Baby of four months, 4-year-old child, among 9 killed by SL Navy in Jaffna islet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 May 2006, 16:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers from Mandaithivu Sri Lanka Navy camp surrounded a civilian house in Allaipiddy in Mandaithivu islet, west of Jaffna, around 8:30 p.m. Saturday and opened fire killing 8 civilians, including a four months baby and a four year old son, and their parents on the spot. Three persons with serious wounds were rushed to Jaffna hospital after Jaffna district magistrate ordered the Police to provide security to an ambulance from Jaffna hospital, medical sources said. One of the wounded succumbed to his wounds at Jaffna hospital. 13 civilians were killed in Jaffna islets on Saturday alone.
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Two SLN soldiers injured in Allaipitti claymore attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2006, 14:46 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) have been seriously injured in a claymore attack near the Allaipitti area in Kayts within SLN's High Security Zone (HSZ) at 6.40 p.m. Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. The injured soldiers were air-lifted to Palaly military hospital and later transferred to General Hospital, security sources said.
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2 SLN troopers killed in Claymore attack in Kayts

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 April 2006, 08:33 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Navy troopers who were on a road clearing patrol in Urkavathurai (Kayts), Jaffna, were killed in a Claymore mine ambush Thursday around 6:30 a.m. The attack took place at Serukkal junction in Kayts. This is the first Claymore attack to be reported in the islets of Jaffna this year.
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SLN orders Demining Group to leave Jaffna islets

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 April 2006, 02:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) command in Jaffna islets has ordered the Danish Demining Group (DDG) and its work force to immediately stop demining activities and leave the islets, civil society sources said. The DDG has moved with its workers from its offices in Kayts and have relocated to Jaffna town, DDG officials said.
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TNA MPs, LTTE leaders pay respect to Vigneswaran in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 00:56 GMT]
"Tamil human rights activist Mr. V. Vigneswaran's assassination and those of 17 other Tamils in the period from November 2005 to January 2006 clearly shows that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will never protect the human rights of the Tamils. Therefore we ourselves have to strive to protect our rights," said Rev. Fr. Kanagaratnam, Director North East Human Rights Secretariet (NEOSHR), paying homage to slain Mr. Vigneswaran whose body was kept for viewing at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi Monday, said sources.


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Fisheries: A NorthEast industry in turmoil

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 00:44 GMT]
Fishing ban along a significant portion of 349 km long Northern district coasts, displacement of fisher families, harassment of fishermen by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) along shores and by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in shallow and deep sea have plunged the fishing industry in NorthEast in turmoil. Fisher families live in perpetual uncertainty even while struggling to meet ends meet on a daily basis. Unfulfilled assistance of help promised by successive Sri Lanka Governments have helped prolong the suffering of these families, Vadamaradchy Fisheries Consortium spokesperson said.
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Student participation in LTTE functions irks SLA commander

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 02:39 GMT]
Major General Chandrasiri, Northern Region Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Thursday warned the five Regional Directors of Education in the Jaffna peninsula, not to permit students to participate in activities outside schools during school hours, education officials in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna fishermen's woes discussed in SLN, civil society meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:54 GMT]
A meeting between Northern Region Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Major General Chandrasiri and a delegation of civil society members held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Kankesanthurai command of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to explore solutions to hardships faced by fishermen in Jaffna district, ended inconclusively, sources in Jaffna said. Maj.Gen Chandrasiri told the civil society delegation that responses will be provided within two weeks after consultations with higher authorities in Colombo.
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SLA strengthening security around key Jaffna bridges

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 February 2006, 03:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has increased its efforts in strengthening defences in several key positions around the main bridges connecting different regions, Vadamaradchy, Thenmaradchy, Valigamam and Jaffna Islets, with new bunkers, new sentry points and additional concertina wire fences, sources in Jaffna said. Security sources speculated that SLA is planning to declare many of the newly strengthened areas as small High Security Zones (HSZs).
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SLN bans night use of Jaffna, Islet jetties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 January 2006, 03:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has strengthened security and banned the use of fishing jetties, small harbors in Jaffna peninsula and in Jaffna islets during night hours, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Civilian movement near Mavalithurai jetty, in Delft (Nedunthivu) islet off Jaffna coast, regularly used by passenger boats, and jetties off Gurunagar coastal areas have been strictly prohibited duirng nights, the SLN's directives said.
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SLN soldiers attack, injure five Karainagar fishermen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 12:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLAN) soldiers who were patrolling the northern seas off Jaffna islets attacked and seriously injured five fishermen from Karainagar at 12 midnight Tuesday, sources from Jaffna said. The injured fishermen with broken limbs have been admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, medical sources said.
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Ten civilians said arrested by SLN in Karainagar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 January 2006, 03:22 GMT]
Human Rights Commission in Jaffna received complaints Monday that ten civilians in Karainagar in Jaffna islets have been arrested by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) at 12.30 p.m. Monday, sources in Jaffna said. The arrests occured when Navy soldiers carried out cordon and search operation after discovering hand grenades hidden near a tree at the Valanthalai junction in Karainagar.
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Tharsini raped before murder- Medical Report

