Rights watchdog faults Colombo for deteriorating human rights situation in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 November 2008, 07:52 GMT]
"Killings and abductions are rife and there is total impunity for horrific abuses," in the eastern province, which the Sri Lankan government claims to have 'liberated' as an example of democracy in action, said the New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW). There have been at least 30 extra-judicial killings and 30 abductions in Eastern Province within the last 60 days, the HRW said blaming the Sri Lankan government for providing unqualified support to TMVP paramilitary factions. The attacks and other threats against journalists have caused the media to curtail reporting on the security situation in the East. Members of civil society organizations have also been subjected to threats, according to the HRW.
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11,000 IDP Tamil families in Batticaloa still in temporary huts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2007, 05:04 GMT]
About 42,595 members of 11,528 displaced Tamil families from the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa have been staying in 41 temporary shelters and with their relatives in Batticaloa. These IDPs include displaced from Chenkalady area from Batticaloa district and Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district, civil society sources said.
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Labourer abducted, shot dead in Eravur

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 April 2007, 02:17 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen abducted a young Tamil family man from his residence in Vipulanthapuram, Mylampaveli in Eravur police division in Batticaloa District Wednesday night around 7:00 p.m., and shot him dead, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Torrential rain adds to Batticaloa IDPs woes

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 18:04 GMT]
Nearly 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in 93 temporary camps in different Divisional Secretary areas in Batticaloa are undergoing immense difficulties due incessent rain and flooding in the east, sources in Batticaloa said. A 66.6 mm rainfall was recorded for the last 24 hours on Monday 8:00 p.m by Batticaloa Weather Observation Centre, sources added.


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Remove fishing restrictions in Kaluvankerny sea- MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 14:30 GMT]
"Kaluvankerny Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday directive restricting fishing on Kaluvankerny sea area between 6:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m severely hampers fishermen from earning their livelihood. This restriction should be immediately lifted," Ms. K. Thankeswary, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian said in an urgent appeal to Batticaloa SLA Civil Administrator, Colombo, Batticaloa officials the Ministry of Fisheries and Baticaloa Government Agent, Tuesday.
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SLA troopers loot houses, shops IDPs left behind

