Rajapaksa's residence under tight security

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 18:01 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has issued a gazette notification banning the movement of trucks, trailer lorries, parades, demonstrations, rallies, gatherings (political or otherwise) and motorcades within the high security zone in and around Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's residence "Temple Trees" in Colombo with immediate effect, officials in Colombo said. The lighting of firecrackers or fireworks for any reason within the HSZ is also totally prohibited.
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30 Tamils interrogated over Colombo bomb blast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:59 GMT]
About 30 Tamil civilians were taken in for questioning by the Sri Lankan police following the bomb blast in Pettah, Colombo, Saturday afternoon. Around 45 civilians were injured in the blast.
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Tamil family man abducted in Vaazhaichcheani

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:51 GMT]
Armed persons abducted a 32-year-old man from his residence at Ka'n'nakipuram in Vaazhaichcheanai police division Saturday around 2:30 p.m., according to complaints lodged with the police by the victim's family members. The victim, Kanapathipillai Vasanthakumar, a father of two, had returned to his village 45 days ago after his employment in a Middle East country, police said.
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Two youths shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:32 GMT]
Unknown armed men shot and killed two youths Sunday afternoon east of Jaffna District Secretariat in Chu'ndikkuzhi, Police said. The victims were identified from the identity cards in their possession as 26-year-old Nithyananthan Thushyanthan, from 120 Brown Road, Jaffna and 29-year-old Kanagaratnam Narmathan, from Kantharmadam 119/2. One of the victims is a student of a Malaysian University, who seems to have come to Jaffna recently.
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Male shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 20:17 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a male in Pa'ndaariku'lam in Vavuniyaa Saturday morning. The dead has not been identified yet. His body has been lying in the Vavuniyaa general hospital, according to media sources in the town.
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NGO vehicle narrowly escapes DPU Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 18:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit soldiers triggered a Claymore mine Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. on a convoy of FORUT, a Norwegian NGO, at Kanakaraayanku'lam, a few minutes after the convoy has passed the entry point to Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet Saturday. Tamileelam police officials charged that the SLA has stepped up Claymore attacks on civilian vehicles in Vanni in a bid to terrorise the people of Vanni. The NGOs and the UN agencies have become under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, which is pressurising a move to force people to vacate LTTE administered areas.
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20 SLA killed, 32 wounded, 3 bodies recovered in Thu'nukkaay - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 16:34 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that attempted to advance towards Aalangku'lam in Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district from 9:40 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. Saturday. LTTE fighters have seized 7 T-56 automatic rifles and recovered 3 dead bodies of SLA soldiers after heavy fighting. The Tigers claimed that at least 20 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 32 wounded in the clashes. Heavy fighting ensued also in Vannearikku'lam where the SLA sustained casualties.
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Jaffna youth reported missing in Dehiwala

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 14:46 GMT]
Thirty year old Naranarayasinghan Loganthan, a native of Punaalai in Jaffna district and resident of Dehiwala in Colombo district was reported missing since July 17, according to a belated complaint lodged with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and Civil Monitoring Committee by his sister Vijeyaluxmy on Thursday, sources said.
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SLA shelling kills 5 IDPs, children in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 12:15 GMT]
Five civilians, including two children, displaced recently from Mannaar district were killed Saturday evening when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attack on Puthumu'rippu village, situated 7 km southwest of Ki'inochchi town. Three civilians were rushed to Ki'inochchi hospital in critical condition, according to medical sources. The SLA attack, targeting the village, densely populated by IDPs, comes a day after Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets threatening heavy casualties to civilians in Vanni unless they moved from LTTE administered Vanni.
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10 SLA deserters escape from custody

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 09:18 GMT]
Ten deserted soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) escaped from the Pelawatte SLA camp in Akuragoda, located near Colombo, on Friday while being detained for further inquiry. The deserters were arrested by the military police of the SLA and handed over to the police for follow up action, sources in Colombo said. They were later arrested by the Sri Lankan military police.
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Bomb explodes in Colombo, 45 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 07:01 GMT]
At least 45 persons were wounded when a bomb exploded in Colombo around 12:15 p.m. Saturday. The blast has taken place in the pavement of Olcott Mawatte in Pettah, Police said. Medical sources said some of the wounded were in critical condition.
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STF, police torture, forcibly drown Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 02:28 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and policemen forcibly drowned Friday around 6:50 a.m in Urukaamam Punnaiku’lam lake in Velaave’li police division in Batticaloa district, a Tamil youth arrested by STF commandos five days ago after having tortured him, residents in Urukaamam alleged. STF claimed that the youth was a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and that they had recovered a pistol and a hand grenade from him, the sources added.
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Tissainayagam, Jaseeharan, Valarmathi not seeking interim relief from court

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 12:32 GMT]
Counsels for the journalists J.S.Tissainayagam, S.Jaseeharan and V.Valarmathi who have been indicted by the Sri Lankan Attorney General under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER), informed the Sri Lankan Supreme Court Wednesday that they were not seeking any interim relief as their fundamental rights violation applications have been listed for hearing on September 10 and November 14, legal sources said.
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Vavuniyaa choked with abrupt GA nominations

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 11:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Public Administration recently transferred the Government Agent of Vavuniyaa S. Shanmugam from his post despite there was only a couple of months till his retirement. Meanwhile, the GA of Mullaiththeevu, Imela Sukumar, was appointed for his post and she was also instructed to look after Mullaiththeevu district from Vavuniyaa. But, her appointment has now been canceled. In the Meantime, the GA of Maanaar A. Nicholas Pillai, has been transferred to Vavuniyaa. The shifting appointments have come due to pressure from two competing paramilitary leaders operating from Colombo with vested interest in the affairs of Vavuniyaa, according to informed sources.
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Grenade attack on Muslim teacher’s house in Ea’raavoor

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 10:09 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving on a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade Friday around 5:30 a.m on the house of a Muslim teacher in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Ea’raavoor said. No one was injured but the front part of the house was slightly damaged in the blast.
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2 TMVP paramilitary men shot, injured in Akkaraippattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 09:57 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen opened fire Friday around 2:30 a.m on two paramilitary men of the political-cum paramilitary party TMVP, seriously injuring them, at Ka’n’nakipuram area in Akkaraippattu police division in Ampaa’rai district, sources in Akkaraippattu said. The injured men, admitted to Akkaraippattu hospital first, had gone missing while being transferred to Kalmunai Hospital for further treatment, the sources added.
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Devotees sustain injuries during Chariot festival in Nalloor temple

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 09:48 GMT]
More than fifteen devotees among the many thousands attending the annual Nalloor Kanthasuvami Koayil Thear (car) festival Friday morning sustained injuries when a flaming torch held in front of the car, during its passage around the temple, tripped down, sources in Jaffna said. The injured devotees are admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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SLA denies permission for paddy cultivation in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 06:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna denied permission for the Maha Season paddy cultivation in areas adjoining its High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ma'ravanpulavu, Thanangki'lappu and Koayilaakka'ndi in Thenmaraadchi, depriving thousands of Internally Displaced families of their sole livelihood, farmers representatives in Jaffna said. The farmers have repeatedly requested Jaffna Government Agent to allow them to cultivate their paddy fields.
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Male corpse washed ashore on Naavatku’li beach in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 06:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in their sentry post on Naavatku’li coast on finding a male corpse of a youth with gun shot wounds washed ashore Thursday night handed it to Chaavakachcheari police. The youth may have been killed in the clashes heard on the Front Defence Line (FDL) areas in Thanangki’lappu and Kokilakka’ndi in Thenmaradchi the day before, Naavatku’li residents said.
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SLA curfew hinder devotees attending Nalloor temple festival

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 05:25 GMT]
Though Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna had earlier announced a curfew lift in the entire Jaffna peninsula enabling Saiva devotees attend the annual Nalloor Kanthasuvami Koayil festival, the curfew remained imposed as usual in the rest of the peninsula except within Nalloor District Secretariat area and Jaffna Municipal Council limit, resulting in less number of devotees being present Thursday evening on the 23rd day ‘Chappa’ram’ festival, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLN attacks fishermen in Mullaiththeevu, Vadamaraadchi East seas

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 04:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) fleet of Dvora Fast Attack Crafts (FAC) opened fire Thursday morning around 6:00 a.m on fishermen engaged in fishing in the seas of Mullaiththeevu and on the coastal areas. Two fishermen narrowly escaped death while their boat was completely destroyed, sources in Mullaiththeevu said. Meanwhile SLN staged a similar attack on fishermen fishing in Vadamaraadchi east seas.
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DPU attack kills 2 civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 03:49 GMT]
A 15-year-old boy and a 33-year-old vegetable trader were killed on the spot at Olumadu Thursday evening when a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit triggered four Claymore mines targeting the grocery traders who were riding in a motorbike towards Nedungkea'ni in Mullaiththeevu district, Tamileelam Police said. The attack came a few hours before the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets instructing the people of Vanni to move out of the LTTE controlled areas to Vavuniyaa.
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Grenade explodes in Batticaloa prison, EPDP members wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 03:31 GMT]
Seven EPDP persons were seriously wounded and rushed to Batticaloa hospital after a hand-grenade explosion inside their cell in the Batticaloa Prison Friday morning around 5:00 a.m., Police said.
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Jury discharged in Sivaram murder case, trial put off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 14:19 GMT]
Colombo High Court Judge A.T.Ratnaike Wednesday discharged the Sinhalese speaking Jury in the murder case of popular military analyst and TamilNet editorial board member Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki) following the submission by the prosecution that whereabouts of one of the key prosecution witnesses was not known, legal sources said.
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Power cut in Jaffna peninsula likely to last for months

