Four Sinhala farmers shot dead in Polonnaruwa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 08:36 GMT]
Unidentified attackers shot and killed four Sinhalese paddy farmers at Nidanwala in Dimbulagala divisional secretariat in Polonnaruwa District Thursday around 9:30 a.m., Police in Aralaganwila said.
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Colombo battles to sidestep Human Rights focus - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 15:58 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is trying to sidestep International Community's focus on Colombo's worst record of human rights abuses and institutionalized impunity for crimes against the Tamil people, by attempting to use the forum of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit against Tamil people's right to defend themselves, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told TamilNet when asked to comment on Colombo's focus shift to LTTE's air capability, prior to the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi.
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Tigers condemn Colombo for "disinformation campaign" on civilian killings

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 10:47 GMT]
Liberation Tigers military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan, talking to media from Kilinochchi charged Colombo for carrying out a "planned disinformation campaign," by accusing the Tigers for attacks on civilian targets while encouraging paramilitary elements to carry out such attacks with the "motive of tarnishing the Tiger image."
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US responds to LTTE airstrike

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 08:37 GMT]
Asked for the United States’ reaction to the LTTE airstrike on the military airbase at Katunayake last Monday, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O’ Blake said: “The LTTE’s successful deployment of an offensive air capability is a matter of great concern.” He told Sri Lanka’s state-owned Daily News: “We do not believe there can be a military solution to this conflict. Rather, both sides should cease hostilities so talks can take place on a negotiated settlement.” He also said that the US “does not perceive a specific threat to our citizens who intend to travel to the tourist areas.”
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SLA troopers loot houses, shops IDPs left behind

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:32 GMT]
"Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, paramilitary members and other local Sinhalese persons have looted the houses, shops, temples and co-operative stores in areas invaded by SLA in the Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territories in Paduvankarai and Kokadicholai," S. Seeralan, Batticaloa district LTTE Political Wing Deputy head said Saturday. The SLA troopers are routinely stealing the live stocks left behind by the people and killing them for meat, he said.
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UNP to hold first rally against HR violations in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 11:57 GMT]
The first rally in a series of protest demonstrations to be organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) against human rights violations, will be held on April 3 at Grandpass Junction in Colombo, said Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, parliamentarian and UNP Colombo district organizer.


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Tea, Bhagavad-Gita and vadai

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 10:24 GMT]
Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe, the head of the Foundation for Peaceful Coexistence, launched his website (www.kumarrupesinghe.org) Friday with an event at Barefoot Gallery. In a four page card sent as invitations to guests, Dr. Rupesinghe made a call for coexistence amongst Sri Lankans, setting out brief texts describing notions such as ‘Country’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Tamils’. In the section on Tamils (‘Demala’) he urged Sinhalese to coexist with Tamils, reminding the former of the latter’s valued qualities, including their lovable food.
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LTTE Air Strike, no terrorism- SAAG

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 12:16 GMT]
B. Raman, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG) Chennai, says in his analysis: "The TAF's [Tamileelam Air Force's] air strike was well-planned and equally well-executed. It was a night operation taking advantage of the weak capability of the SLAF for night operations. It was a precision attack, which carefully avoided causing any casualty or damage in the international airport, which could have roused international ire. There were no civilian casualties----targeted or collateral. As a result, it would not be possible to characterise the attack as an act of terrorism. It was pure and simple a conventional air strike."
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Reckless Justice

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 March 2007, 02:23 GMT]
Discharge papers to release Mawbima journalist, Munusamy Parameswary, 25, who was arrested on 22nd November under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and held for nearly four months, on suspicion of "helping the LTTE and a suspected suicide bomber," were sent Wednesday morning, by Harshika De Silva, State Counsel representing the Attorney General (AG), to Colombo chief Magistrate Court. Parameshwari was released Thursday at 10:00 a.m..
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Colombo conspires to alter East's demography- NLF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 March 2007, 11:41 GMT]
Dr.Wickremabahu Karunaratne, leader of the New Left Front (NLF) said at a news conference held Monday at Hotel Nippon in Colombo organized by the National Front Against War (NFAW) that Sri Lanka Government is conspiring to change the demography of the eastern province by forcibly driving out Tamil people and settling members of the majority community, media sources said.
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Colombo forcing refugees to return home- Rights Group

