SLA targets prominent Tamil businessmen in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2010, 12:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna has cast its net wide to arrest around 163 leading Tamil traders in Jaffna on charges that they had funded Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the past, Jaffna Traders Association (JTA) circles said. Some of them had been already arrested and detained after being interrogated in the notorious ‘Fourth Floor’ of the SLA Intelligence Wing in Colombo. SLA is engaged in rounding up the prominent Tamil traders claiming that it has evidence of their involvement with LTTE found in the statements of the traders in their detention, the sources added. The real motive behind this move is to cripple the prominent Tamil traders in Jaffna to eliminate them competing with the Sinhala traders who continue to invade Jaffna since the opening of A9 land route, JTA circles said.
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Confidential report on Devananda to Madras High Court

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 October 2010, 13:20 GMT]
A lower court in Chennai handed over a confidential report to the Madras High Court related to a 1994 order declaring Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda a “proclaimed offender” in connection with a murder case in Chennai in 1986, Press Trust of India reported Wednesday. Douglas Devananda had filed a petition in August seeking to set aside the lower court order declaring him as a proclaimed offender treating him as an absconding accused, it further said. Consequently Justice G. M. Akbar of Madras High Court had called for a report from the trial court on 22nd September 2010.
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Identify murderers of Tamil journalist, RSF appeals to Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 October 2010, 11:33 GMT]
Expressing hope that the Government of Sri Lanka will launch an investigation to identify the murderers of Tamil journalist Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan, who was gunned down on 19th October 2000, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), cautioned that "[r]econciliation in Sri Lanka will require tough government initiatives to combat impunity in high-profile cases such as Nimalarajan’s murder, one of the most shocking killings of the past decade."
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Villagers stop illegal sand excavation in Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2010, 05:46 GMT]
The people of Kuddaththanai East in Vadamaraadchi protesting against the illegal sand excavation in their villages by persons of ‘Maheswary Funds’, an organ of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), stopped the men and vehicles excavating Friday, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Indiscriminate excavation of sand has caused seepage of sea water into their village submerging the public crematorium and the villages too will be submerged if the sand excavation is not stopped, the protestors said. Maheswary Funds representatives joined by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel and EPDP men who arrived at the scene had to agree to suspend the excavation for two days. The villagers will continue their united protest unless the excavation is stopped completely, the protestors said.
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Sri Lankan police fail to protect harassed female ex-combatant

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2010, 09:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka police in Veala’nai in the islets of Jaffna have ignored the complaints made by a former underage female member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on attempts made by a gang of ten men on 09 October to abduct and sexually abuse her in her relative’s house in Veala’nai. IOM and UNICEF officials who had facilitated her release from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention camp and placed her in the custody of her relatives too have not taken steps to protect her from being intimidated by her tormentors even in Jaffna Teaching Hospital where she is admitted for treatment, the girl said. The family members who had given her refuge had been attacked by the gang and injured when they tried to protect the girl.
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Police security to Jaffna Tamil daily strengthened

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 October 2010, 08:07 GMT]
Following threats to a Tamil daily in Jaffna by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) led by Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda the editors had sought extra protection from Jaffna police and security to the office of the daily has been strengthened, media sources in Jaffna said. The daily had published Sunday, news related to the illegal sand excavation by EPDP firm ‘Maheswary Funds’ highlighting the appeal by the residents of Vadamaraadchi East to Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to stop the sand excavation destroying large areas in Kudaththanai and Ma’natkaadu. EPDP men arriving in two buses had gathered in front of the daily’s office to demonstrate against the daily and to attack its office, sources in Jaffna said. However, the situation was brought to normalcy following the talks held between the editors of the daily and some of the EPDP men.
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EPDP Thinamurasu published as daily paper in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 October 2010, 03:14 GMT]
Thinamurasu, the Eealam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) weekly that was published in Colombo and issued in Jaffna peninsula by EPDP leader and Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda was released in Jaffna Friday as a daily when he opened his press located in Chu’ndikkuzhi on Jaffna main road. It is alleged that Douglas Devananda had coerced the editors and workers of former ‘Namathu Eezhanaadu’ daily which had stopped publishing, into working in his newly opened press, local media sources said.
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Douglas Devananda pays homage to SLA soldiers killed in demining