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 14:13 GMT]
Problems encountered in procuring Sri Lankan Defence Ministry permission to take certain electrical components to Jaffna peninsula and the delay in shipping them may affect the ongoing arrangements to supply the needed electricity for the entire peninsula until early next year, Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) Jaffna officials said.
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200 SLA soldiers in hospital with food poisoning in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 09:08 GMT]
About two hundred recruits of the Sri Lanka Army were rushed to hospital Thursday morning in the Dehiyatakandiya training camp of the SLA in Ampaa'rai district after taking their breakfast with fish. Some of the SLA recruits are in critical condition, according to medical sources.
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Russian President justifies independence for South Ossetia, Abkhazia

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 07:41 GMT]
Explaining his government’s decision to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said in an op-ed in the Financial Times newspaper: “Not all of the world’s nations have their own statehood. Many exist happily within boundaries shared with other nations. The Russian Federation is an example of largely harmonious coexistence by many dozens of nations and nationalities. But some nations find it impossible to live under the tutelage of another. Relations between nations living 'under one roof' need to be handled with the utmost sensitivity.”
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Airstrike targeted SLN Eastern HQ - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 19:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Wednesday claimed that the Air Tigers carried out a successful air strike on the Eastern Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy located in the inner harbour of Trincomalee Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. At least 4 SLN sailors were killed and more than 35 wounded in the air strike, which inflicted heavy damage on the SLN base, the Tigers claimed.
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Electricity transformer fired upon in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 16:55 GMT]
Unidentified armed men opened rapid fire Monday during curfew hours on an electricity transformer at Kachchaay, Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi causing damages to it. Electricity supply was cut off in the area and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a cordon and search Tuesday in the area, covering the triangular area between Kodikaamam, Chaavakachcheari and Kachchaay, sources in Thenmaraadchi said.
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TID questioned Ganesan on his visits to Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 14:08 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on Tuesday questioned Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan for six hours from 11:00 a.m. The questions were based on his peace delegation visits to Ki'linochchi during the CFA period between 2002 and 2004. The TID wanted to know if he had developed any 'special relationship' with the LTTE during the these visits. Mano Ganesan has vehemently refused any 'special relationship' with LTTE and any link with any arrested 'terrorist suspects', according to a statement released Wednesday by his office in Colombo.
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SLA Claymore attack kills refugee in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
A civilian was killed and three wounded when a group of Internally Displaced Persons, who were riding in a tractor in Thu'nukkaay, were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit Wednesday morning around 10:00, according to Tamileelam Police.
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Police deployed inside Eastern University

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 11:40 GMT]
Effective immediately the security for Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) in Vanthaa'rumoolai has been handed over to the police based on instructions from higher authorities, according to Dr.V. Pathmanathan, the vice chancellor of the EUSL. 60 policemen under the supervision of an Assistant Superintendent of Police have been placed on duty within the University.
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Tamil civilian abducted in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 10:30 GMT]
Unidentified armed men abducted a newly-wed Tamil family man Tuesday around 3:30 p.m at Ko’ndaiyaangkea’ni area in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district, according to the complaint lodged by his wife with Vaazhaichcheanai police.
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Tamil Diaspora must act to prevent humanitarian tragedy - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 09:39 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament from Jaffna District, Selvarajah Gajendran, on Tuesday, urged the Tamil Diaspora to provide assistance to local aid agencies working among the IDPs in Vanni and to campaign in their host countries to exert pressure on the GoSL to remove restrictions on the transport of emergency supplies to Vanni and urge the International Community to support the Tamil people's right to live in peace in their homeland. The Sri Lankan government has ordered Government Agents to operate from Vavuniyaa and has actively discouraged even UN agencies from entering Vanni, the MP said.
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Tamil trader shot dead in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 09:21 GMT]
Two unidentified gun men on motorcycle arriving at the shop of a Tamil trader Tuesday around 9:30 p.m at Poonochchimunai in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district shot and killed him, Kaaththaankudi police said.
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Catholic commission in Vanni highlights IDPs plight

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 00:19 GMT]
Amid pouring rain and thundering blasts of artillery and mortar shells, more than 170,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Vanni are facing a great human tragedy, which is calculatedly concealed from the world outside, said Rev. Fr. James Pathinathan, the president of the Vanni branch of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, in an urgent appeal to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, on Tuesday. "If the International Community doesn't act at once, it will be too late," he told TamilNet after handing over the memorandum to the Residential Representative of the UNHCR in Vanni.
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LTTE air strike on Trincomalee harbour - SLN

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 16:26 GMT]
Heavy explosions rocked the Trincomalee Harbour around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday and again at midnight. The Sri Lanka Navy sources have confirmed that at least one LTTE aircraft had dropped bombs, but refused to comment on the casualty details. Tension prevailed in Trincomalee town Tuesday night from about 9.05 onwards as Sri Lankan forces surrounding the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters located along the Trincomalee harbor continuously fired towards sky for about half an hour following the alleged attack. The city was deserted. 11 Sri Lankan soldiers have been admitted at Trincomalee hospital. Explosions were heard again at midnight.
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25 Tamils arrested in Gampaha

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 11:39 GMT]
Twenty five Tamil civilians were taken into custody Tuesday morning in a cordon and search conducted in Gampaha police division in the Western Province by the Sri Lanka Army and police with the assistance of homeguards.
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Bail refused for journalist Tissainayagam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 10:53 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Monday refused bail for Sunday Times columnist J.S.Tissainayagam when he was produced in court for the first time after he had been indicted by the Attorney General on three counts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER), for printing, publishing and distributing the magazine "North Eastern Monthly" during the period from June 1, 2006 to June 1, 2007 and for making payments or collecting funds from a non-governmental organization to run the said magazine, legal sources said.
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Jaffna Catholics raise one million rupees to help Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 10:10 GMT]
In response to the recent appeal by the Commission for Justice and Peace (CJP) to all Catholics in Jaffna peninsula to generously contribute to a relief fund towards helping the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Vanni, 1.2 million rupees were collected during the special mass and Holy Communion held Sunday in the Catholic churches throughout the peninsula sources close to the Bishop of Jaffna, said.
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SLA restrictions affect cattle owners, farmers in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 09:56 GMT]
Cattle owners and farmers in Koara'laipattu South, Ea'raavoorpattu and Chengkaladi divisions of Batticaloa district have appealed to their respective Divisional Secretaries and Batticaloa Government Agent to help lift Sri Lanka Army (SLA) imposed restrictions in engaging in their livelihoods of dairy farming and agriculture. A threatening situation prevails in the remote villages of Batticaloa, especially against the cattle ownrs, as SLA soldiers manning the posts in Paduvaankarai region have stepped up deployment along jungle tracks and cattle posts used by cattle herders.
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Sinhala students of EUSL to be admitted to southern universities

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 08:28 GMT]
Sri Lankan Minister of Higher Education Viswa Warnapala has taken steps to temporarily admit Sinhala students of Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) to Universities in South. Due to the tension prevailing in the EUSL in the aftermath of the killing of Sinhala student, the University Grant Commission (UGC) had consulted Bail Rajapaksa, the brother and advisor of Sri Lankan President and the officials of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence.
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TID interrogates Mano Ganesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 08:02 GMT]
The leader of the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) and a Member of Sri Lankan Parliament Mano Ganesan is being questioned by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) Tuesday morning, informed sources in Colombo told TamilNet.
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SLFP to decide on holding elections to 5 PCs

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 August 2008, 18:18 GMT]
The central working committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is to meet during the weekend to decide its political strategy about the question of holding elections to the Western, Southern, North Central, Uva and Central Provincial Councils in the south within next three months. The meeting has been summoned in the wake of the outright victory for the UPFA in Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) and North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) last Saturday, political sources said.
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Male corpse washed ashore along Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 August 2008, 09:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in their sentry post along Jaffna lagoon on finding a male corpse with gun shot wounds washed ashore Monday morning informed Jaffna police, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Magistrate, Vasanthasenan, who visited the site held inquiries and directed the police to hand over the corpse to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary.
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Devotees reported missing in Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 August 2008, 09:11 GMT]
A 27-year-old Public Health Inspector and his 34-year-old friend who were among the devotees, allowed to enter Ponnaalai Varadarajah Perumaa'l temple inside the Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone (HSZ) at the entrance to the Kaarainakar island in Jaffna, have been reported missing on Sunday.
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Hand grenade lobbed at the house of Eastern Province Councilor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 15:56 GMT]
Unidentified men hurled a hand grenade Sunday early morning 2:00 a.m. at the residence of Eastern Province Council (EPC) member, S.M.Zubhair Hadjiar located along Ea'raavoor Girls School and bolted away. The grenade fell within the premises of the home close to the entrance and exploded. Zubhair escaped unhurt in the explosion and the house was undamaged.
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Peradeniya Tamil undergrads agitate for release of student

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 10:29 GMT]
Tamil students of the Arts Faculty of the Peradeniya University Friday handed over a memorandum to the Vice-chancellor requesting him to take immediate steps to release K. Umanath, a final year student, from police custody, enabling him to sit for his final examination scheduled to be held in three months, sources in Peredeniya said. Umanath is still being detained in Davulugala police station in Kandy district.
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2 SLA soldiers killed, 2 injured in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 09:48 GMT]
A group of unidentified armed men opened fire and hurled hand grenades on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in Yaakkarai and Kalikai areas in Karaveddi in Vadamraadchi Saturday midnight killing two soldiers and seriously injuring two, sources in Jaffna said. Thousands of SLA troops deployed in the above area launched a cordon and search operation, immediately after the attack, that continued till Sunday evening.
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233 families allowed to resettle in no-man zone in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 07:23 GMT]
The committee appointed by Colombo Supreme Court to explore into the possibility of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in areas inside Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north met Saturday around 3:30 p.m in Palaali SLA Head Quarters and decided to allow resettlement in the first stage only in areas outside the HSZ within the 600 meter distance of no-man’s area, contrary to the hopes of the applicants for resettlement inside the HSZ, now occupied by the SLA.
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UPFA victory endorses war - GoSL spokesman

