombo accompanied by Norwegian foreign ministry officials Sunday afternoon by Sri Lankan Airlines flight, sources in Colombo said.
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Former RAW chief protests India’s ‘ambivalence’ over LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 11:41 GMT]
India’s former spy chief has criticised Delhi for not engaging with the both the Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka’s government to prevent the slide into conflict. "India's inability to fully comprehend the ground realities in Sri Lanka and, hamstrung by the past, its reluctance to do business with LTTE to help evolve an equitable settlement may prove to be a monumental foreign policy blunder,” J.K. Sinha, former head of India’s external intelligence agency said.
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SLA ban on building materials to Vaharai stays- Basil Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 17:00 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, brother and Senior Advisor to Sri Lanka's President Mr Mahinda Rajapakse, informed a delegation of Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians that no building materials can be transported into LTTE-held Vaharai area north of Batticaloa until further notice, during a meeting held at the office the Srilankan President Friday at 11.00 a.m., sources in Colombo said.
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SLMM visits ambush site in LTTE controlled Pullumalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 12:18 GMT]
Eleven cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed in an ambush carried out by the counter-insurgency Special Task Force (STF) personnel inside LTTE territory in Pullumalai in Batticaloa district around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. The bodies of the cadres killed in the STF attack were transferred in military vehicles into STF controlled area, he said charging the Sri Lankan forces for engaging in offensive attacks inside Tiger territory when the LTTE had informed to the facilitators that it ceased all retaliatory attacks following the call by the Co-Chairs to cease all violence.
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Norway cannot define talks venue - SL Premier

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 07:00 GMT]
The role of Norwegian facilitator, fronted by the donor countries, must be limited to that of a "marriage broker," Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said addressing a public meeting in Matale, in the Central Province, Firday. A "marriage broker" is not empowered to decide the date and venue of the "wedding," he told the gathering. "We are capable of resolving problems through talks within the country and without foreign intervention," Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said, stating that the talks should be held within the country.
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SLAF resumes air raids on Vaharai

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 13:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets bombed Kandalady village in Vaharai Friday around 10:00 a.m. No casualties were reported although the bombers targeted an area where displaced families from Trincomalee had taken refuge, sources in Vaharai said.
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3 men abducted in Colombo, killed in Valaichchenai, 1 decapitated

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 12:49 GMT]
Three Tamil men who were abducted in Colombo Wednesday, were found shot and knifed to death in Valaichchenai, 30 km north of Batticaloa, Thursday night. One of the victims was decapitated, two shot and killed Thursday night around 11:30 p.m. The decapitated man, a former cadre of the paramilitary group EPDP, had left the group two years ago, opposing the activities of the group. A white-van squad had visited the families of the victims earlier in the day.
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