Strategy behind rights violations said not exposed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2007, 06:55 GMT]
The gross statistics on death and disappearances in Jaffna is known to everyone, and they paint a picture of military rule, but "the real reason behind the violations, the Sri Lankan military machine conducting the death theatre, and the depth of fear instilled into the civilians in Jaffna to witness against the perpetrators, are not exposed to the world," said Liberation Tigers Human Rights Spokesperson N. Selvy as hundreds of crying family members of the victims were blocked in Jaffna by the Sri Lanka Army from seeing the visiting High Commissioner Louise Arbour, on Friday. The SLA blocked journalists from entering the UNHCR office, GA's office, UN office and the Bishop's House.
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"Separation inevitable if power continues to polarize with ethnic hegemony" - Mano Ganesan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 October 2007, 13:07 GMT]
Mano Ganesan MP, the leader of the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) and the convener of the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC), engaged in monitoring abductions, addressing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, at the UN office in Colombo, on Thursday, said that the Tamils would be forced to seek separation as the only alternative if the Sri Lankan government failed to satisfy the "Sri Lankan dream," which he described as a dreamland with political power sharing between all the ethnic communities, where there are no places for war, abductions, extra judicial killings and where there is no room for polarization of political power with ethnic hegemony.
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Abductions on the increase in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2007, 18:45 GMT]
Eight Tamil civilians have been abducted during the first eight days of October in Trincomalee district, according to complaints received by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). 27 Tamil civilians have been abducted in the month of September compared to 12 in August, HRCSL sources said.
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US expresses concern over rights abuses in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2007, 23:08 GMT]
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, expressed "serious concern over credible reports of severe human rights abuses in Jaffna...," during a meeting with Sri Lanka's foreign minister Bogollagama in Washington D.C. Thursday, a press release issued by the State Department said.
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U.S. expresses rights concern, urges progress on power-sharing proposal

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2007, 17:32 GMT]
U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns has expressed serious concern over credible reports of continued severe human rights abuses in Jaffna and other parts of Sri Lanka and ongoing threats to freedom of the press when he met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, according to a media note released by the U.S. Department of State.
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British oil firms to explore Mannar amid UK ‘worry’ over rights

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 October 2007, 13:10 GMT]
British oil companies are to carry out oil explorations in Sri Lanka, press reports quoted the country’s Development and Investment minister, Sarath Amunagama, as saying. The agreement was reached following a series of high-level discussions he held with leading oil companies during a visit to London, the LankaTribune reported. Meanwhile, describing the human rights situation in Sri Lanka as “deeply worrying”, British Development Trade and Development minister, Gareth Thomas, said his government was pressing Sri Lanka to respect human rights.
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SLMM collects information on Rights violations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 September 2007, 00:30 GMT]
Officials of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) visited Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Wednesday to obtain details of human rights violation in the Jaffna peninsula, HRC sources said. The SLMM officials also visited offices of International and Local NGOs, and media and Volunteer Organizations learning first hand of the rights violations escalating at a rapid rate in the peninsula.
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Pavement trader shot dead in Jaffna town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 September 2007, 11:13 GMT]
An unidentified gunman shot dead a pavement trader along Muneesvaram road in Jaffna town Thursday around 10:00 a.m and escaped from the scene, sources in Jaffna said. The trader is the third pavement vendor to be shot in broad daylight in the heart of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone, the sources added.
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Jaffna lawyers protest against death threats, extortion

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 September 2007, 03:57 GMT]
Lawyers in Jaffna peninsula staged a token protest demonstration Wednesday, refraining from appearing for sessions at the five Divisional courts and the High Court in the peninsula, against the death threats, intimidation and extortion by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed armed Tamil paramilitary groups, an attorney-at-law participating in the protest, said.