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 06:58 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has claimed that the people of the Sabaragamuwa Province and North Central Province have "fully endorsed" the stand and policy of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in "defeating terrorism" as the ruling alliance won the elections in Sabaragamuwa with a majority of more than 125,000 votes (55.38%) against the UNP, which secured 40.53% of the votes. In North Central Province, the UPFA polled 56.37% and the UNP 37.64%, 100,000 less than the UPFA.
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Imelda Sukumar appointed Vavuniyaa GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 06:56 GMT]
Ms Imelda Sukumar has been appointed Government Agent of Vavuniyaa district with immediate effect. She has been instructed by the Sri Lanka's Ministry of Public Administration to cover the administrative district of Mullaiththeevu also. She had been earlier serving as the GA, Mullaiththeevu district till she sustained injuries in the artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army on Mullaiththeevu district secretariat recently, media sources said.
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Ten thousand Tamil voters deprived from voting in Sabaragamuwa election

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:26 GMT]
Nearly 10,000 Up-Country Tamils who are eligible to vote were deprived from voting on Saturday at Ratnapura and Kegalle districts in Sabaragamuwa provincial council elections as they did not have National Identity Cards (NIC), a senior Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) member told media in Colombo.
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IDP fire victims to be resettled in Sithamparapuram village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:14 GMT]
220 Internall Displaced Persons belonging to 56 families, who lost their temporary shelters due to fire that took place second time at Poonthoaddam Welfare Centre in Vavuniyaa, could be resettled in Sithamparapuram village in Vavuniyaa division with their consent, according to Planning Officer Ms. Vijayaluxmy Ketheeswaran, who is in charge of resettlement division.
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6 Tamil youths of north arrested in Nuwara Eliya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:10 GMT]
Six Tamil youths, residents of Maangku'lam and Ki'llinochchi in Vanni and Nelliyadi in Jaffna district, arrested on August 19 while residing in a rented out house located in Elgin area in Nuwara Eliya-Lindula police division are being held in detention in the police station under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Police said.
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JVP parliamentarian arrested, UNP provincial councilor remanded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Saturday evening arrested Premasiri Manage, parliamentarian of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at Rambukkana in the south with two others in connection with the assault on a government supporter on August 18. He and other two are being detained in the police station and being interrogated, police sources said adding that the suspects were traveling in a vehicle with arms.
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Sri Lanka to court-martial army deserters

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) high command has warned that deserters who fail to respond to the amnesty period are to be arrested and court-martialed. Twelve thousand army deserters have failed to surrender to the SLA during the amnesty period. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara has told media that eight thousand youths are to be recruited afresh to the volunteer force and other units of the SLA.
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Peace group fears for the credibility of Provincial Council system

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 10:07 GMT]
The National Peace Council, a Colombo based peace group, on Friday said that the conduct of the Sri Lankan government with regard to the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Councils indicated that the political agenda of the centre, and power politics, rather than the democratic requirements of the provinces that have been uppermost. Both the provinces are Sinhala dominated. Reminding that the Provincial Council system was established to provide the basis of a solution to the ethnic conflict based on the devolution of power, the NPC said that the SP and NCP Council elections have implications that go beyond 'ordinary politics and the contest for political dominance.'
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UPFA supporters obstruct voters from estate areas - CaFFE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 08:57 GMT]
Several Estate houses have been set on fire by UFPA supporters at Yatiyanthota Weoya and there is continuous obstruction of voters coming from estate areas into polling booths, according to a situation update by the Campaign for Free & Fair Elections (CaFFE), which has deployed more than 1200 monitors in both the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. However, voters have been participating enthusiastically in the elections since early morning, the CaFFE report further said.
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42% voter turn out in NCP, SP elections in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 08:28 GMT]
The voter turn out was at 42 percent in the provincial elections in North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces, based on the data up to Saturday noon, according to the sources at the Sri Lankan Election Commissinoers office. Although no major incident reported, there were reports of UPFA mobs snatching National Identity Cards of voters and TMVP paramilitary personnel engaged in chasing away UNP supporters.
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Court grants leave to FR petition by Jaseeharan, Valarmathi

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2008, 20:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights violation petition filed by Mr. Jaseeharan and Ms Valarmathi, co-directors of the "Outreach" website, being held in remand since the arrest on March 6 this year along with Sunday Times columnist J.S.Tissanayagam, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Thenmaraadchi farmer seeks refuge with HRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2008, 19:19 GMT]
A 27-year-old farmer from Thenmaraadchi sought refuge Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitary men. HRC officials took steps to place the farmer in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison.
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45 disappear in Jaffna in 8 months

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2008, 16:26 GMT]
Statistics gathered by Government and Non-government humanitarian organizations in Jaffna revealed that more than 45 persons, most of them less than 30-years old, had gone missing in the first eight months of 2008, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, during a meeting held Sunday with SLA Jaffna Commander in Kaangkeasanththu’rai, representatives of civil society organizations accused Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the worsening human rights situation, for imposing undue restrictions on travel, interference in civil administration, and for placing harsh restrictions on fishing affecting livelihoods of many fishermen, attendees to the meeting said.
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EUSL suspends educational activities

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2008, 09:59 GMT]
Eastern University Vice-chancellor Dr. V. Pathmanathan on Friday suspended all educational activities temporarily and made arrangements to send the Sinhalese students in the university safely to Polonnaruwa district first and from there to their homes, on instructions from the University Grant Commission (UGC), the VC said. The UGC has taken this decision after consulting the local heads of the government armed forces after a Sinhalese student was shot and killed Thursday by unidentified armed men.
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Sinhala student shot dead at Eastern University

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 18:14 GMT]
A final-year student from Kurunagala, studying at the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) at Vanthaa'rumoolai was shot and killed by unknown armed men Thursday around 9:15 p.m. Ea'raavoor Police said they were investigating whether the killing had any connection to an incident in which a Tamil girl was allegedly ragged at the EUSL, a few days ago.
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25 Tamil civilians arrested in Puththa'lam, Badulla

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 16:22 GMT]
35 people including 25 Tamil civilians were taken into custody in two separate cordon and search operations conducted by the police with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army and civil volunteer groups in Badulla and Puththa'lam on Tuesday and Wednesday. Five Tamil youths were arrested in Badulla police division on Tuesday evening and 30 persons including 20 Tamils were arrested in Puththalam police division. The search operation conducted in Puththa'lam commenced on Tuesday night and concluded on Wednesday, civil sources said.
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Violence marks election campaign in North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 16:13 GMT]
The election campaign in Sri Lanka's North Central and Sabaragamuwa provincial elections to be held on August 23 came to an end Wednesday midnight with scores of election related violence that topped up to 250 reported incidents from both provinces including a murder, arson, attempted murder and intimidations. Ten political parties and eight independent groups are contesting in Polonnaruwa while 11 parties and seven independent groups are contesting in Anuradhapura. More than 21,000 police are being deployed in the provinces as well as Sri Lanka Army soldiers.
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Family man shot dead in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 14:04 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a young family man Thursday around 6:30 a.m in Thoampu, Imaiyaa’nan area in Vadamaraadchi as he came out of his house, his wife said in the inquest into the killing. Her husband had been threatened to death by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers many times and had hidden himself for a long time, she said.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Vavu’natheevu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 12:16 GMT]
Five unidentified armed men who forcibly took away a Tamil civilian Wednesday around 12:00 p.m from his house in Koththiyaapuram in Vavu’natheevu police division in Batticaloa shot and killed him, sources in Batticaloa said. Four of the five armed men were clad in pants similar to those worn by Special Task Force (STF) commandos, the sources added.
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JVP says UPFA machinery geared for poll rigging

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 09:07 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wednesday charged that the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government machinery of SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been fully geared for mass scale rigging in the forthcoming elections to the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) and North Central Provincial Council (NCPC), scheduled to be held On August 23 Saturday.
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2 Muslim villagers shot dead in Nilaave'li

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 08:56 GMT]
Two Muslim villagers were shot dead by unidentified armed persons Wednesday night around 7.30 p.m. when they were traveling in a tractor to cut firewood in the nearby jungle in Nilaave'li which is located along Trincomalee-Pulmoaddai road, about 16 km of north of east port city. Four other Muslim villagers were seriously injured in this incident, according to Kuchchave'li police.
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UNP Tamil candidate attacked by goons in Kegalle

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2008, 02:54 GMT]
Goons alleged to be former minister Ranjith Soyza’s men waylaid and attacked five persons including Western People’s Front (WPF) chief candidate contesting on United National Party (UNP) ticket in Sabragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) election, Wednesday around 11:00 a.m. as they were traveling in a vehicle through Kavaththai town in Kegalle district. All five persons are admitted to Kavaththai hospital with serious injuries while two of them with injuries to the head are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
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Mother, son abducted in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 18:51 GMT]
Unidentified men operating from a white van forcibly entered a home located along Hospital road, Kalmunai within Ampaa’rai-Kalmunai police division, Ampaa'rai district and abducted a mother and her son sitting for GCE Advanced Level Examination from their home Wednesday early morning 1:30 a.m., according to a report lodged with Kalmunai police.
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Family man shot dead, youth injured in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 17:30 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motor cycle arriving at the house of a family man in Valveddiththu’rai Maavadi area in Vadmaraadchi, shot and killed him Wednesday around 1:30 p.m. Point Pedro Additional magistrate Allex Rajah visited the site and held the inquest into the death. Meanwhile, Wednesday morning, a youth with gunshot wounds had left the hospital in Thunnaalai, Vadamaraadchi immediately after having his wounds dressed saying he feared for his life, hospital sources said.
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Journalist Tissanayagam further remanded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 16:56 GMT]
Sunday Times columnist J.S.Tissanayagam and two others were ordered further remand till September 9 Wednesday by the Colombo Chief Magistrate, Manjula Thilakaratne when they were produced in court. Mr.Jaseeharan and Ms Valarmathi who had been running the printing press, were the other two suspects, legal sources said.
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SLA arrests family man in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 16:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested a family man on suspicion Monday night after 9:00 p.m during curfew hours for being found walking close to the premises of Karaveddi SLA camp in Vadamaraadchi. The arrestee, handed over to Nelliyadi police, was produced in Point Pedro court Tuesday where the magistrate directed the police to produce the suspect before a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) and obtain a medical report on his health conditions.
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Tamil man abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 12:02 GMT]
A 31-year old Tamil civilian, R.F. Mariyakumar, was abducted Wednesday morning around 6:30 a.m. from his residence along Christ Mawatte in Marawila in Negombo police division by a group of unidentified armed men, according to a complaint lodged by the victim's with the Marawila Police, sources in Colombo said.
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Court orders forensic analysis on munitions allegedly found in HRC vehicle

