http://www.tamilnet.com Latest 20 TamilNet reports from Sri Lanka en Copyright (c) 1997-2008 TamilNet Fri, 09 May 2008 23:37:30 GMT Fri, 09 May 2008 23:37:30 GMT tamilnet@tamilnet.com http://www.tamilnet.com/img/feedlogo2.gif http://www.tamilnet.com 88 31 TamilNet logo http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25590 A troop carrier and supply ship of the Sri Lanka Navy, named A-520, was sunk by the Sea Tigers Black Tiger underwater naval commandos in the Trincomalee Harbour at 2:23 a.m. Saturday, according to initial reports by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni. The attack was carried out when the supply vessel was loaded with explosives to be transported to KKS Harbour in Jaffna, the Tigers said. Fri, 09 May 2008, 21:40 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25589 Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil trader in Selvanagar at Checkadipulavu in Vavuniyaa Thursday around 11:00 a.m. The victim has been identified as Baskaran, owner of shop at fourth milepost in Nelukulam, sources said. Fri, 09 May 2008, 17:10 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25588 Jaffna Bishop House and several Catholic organizations in Jaffna peninsula appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to rebuild St. Philips Narrie’s church in Allaiappiddi in the islets of Jaffna which was destroyed in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire in August 2006, sources in Jaffna said. The church serves more than 80 resettled families in Allaipiddi. Fri, 09 May 2008, 14:33 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25586 Vinayagmoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna, a former Tiger commander who turned leader of a paramilitary group operated by the Sri Lanka Army in the East, was released by the British authorities on Thursday following his imprisonment for possessing false documents. "He now remains under immigration detention powers," said British High Commission in Colombo, in a press release issued on Friday. Fri, 09 May 2008, 13:08 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25585 11 persons were killed and more than 30 persons were wounded in a bomb explosion inside a crowded restaurant in the centre of Ampaa'rai town in a pre-dominant Sinhala area, Friday evening around 6:00 p.m., initial reports said. Fri, 09 May 2008, 12:41 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25583 Mr. Sinnathamby Nagarajah, who served as Mayor of Jaffna twice in the late 60’s, passed away in New Jersey, USA, on Thursday May 8h at the age of 77. Mr. Nagarajah was a Tamil nationalist, and an active member of the Tamil diaspora in lobbying in the United States for political support for Tamil struggle of self determination. Fri, 09 May 2008, 11:27 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25582 Unidentified armed men in a white van abducted six Tamil youths Thursday around 8:30 p.m at Aalayadiveampu in Akkaraipattu police division in Ampaa’rai district, residents in Aalayadiveampu said. Fri, 09 May 2008, 11:26 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25581 30 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed, seven dead bodies of SLA troops were recovered after heavy fighting at Ka'rukkaaykku'lam Friday morning, LTTE officials told media. Five bodies were recovered Friday morning, LTTE spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. Two more bodies were recovered Friday night, according to latest updates by the LTTE officials. Two PK Light Machine Guns, three AK LMGs, five T-56 assault rifles and military hardware including ammunitions were seized by the Tigers. The SLA, while pulling back was towing an Armoured Personnel Carrier that had caught fire, the Tigers said. Ka'rukkaaykku'lam is located 2 km east of Adampan. Fri, 09 May 2008, 07:53 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25580 Undergrads of Jaffna University launched a boycott Friday protesting against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) search conducted Wednesday night in the students’ hostel, student leaders said. The search was prompted by an alleged hand grenade attack on SLA troops in the University vicinity. The Jaffna University Students Union (JUSF) accused the SLA and collaborating paramilitaries of staging the attack as a precursor to search the students’ hostel and to intimidate them. Fri, 09 May 2008, 07:36 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25579 Health service in Jaffna peninsula will be facing a crisis if the fast dwindling stocks of medicines in Jaffna Teaching Hospital and other hospitals in Jaffna peninsula are not replenished immediately, District Public Health Service (DPHS) sources said. Repeated requests to he Ministry of Health remain unattended due to disinterest and calculated step-motherly attitude of the authorities in charge of this affair, Jaffna Health officials added. Fri, 09 May 2008, 03:18 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=25578 All activities of the political