Colombo instructs Mullaiththeevu, Ki'linochchi GAs to work from Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:37 GMT]
Government Agents of Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts are reported to have been 'advised' by the Colombo Public Administration and the Sri Lankan Home Affairs Ministry to work from Vavuniyaa due to 'tense situation' in the two districts, informed sources told TamilNet.
Full story >>

GoSL suspends postal service to Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 16:40 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has suspended postal service to Vanni since 8 August, completely cutting off all communications between Vanni and other districts. The GoSL had already suspended telephone connections with Vanni and the suspension of postal service has effectively isolated the LTTE controlled area in Vanni. People displaced in their thousands are undergoing innumerable hardships due to lack of food, shelter and medicine in Vanni and are unable to contact their relatives or friends outside Vanni.
Full story >>

Claymore ambush kills 2 SLA soldiers in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 13:40 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and five wounded in a Claymore mine ambush at Ira'nai Illuppaikku'lam in Vavuniyaa Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m., Police said.
Full story >>

SLA deprives Tamil devotees from attending Madu Shrine

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 21:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) hierarchy in Mannaar blocked Friday Tamil Catholic devotees from taking part in the special mass of blessing from Our Lady of Madu. Tamil Catholic devotees from Mannaar and Vavuniyaa were deprived from taking part in the mass, according to sources associated with the Church. Around 500 Catholic devotees from the South along with three Sri Lankan ministers were escorted by the Police to take part in Friday's blessings in Madu. However, Tamil speaking devotees who were present at Madawachchi were refused entry by the Police.
Full story >>

Ministry stops English training for Tamil teachers in South

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 11:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Education Ministry has decided not to enroll Tamil teachers from the NorthEast to English Teacher Training College in Maharagama and Kalutara for English Language training when the courses recommence on September 1. Only Sinhalese teachers are to be admitted in these education institutions in future, according to education officials.
Full story >>

Fire again destroys IDP sheds in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 09:57 GMT]
A fire at Poonthoaddam Refugee Camp in Vavuniyaa town destroyed Wednesday 80 temporary sheds of internally displaced families. No injuries were reported in the fire reported around 11:00 a.m., according to the Police. Last month, on 17th, a similar fire in the same refugee camp completely destroyed nearly 100 sheds.
Full story >>

Three Tamils abducted in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 03:51 GMT]
An unidentified group came in a white van abducted three Tamil civilians Ponniah Kaaralasingham, 55, his son-in-law Mahendrarajah Saarangan, 28, and Sivagnanam Anbalagan (43) from their residences located in Periyapuliyaalanku'lam in Vavuniyaa police division on Sunday night, according to complaints made by their relatives to the police and human rights groups in the area Monday.
Full story >>

Japan funds construction of bridge in Badulla, agro-wells in Batticalao

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 16:41 GMT]
The Government of Japan has provided US$175,000 through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), of which 50% is allocated to "Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies" to construct a bridge across Badulu Oya in the Badulla District, and the remaining 50% to the "Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Sharamadana Sangamaya Inc.", to ensure food security to the resettled IDP families in the Batticaloa District, a press release issued by the Japanese Embassy in Colombo said Friday. The Batticaloa project will also provide help to IDP families to enhance income sources in Manmunai South West to get back to normalcy.
Full story >>

NESoHR: 70,000 new IDPs in Vanni in 60 days

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 11:35 GMT]
Documenting that during June and July, an additional 70,800 people registered with the Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu Secretariats as new Internally Displaced People from areas proximity to Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ma'nalaa'ru, and Mukamaalai Foward Defence Lines (FDLs), a report released Friday by NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), a Vanni based rights group, said that restrictions imposed by the Sri Lanka Government on taking essential items to Vanni have further hampered assistance given by the humanitarian agencies.
Full story >>

NESoHR: 70,000 new IDPs in Vanni in 60 days

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 11:35 GMT]
Documenting that during June and July, an additional 70,800 people registered with the Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu Secretariats as new Internally Displaced People from areas proximity to Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ma'nalaa'ru, and Mukamaalai Foward Defence Lines (FDLs), a report released Friday by NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), a Vanni based rights group, said that restrictions imposed by the Sri Lanka Government on taking essential items to Vanni have further hampered assistance given by the humanitarian agencies.
Full story >>

