Judicious political pressure saves journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 August 2006, 07:42 GMT]
Political pressure from Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), parties allied with Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse, including the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the timely action by the top leadership of the Asian Broadcasting Coorperation to mobilise political pressure saved the life of Kuruparan Nadarajah, the Tamil news manager of Sooriyan FM, who was being interrogated after being abducted by the Special Counter-terrorism Unit of Sri Lankan military intelligence, sources said.
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Bomb wounds EPDP official in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 August 2006, 09:22 GMT]
A senior official of a pro-government paramilitary group and 9 other people were wounded in a bomb explosion in Colombo Tuesday. Sankarapillai Sivathasan, a senior advisor to the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and one its former a parliamentarians, was rushed to hospital. A security personnel and a 3-year old child in the vehicle were killed in the blast.


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Senior EPDP member shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 July 2006, 02:47 GMT]
Unidentified men shot and killed Maha Kanapathipillai, a Senior member of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democractic Party (EPDP), an ally of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, around 6:45 a.m. Monday, in Wellawatte, Colombo. Maha Kanapathipillai was responsible for Public Relations of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who is the Sri Lankan Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare.
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Senior EPDP activist shot, injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 June 2006, 03:03 GMT]
A senior member of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) who served as Jaffna Municipal Council member of several years was shot and seriously injured by unknown gunmen at 7:05 p.m. Monday in Jaffna, EPDP sources in Jaffna said. Manickam Kanagaratnam, 70, was shot outside his house near Aariyakulam junction along the Jaffna-Point Pedro road, sources added.
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Explosive wired cell phone detonates wounding girl in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 10:37 GMT]
A young girl was seriously wounded in Stanley Road, at a location between the Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) office at Srithar theatre and SLA 512 Brigade camp at Wellington theatre junction, in Jaffna town at around 10:15 a.m., Friday when an explosive device fitted cell phone detonated as the girl tried to use the phone, sources in Jaffna said. The girl, yet to identified, was admitted to the Jaffna teaching hospital and is guarded by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, sources said.


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Refugees reject EPDP minister's request to return to Allaipiddy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 17:08 GMT]
Allaipiddy refugees who are currently being given shelter in St. Marys Church and St. Nicholas Church at Navanthurai rejected request by Sri Lanka Government Minister Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), to return back to their homes in Allaipiddy, sources in Jaffna said. Mr Devananda, heavily escorted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, visited the refugees Wednesday. Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and EPDP cadres are alleged to be responsible for the extra-judicial killing of 9 persons including an infant and a four year child on the 13th of May 2006 in Allaipiddy.
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Rajapakse begins Pakistan visit

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 22:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse begins his official three-day visit to Pakistan Friday. This is his second State visit since he assumed duties as President in November 2005. SL Ministers including Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Susil Premajayanth, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Jeyaraj Fernadopulle, A.L.M Athaullah, Douglas Devananda, Abdul Risath Bathiyutheen and Cegu Issadean will accompany Rajapakse, informed sources said.
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Jaffna DDC meets under heavy security

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2006, 10:53 GMT]
Mr. Douglas Devananda, Minister in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, and North East Governor Mohan Wijewickrema, retired Rear Admiral of the Sri Lanka Navy, Thursday morning arrived at the Jaffna District Secretariat in a troop carrier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the Jaffna District Development Committee (DDC) meeting held Thursday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The entire surrounding of the secretariat building was fortified with large numbers of troops and armored vehicles, sources added.
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TNA to boycott Devananda meeting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 22:54 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians said Wednesday that they will boycott the District Integration Meeting schedueld for Thursday 16th at the Jaffna Secretariat to be chaired by Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party, with the newly appointed Governor for NorthEast, Rear Admiral (Retd) Mohan Wijeyawickrema, and Mavai Senathirajah, TNA parliamentarian as co-chairmen, TNA sources said. The EPDP is a paramilitary group working with Sri Lanka Government and a political party aligned with the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
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UPFA to contest three Jaffna local councils