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 03:03 GMT]
Mallaakam magistrate, Ms. Sarojini Ilankovan, directed Tuesday Maanippaay police to submit the munitions claimed to have been recovered from the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) vehicle parked in a motor repair garage in Maanippaay in Valikaamam, for chemical analysis in Colombo, and submit the findings to the Court, legal sources in Jaffna said.
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2500 commandos to be recruited to Sri Lanka Air Force

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 02:56 GMT]
Attempt to recruit 2500 commandos to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) intended for deployment as ground staff with duties including deactivating mines and bombs, and providing security to high officials of the SLAF, began Monday, SLAF spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told the media. The deployment will begin after necessary training, according to the spokesperson.
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Sri Lanka officials complicit in Tamil Genocide? - Washington Times

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 01:43 GMT]
Asserting that "[t]here is reason to believe that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has been complicit in a Srebrenica-like genocide or worse against Sri Lanka's Tamils on the installment plan. Since entering office in November 2005, he has been witness to the extrajudicial killings of more than 1,500 Tamils, torture, scores of kidnappings, countless arbitrary detentions and displacement of more than 250,000, a staggering percentage of Tamils who have not fled abroad seeking asylum," a commentary in the Washington Times, Wednesday issue, urged the U.S. Justice Department to lead a genocide investigation of Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Lt.Gen. Fonseka, and Basil Rajapakse.
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Maheswaran murder suspect indicted in High Court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 19:54 GMT]
The Attorney General Tuesday indicted Johnson Collin, alias Valentine, with the murder of Colombo district United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian T.Maheswaran and another devotee on January 1 while both were attending prayers in Colombo Ponnambalavaaneswarar Temple. Chandrakumar Mahindan was also killed in the incident along with Mr.Maheswaran.
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2 SLA soldiers shot, injured in Vadamarraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 14:34 GMT]
Unidentified armed men opened fire on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post in Vallipuram area in Point Pedro, Vadamaraadchi Monday midnight, seriously injuring two SLA soldiers, sources in Point Pedro said. The injured soldiers were rushed to Palaali Military hospital and an intensive cordon and search was launched in Vallipuram and the areas close to it by the SLA.
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Tamil family man abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
Unidentified armed men operating from a white van abducted a married man Sunday afternoon 6:30 p.m. on Batticaloa –Kalmunai road in Koaddaikkallaa’ru area within Ka'luvaagnchikkudi police division in Batticaloa district.
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Fuel crisis cripples IDP movement in Vanni - Ki'linochchi GA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 11:24 GMT]
More than 100,000 Internally Displaced People in Vanni, languishing in dark beneath shrubs, bushes and in public buildings throughout Ki'linochchi district, and affected by various hardships imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has crippled the ability of the IDPs to move themselves and their belongings, according to the Government Agent of Ki'linochchi district. 134,868 IDPs belonging to 35,353 families are heavily affected by the economic blockade in Ki'inochchi district. Meanwhile the rainy season has begun in Vanni and more than 75 percent of the families are getting drenched by the torrential rain.
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University of Jaffna observes silent protest in solidarity with civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 09:40 GMT]
Hundreds of students and the staff of the University of Jaffna Tuesday morning gathered for a silent protest against the isolation of civilians in Vanni by the Sri Lankan government. The silent protest by the University society, expressing solidarity with thousands of displaced people in Vanni, comes after a long period of time marked with targeted annihilation of protesting voices in Jaffna.
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Grenade attack on Muslim trader’s house in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 02:17 GMT]
Unidentified persons hurled a hand grenade Monday around 9:15 p.m on the house of a Muslim trader in Oaddamaavadi area in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district. Though the occupants were not hurt, the front portion of the house was slightly damaged in the attack, sources in Vaazhaichcheanai said.
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Tamil trustee shot dead in Ea’raavoor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 02:14 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving at the house of a Tamil Justice of the Peace (JP) Monday around 8:30 p.m at Thevaapuram in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district opened fire on him. The seriously injured JP was first rushed to Chengkaladi hospital and then transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds Tuesday around 4:00 a.m.
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2 Tamils abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 18:32 GMT]
Two Tamil civilians were abducted by unidentified armed groups on Friday night in two separate incidents in Colombo police division, according to complaints lodged with the police by their wives Monday, human rights sources said.
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Polling stations to be declared security zone

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 12:03 GMT]
Five hundred meters surrounding each polling station in the North Central Province (NCP) and Sabaragamuwa Province (SP) are to be declared high security zone on the Election Day, August 23. This is consequent to the increase of violence preceding the elections to the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) and North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) scheduled to take place in five days. Elections Commissioner has also decided to strengthen the security of polling station by deploying Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, sources said.
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Tamil man reported missing in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:43 GMT]
A 30-year-old Tamil man was reported missing in Cheddikku'lam in Vavuniyaa division since Thursday, according to a complaint lodged with the Cheddikku'lam police by his mother Monday.
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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.
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22 Tamils arrested in Gampaha

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:34 GMT]
Twenty nine Tamil civilians were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in Gampaha police division from Saturday night till Sunday morning around 9:00 a.m., according to the Sri Lankan Police. Most of them had been working in shops and other institutions. Some had come from Northern Province and Eastern Province but others are Up-Country Tamils.
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Sri Lankan IGP interdicts 2 policemen for not checking UNP MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:32 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Inspector General of Police Sunday interdicted a police constable and a police sergeant on a report that they failed to conduct search on the vehicle in which UNP parliamentarian Dr.Jayalath Jayewardene was traveling to Madu to attend church festival held on August 15.
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Devotees arrested in Nalloor temple released

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 10:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) arrested Saturday around 7:30 p.m more than fifteen youths who were worshiping at the historically famous Nalloor Kantasuvaami Koayil claiming their behavior was suspicious, sources in Jaffna said. The youths who were taken in Buffel Armoured Personnel Carriers to an SLA camp in Jaffna town were released Sunday morning after being held for interrogation, the sources added.
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SLA soldier killed, 4 injured in mortar attack in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2008, 09:23 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was killed and four wounded Saturday night when the SLA camp at Ka'n'nakipuram in Akkaraippattu of Ampaa'rai district came under mortar fire, according to Sri Lankan police sources.
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SLA intensifies artillery barrage in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 17:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from its bases in Thenmaraadchi and Vadamaraadchi launched Sunday afternoon heavy artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory in Mukamaalai and Nakarkoayil, sources in Jaffna said. The intensified shelling comes while the SLA troops are reportedly engaged in sporadic clashes with LTTE combatants for the third consecutive day. Night shelling continues from the SLA 52nd Division base in Va’ra’ni, Kodikaamam base and Point Pedro Munai SLA base.
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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.
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Pillaiyan group threatens Tamil voters in Polonnaruwa - CaFFE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 10:45 GMT]
Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE), a monitoring organization said Sunday that it has received several complaints alleging that Tamil Paramilitary group Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP ) has been engaged in preventing opposition parties, United National Party (UNP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from holding election meetings in Tamil villages in the south of Polonnaruwa electorate and also intimidating Tamil voters not to vote for such parties in the forthcoming elections to the North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) that is scheduled to be held on August 23.
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SLA artillery shells target civilians in Kanthapuram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 07:37 GMT]
Residents of the civilian settlements in Kanthapuram in Ki’linochchi district are fleeing from their residences due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery attack Sunday from 3:20 p.m and again during the night.
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SLA, LTTE clash in Ki’laali FDL

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 05:30 GMT]
Heavy clashes between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Ki’laali Northern Front Defence Lines (FDL) erupted Saturday afternoon, lasting for an hour and again in the evening fighting erupted around 6:00 p.m and went on till 7:00 p.m,. Heavy artillery and Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire were exchanged in the clashes. No information is available about casualties.
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SLA ban, restrictions cripple Fisheries Societies’ activities in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 August 2008, 04:49 GMT]
One hundred and seventeen fisheries societies in Jaffna peninsula have been disabled to continue their development activities due to the continuing fishing ban and restrictions imposed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), President of Jaffna Peninsula Fisheries Societies Unions’ Federation, S. Thavaratnam expressed concern. The fisheries societies entirely dependent on membership subscription to carry on their activities are forced into inactivity, he added.
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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.
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State terrorism against JVP, Wijitha Herat accuses Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 13:17 GMT]
"The government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has unleashed state terrorism against the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). I would say categorically to the government that it cannot suppress the JVP; the JVP has all powers and strength to defeat state terrorism in any form," Gampaha district parliamentarian and JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wijitha Herat, told media Friday, sources in Colombo said.
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SLA steps up night shelling from three fronts on Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 11:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has continuously engaged its artillery batteries from the Northern Front, Mannaar Front and Ma'nalaa'ru Front with grinding bombardment during nights targeting residential areas in the rear of all the frontiers of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts since Tuesday. The systematic barrage has destroyed several houses properties and cattle abandoned by the fleeing residents besides damaging countless fruit trees. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) were continuously engaged in surveillance over Ki’linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts during the nights.
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Displaced Muslim civilian abducted in Puththalam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 01:21 GMT]
Mohamed Hussein, 37, a father of five children, was abducted Thursday evening in Veppamadu, a resettlement village in Puththalam division in the north western province, by unidentified armed men. The victim was earlier living Mannaar, but later was displaced with his family, and had been residing in Veappamadu, according to complaints lodged with the Puththalam Police by his relatives.
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30% of Vanni students miss A/L Examinations due to aerial bombardment