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

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 11:30 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces thwartted a pre-dawn attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and paramilitary cadres of Karuna group from Chenkalady Black Bridge SLA camp in Batticaloa district Wednesday around 3:30 a.m, to advance into Koduvamadu area in LTTE held territory in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Engineered Catastrophe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 March 2007, 11:52 GMT]
Batticaloa has turned into an area of humanitarian disaster, and a battle ground for refugee figures, as more than 100,000 residents of Paduvankarai districts were forced to flee to GoSL controlled regions by the shelling of Sri Lankan Armed Forces inside LTTE controlled areas during the first two weeks of March. The changing IDP numbers have swelled to 165,485. While UN appealed for "vital funds to boost its operations in eastern Sri Lanka" and leftist parties accused the Government of engineering "demographic change," Sri Lanka Government spokesperson K. Rambukwella dismissed the severity saying only 52,000 are displaced, contradicting his own administration's official figures.
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Tigers raid SLA camp, checkposts on A-15 road in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 March 2007, 07:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam launched heavy artillery shelling on Sri Lanka Army camps located in Morakkoddanchenai and Mavadivembu, and on the checkposts along Trincomalee Batticaloa A-15 road in a pre-dawn attack inflicting damage to the SLA positions in the area north of Batticaloa. LTTE fighters raided at least one SLA camp, located at Mavadivembu, according to initial reports. SLA sources claimed to have located 8 bodies of LTTE fighters after the raid which lasted for more than 2 hours. At least 4 SLA troopers were killed and 8 SLA troopers were seriously wounded in LTTE shelling that started around 12:45 a.m. The LTTE is yet to release details about the attack.
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SLA forces exodus of Tamils in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 March 2007, 01:34 GMT]
More than 100,000 people have moved out of Liberation Tigers controlled areas of Batticaloa district to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas as Sri Lankan armed forces continued shelling for the third consecutive day in their attempt to force evacuation of large section of Tamil population with the military agenda to capture additional territory, officials providing relief assistance said Sunday.
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40,000 civilians displaced in two days in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 13:09 GMT]
More than 40,000 civilians were displaced within the last 48 hours in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Paduvankarai area as heavy artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher fire by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued, forcing the civilians to flee from Kokkaddicholai and the surrounding villages. "Batticaloa is experiencing another tragic humanitarian crisis without the attention of the International Community," charged Batticaloa district parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy. Meanwhile, a third front, opened by the Sri Lankan Special Task Force troopers at Pullumalai, 31 km southwest of Batticaloa, was thwarted by the Tigers, according to the LTTE.
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Thousands displaced in fresh Sri Lankan offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 13:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has launched heavy artillery barrage towards Liberation Tigers controlled territories in Batticaloa district since Thursday morning as Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) began a two pronged ground offensive from Chenkalady through A-15 (Batticaloa Badulla Road) and from Pulukunawa and Syambalanduwa. Around 10 000 civilians were forced to flee from the shelling inside the LTTE territory. Liberation Tigers said their fighters were engaged in a defensive fight on two fronts. Two civilians were killed in SLA shelling on Thandiyadi. Access routes were closed Thursday morning. Wireless telephone link and mobile network remain dead in the district.
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SLAF, SLA attacks displace 3500 civilians in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 March 2007, 07:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped bombs in the villages of Tharavai and Kudumbimalai in the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Batticaloa district around 10:40 a.m. Friday, sources in Batticaloa said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stationed at 23-3 Brigade Head Quarters in Batticaloa, Valaichchenai Paper Factory, Chenkalady, Vavunathivu and Mylambavely Army Camps fired artillery shells into LTTE areas.
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Batticaloa families flee SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 March 2007, 00:43 GMT]
Hundreds of families from Liberation Tigers controlled villages of Vavunathivu, Mankikattu, Eechchenthivu, Navatkadu and Vilavedduvan in Manmunai West division fled to Government controlled areas due to heavy shelling by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from the 23-3 Brigade Head Quarters of Batticaloa, Valaichchenai Paper Factory Camp and Mylambavely Army Camp since Tuesday night, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Family man recovered dead in Eravur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 February 2007, 21:21 GMT]
Eravur Police recovered the body of a young mason with gunshot wounds by the Thalavai-Punnaikkudah road in Eravur Police area in Batticaloa district Tuesday morning.
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SLA trooper shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 February 2007, 08:56 GMT]
Unidentified armed men lying in ambush opened fire on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers posted at Chenkalady public market area in Eravur police division in Batticaloa, killing a SLA trooper, around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, police said. SLA troopers fired at random and more troopers were deployed at the site of the killing. A cordon and search was launched though no one was arrested.


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Police fire kills one, injures one in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 00:12 GMT]
A Muslim civilian was killed and a Tamil man was injured when Police fired indiscriminately following a grenade attack by unknown armed men at Chenkalady Police Post in Eravur Police division in Batticaloa district at 5:10 p.m. Sunday, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Five schools in Eravur relocated

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 February 2007, 02:10 GMT]
Five schools in Chenkaldy educational zone in Eravur region in Batticaloa District have been temporarily relocated to alternate locations due to internal displacement of civilians, zonal education officer A.Sugumaran announced Monday.
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More flee LTTE areas fearing SLA offensive in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 February 2007, 02:22 GMT]
More than three thousand people have moved out of Liberation Tigers (LTTE) held areas in Batticaloa west and northwest regions into government controlled areas, within the last few days due to continuous mortar and artillery attacks by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Batticaloa said. The displaced are given temporary shelters or are staying at the houses of friends and relatives.
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7500 flee homes due to SLA attacks in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 18:34 GMT]
Within the last four days, 7500 persons belonging to 1400 families have moved into government controlled area from Kiran, Chenkalady and Vavunativu Regional Secreatary divisions in Batticaloa district, Sundaram Arumainayagam, Batticaloa Government Agent (GA) said.
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