Rights Group condemns Bindunuwewa acquittals

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 10:55 GMT]
"These acquittals show a shocking failure of the police and judicial system in Sri Lanka to find justice for the dead and injured from this horrific incident," said Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, a New York based international rights group. “As the victims were all Tamil, the government needs to move quickly to start fresh investigations and to prosecute the perpetrators, some of whom were police officers, or it will only further distance aggrieved Tamils,” Mr Adams added.
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TRO official speaks at Select Committee meeting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 02:59 GMT]
Mr S. Sivasupramanium, Head of the Colombo office of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an NGO registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, addressed the Parliamentary Select Committee meeting of NGOs where views were shared on the role of the NGO sector in post-disaster rehabilitation held at the Sri Lanka parliamentary complex in Colombo, website of the Select Committee reported.


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SLA, Police agree to remove Buddha statue in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:31 GMT]
After a visit to the Omanthai Pillaiyar Temple grounds Wednesday by Vanni district parliamentarians Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Mr.Sivasakthi Ananthan and Mr.Sivanathan Kishore and LTTE Vavuniya district deputy political head Mr.Dharmendra accompanied by Vavuniya Police Officer in charge Mr. Abeyasinghe Bandara, TNA parliamentarian Adaikalanathan said that the Police and the Army have agreed to remove the Buddha statue from the Hindu temple grounds, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Conference decries escalating threat to freedom of expression

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:10 GMT]
Representatives of media organizations and Trade Unions, Civil society leaders, artists and members of leftist parties held a conference labelled "Living against murder," protesting against murders of journalists and the rising threat to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. The conference was held at the Jayawardana Center in Colombo Town Hall.
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Ministerial involvement averts Trinco shutdown

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:01 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) Wednesday agreed to postpone until June 15 its general shut down action scheduled to take place after June 2nd demanding the removal of controversial Buddha statue after a ministerial team assured the Tamil Forum that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) would take legal action against the unlawful structure and necessary steps will be taken to withdraw army troops from the east port town, sources in Trincomalee said.
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AHRC fears "major breakdown of law and order"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 21:59 GMT]
Saying it was shocked by the assassination Tuesday of a high ranking Sri Lankan military intelligence officer, Major Nisam Muthaliff, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said it was concerned at the escalation of violence, saying Sri Lanka is "heading towards a major breakdown of law and order."
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Economic embargo imposed in Batticaloa, Vaharai residents protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 17:14 GMT]
Large number of residents of Vaharai division in the Batticaloa district Tuesday morning staged a peaceful protest march demanding the withdrawal of economic embargo imposed recently by the Sri Lankan military, sources said. Last several days soldiers manning checkpoints in Batticaloa have been blocking civilians from transporting cement, building materials, fuel and other essential materials to the villages of Panichchankerni, Paalchenai, Kathiraveli, Kandalady, Uriyankattu and Mankerni which are located in LTTE controlled Vaharai division.
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Buddha statue installed in Omanthai Pillayar temple grounds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Omanthai camp has erected a three foot statue of Buddha in the grounds of Omanthai Pillayar temple in Vavuniya last March, according to local residents. The custodian priest of the Pillaiyar temple fled the area after the soldiers harassed him to hand over the land deeds, residents further said. All residents living close to the temple have been forcibly photographed by the SLA and have been warned against tampering with the statue. Residents say that no one goes near the statue out of fear of the soldiers.


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Senior Military Intelligence officer shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 08:14 GMT]
A high ranking Sri Lankan Military Intelligence Corps (MIC) Commanding Officer, Major Thuwan Nizam Muthaliff, 39, was shot and killed Tuesday morning around 8.00 AM by unidentified gunmen at Polhengoda Junction in Narehenpitya, Colombo. The gunmen following him in a motorbike shot him at point-blank range while his car stopped at the Wijaya Kumarathunga signal crossing along the Baseline Highway. Muthaliff is the highest ranking Sri Lankan Military Intelligence officer to be killed since the signing of Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in February 2002.
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US Senate calls for equitable distribution of tsunami aid