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2008, 00:12 GMT]
“Continuing hostilities in the region have seriously hampered the education of students in the region, and out of 762 students in the district only about 500 were able to sit for GCE Advanced Level examination," M.Theivendiran, Mullaiththeevu Zonal Director of Education told media Friday.
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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.
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3 youths suffer electric shock injuries

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 17:23 GMT]
Three youths were seriously injured after coming into contact with live electric wires while forced to build a rampart around a live high voltage electricity transformer by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Friday in Chiruppiddi in Valikaamam East, sources in Jaffna said. One of the injured was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital Friday, the other two were treated for burn injuries. Sri Lanka Electricity Board officials in Jaffna declined to comment on the incident.
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Grenade attack on SLA checkpoint in Jaffna, no one injured

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 15:22 GMT]
Unidentified men riding a motorbike hurled a hand grenade inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint located at the railway crossing along Naavalar Road, Jaffna at 12:00 noon Friday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA troopers manning the checkpoint escaped unhurt in the explosion. The checkpoint encompasses part of the railway track, and is located behind the EPDP headquarters Sridhar Theater building.
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War needs to continue, dependancy on the West bypassed - Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 10:16 GMT]
"The war against the LTTE will continue without a break until the capture of the Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu", declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday while addressing a public meeting following the inauguration of an irrigation project in Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province. Mr. Rajapaksa also proclaimed that the era of rulers who were dependent on the West was over with his regime in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Somawanse Amarasinghe, the leader of the Sinhala extreme nationalist JVP, charged that Mr. Rajapaksa has 'surrendered the sovereignty of Sri Lanka' to India.
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Loss of GSP Plus to cost 2% of Sri Lanka's GDP - Economist

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 10:07 GMT]
Referring to the conclusion of a research study by economists at the University of Sussex that "losing GSP Plus would lead to a 4% cut in Sri Lanka’s garment exports," and "[o]verall, it would cost 2% of GDP," the Economist in an article published in the 15th August edition, predicted dire economic future, and pointed out, "[a]nnual inflation is close to 30%. The rupee has appreciated against the dollar, further hurting exporters. By one estimate, economic growth—which was 7.6% in 2006—will be 4.3% this year. As elsewhere, inflation is being driven by high food and energy prices."
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EPDP person shot dead in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 08:45 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Friday around 11:45 a.m. a person belonging to Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) while he was selling 'Thinamurasu' newspaper in front of Manchchanththoduvaay Technical College in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Rehabilitation project for persons in protective custody stalls

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 05:26 GMT]
The project to set up a Rehabilitation Centre in Kaarainakar for the persons placed in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries has stalled due to objections from Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Colombo insists on housing the said persons in SLA's Special Rehabilitation Centre located in the SLA High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippa’lai, sources added.
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Anarchy reigns in Sabaragamuwa - JVP

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 05:22 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sinhala nationalist party, alleged at a press briefing in Ratnapura Thursday that the government has unleashed anarchy in the Sabaragamuwa province against opposition parties contesting in Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) election which is scheduled to be held on August 23
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Canada to provide self-employment help to Jaffna widowed women

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 03:46 GMT]
Canadian government, with the help of the local Humanitarian Organization, Human Development Centre (HUDEC), has initiated a project to assist widows functioning as the head of the family to find self-employment, Rev. Fr. Jeyakumar, director of HUDEC said. 230 women of the nearly 30,000 widows in Jaffna peninsula, were selected from six Regional Secretariat divisions as beneficiaries in the first stage, Fr Jeyakumar added.
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Gale force wind destroys homes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 01:11 GMT]
Thirty seven houses were severely damaged and more than forty persons were rendered homeless when gale force winds struck Thampalakaamam village in Trincomalee district Thursday evening. , according to reports from Disaster Management and Relief Unit of the Sri Lanka government. Twenty two houses were partially damaged, government officials added.
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SLA corporal shoots dead 2 soldiers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 18:03 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) corporal shot and killed two of his troopers who were harassing a Tamil woman at Maavadiveampu in Ea'raavoor police division Thursday around 4:30 p.m. The soldiers were shot after a stand off with their corporal, residents said.
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Fear of arrest haunts Matale Tamils

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 11:03 GMT]
Tension and fear prevail among upcountry Tamil residents in Matale district in the central province due to the daily cordon and search operations being conducted by Sri Lanka Police from Monday, sources in Matale said. Police have arrested several Tamil youths and are interrogating the detained youths on suspicion that the youths have links to Liberation Tigers.
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UNP chief ministerial candidate injured in attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 05:51 GMT]
Film actor cum politician Ranjan Ramanayake, United National Party (UNP) chief ministerial candidate in Sabragamuwa Provincial Council election, was injured Wednesday night when persons alleged to be supporters of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) attacked the convoy of UNP vehicles in Gal-Ela area in Ratnapura district, in Sabaragamuwa province. Two police officers of the police security team accompanying the convoy were also injured, sources in Colombo said.
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Human skeleton recovered in Kayts

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 02:25 GMT]
Kayts (Oorkaavattu’rai) police recovered a human skeleton washed ashore on Chaaddi beach in Kayts, an islet of Jaffna, an area under complete control of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Wednesday evening, sources in Kayts said. The sex of the victim was not immediately discernible from the skeleton according to witnesses.
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Transformer set fire in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 August 2008, 02:00 GMT]
Unidentified persons during curfew hours Tuesday day night set fire to the main electricity transformer on Aadiyapaatham road, Kokkuvil in Valikaamam, completely burning the unit, sources in Jaffna said. Electricity supply to the area was cut off and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops, deployed in large numbers, cordoned off and searched the area.
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4 IDP children food poisoned in Ki’linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 15:14 GMT]
Four children in a family displaced from Periya Pa’ndivirichchaan in Mannaar district due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensives and presently lodged at Ki’linochchi Mu’rippu School are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Ki'linochchi hospital Wednesday morning. The children had eaten rice cooked Tuesday noon for breakfast Wednesday, hospital sources said.
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Grenade attack on house in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 13:16 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men arriving on a bicycle hurled hand grenades Tuesday around 8:45 p.m on the house of the brother of a person called PLOT Maamaa shot and killed by unidentified gunmen on 25 June 2006, in Ka’n’nangkiraamam 3rd Cross Street in Vaazhaicheanai police division in Batticaloa district. The front portion of the house was damaged in the grenade attack, sources in Vaazhaicheanai said.
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Moothoor IDP families hold prayers for safe return to own villages

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
Tamil families displaced from Moothoor east following military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in April, 2006, and still being sheltered in welfare centers in Batticaloa district and Trincomalee district, are to hold a one-day prayer on August 16 Saturday, a Full Moon Day (Poora'nai), in Amman Temples for their safe return to their traditional Tamil villages, sources said.
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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.
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Bus accident in Anuradhapura, 5 killled 40 injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 10:21 GMT]
Five commuters were killed and forty wounded when a state-run Sri Lanka Transport Board bus collided with a private bus at Tirappane in Aunradhapura district Wednesday around 1:45.p.m., police said.
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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.
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"End Minister's Anti-Media Campaign," IFJ demands Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 08:22 GMT]
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in a press release issued on Wednesday demanded the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to immediately intervene and order an end to Sri Lankan Labour Minister Mervyn Silva's anti-media campaign of 'interrogation and violence' against Sirasa TV, a Sinhala channel owned by Maharajah Organisation Limited, one of the largest privately-held corporation, in Sri Lanka. "Any encouragement of violence against the media is irresponsible and potentially life-threatening for journalists in a country that has long been considered one of the most dangerous for the media profession," the IFJ has said.
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USAID closes Trincomalee office

