Gajendrakumar complains of threat to life

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 May 2006, 10:54 GMT]
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance parlimentarian for Jaffna district, in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday, complained of harassment and death threats to domestic staff at his Jaffna residence. His residence in 3rd Cross street is located close to two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps, one at the 2nd Cross street-Main street junction and the other at the 4th Cross street.
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May Day observed as a day of mourning in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 May 2006, 02:22 GMT]
Hundreds of people in the Vanni wearing black bands, observed the International Workers' Day as a day of mourning, starting in a demonstration march from the Kilinochchi public playground Monday morning around 10 a.m, carrying effigies of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse, Wimal Weerawansa, Propaganda secretary of JVP, and other Southern Sinhala extremist political leaders, and marching toward a public meeting held at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi, sources said. The meeting ended with the burning of the effigies.


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Pesalai Tamil youths released

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 May 2006, 11:28 GMT]
Mannar Additional Magistrate Mr.D.J.Pirapaharan Monday released three of eight Tamil civilians on surety bail for Rs. 10,000 each and put off further inquiry for May 8. The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in a search operation conducted in the Pesalai refugee camp located along Talaimannar-Mannar road Sunday morning earlier had taken eight persons into custody, legal sources said.
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Explosion kills 6, injures 5 in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 May 2006, 06:14 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers and four Tamil civilians were killed in an explosion in Trincomalee town, around 9.45 a.m, Monday. Three SLN personnel and 2 civilians were wounded in the explosion, that occured at Vidiyalayam Road, Trincomalee police said.
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Colombo assails SLMM, accuses media bias in refugee figure dispute

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2006, 16:58 GMT]
While Sri Lanka's President Mr Mahinda Rajapakse drew attention to "propaganda war," Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the state-run weekly Sunday Observer that the Sri Lanka Government "categorically denies" and dismisses as "outrageous," accusation by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that security forces were involved in extra- judicial killings in the North-East. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, said State's attempt to accuse foreign media of bias is a precursor to enforcing self-censorship. The State wants to deter foreign press from exposing military excesses of Sri Lanka armed forces, he added.
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Air strikes violate the Ceasefire Agreement- SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2006, 15:14 GMT]
"The air strikes that were conducted by the Sri Lankan Government in Trincomalee district on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targets in Sampoor area on 25 and 26 April 2006 are a clear violation of the Ceasefire Agreement. Article 1.2 of the Ceasefire Agreement clearly states “Neither Party shall engage in any offensive military operation," said a press release issued by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Saturday. The release also said that the SLMM fears "Government Security forces have, in the North and the East, been involved in extrajudicial killings of civilians."
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SLN arrests seven youths from Pesalai refugee camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2006, 10:50 GMT]
Seven Tamil youths staying in Pesalai refugee camp located along Talaimannar and Mannar road were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Sunday morning in a cordon and search operation. After interrogation at the the Pesalai Police post, SLN soldiers handed over the youths to the Talaimannar Police for further inquiries, sources said.
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Tiger Commandos attack paramilitary camps, 18 killed - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2006, 03:08 GMT]
18 paramilitary operatives of Karuna group were killed in an attack launched by an Elite Commando unit of the Liberation Tigers on three paramilitary camps in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled Kasankulam close to Thibulana, located 7 km east of Welikande in Batticaloa - Polannaruwa border Sunday. Arms were seized and ammunitions at the paramilitary camps in Kasankulam were fully destroyed by the LTTE commandos in the surprise attack that was planned and supervised by Special Commander Col. Bhanu, an LTTE official from Kokkaddicholai in Batticaloa district told TamilNet. 10 paramilitary cadres sustained serious wounds, 5 were captured by the Tigers. An abducted Vavuniya trader was saved.
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Sivaram memorial held at Colombo Tamil Sangam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 15:05 GMT]
Speaking at the one year memorial event held at the Colombo Tamil Sangam by the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance Friday evening, C.A. Jothilingam, a popular political analyst, called for making Sivram's death anniversary, a Day for remembering all journalists slain for their writings in Sri Lanka.
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Two auxiliary cadres killed in Claymore attack in Manalaru

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 08:44 GMT]
Two Tamileelam Auxiliary Force cadres were killed in a Claymore attack carried out by a penetrating team of a Sri Lanka Army unit, Saturday around 9:30 a.m. in Libration Tigers controlled area in Manalaru region in the Mullaitivu district, LTTE officials in Kilinochchi said.
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Youth shot dead, Jaffna village rises against intelligence camp