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 03:27 GMT]
The Committee of Appropriations of the United States Senate said, in a report that accompanied H.R 1268 emergency supplemental appropriations act, that the tsunami relief programs "adhere to basic principles of equity, transparency and accountability," and that the assistance be "distributed on equitable basis," referring to Sri Lanka and Tamils.
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World Bank team to assess housing reconstruction in east

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 17:30 GMT]
A World Bank (WB) team is scheduled to visit the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa on June 1st and 2nd to assess the progress made in the reconstruction of houses in war and tsunami affected areas under the North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP), sources in Colombo said.
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Jaffna officials discuss district development

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:25 GMT]
A conference on Jaffna develpment was held at the Jaffna Secretariat between 10 am and 12 noon Monday presided by Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) senior parliamentarian Maavia Senathirajah, TNA sources in Jaffna said.
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Military blocks LTTE commanders’ return

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:17 GMT]
Amid the continuing cycle of violence in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, hopes of improving trust between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers are being undermined by Colombo’s refusal to provide safe passage to senior LTTE commanders and other cadres across Army-controlled areas, officials said. In the wake of the massacre of an LTTE political leader and his team when travelling by road through Army-controlled roads, there are accusations the use of helicopters is being denied to expose LTTE officials to paramilitary attack.
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Bindunuwewa massacre will not be the last - AHRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Condemning the Sri Lankan state’s failure punish those responsible for the 2000 massacre of Tamils held at the Bindunuwewa detention facility, the Asian Human Rights Commission Tuesday said “Sri Lankan system of justice is guilty of ensuring immunity for offenders.” As a consequence, the Hong Kong based group warned: “this massacre was not the first of its kind, and will certainly not be the last.”
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Drive against unlicensed liquor in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 11:19 GMT]
A drive against the sale of alcohol from unlicensed premises continued this week in the Tamil Tiger controlled areas of the Batticaloa district, residents said. The consumption of liquor and related anti-social behaviour had fallen drastically since the Thamil Eelam Police began a clampdown two weeks ago , they said.
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Coercive Airpower in the Eelam Conflict- Taraki

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 00:11 GMT]
The article on the use of airpower in Eelam conflict written by late Dharmeratnam Sivaram that appeared in the 19 May 1991 issue of the Island gains added significance in view of recent controversy over Liberation Tigers’ alleged possession of Czech made Zlin type Z-143 aircraft. Full text of the article is reproduced in this feature.


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Meetings with US officials cordial, constructive and positive- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 15:15 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna district, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who concluded Saturday his three week tour of the United States meeting several officials of the United States Government and Think Tanks, said he was pleased with the exchanges, and the meetings were "cordial, constructive and positive."
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Journalists wear blackband, remember slain colleague

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 14:01 GMT]
More one hundred media personnel, covering their mouths with black bands and carrying August flowers in their hands, gathered Sunday in front of the Parliament building at 3.00 PM despite heavy showers to show their respect to murdered military analyst and popular journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram who was killed a month ago, sources said.
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UNICEF says underage recruitment "very low"

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 13:43 GMT]
Saying UNICEF had seen a "very low level" of underage recruitment by the Liberation Tigers in recent months, the organisation’s outgoing top official in Sri Lanka, Ted Chaiban, Sunday welcomed the development and urged the continuation of "this positive trend." Mr. Chaiban met Sunday LTTE's Head of Political Division, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, his deputy, Mr. S. Thangan and the Director General of the Peace Secretariat, Mr. S. Pulidevan at LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi and discussed the improvement of the lives of people, particularly children, in Sri Lanka's former warzones.
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Media colleagues pay tribute to Sivaram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 02:02 GMT]
Several colleagues from Colombo media, friends and relatives attended the memorial service held Saturday in honor of Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular military analyst and senior member of TamilNet editorial board who was abducted and killed 28 April. The event was held at the St. Andrew's Scots Kirk Church in Colpetty, Colombo.
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