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 06:23 GMT]
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is to wind up its development and reconstruction activities in Trincomalee district on the completion of its five year plan. The office of the USAID in Trincomalee town will be closed down Friday. USAID had opened Trincomalee office to carry out its five year development plan in the Trincomalee district in the year 2003, USAID sources in Colombo said.
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New recruitment drive to SL police begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 06:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Headquarters has decided to strengthen the Sri Lanka Police and Special Task Force by recruiting additional personnel from both sexes. The emergency recruitment will take place according to a gazette notification issued April this year. Applications have been called from prospective candidates, police sources said.
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Upcountry Tamil youth arrested in Kandy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 03:07 GMT]
An upcountry Tamil youth, arrested by Panwila Police on Monday on suspicion that he was spying the activities of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella when he visited Menikhinna in Kundasale electorate in Kandy district, is still being detained and interrogated in the Kandy Police Station, sources said.
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STF, police harass women in Ampaa’rai, says MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 02:58 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and police in Aalayadiveampu area in Ampaa’rai district are harassing women during nights on the pretext of searches, K. Pathmanathan, Ampaa’rai Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian said. “Many residents of this area and other places in Ampaa’rai district have brought this matter to my notice,” the MP further said.
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JHU walks out of APRC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 02:02 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Sri Lanka's all monks' political party which has nine members in parliament, informed Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse that it would not participate in the deliberations of the All Party Representatives Council (APRC) in future as it has lost confidence on the body in finding a consensus to solve the ethnic conflict on the basis of Mahinda Chinthanaya.
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Resettling IDPs in Kiraan indefinitely postponed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 00:07 GMT]
The resettlement of internally displaced families from Muruththanai village in Kiraan, Koralaipattu south, division in Batticaloa district, expected to take place Tuesday, 12 August, has been put off indefinitely due to tense situation in the area, sources said.
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SLA guards electricity transformers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 19:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna introduced a new security arrangement since Monday in Vadamaraadchi and Thenmaraadchi areas where SLA troops are posted near electricity transformers besides getting local residents to pile sand bags around the area. The recent damages caused to transformers in the said areas by being fired upon by unknown persons.
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Civilian killed, 2 injured in SLA shelling in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 17:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from its bases in Ma’nalaa’ru area launched artillery and Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire Monday around 6:50 p.m on Kumu’lamunai, Chemmalai and Nedungkea’ni residential areas in Vanni killing a 57-year-old man and seriously injuring two, including a 46-year-old woman in Kumu’lamunai.
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Sri Lanka doesn't have Tamils on its side - India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 13:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka may win the battle against the Tamil Tigers but not the war as 'they haven't got the Tamil population on their side', India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan said in an interview with the Straits Times newspaper published Tuesday. Saying India understands the Tamils, Mr. Narayanan asked of Sri Lanka, “Do they want a situation like many countries have faced?” His comments come after a survey in a leading Tamil Nadu weekly suggested the majority of people there support the LTTE and want Indian intervention in Sri Lanka.
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Gas cylinder explosion kills 2 fishermen, injures 2 in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 12:31 GMT]
The gas cylinder in a boat with four fishermen exploded Tuesday around 8:00 a.m in the sea between Vaakarai and Maangkea’ni in Batticaloa district, killing two of them and seriously injuring the other two fishermen, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Tamil family man shot dead in Nilaave'li

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 11:47 GMT]
A 56-year old Tamil civilian was shot dead Monday afternoon by two unidentified persons who arrived in a motorbike when the victim was fencing the office of the Periyakulam Grama Niladhari (village level officer), sources said.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Buttala

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 11:44 GMT]
A Tamil civilian was shot dead by unidentified persons riding a motorbike shot dead at Karamaanthapuram, a Tamil village in Buttala division in Moneragala district, Sunday evening. The victim was riding in his motorbike when he was shot dead, police sources said.
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Tiger penetration attack kills 21 SLA in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 11:44 GMT]
Twenty-one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed in the early hours of Sunday at Ki'laali in the Northern Front, according to well-placed Sri Lankan military sources. The SLA sources attributed the ambush to 'Deep Penetration Units' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileealm (LTTE). The latest information on SLA casualties come in the wake of SLA stepping up sporadic clashes in the Northern Front after a long pause since it suffered a debacle in April 2008. The LTTE is yet to issue details on the latest episode in the Northern Front.
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19 Tamils arrested in Gampaha, Kandy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 11:41 GMT]
Nineteen Tamil civilians were arrested in two separate cordon and search operations conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police since Sunday evening till morning on Monday at Gampaha and Kandy towns, police sources said.
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Abducted girl escapes in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 08:08 GMT]
One of the five girl students abducted by unidentified armed men in a van Saturday in Paddiruppu area managed to escape when the van stopped at Kiraan Aachchiramam area in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Vaazhaichcheanai said. The fate of the other four girls remains unknown.
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2 Muslim men abducted in Ampaa’rai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 07:38 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a white van abducted Sunday around 7:00 p.m a Muslim youth in Chaainthamaruthu police division and in a separate incident Monday around 8:00 p.m armed men in a white van abducted a Muslim fisherman in Chammaanththu’rai police division, in Ampaa’rai district, according to complaints made by the relatives of the abductees at the respective police stations.
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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.
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Mullaiththeevu residents protest against SLA attacks

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 18:47 GMT]
Residents of Mullaiththeevu staged a protest march Monday condemning the recent Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery attack on Mullaiththeevu town injuring Mullaiththeevu Government Agent, on Mullaiththeevu hospital, the killing of Thu’nukkaay Assistant Government Agent, Nanthakumar and Ki’linochchi Development Officer in SLA Deep Penetration Unit attacks. The demonstrators voiced their protest against the indiscriminate Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombings of areas near schools during examination time and on civilian settlements in Vanni.
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SLAF fighter jets bomb Mullaiththeevu, 2 civilians wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 18:04 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped sixteen bombs in four sorties Monday around 8:20 a.m. on Puthukkudiyiruppu civilian settlements in Mullaiththeevu district. Two women including a lady teacher were injured in the bombing while many houses and fruit trees were damaged.
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Claymore attack kills homeguard in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 11:35 GMT]
A Claymore ambush at Chava'lakkadai in Ampaa'rai district Monday morning killed a homeguard, who was engaged in a road clearing patrol with Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos, Police said. Another homeguard was wounded in the attack.
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CaFFE records increasing complaints of election violence

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 06:55 GMT]
The Campaign For Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), an election monitoring organization accredited under Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner, said Monday that election related violence in Anuradhapura district is on the increase, and that CaFFE has received 127 complaints from North Central Province (NCP) and Sabragamuwa Province (SP), CaFFE spokesperson Keerthi Tennekone said.
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Passenger shot, injured in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 06:20 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motorcycles opened fire on a car Monday around 12:30 a.m speeding along Anuradhapura New Main Bus Terminal, injuring one of the passengers in the car, police said. The unjured passenger was admitted to Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura.
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2 students drown in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 06:04 GMT]
Fishermen recovered the bodies of two school students Monday around 8:00 a.m washed ashore on the beaches of Kaaththaankudi and Paalamunai in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. The two students, along with three fellow students had gone to bathe in Puthukkudiyiruppu sea Sunday when the incident happened.
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Man shot dead in Puththa’lam

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 August 2008, 05:52 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a man in Puththa’lam in the northwestern province, Sunday around 6:50 p.m. The victim has not been identified yet, Puththa’lam police said.
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SLA fires artillery on LTTE positions in Poonakari

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 18:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from its bases located on the coast of Jaffna lagoon began Sunday from around 6:00 p.m artillery fire directed towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Poonakari.
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2 female corpses recovered in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 17:08 GMT]
Kodikaamam police, directed by Chaavakachcheari magistrate, handed over two female bodies to Jaffna Teaching Hospital Sunday evening for identification. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops in Ki’laali Front Defence Line (FDL) positions in Thenmaraadchi had handed over the two bodies to the police claiming that they belonged to two female combatants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the police said.
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SLA shoots dead Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 16:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Field bike unit troops shot and killed a Tamil youth Sunday around 5:45 p.m as he was riding on his motor cycle along Batticaloa-Kalmunai road in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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JVP demonstrators attacked in Ratnapura

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 10:35 GMT]
An unidentified group of persons Saturday morning is alleged to have attacked a demonstration held by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) activists in Nivitigala town in Ratnapura district against the increasing violence by government elements thus disrupting electioneering of the opposition parties contesting the forthcoming election to the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. Sabaragamuwa province comprises two districts, Ratnapura and Kegalle.
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SLAF airstrike kills civilian, 6 wounded in Visuvamadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 05:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked on Saturday a populated village, known as 'Redd Barna' settlement, in Visuvamadu after targeting an irrigation tank in the area. A 40-year-old civilian, who was working at his paddy field was killed and six civilians were wounded, according to medical sources. The SLAF has stepped up indiscriminate bombardment on civilian settlements as the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells have targeted Mullaiththeevu and Akkaraayan hospital zones. At least five civilians were killed and more than 25 wounded in artillery and air-strikes carried out by the Sri Lankan forces in Vanni on Friday and Saturday.
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Tamil mother, daughter arrested in Moratuwa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 02:36 GMT]
A Tamil mother and her daughter who were arrested at Moratuwa in a search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police Thursday night are still being detained in Mt.Lavinia Police Station, and are being interrogated by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID), reports from Colombo said. Both were taken into custody following the recovery of explosives in their house located in Soyzapura Housing Complex, according to the Police.
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5 Provincial Councils in south to be dissolved

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 00:31 GMT]
The Sri Lanka government is likely to dissolve Western Provincial Council (WPC), Southern Provincial Council (SPC), Central Provincial Council (CPC), North Western Provincial Council (NWPC) and Uva Provincial Council (UPC) after the elections to the North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) scheduled to be held on August 23, informed political sources in Colombo said.
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Victor Perera vows to establish civil administration in North

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 18:55 GMT]
Victor Perera, the former Sri Lankan Inspector General of Police (IGP), who has been appointed as the Governor of the de-merged Northern Province by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Saturday assumed duties at the Northern Provincial Secretariat located at Varoathaya Nakar in Kanniyaa, 3 km from Trincomalee of the Eastern Province. Mr. Perera said he would take steps to establish civil administration in the 'liberated areas' in the North and launch development projects there. Both the secretariats of Northern Province and Eastern Province are now functioning from Trincomalee.
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SLA shelling targets another hospital zone in Vanni, IDP killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an artillery attack targeting the area near Akkaraayan hospital, Vanneari and Aanaivizhunthaan in the Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district Friday evening around 6:30 p.m., killing a 49-year-old internally displaced person from Mannaar, who was residing in Vanneari. The attack on IDP settlement has caused the IDPs temporarily residing in the area to flee the area again.
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Teacher, mother killed, SLAF bombers target settlement, irrigation tank

