Press freedom under threat in Jaffna, IFJ warns

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 December 2005, 21:27 GMT]
President of The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Christopher Warren, in a statement issued Thursday, warned that the "clamp down on media freedoms in Jaffna following incidents of journalists being beaten, arrested and news paper offices being searched," is just the beginning which will result in a total clampdown.


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RSF dismayed by arrests of Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 03:14 GMT]
Noting the escalating political tension in Sri Lanka where a Tamil journalist was arrested and three assaulted in a two-day period, Reporters Without Borders (RSF- Reporters Sans Frontieres) in media release said, "Instead of calming down the situation, the police and the army are carrying out unjustified arrests that only stir up resentments. The security forces and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) should guarantee the safety of Sri Lankan journalists whatever their origin."
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FMM condemns SLA attack on Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:14 GMT]
"Free Media Movement deplores and condemns assault on journalists covering a peaceful demonstration in Jaffna by government security forces today. Three journalists- Thinakural staff reporter Mr. T. Sabeswaran, Thinakaran (Lake House) reporter Wintson Jeyan and Namathu Eelanadu reporter Mr. J. Jerad – were beaten and their cameras were damaged," said FMM in a press release issued in Colombo Monday.
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SL troops open fire on demonstration in Jaffna, Lecturer shot, VC attacked

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 06:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers opened fire at a peaceful demonstration march by Jaffna University students and staff, wounding at least seven demonstrators including Prof. N. Perinpanathan, a Senior Lecturer, and a student leader of the medical faculty T. Kandeepan. Professor C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, Prof. R. Sivchandran, Dean of Arts, and S. Kajendran, Jaffna MP were severely beaten by the soliders. The demonstration march from Jaffna University towards the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) did not proceed beyond Parameswara Junction where the troopers began firing at the demontrators around 11:00 a.m. Monday. Tension prevails in the area.
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SLTMA condemns arrest of Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 16:54 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) Sunday condemned the arrest and detention of a Tamil senior journalist working in a leading Colombo based Tamil daily newspaper "Thinakkural"along with two other employees in the computer unit of the same newspaper in the Kirulapone Police Station Saturday night. The SLTMA, in a letter sent to Mr.Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Media Minister, to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Tamil journalists from the harassment of government law enforcement authorities.


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India cannot be a card in Colombo’s oppressive politics game - Vaiko

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 12:59 GMT]
Indian Defence Minister Mr Pranab Muhkerjee assured the Tamil Nadu Politician Mr. Vaiko Monday that he will investigate the press reports on the reconstruction efforts of Palaly airstrip in the main Sri Lankan military base in Jaffna. “Earlier Indian political leaders had acted with great care, and had declined to enter into a defence treaty or airbase reconstruction projects when I have brought the Tamil concerns to the Indian leadership’s notice,” Vaiko said.
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Fanoos leaves thousands homeless in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 12:32 GMT]
Effects of cyclonic storm Fanoos which passed throught Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry coast was felt in Jaffna district, as hurricane force winds and heavy rains belted Jaffna distric from Friday night leaving thousands displaced in Vadamaradchy north and east. The storm weakened into a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal on Saturday morning, according to weather center in Tamil Nadu.
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India should insist on Federal solution - Indian Tamil Daily

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2005, 03:32 GMT]
"India should not hesitate to impress on Rajapakse Government that resolution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem should be based on a Federal solution,” said Tamil daily Dinamani in a recent editorial commenting on Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s meeting with India’s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. “India should be cognizant that Tamil national question in Sri Lanka determines the human rights, social justice and political destiny of 3 million Tamils, and that more than 60 million Tamils in TamilNadu have an emotional stake in the issue,” said the daily.
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Book on Eelam war history released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 December 2005, 10:36 GMT]
Paintings and cartoons filled book depicting the history of Eelam Wars, "Puyalin Nirangal (Color of tornado)" by artist Puhalenthi was released at the Kailasapathi Auditoriam of Jaffna Campus Wednesday at 3.00 p.m. President of Campus Student Union, C Vijeyaruban presided the event.
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Mannar court releases refugee returnees from TamilNadu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 16:38 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Johnthasan, Mannar acting Magistrate Saturday ordered surety bail for one person and released ten others when Talaimannar Police produced eleven refugees who were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) when they were returning to Sri Lanka from South India Friday, legal sources said.
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Tamil representatives, Legal experts meet EU officials

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 October 2005, 11:16 GMT]
Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois and a leading practitioner and advocate of international law, Mr. V. Rudrakumaran, an attorney of law based in New York, U.S, and a legal advisor to the Tamil delegation at the peace negotiations, met a high level delegation of European Commission External Relations officials on Monday at 2:00 p.m. in Brussels following the Tamil diaspora rally, sources in Brussels told TamilNet.