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 18:43 GMT]
Ilayathamby Tharshini (20), whose body was recovered from an abandoned well in Punguduthivu Saturday, was brutally raped before being strangled to death, according to postmortem examination conducted in the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Dr.Balasubramaniam, Judicial Medical Officer, who conducted the postmortem examination later handed over the medical report to the Kayts Police. The funeral of Tharshini was held Monday amid intimidation and threat by the Sri Lanka Navy personnel in Punguduthivu, residents said.
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International political advocacy indispensable to maturing Tamil struggle- Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 00:03 GMT]
“Congressional meetings gave me hope that a conducive atmosphere is emerging in the supreme legislative body of the US with regards to the Tamil struggle. It is critical that we maintain sustained efforts to reinforce relationships with congresspersons interested in our struggle, and address human rights issues raised by UN agencies and watchdogs. With the maturing phase of our struggle, focussed political action in major world capitals has become an urgent priority,” said Pathmini Sithamparanathan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna, when she talked to TamilNet in Washington D.C concluding her two-week speaking tour in US Saturday.
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Punguduthivu erupts in violent protests against SLN

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 08:53 GMT]
Civlians in Punguduthivu Sunday morning protested against the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Punguduthivu following the discovery of the body of Ilayathambi Tharsini (20) from an abandoned well near SLN camp Saturday. A fifty-five years old civilian was rushed to Jaffna Hospital with serious gunshot wounds. Four more civilians sustained minor injuries. All traffic beyond Velanai thuraiyoor remains cut, reports from the islet said. Punguduthivu remains tense. The navy camp, an administrative office of the SLN, was stoned and later set on fire as the troopers withdrew from the camp, sources said.
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EPDP vehicle hits civilian auto-rickshaw in Jaffna, five wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 15:28 GMT]
Five civilians including women were severely wounded when a speeding pickup-vehicle belonging to the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) collided with an auto-trishaw at 5:20 p.m. Friday at Pannai bridge which links Jaffna mainland with islets. Tension escalated when villagers shouting against the EPDP cadres were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen escorting the EPDP vehicle, civilian sources in Navanthurai said.
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Grenade explosions, tension mark election eve in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 22:49 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna, and streets were deserted at 7.00 p.m. as several grenade explosions marked the election eve. Unidentified assailants lobbed grenades at the offices of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) offices in Chavakacheri, Manipay, Achchuveli, Point Pedro and Mallakam where the EPDP intelligence operatives and supporters were reportedly co-ordinating plans for vote-rigging. EPDP has campaigned in favour of presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse.
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Jaffna election irregularities on voting eve

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 12:55 GMT]
Reports from Jaffna reveal intimidating and underhand activities of the Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) cadres in organising vote-rigging in Sri Lanka Presidential election. Groups of armed EPDP cadres were seen visiting house to house forcibly collecting the 'ballot-tokens' from residents in islets off Jaffna peninsula, TamilNet learns. With armed protection from the State armed forces, Douglas Devananda's EPDP is holding unannounced short-meetings at market places and actively campaigning for Mahinda Rajapakse, the candidate of the ruling party.
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Vadamaradchy East, Kilinochchi voters can exercise franchise freely- GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 12:42 GMT]
"We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that voters residing in Liberation Tigers' controlled areas of Vadamaradchy east and Kilinochchi district can exercise their franchise with complete freedom without any requirement to produce identity cards," said Jaffna Government Agent and Jaffna District Election Returning Officer, K Ganesh, during a press meet held at the Jaffna Secretariat offices Sunday afternoon.
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SLA collects information on Nedunthivu resettlers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 00:56 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have started collecting names of displaced persons who are resettled in Nedunthivu, one of the islets in Jaffna peninsula, after the ceasefire agreement came into operation, residents said.
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