Child killed, Mullaiththeevu GA wounded in SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 05:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an indiscriminate artillery barrage in the early hours of Friday. Official residences of Mullaiththeevu District Secretary (Government Agent) and the doctors of Mullaiththeevu hospital, located inside the hospital premises were hit by the shelling. The artillery barrage killed an 18-month-old baby and caused injuries to 16 civilians, including the GA, Ms. Imelda Sukumar, who was at her official residence and Medical Superintendent Dr. V. Shanmugarajah's wife, hospital officials told TamilNet. Meanwhile, the Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat S. Puleedevan, blamed the Sri Lankan government for repeatedly violating the Geneva Conventions during its offensive.
Full story >>

Tigers seize weapons, recover 2 SLA dead bodies in Ve'l'laangku'lam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 06:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) have recovered two dead bodies of Sri Lanka Army soldiers, including one of of an 18-year-old soldier, following intense fighting on Sunday in Ve'l'laangku'lam and seized a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, a T-56 assault rifle, ammunitions and accessories. The SLA has suffered heavy losses in three clashes at Ve'l'laangku'lam. Meanwhile, a heavy fighting was continuing at Paalamoaaddai front in Vavuniyaa, where at least 10 SLA soldiers were killed Monday, according to LTTE officials in Vanni.
Full story >>

Tamil abductee recovered dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 06:04 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a three-wheeler 27 July night had abducted a Tamil man from his home and his corpse with gunshot injuries was found in Veappangku’lam in Vavuniyaa, Monday morning, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>

6 Tamils arrested in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2008, 10:37 GMT]
Six Tamil civilians including a woman were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted by the Vavuniyaa Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Chettikulam and Mudaliyaarkulam villages in Vavuniyaa on Monday from early morning until 10:00 a.m., sources said.
Full story >>

Youth knifed to death in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 12:02 GMT]
An unidentified youth was knifed to death Saturday night in Pampaimadu village in Vavuniyaa police division. Local residents discovered the body and notified Pampaimadu Village Officer (Grama Niladhari) Sunday morning. Vavuniyaa Police, on being informed by the the Village officer, rushed to the site and transferred the body to the Pampaimadu government hospital.
Full story >>

30 SLA killed, offensive thwarted, Tigers locate SLA dead bodies

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 01:59 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam officials in Vanni told TamilNet that their defensive formations at Mallaavi thwarted Friday a three-pronged Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive, which was launched from Vavunikku'lam and Paalaiyadi targeting Mallaavi. At least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 60 troopers sustained injuries in an intense fighting, according to the Tigers. 3 dead bodies of SLA soldiers were also recovered by the Tigers. An SLA vehicle, one AK-LMG with rounds, one RPG launcher with shells, a mortar, eleven T-56 assault rifles were seized by the Tigers.
Full story >>

Youth assaulted, then shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 17:36 GMT]
A youth was shot dead after being assaulted by unidentified persons at Pandaariku'lam in Vavuniya police division Wednesday night. His body was recovered Thursday morning close to the Maadasamy Temple in Pandaariku'lam village along the bund road with gun shot injuries and assault wounds.
Full story >>

Tamil youth abducted in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2008, 16:08 GMT]
Twenty five year-old Tamil youth Kirubakaran Nitharshan was abducted Tuesday night from his house located in Nelukkulam in Vavuniyaa police division by a group of eight armed persons arrived in four motorbikes, according to complaints lodged by his wife Wednesday morning with the Vavuniyaa police and human rights groups.
Full story >>

NIC compulsory to travel south

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2008, 09:59 GMT]
People traveling from north to south in Sri Lanka cannot pass through Mathavaachchi Sri Lanka Army (SLA) check post if they do not have their National Identity Cards (NIC). Passport, driving license, and documents of identification related to professions were earlier accepted in place of NIC. People without NIC are now being sent back by the SLA in Mathavaachi check post, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>

Colombo snaps outside communication with Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Telecommunication Department has cut off the telephone numbers with +9421228 format (Ki'linochchi lines) for the last few days, disabling the only available mode of communication to the outside world from Vanni at a time when more than 100,000 civilians have displaced in Ki'inochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts due to the Sri Lanka Army offensive. Fundamental services such as hospitals, civil services and media dependent on telephone communication have been severely affected, according to civil sources in Ki'linochchi.
Full story >>