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 15:13 GMT]
A 46-year-old teacher and a 35-year-old mother succumbed to their wounds at Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital, where six wounded civilians were admitted Saturday morning after an air-strike by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at 10:00 a.m. A 2-month-old baby narrowly escaped death. The indiscriminate bombardment has destroyed more than 10 houses. The bombers also targeted an irrigation tank in Visuvamadu. Tension prevails in Mullaiththeevu district as the Sri Lankan military has stepped up artillery and aerial attacks targeting populated areas and basic civilian facilities.
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3 youths drown in Kandalama tank, Dambulla

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 13:49 GMT]
Three youths, who were on a family outing, drowned in Kandalama tank in Dambulla Saturday afternoon, Police said.
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Electricity transformer fired upon in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 07:12 GMT]
Unidentified armed men opened rapid fire Thursday midnight on the main electricity transformer at Arasadi Chanththi in Karaveddi, Vadamaraadchi along Nelliyadi-Kodikaamam road, damaging the transformer and cutting off electricity supply to the above area, sources in Vadamaraadchi said.
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3 youths shot dead near Kelaniya Bridge

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 06:46 GMT]
Three youths were shot dead by unknown persons along Lucas road, Thotalanga Friday night around 8:45 p.m. while they were seated in a car, police said.
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Missing fishermen return safely in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 05:26 GMT]
Eight fishermen fishing in Point Pedro Munai area in Vadamaraadchi Sea Friday morning in their four manually sailed catamarans were blown away by the strong winds on the stormy sea and had gone missing. A search was conducted in the afternoon and the missing fishermen in their catamarans were found and hauled back to the shore with much difficulty, fisheries society sources in Vadamaraadchi said.
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Batticaloa Tamil bus driver, conductor arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 04:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka police arrested Friday the driver and the conductor of a private bus that took passengers from Batticaloa to Colombo at Maradana and took them and the bus to Moratuwa police station around 5:00 p.m. The police, when contacted by the owner of the bus, said that the two were brought to the police station for interrogation, the owner of the bus said.
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NPM opposes granting police, land powers to PCs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 01:41 GMT]
The National Patriotic Movement (NPM), an extreme Sinhala nationalist organization, said Friday that it would launch a struggle if the government accedes to the demand to devolve land and police powers to provincial councils. "Granting of such powers to provincial councils is tantamount to granting Tamil Eelam to Velupillai Pirapaharan,"said Dr.Gunadasa Amarasekara, President of NPM at a press briefing held in Colombo.
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Anuradhapura tops in election related violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 19:37 GMT]
Anuradhapura district in the North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) has recorded highest number of election related violence with two weeks more for the election that is scheduled to be held on August 23. Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has received 102 complaints related to forthcoming elections to NCPC and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC).
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SLA arrests deserted soldiers

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 19:35 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has begun to arrest deserted soldiers who fail to return for duty on the expiry of amnesty period granted by the government. So far 1,700 such soldiers rejoined their ranks, said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, military spokesman to the media.
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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.
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Protest demonstration against Minister Mervin Silva in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 15:00 GMT]
More than a hundred media persons and political leaders staged a protest demonstration Friday around 12:00 noon at Colpetty junction in Colombo, organized by five leading media associations, condemning Minster Mervin Silva’s assault on media persons who went to participate in the opening ceremony of Kelaniya flyover recently, sources in Colombo said.
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DPU mine attack kills civilian in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 12:59 GMT]
A 56-year-old family man was killed Friday around 8:00 a.m at Maruthoadai in Nedungkea’ni division as he was riding on his bicyle to his farm in Nedungkea’ni, in a Claymore attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit.
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US Military Court rebukes prosecutors on Hamdan case

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 12:02 GMT]
A United States military jury sentenced Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, to 5 year 6 months, making Hamdan eligible for release from custody in 5 months after taking into account the pre-trial incarceration, Washington Post reported. "The sentence was a stunning rebuke to prosecutors who had insisted on a prison term of atleast 30 years and portrayed Hamdan thoroughout the trial as a hardened Al Queda warrior," the paper said.
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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.
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HRW: Tissanayagam's detention violates international law

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 11:03 GMT]
Expressing deep concern at Sri Lanka Government's "disregard for Sri Lankan and international law," the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York based rights watchdog, in a press release issued Friday said, Tissainayagam and two others arrested by Sri Lanka's Terrrorism Investigation Division (TID) "have spent more than 150 days in custody, yet no charges have been filed and no evidence of any crime has been produced...If the authorities have no credible basis to charge Tissainayagam and the two others, they should be immediately released.”
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5 civilians missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 09:20 GMT]
Five cattle breeders in Thoppikkal area have gone missing following the Claymore ambush at Periyavaddavaan in Tharavai (Thoppikkal) area in Batticaloa district Tuesday evening where 23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed, sources in Batticaloa said. Meanwhile, more than 500 persons who had gone to the above area on errands were made to kneel by the SLA for a whole day while assaulting some of them, the sources added.
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SLAF reconnaissance UAV grounded in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 06:59 GMT]
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) made an emergency landing near Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura Friday morning around 8:45, while it was on its way to Vanni on reconnaissance mission, police said.
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Sri Lanka steps up offensive in Ma'nalaa'ru, LTTE recovers SLA dead bodies

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 06:50 GMT]
LTTE officials told TamilNet Thursday that their defensive formations seized arms and ammunition after pushing back the SLA troops that attempted to advance further into LTTE territory in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) region. Four dead bodies of the SLA were also recovered by the Tigers. Arrangements were underway to hand over the dead bodies through the ICRC, according to the LTTE officials.
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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.
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Iran ‘willing’ to share nuclear technology with Sri Lanka, ups aid

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 18:45 GMT]
Iran is willing to share nuclear technology for peaceful purposes with Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told The Island newspaper. Mottaki, who was in Colombo to attend the 15th SAARC Summit told The Island, that Iran and Sri Lanka are long standing friends and Tehran was willing to assist Colombo in all fields, including uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. He also called for the establishment of an Asia parliament on the lines of the European Parliament as a first step towards regional integration. Iran has outpaced Japan as Sri Lanka’s biggest donor this year.
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3 Tamil civilians arrested in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 16:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police launched an intensive checking operation Thursday from 8:00 a.m until 1:00 p.m in several places in Batticaloa including Batticaloa Kalladi, Naavatkudaa and Batticaloa town. Three persons were taken into custody in this checking.
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U.S not safe haven for rights violators, says Secretary Myers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 16:13 GMT]
The United States Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a press briefing at U.S. Foreign Press Center in New York City last week of July said, "far too often we see that individuals who participate in these atrocities come and seek to hide in the United States, lie on their visa applications and try to blend in, in the [American] neighborhoods. Our work is designed to ensure that we identify these people, prosecute them criminally where we can and then remove them from this country, to make sure the United States is not a safe haven for these individuals."
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Abducted Batticaloa Tamil girl escapes in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 10:00 GMT]
A nineteen-year-old Tamil girl who was abducted by an unidentified armed group on Tuesday evening in Batticaloa town escaped at Cinnamons Garden in Colombo Wednesday evening while being taken in a bus along with some abducted girls from the east, sources in Colombo said. The girl was taken into custody by police in Wellawatte when she was going to her relative's house in Wellawatte afer escaping from the abductors, according to police sources in Colombo.
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Sri Lanka parliament extends Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 05:41 GMT]
The State of Emergency imposed in Sri Lanka on 12th August 2005 was extended by another month Wednesday by Sri Lanka's parliament by a majority of seventy two votes. Eighty four parliamentarians voted in support of the extension, and twelve voted against, parliamentary sources said.
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Postal voting begins amid reports of increased violence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 03:43 GMT]
Two-day postal voting began Thursday in the North Central Province (NCP) and Sabragamuwa Province (SP) for the two provincial council elections scheduled to be held on August 23, amid reports of the increase of election related violence, sources said. Sri Lanka Police is providing tight security to all government offices in the two provinces. The postal voting will continue till Friday.
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SLA bans fishing in Vadamaraadchi seas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2008, 00:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Navy have refused permission to fishermen in Vadamaraadchi north and east for the fourth consecutive day Wednesday to fish in Vadamaraadchi seas, fisheries society sources in Vadamaraadchi said. SLA has declined to give information on when the fishing ban will be lifted.
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Sinhalese woman detained under PTA, in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 11:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Defense Ministry has served a detention order with effect from Tuesday till August 14 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on a Sinhalese woman, Kamali Krishanthi Perera, of Pamankade in Colombo, for allegedly providing accommodation to a suspected suicide bomber of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Colombo, media sources said.
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23 Sri Lankan soldiers killed in Claymore ambush in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 10:29 GMT]
23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and four wounded in a Claymore ambush at Periyavaddavaan in Tharavai (Thoppikkal) area in Batticaloa district Tuesday evening around 6:30, well informed sources in Batticaloa told TamilNet. Wounded soldiers were admitted to Welikande hospital. This is the first major ambush on SLA since the Sri Lankan forces occupied the Thoppikkal region an year ago.
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2 civilians killed in SLA shelling in Vadmaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 08:00 GMT]
A 45-year-old father of three and a 30-year-old father of one were killed Wednesday morning when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells targeted civilian settlements, fishing huts and the stretch along the coast in Vettilaikkea'ni in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Vadamaraadchi East of Jaffna district. One civilian was wounded in the shelling and rushed to hospital, according to initial reports from Vadamaraadchi East.
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Jaffna, Colombo register highest in civilians deaths, disappearances, says NESoHR

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 06:17 GMT]
A total of 38 civilians were killed, 42 disappeared in July, with Jaffna accounting for the highest number of killings (14), and Colombo registering the highest number of disappearances (12), said a report released Monday by the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), a Kilinochchi-based rights group.
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Shortage of sugar in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 06:09 GMT]
Jaffna Government Agent (GA) has suspended the distribution of sugar as part of the relief food assistance under World Food Programme as the stocks of sugar in the government stores have depleted, sources in Jaffna said. The AG has directed the co-operative shops to increase the amount of rice, wheat flour, lentils and cooking oil instead of sugar.
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Jaffna Catholics to raise funds to help Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 05:17 GMT]
The Commission for Justice and Peace (CJP) in Jaffna peninsula has extended an appeal to all Catholics in the peninsula to generously contribute to a relief fund when special mass and Holy Communion will be held Sunday in the Catholic churches in the peninsula towards helping the 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Vanni, according to the Catholic Guardian religious magazine.
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Vanni students appearing for GCE examination uncertain