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 September 2010, 05:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devananda paid homage to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers killed in demining operations in the North in an event held in Vassavi’laan Maththiya Makaa Viththiyaalayam Tuesday. Paying homage to SLA soldiers by Douglas Devananda is an attempt to please Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe, SLA Jaffna Commander who had openly criticized him for exploiting the sacrifices of SLA soldiers to attain selfish interests, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Northern Province Governor, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri is keen in improving relations between Douglas Devananda and Mahinda Kathurusinghe, the sources added.
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Colombo Crime Division arrests press owner in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 September 2010, 18:25 GMT]
A special team of Colombo Crime Division arrested the owner of Churapi Achchakam (printing press), C. Kuruthev, in Jaffna Tuesday and took him to Colombo for inquiry, sources in Jaffna said. Kuruthev’s brother, the General Manager of the Tamil daily Namathu Eezhanaadu, C. Sivamaharajah, had been assassinated at his house in Thellippazhai in August 2006. Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devananda, the head of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), had sought to acquire Churapi Achchakam to print a Tamil Daily in the name of Thinamurasu to which Kuruthev had not consented, media circles in Jaffna said.
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Batticaloa Municipal Council member reported missing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 16:24 GMT]
Pragasam Sagayamany, a member of Batticaloa Municipal Council, who had met and spoken to Batticaloa Mayor Ms. Sivakeetha Pirapakaran and a fellow member Monday evening had gone missing, according to his wife's complaint to Batticaloa police. Meanwhile, the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Municipal Council members K. Arumailingam and S. Sasikumar have allegedly attacked T. Yogarasa, a technical officer of Batticaloa Municipal Council on 7 August. The employees of the Municipal Council have been frequently attacked and insulted by the EPDP group, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Rajapaksa appoints new SLFP organizer to North

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 August 2010, 08:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a constituent of ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), appointed Saturday Angkayan Ramanathan, a leading businessman from Valveddiththu'rai as the new SLFP organizer of North Sri Lanka, sources in Jaffna said. Angkayan Ramanathan is appointed in place of Thangarasa, who was charged in Jaffna Magistrate Court of swindling more than seven millions rupees promising Jaffna peninsula youths employment and imprisoned. Meanwhile, this appointment is seen as one of the measures taken by Rajapaksa family to sideline Sri Lanka minister and leader of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda who acts as the sole representative of Sri Lanka government in the North, political observers in the peninsula said.
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EPDP monopoly in the distribution of relief ration hits uprooted familes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2010, 05:24 GMT]
Seventy percent of the familes uprooted during war and resettled in Jaffna peninsula depend on the dry food relief ration redistributed by agencies which obtain the contract of distribution through Sri Lanka government tenders. Jaffna Traders' Assocaition (JTA) circles allege that a particular trader acting as an agent of Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda, leader of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), has obtained the distribution tenders using the letter heads of more than three agencies and that the procedure of calling for tenders by Jaffna Secretariat is explotied by him to the disadvantage of other bidders. The dry food relief ration distributed to the uprooted families by the said trader is very poor in quality as the food items supplied by Jaffna Secretariat to him are sold in black market, JTA sources said.
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Indiscriminate sand excavation in Vadmaraadchi causes seepage of seawater

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 August 2010, 07:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Department of Geological Survey & Mine Bureau (GSMB) officials who arrived in Jaffna to conduct a survey in Vadamaraadchi East where indiscriminate excavation of sand causes seepage of sea water had to stop their work due to interference by Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda, leader of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), sources in Vadamaraadchi said. The EPDP firm called ‘Maheswary Funds’, named after assassinated EPDP organizer Maheswaray Vealautham, has procured exclusive rights to excavate sand in Vadamaraadchi and is alleged of making huge profits, the sources added.
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EPDP suspect in killing of student released on bail