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2006, 16:26 GMT]
Ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is contesting three local councils in Jaffna district, Chavakachcheri, Point Pedro and Valvettithurai urban councils, and has submitted nomination papers for these councils, election officials in Jaffna said. For the Jaffna Municipal Council only three political parties Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and PLOTE-EPRLF (Varathar wing) have submitted nominations.
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The Importance of ‘Rearbase’: Taraki, 1989

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2006, 02:05 GMT]
In the 29 October 1989 issue of Sri Lanka's English daily, Island International, late Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular journalist and Senior editor at TamilNet, writes on the waning importance of a rear base in Tamil Nadu after the end of Eelam war I in 1987. "That a multipurpose comfortable rearbase would in the long term erode the conviction to fight and play into the hands of India was an opinion expressed in 1983. Finally the rearbase started becoming a factor that threatened to undermine the control various leaders had over their fighting cadres," Sivaram wrote.
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Harvard experts too pro-Tiger, too liberal, says Govt. paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 February 2006, 20:19 GMT]
"It [Sri Lanka Government Peace Team] learnt that two Harvard specialists who were coaching the peace team on some aspects of conflict resolution, for instance, were thought of as being too liberal and possibly too pro Tiger in their views," said Sri Lanka's state-run paper Sunday Observer in its latest edition. The paper also quoted a source close to the consultation process as saying, "Harvard and other institutions of repute, may wittingly or otherwise place Sri Lankan strategy in channels that could be available to the Tigers."
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Jaffna tense as SLA cordon, searches continue

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:14 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off and searched several villages in Jaffna district including Kachchai area in Thenmaradchy, Ariyalai in Jaffna, Myilankadu in Valikamam North, Erlalai North and Mandan in Vadamaradchy area, Wednesday morning as the troops continued their security operations for a second day, sources in Jaffna said. Early reports said seven youths have been detained for futher questioning by the SLA in Mandan area. However, the SLA has not officially released any information on the detention.
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"STF, SL Ministers complicit in paramilitary operations, Karuna in India"

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 17:12 GMT]
The two paramilitary cadres who surrendered to the Tigers in Amparai disclosed that Karuna operates from India and that Pillayan was leading the Karuna group operating in the east. They also revealed that Sri Lankan Government Ministers A L M Athaullah, Douglas Devananda and Maithripala Sirisena are complicit in helping paramilitaries operating in the east, during a press conference held at Thenakam guest house in LTTE controlled Karadiyanaru Monday. The cadres also said that the paramilitaries were involved in violence against Muslims to create dissension between Tamil and Muslim communities.
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Mangala Samaraweera appointed new SL Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 07:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's new President Mahinda Rajapakse has demoted former President Chandrika Kumaratunga's brother, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, by removing the Foreign Ministry portfolio from him and appointing him as the Minister of Tourism in his new 25-member cabinet. Chief coordinator of Mr. Rajapakse's Presidential Campaign, Mangala Samaraweera, a JVP-friendly hardliner, has been appointed as the Foreign Minister, in addition to his portfolios, Ports and Aviation. The twice postponed- swearing in of the new cabinet of ministers took place at the Presidential Secretariat Wednesday. Rajapakse is likely to keep with him the Finance and Defence Ministries.
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New cabinet to be sworn in on Tuesday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 17:33 GMT]
New Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn in on Tuesday and all constituent political parties of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will be represented in the new Cabinet, Minister and Cabinet spokesman Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva said at a press briefing held at the Presidential Secretarial Saturday evening.


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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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EPDP cadre shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 17:54 GMT]
Two unknown gunmen riding in a motorbike shot dead Mr Vellaipodi Rasanayagam (36), an Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) cadre, Sunday night at about 8.00 p.m. at Maya Avenue in Wellawatte, Colombo, sources said. Mr Rasanayagam is alleged to be a key intelligence operative, and is in-charge of security for Leader of EPDP, Mr Douglas Devananda.
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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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Rajapakse makes campaign trip to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 23:05 GMT]
"No one can wage a war and divide this country, and I don't intend to start a war," said Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and presidential candidate during his visit to Jaffna Friday speaking at a meeting in Nadeswara College building located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.


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