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2 civilians seek HRC protection, One missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 September 2007, 02:24 GMT]
A youth and a family man from Thenmaraadchi sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna, Wednesday. Meanwhile, a father of three children from Kurunakar in Jaffna town is reported missing since Tuesday, according to complaints made by his wife to HRC Jaffna Wednesday.
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Jaffna lawyers to protest against death threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 September 2007, 02:07 GMT]
Lawyers in Jaffna peninsula, will hold a token protest demonstration throughout the peninsula Wednesday in protest against the death threats, intimidation, and extortion by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed armed Tamilparamilitary groups, civil sources in J affna said. The Lawyers will not appear for sessions at the five Divisionalcourts and the High Court in the peninsula, according to an announcement made by the Jaffna Peninsula Attorneys-at-law Association (JPAA), Tuesday.
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2 families with children seek protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 September 2007, 21:23 GMT]
Two families from Thenmaraadchi with three children aged under fifteen sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Monday due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed armed paramilitary men and SLA troops, according to statements given by the two families to HRC.


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2 Thenmaraadchi civilians seek protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 September 2007, 18:33 GMT]
Two men sought protection with the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC), Thursday, due to death threats and several abduction attempts by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitary.
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Colombo unwilling or unable to contain Rights violations- HRW

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 11:18 GMT]
During the launch of the Report “Return to War: Human Rights Under Siege” in the European Parliament Tuesday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a leading Rights organization based in New York, said after the report was published in the first week of August, disappearances especially in Jaffna have continued, condition of internally displaced have reached alarming levels, climate of impunity continued to prevail, and the Attorney General’s office, have not effectively investigated human rights violations or brought perpetrators to justice. HRW also condemned Colombo's dismissal of international critics as “traitors,” and “terrorist sympathizers.”
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Eachchilampaththu refugees complain of forced resettlement –TNA MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 08:38 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) forcibly loaded 74 families from Verukal, Eeechilampattu District, into buses September 6th for transport to a jungle area in CHinnakku'lam, Udappukkea'ni, 3 km from Eeechilampattu. The families who were previously housed in Batticaloa transitional shelters communicated their plight to Thurairatnsaingham, a Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian.
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7 civilians seek protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 September 2007, 15:58 GMT]
The seven civilians, with ages ranging from 20 to 34, from the areas of Kodikaamam, Meesaalai, Chavakachcheari, Urumpiraai and Jaffna, sought protection at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries Monday, HRC sources said. HRC officials have made arrangement to place the seven civilians in the protective custody of Jaffna prison.
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Amnesty calls for impartial, international investigations on escalating Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 08:02 GMT]
"There are grounds to fear a return to a pattern of the security forces involvement in extrajudicial killing of journalists and others," the Amnesty International noted in a public statement issued on Tuesday charging that the national Human Rights monitoring mechanisms, including the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), lacked capacity to launch prompt, impartial and independent investigations. The Amnesty called on the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, before the sixth session of the Council, scheduled to be held between 10 - 28 September, to exert pressure on Colombo to invite an international monitoring mechanism to independently investigate rights violations in the country.
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14 surrender to Jaffna HRC seeking protection

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 September 2007, 20:49 GMT]
Amidst continuing killings, abductions and disappearances in Jaffna peninsula, 14 more civilians have sought protection with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) Monday due to death threats issued allegedly by paramilitary armed men operating with Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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Thenmaraadchi youth seeks protection at HRC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 August 2007, 17:34 GMT]
Amid escalating numbers of youths, especially high school children, surrendering at the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) offices seeking protective custody through the Jaffna Courts, another youth from Thenmaraadchi was placed in protective custody Sunday, HRC officials said.
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Sri Lanka's Rights violations dominate TNA's European talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 August 2007, 18:57 GMT]
Senior members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) after concluding their month long visit to European capitals to meet with top Government officials, said in a press release issued Wednesday, that the meetings focussed on the "horrendous human rights situation" in Sri Lanka, the "retrogressive movement in regard to the political process," and the Sri Lanka Government's attempt to "impose a military solution" to the Tamil National conflict.
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