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 2010, 05:24 GMT]
Jaffna High Court released on bail Thursday Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Thenmaraadchi organizer Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles, a suspect in the killing of student Thiruchelvam Kapilnath in Chaavakachcheari, detained in Jaffna prison. The magistrate ordered the suspect not to leave the country and to sign at Jaffna police station every Sunday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Chaavakachcheari magistrate express discontent over for police noncooperation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2010, 17:35 GMT]
Chaavakachcheari magistrate A. M. Mohamed Riyal expressed strong discontent over police noncooperation Monday when Jaffna police authorities failed to submit the statement of the suspect, Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles, Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Thenmaraadchi organizer and its candidate in the last general election, in the killing of student Kapilnath in Chaavakachcheari, sources in Jaffna said. Former Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirapakaran who inquired into the case initially was issued with death threats allegedly by EPDP men and then transferred to Akkaraipattu in Eastern Province. Present magistrate Abdul Majid Mohamed too is to be shortly transferred from Chaavakachcheari magistrate court to East and it appears that Sri Lanka police top officials are attempting to upset legal proceedings, legal circles in Jaffna said.
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Armed men rob fuel station flanked by police, SLA, EPDP office in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 18:23 GMT]
Armed men entered Monday night the fuel station in Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi, located in front of Nelliayadi Sri Lanka police station, near Sri Lanka Army (SLA) civil administration office and the office of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of the ruling UPFA government, and robbed cash around half a million rupees breaking open the iron safe of the fuel station in Kaddaiveali Muti-purpose Cooperative Society building, sources in Point Pedro.
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Devananda, Perumal join hands in new forum

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2010, 08:45 GMT]
A group named 'Tamil Political Parties Forum' (TPPF) of nine Tamil Political parties, paramilitary cum political parties and activists allegedly backed by New Delhi and Colombo, has been formed with the aim to explore ways of finding solution for the problems of the Tamil people in the North and East, political sources in Colombo said. Varatharaja Perumal, Chandrahasan and PLOTE Siddharthan, already known to have close links with New Delhi, have joined hands with M.K. Sivajilingam, a former TNA MP, Anandasangaree of TULF, Pillayan from TMVP and Kumarakuruparan of Democratic People Front in creating the forum. The move has been initiated by Shereen Xavier of Home for Human Rights and Douglas Devananda, the leader of EPDP, who is aligned with Mahinda Rajapaksa government.
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Jaffna GA K. Ganesh receives sudden extension for 6 months

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 July 2010, 12:12 GMT]
The Jaffna District Government Agent K.Ganesh who retired Wednesday received another six months extension with effect of July 1, on the recommendation of Douglas Devananda, EPDP leader and a minister in Rajapaksa's government, sources at the Department of Public Administration said Thursday.
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Akashi visits Ki’linochchi for the first time after war

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 June 2010, 19:06 GMT]
Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy appointed by Japan during the Norwegian facilitated negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), accompanied by Basil Rajapaksa, handed over agricultural implements to some of the resettled Vanni civilians Friday in an event held in Ki’linochchi town. Yasushi Akashi who had held talks with the LTTE in Ki’linochchi was visiting the town for the first time after Sri Lankan military occupied the entire Vanni.
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‘Jim Brown Memorial School’ for children opened in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2010, 17:54 GMT]
The parents of Rev. Fr. Jim Brown who had disappeared without trace in August 2006 after being taken away by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) paramilitary men in Allaippiddi in the islets of Jaffna, recently opened the ‘Jim Brown Memorial School’ built in the premises of St. Peter’s Church in Ma’ndaitheevu, sources in Jaffna said. The school was built by the HUDEC – Caritas Jaffna in remembrance of Rev. Fr. Jim Brown, the parish priest of Ma’ndaitheevu St. Peters Church, who had strived to save the remaining residents of Allaippiddi massacred by Sri Lanka Armed forces in August 2006.
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