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CARE International begins construction of permanent houses in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 17:48 GMT]
Mr. Nick Osborne, Country Director of CARE International- Sri Lanka Thursday laid the foundation construction of permanent houses for tsunami-affected families in Naduoothu, a Muslim village in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district. The project is conducted under the Post Tsunami Recovery and Development Program. 125 houses will be constructed in the first phase.
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Jaffna journalists hold demonstration against attack on Tamil media

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2005, 14:17 GMT]
Large number of journalists based in Jaffna district Thursday morning held a one-hour demonstration in the Jaffna central bus stand condemning the assault on journalists of Sudar Oli, Colombo Tamil daily and its offices at Wellawatte and Grandpass. The shouted slogans, carrying placards protesting against the government for not taking prompt action to safeguard the Tamil media in Colombo, sources said.
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Tamil refugees rescued from Mannar Sea sandbank

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 04:59 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Tuesday ordered the release of thirteen Tamil refugees returned from Tamilnadu in India and rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy from sandbank in the midsea.
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Jaffna journalists picket against Denmark funded Media Training Institute

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Journalists of all Tamil dailies in the Jaffna district and representatives of media associations held a picketing in front of the Denmark funded Media Training Institute (MTI) of the Jaffna University Thursday demanding the implementation of four demands put forward by the North Sri Lanka Journalists' Association (NSJA). The picketing which commenced around nine a.m. was called off by afternoon following an agreement reached at a discussion held later between the MTI and NSJA officials, sources said.
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Protesters in Colombo urge Indian Government to halt SSCP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 07:04 GMT]
The People's Movement Against the Sedusamudram Ship Canal Project staged a demonstration opposite the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Tuesday from noon till 1:00 p.m. The demostration was led by the movement's organiser Attorney-At-Law E. Thambiah with the participation over thousand protestors which he described as a gathering irrespective of ethnicity, religion and region. The anti Sedusamudram protestors urged the Indian Government to stop the project immediately as it created adverse impact on the shipping and the enviornmental aspects of Sri Lanka.
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Tamil TV announcer, husband shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 August 2005, 11:27 GMT]
Senior Announcer at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Mrs. Relangi Selvarajah (45) and her husband Mr. Sinnadurai Selvarajah (48) were shot dead by unidentified gunmen Friday around 12:45 p.m. at Bampalapitiya St. Peter’s lane Colombo where they ran a Travel Agency, Kinross Travel Service, Police sources in Colombo said.


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UNP march reaches Dehiwela

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 July 2005, 10:46 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's President and the Government have ruined the peace process, which the United National Party (UNP) started, and have brought Sri Lanka to the brink of war. The term of office of President ends this year and the electorate should be given the opportunity to elect a new President this year," said UNP and opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Panadura inauguration of his party's Janabala Meheyuma (Operation People's Power) meeting. Tenth day of the UNP foot march is expected to reach Dehiwela Monday evening.
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"No international legal action on SSCP project"- Kadirgamar

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 July 2005, 10:41 GMT]
Sri Lankan government has rejected a suggestion to take up the controversial Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) to the International Court of Justice. "With regard to the reference made by a parliamentarian to possible international legal action, it must be said that at this point it is some what premature and remains in the realm of possibility. This is so because the Indian authorities at the highest level have indicated that they will co-operate with us and we hope they would agree to joint monitoring and assessment of any adverse implications,"said Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister in a seven-page statement on the SSCP in parliament Thursday evening, parliamentary sources said.


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State of Maryland declares Thirukkural Week

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 July 2005, 10:53 GMT]
A three day international conference on Thirukkural, a 2000 year old literary and ethical treatise of Tamils starts on 8 July Friday at Smith Auditorium, Howard Community College, Columbia Maryland in USA. Professor George Hart, a well known Tamil scholar who holds the position of The Tamil Chair at the University of California Berkeley, will be one of the keynote speakers, organizers said. State of Maryland has issued a proclamation declaring 8-10 July as a "Thirukkural Conference Week."
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