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 March 2007, 19:47 GMT]
"Sri Lankan authorities are using threats and intimidation to force civilians who fled recent fighting in Sri Lanka’s civil war to return home," Human Rights Watch said today. "To pressure individuals to return home, government officials and military personnel have threatened to withdraw humanitarian aid, food and other essential supplies," the Rights body further said.
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Three die in parcel explosion in Badulla

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 12:15 GMT]
Three persons were killed on the spot and two others were injured when a parcel floating in the Uma Oya (river) in Uva-Paranagama area in Badulla district in Uva Province exploded Wednesday evening. An elderly father, his daughter, and another youth, all Sinhalese residents of Horathotta village in Badulla, were killed, sources said.


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SL Police chief admits Sri Lanka forces involved in abductions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 12:03 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces are involved in abductions of civilians for ransom, the country’s Police Chief admitted Monday, saying a ‘large number’ of officers and troops had been arrested on charges of abduction and extortion. However the Inspector General of Police, Victor Perera also asserted that “organised groups” were conducting abductions and killings “to embarrass the government.”


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Decomposed body recovered from Kelani river, girl abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 March 2007, 10:40 GMT]
Wellampitiya police recovered the body of a youth in decomposed state from Kelani river at Kohilawatte in Wellampitiya police division Monday, police said. Meanwhile, unknown persons abducted the five year old daughter of a popular Tamil businessman Monday evening in Negombo and have demanded ransom to release her, according to complaints made to Negombo police.
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UNP to launch campaign against abduction, killings, HR violations

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2007, 21:36 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to launch a mass protest campaign across Sri Lanka against the increased number of abduction, killings and other human rights violations. The campaign will begin in April led by Ranil Wickremasinghe, opposition leader, said S.B.Dissanayake, national organizer of the UNP.
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Police constable, home guard injured in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 March 2007, 09:06 GMT]
A police constable and a home guard posted at Railway Staion area at Eratperiyakulam in Vavuniya were injured when a shell fell and exploded Friday around 11:35 a.m, Vavuniya police said. The shell was launched by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the police claimed.


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Sinhalese suspect found dead at Police headquarters

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 February 2007, 17:09 GMT]
A Sinhalese man, arrested at Valaichenai in Batticaloa district on suspicion for working closely with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in November 2006 and held in custody at Police Headquarters in Colombo, was found dead in the toilet Tuesday morning, Colombo police said.


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Arrests of Tamils in upcountry areas escalate

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 February 2007, 00:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka police arrested 11 Tamils in during a search operation at 4:00 a.m Monday at Lunugala Upper Division in Poonagala, Bandarawella, while Karantheniya police arrested 4 youths returning in a lorry from Galle, sources in Bandarawela said. Meanwhile, Koswathe and Karruvakadu police each arrested one plantation Tamil youth Monday, sources said.


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American Tamils call for Recognition of Tamil Sovereignty for NorthEast Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 11:46 GMT]
Pleading to the international community that "the just aspirations of the Tamils should not be held hostage by fictitious claims of protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a failed state," a consortium of Tamil organizations in the US, in a press release issued Monday, urged the International Community to "recognize the current de-facto Tamil state should their authentic representatives exercise the right to external self-determination," and called upon fellow Americans "to stand with the Tamil Americans in support of the inalienable right of self-determination."
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Offensive aftermath

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 February 2007, 01:01 GMT]
More than 200 civilians were killed and hundreds of others injured in the five-month long Sri Lanka military offensive carried out in sea, air and land on Vaharai and adjoining coastal hamlets. Nearly 40,000 IDPs stay in 49 temporary shelters and with friends and relatives elsewhere in the military controlled part of Batticaloa district. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Vaharai and neighboring Trincomalee district express resentment over the inequity in reimbursing relief and compensation by Sri Lanka Government authorities.
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