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 07:57 GMT]
Motorbike riding gunmen, who shot and killed a Tamil youth Friday at Urelu in Valikamam, Jaffna, rushed into Sri Lanka Army Intelligence camp in the area, villagers who chased the gunmen away said. More than a hundred enraged villagers surrounded the SLA camp Friday night and Urelu was shut down in protest Saturday as the villagers launched a protest hartal against the recent kilings in Valikamam. Protesting villagers say that the Urelu intelligence camp is behind the killings in a terror-campaign targeting auto-rikshaw drivers and traders. An auto driver was recently gunned down at Urelu junction.
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Jaffna journalists pay tribute to Sivaram on first death anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 01:18 GMT]
"Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) has failed in its attempt to stifle the voice of the entire Tamils by killing Sivaram. Many young Tamil journalists are in the forefront, continuing his mission, informing the international community of the perils faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka. This is the greatest tribute we journalists can pay Sivaram," said Mr. S. Kathirgamathamby, president North Ceylon Journalists Association (NCJA) in his address at the first annual memorial day Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki), a senior editor of TamilNet, held at the Media Research and Training Center in Jaffna University Friday evening at 4 p.m.


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Ex-LTTE cadre shot dead in Mandur

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 01:09 GMT]
Sellathurai Asokan, 36, alias Asok,, former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was shot to dead by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commandos Friday around 6 p.m at Mandur in the Wellaveli police division in Batticaloa, source said.
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TamilNet editor's murder still unpunished, impunity prevails in Sri Lanka- RSF

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 11:35 GMT]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Sri Lanka Free Media Movement (FMM) all voiced outrage on the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of Dharmaretnam Sivaram and and said "the current serious crisis in Sri Lanka - the result of unacceptable terrorism - in no way justifies the impunity prevailing in the murders of journalists and human rights activists," in a press release issued Friday.
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2 youths killed, paramilitary violence escalates in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 10:19 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen riding in a motorbike shot and killed two Tamil youths, Friday morning around 8:15 a.m. near Kinnayadi Nagathambiran temple, Valaichenai Police said. The killers were suspected to be paramilitary operatives, civilian sources said.
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Auto driver shot dead in Kayts

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 10:06 GMT]
An auto-rikshaw driver, Suresh Fernando, 35, was found shot dead Friday morning in Urkavathurai (Kayts) near St. Joseph Church at 5th Mile Post.
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LTTE details civilian killings by Sri Lankan forces and paramilitaries after Geneva Talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 07:41 GMT]
103 civilians, including six children, have been killed by Sri Lankan forces and its paramilitaries since Geneva Talks on 24 February untill April 27, according to a report issued by the Political Head Quarters of the Liberation Tigers Friday. 12 Tamil civilians were killed on February 27, March 5, 6, 9, 20, 22, 24, 25, and 28, and the first attack on SLA posts after the Geneva Talks in February took place on April 8th after the assasination of Trincomalee district Tamil activist Mr. V. Vigneswaran. "Readers can now make their own conclusion about who is responsible for deteriorating situation following the Geneva talks," the report issued by the LTTE concluded.
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Sivaram remembered in Batticaloa and Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 07:19 GMT]
The first death anniversary of reputed journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki), a Senior Editor of TamilNet, who was assassinated a year ago in Colombo was held in Batticaloa on Thursday and Friday morning in Jaffna. Batticaloa Rural Development Organization in collaboration with Thamileelam Education Development Board organized the event held at Ramakrishna Mission School in Kokkadichcholai. Jaffna District Media Association (JDMA) organized the Jaffna event.
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Young man shot dead in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 05:21 GMT]
Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil civilian, Friday morning, around 7.15 a.m. at Kallaikaadu in Mannar, police said. Kallikadaikadu village located along Mannar-Medwachiya road, about 12 km. off Mannar town. Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Mannar visited the scene and conducted inquiry. About fifty-five families residing in the village are about to leave due to fear following the killing,
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21 Tamil youths detained by Eravur police

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 April 2006, 17:58 GMT]
More than 70 Tamils were taken to investigations by Eravur police Thursday morning around 9 a.m. in a roundup search at the Eravur Muslim Public market. 21 Tamil youths have been detained for further inquiries, said the Chief of Eravur Police Crimes Branch.


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