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 04:40 GMT]
While students across Sri Lanka will be sitting for the August GCE, Advanced Level examinations, beginning 6 August Wednesday, most students in Vanni, affected by continuous Sri Lanka Armed Forces (SLAF) offensives, cannot sit for the exam as many examination centres have been closed due to the offensives while many students are displaced, sources in Vanni said.
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106 forces killed, 662 wounded in July - Sri Lankan PM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 04:12 GMT]
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake who opened the debate on extending the State of Emergency in the Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday said 106 Sri Lankan military and police personnel were killed and 662 wounded during the month of July.
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Bomb hoax creates panic in Jaffna Secretariat

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 00:37 GMT]
An anonymous phone call to Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Monday around 3:00 p.m claiming that a bomb has been placed in Jaffna Secretariat complex created panic among the staff and employees, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police who rushed to the secretariat searched the premises and declared the area free of danger.
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Missing family man found dead in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 16:08 GMT]
An elderly family man gone missing Friday from his home at Periyavi’laan, Pa’ndaiththarippu in Valikaamam was found dead Monday in an abandoned well near his home. Marks on the body point to torture while the neck bears knife injury.
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Tamil youth reported missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 11:41 GMT]
A 17-year-old Tamil youth who had left home Saturday is reported missing, according to complaints lodged by his mother Pathma Balasuntharam to Batticaloa police, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Batticaloa.
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SLA soldier shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 11:27 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycle opened fire on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit Tuesday around 2:30 p.m killing a soldier in Charava’naa Veethi in Kalladi area in Batticaloa police division, sources in Batticaloa said. SLA and police launched a cordon and search operation in the area following the shooting.
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Tamil undergrad arrested in Kandy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 07:35 GMT]
Kandy police arrested Sunday a Tamil undergraduate from Trincomalee studying in the Arts Faculty of Peredeniya University, sources in Kandy said.
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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.
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Opposition parties to form alliance against election violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 06:15 GMT]
Mangala Samaraweera, rebel Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) parliamentarian, has started talks with the main opposition United National Party (UNP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to form an alliance to oppose the increase of election related violence in the elections to the North Central Provincial Council and Sabragamuwa Provincial Council scheduled to be held on August 23, sources in Colombo said.
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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.
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Corpse of a youth recovered along Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 01:17 GMT]
Jaffna police recovered the body of a youth with gunshot wounds washed ashore Monday morning from Ma’niam Thoaddam area in Kozhumpuththu’rai within Jaffna Municipality. The police claimed that three hand grenades were found along with the body in its report submitted to Jaffna magistrate court.
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2 civilians reported missing in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2008, 18:00 GMT]
Two civilians who had gone to harvest paddy in Aaththimoadai, Mannaar on 20 July are reported missing, according to a complaint lodged with Mannaar International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).
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Upcountry Tamil youth arrested in Kadugannawa

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2008, 11:21 GMT]
A Tamil youth from upcountry was taken into custody by Kadugannawa Police when he was traveling in a passenger train from Colombo to Badulla Saturday night. When the train stopped at Kadugannawa railway station all passengers in the train were subjected to severe search and intensive interrogation, sources in Kadugannawa said.
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61 Tamils arrested in Negombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2008, 11:15 GMT]
Sixty-one Tamil civilians taken into custody with several others in cordon and search operations conducted by the police and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Saturday late evening till Sunday early morning in several parts of Negombo town are being detained in Negombo police station. The rest were released after preliminary inquiry.
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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.
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Rival supporters damage UPFA, UNP Anuradhapura election offices

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2008, 01:39 GMT]
Election offices of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and main opposition United National Party (UNP) located in Anuradhapura town and Thambuthugama in the Anuradhapura district were damaged by supporters of rival parties Sunday night, police sources said.
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Election related violence on the increase in NCP, SP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 17:29 GMT]
Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said Sunday that election related violence and election law violations are on the increase in the North Central Province (NCP) and Sabragamuwa Province (SP) since the acceptance of nominations for the two provincial councils that are scheduled to be held on August 23.
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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.
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Land dispute leads to arson in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 11:40 GMT]
Unidentified persons set fire Saturday around 9:30 p.m to more than fifteen temporary huts built by Muslims in Meeraavoadai in Koa’ra’laippattu Divisional Secretariat area in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police had intervened earlier Friday in a confrontation between Tamils and Muslims related to ownership of lands in Meeraavoadai and dispersed the two parties, the sources added.
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School girl injured by land mine in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 04:19 GMT]
A 13-year old school girl was seriously injured by a landmine Saturday while she was walking along a side road with her friends in Ariyaalai within Jaffna Municipal boundaries, sources in Jaffna said. The teenager lost part of her right leg, and was transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for surgery, hospital sources said.
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SLA blocks resettlement in Valikaamam HSZ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 01:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna has refused to allow resettlement in areas inside the High Security Zone (HSZ), but has given permission to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to settle in the no-man's area adjoining the Front Defence Line (FDL) area in Valikaamam north, sources in Jaffna said.
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Hostility will turn towards Sri Lanka's soldiers, says Janaka Perera

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 14:22 GMT]
"Those who congratulated me when I successfully led the military operation against the LTTE in the war front have been now carrying out a slandering campaign against me. Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army now moving forward in the war front against LTTE are also to face same fate in future," said Major General (retd) Janaka Perera, chief candidate of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) addressing a press briefing held in Anuradhapura Friday.
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ACHR: Sri Lanka, worst Human Rights violator among SAARC countries

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 12:40 GMT]
Asian Center for Human Rights (ACHR), a New Delhi-based human rights watchdog, in a rights report covering the South Asian Association for Regional Cooporation (SAARC), released Friday, said "Sri Lanka ranks South Asia’s No.1 human rights violator," adding, "Sri Lanka’s human rights indicators must be considered within a context of very high levels of impunity which tend to suggest a worsening over the human rights picture over the long term."
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STF intensifies cordon, search operations in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 12:20 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and police are jointly engaged in cordon and search operations from last week in Kalmunai police division in Ampaa’rai district, subjecting the residents to increased restrictions, sources in Kalmunai said.
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Body of youth recovered along Maha Oya bank

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 10:47 GMT]
The body of a youth estimated to be about 30-years old, and tied to a piece of heavy concrete slab, was recovered from the bank of Maha Oya in Katana in Negombo police division Wednesday night, civil sources in Colombo said. Local residents of the area told the police that they witnessed unidentified men in a white van attempted to dump the body in the river, but the body fell on the bank.
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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.
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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.
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Indian Prime Minister to meet TNA leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 14:58 GMT]
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh arrived at Katunayake International airport at 12:45 p.m, Friday to attend the 15th SAARC conference. He was received by Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and given a red carpet welcome. Later he was escorted by the Indian special guard forces to the helipad and flown to Colombo in an Indian helicopter.
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Tamil student abducted, in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 13:11 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a white van Wednesday around 10:00 p.m at the house of a sixteen-year-old student in Kalmunai police division in Ampaa’rai district, abducted him, according to the complaint made by his mother to Kalmunai police.
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Armed men demand abductee handed over to them, in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 10:37 GMT]
Unidentified armed men had abducted a 15-year-old boy on 20 July 2007 after the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive in Vaakarai and had released him on 18.04.2008. The boy, abducted again on 24 June 2008, was shot at on 21 July 2008 and admitted to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital with gunshot injuries on the same day, according to complaints made to Vaakarai, Vaazhaichcheanai police stations and Batticaloa Human Rights Commission (HRC).
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Armed men abduct 5 civilians, release 4, in Ea’ravoor

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 10:01 GMT]
Armed men clad in military uniform, arriving in a white van, abducted five men Thursday around 8:15 p.m at Third Kurichchi area in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, according to complaints lodged with the police by the relatives. Four of them were released after being interrogated in the Kalladi office of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Thamil Makkal Viduthali Pulikal (TMVP).
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Extortion threats to Tamil businessmen on rise in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 07:17 GMT]
Extortion threats to Tamil businessmen in Colombo and its suburbs by intimidation through phone calls have been stepped up during the recent weeks, Sri Lankan Deputy Minister and Parliamentarian of the Upcountry Peoples' Front (UPF) P. Rathakrishanan, has complained in a letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jayantha Wickremasinghe, citing numerous complaints made to him and the police. The threats are being issued with visible caller ID at a time when Sri Lankan Defence ministry has implemented stringent measures on telephone usage.
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Rajapaksa 'pardons' Arumugam Thondaman

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 06:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pardoned Minister Arumugam Thondaman, from the suspended jail sentence and fine imposed by Nuwara Eliya Magistrate Tuesday for the contempt of court. The Nuwara Eliya Magistrate sentenced Thondaman Arumugam with two others on Tuesday morning and the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa pardoned only Mr. Thondaman on Tuesday evening, media sources said.
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Supreme Court orders holds detention more than 90 days illegal

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 01:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court, in a ruling on Fundamental Rights violation petition, held Wednesday that Sri Lanka Police violated the law by keeping an arrested person in custody for more than ninety days, and ordered the police to transfer the suspect immediately to remand prison. Three member bench of the Supreme Court made the order at the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry in the FR violation filed by Counsel Gowrisankari Thavarajah on behalf of Thiyagarajah Mohanaruban, a resident of Wellawatte, legal sources said.
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