parties and independent groups contesting the Eastern provincial council elections ended Wednesday midnight, the office of Elections Department (ED) announced Thursday. Meanwhile, expressing fear that Colombo was preparing itself for a large-scale election rigging, UNP parliamentarian Laxman Kiriyelle has accused the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry for its alleged involvement in distributing blank polling cards in the East. It is also alleged that nearly 170,000 polling cards remained stagnant in the post offices without being delivered and these were taken away by the paramilitary Pillayan group. Fri, 09 May 2008, 02:12 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25575 An 61-year-old civilian from Puloali, Vadamaraadchi, sought protection Thursday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna, due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, HRC sources said. Many Puloali residents are in protective custody of Jaffna Prison, the sources said. Fri, 09 May 2008, 00:30 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25577 The Sri Lankan government has launched a fundraising drive amongst Sinhala expatriates in support of its military. The initiative was formally launched Tuesday at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London and is to be continued in other capitals with Sinhala Diaspora. Several businessmen came forward to contribute towards the UK target of GBP 100,000, press reports said. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London, Mrs. Kshenuka Seniwiratne, bought the first ticket in a raffle for the project. Thu, 08 May 2008, 17:49 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25576 A 49-minute documentary, titled Burning Memories, featuring the story and the memories of the Jaffna Library, which was burnt down by the Sri Lankan Police in June 01, 1981, has been produced by an audio visual journalist, S. Someetharan. The tri-lingual documentary is scheduled to be released in May by the Nikari, the producers and distributors of the film. Thu, 08 May 2008, 15:51 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25574 Armed men who arrived in a white van on Tuesday abducted a 27-year-old family man in Akkaraippattu, Ampaa'rai, according to a complaint lodged by the victim's wife with the Police in Akkaraippattu. Thu, 08 May 2008, 12:39 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25573 Associated Press of America (AP) Colombo Bureau Chief Ravi Nessman and staff photographer Gemunu Amarasinghe, who were in Batticaloa and asked to leave the area immediately as the Government of Sri Lanka had taken a decision not to allow foreigners, except the election monitors, to visit Batticaloa. The journalists were told Thursday afternoon that they would need Ministry of Defence clearance. However, soon after the news spread, the GoSL revised the decision and allowed the journalists to return to Batticaloa giving instructions they can only engage in election coverage, media activists in Colombo said. Thu, 08 May 2008, 11:20 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25572 The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Elections that the government has provided helicopter facility to airdrop hundreds of thousands of pamphlets in support of the candidature of Pillaiyan, leader of the armed group contesting the east provincial election. Pamphlets with Tiger emblem were printed in Colombo and brought to Batticaloa Tuesday and Wednesday. UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake confirmed this to the media, party sources said.<br/><br/> Thu, 08 May 2008, 11:01 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25571 A parcel found in a compartment of a train arriving in Panadura railway station from Chilaapam on Tuesday created tension in the area, and suspended train services for several hours, sources said. Services resumed after the bomb disposal squad of the SLA took the parcel and found old clothes inside the package. Thu, 08 May 2008, 10:56 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25570 A nineteen year old Tamil, Arasaretnam Saranraj of Potkea'ni, a suburb in Thampalakaamam, a traditional village in Trincomalee district has been reported missing since Tuesday, according to complaints lodged with the Trincomalee regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Thursday.<br/><br/> Thu, 08 May 2008, 10:53 http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25569 Ranil Wickremasinge, United National Party (UNP) head and the Leader of Opposition accompanied by UNP parliamentarians inspected the place where UNP protestors were arrested Wednesday morning in front of the Election Department in Rajakiriya, Colombo, for demanding removal of arms from paramilitary groups including Pillayan group before the Eastern Provincial Council election. Two garbage carriers of Jayawardnepura Kotte Municipal Council littered their contents at the site, prompting Wickremasinghe’s visit, sources in Colombo said. Thu, 08 May 2008, 08:33