Grenade attack on SLA checkpoint in Jaffna, no one injured

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 15:22 GMT]
Unidentified men riding a motorbike hurled a hand grenade inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint located at the railway crossing along Naavalar Road, Jaffna at 12:00 noon Friday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA troopers manning the checkpoint escaped unhurt in the explosion. The checkpoint encompasses part of the railway track, and is located behind the EPDP headquarters Sridhar Theater building.
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EPDP person shot dead in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 August 2008, 08:45 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Friday around 11:45 a.m. a person belonging to Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) while he was selling 'Thinamurasu' newspaper in front of Manchchanththoduvaay Technical College in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Indian Prime Minister to meet TNA leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 14:58 GMT]
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh arrived at Katunayake International airport at 12:45 p.m, Friday to attend the 15th SAARC conference. He was received by Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and given a red carpet welcome. Later he was escorted by the Indian special guard forces to the helipad and flown to Colombo in an Indian helicopter.
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JVP parliamentarian accuses government of 'white van culture'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 06:38 GMT]
Parliamentarian Mr.Wijitha Heart, Propaganda, propaganda secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), told media Friday that abductions are now being carried out in the country with the blessing of the government. The excavation of a corpse of a Tamil person who is alleged to have been abducted and later found to be dumped in the premises of the office of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in Batticaloa, clearly points complicity of Colombo in the abduction-murder, the JVP MP added. EPDP is a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, and the leader of EPDP is a cabinet minister.
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White van confiscated in EPDP Chengkaladi office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 08:01 GMT]
Ea’raavoor police confiscated a white van used in abductions in Batticaloa district in the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) office premises in Chengkaladi in Batticaloa district, Ea’ravoor Acting Inspector of Police, Nalakka Magedara said. The van bearing 56-5659 registration number was confiscated on information given by the EPDP members arrested in connection with the recovery of an abductee's body in the backyard of Chengkaladi EPDP office 17 July.
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Abductee recovered dead in EPDP office premises in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2008, 12:14 GMT]
A shop owner, who was abducted by the paramilitary EPDP group in Chengkaladi in Ea'raavoor police division on June 19, was found dead and his body was recovered Thursday in the backyard of the EPDP office, which is guarded by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) of the Kommaathu'rai camp. The location was discovered following the information revealed by the EPDP personnel to the TMVP paramilitary operatives in a 'Police interrogation', according to informed sources. An EPDP person, Kaliyappan Gunaseelan, who was abducted by the TMVP, after Sureshkumar's disappearance, was recovered dead near a pond in Vaazhaichcheanai on 27 June.
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SLA, police expel picketing unemployed graduates in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2008, 13:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police in Jaffna expelled Tuesday around 10:00 a.m. the unemployed graduates picketing at the front entrance of Jaffna Main Educational complex at Nalloor in a token protest for the second day, demanding immediate employment. The SLA and the police told the picketers that they will not permit the picketing and directed them to approach Douglas Devananda, the Sri Lankan Minister and the leader of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP), if they had any grievances.
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Abducted EPDP person recovered dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2008, 12:48 GMT]
An EPDP person reportedly abducted by the TMVP group seven days ago was recovered dead near a pond in Vinayaakapuram Friday by the Vaazhaichcheani Police. The dead EPDP person was identified as Kaliyappan Gunaseelan, 34. The EPDP has alleged that a group headed by TMVP operative Ajith had kidnapped Gunaseelan.
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SLA cancels sports event leaving Jaffna students stranded in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2008, 00:55 GMT]
325 students and the teachers from Jaffna peninsula arriving in Trincomalee by ship to participate in the Northern Province Athletic Meet (NPAM) for students in Vavuniyaa Wednesday were left stranded due to the sudden cancellation of the event by the Governor of Northern Province. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities had advised the Governor to cancel the event citing security reasons.
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Ea’raavoor police arrest four EPDP cadres

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2008, 13:09 GMT]
Four cadres of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) alleged to have been involved in the recent spate of abductions, robberies, extortion of money from traders in Chengkaladi region were arrested Wednesday morning by Ea’raavoor police, produced in courts, and detained for 14 days on the instruction of the magistrate, Officer in Charge (OIC) of Ea’raavoor police said.
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Batticaloa traders appeal for closure of EPDP office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 14:16 GMT]
Traders of Chengakaladi area closed their shops for the second day in protest against the forcible abduction of a fellow trader, Thursday around 3:30 p.m. Armed men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in a white van allegedly carried out the abduction, according to complaint made by the victim’s relatives with Ea’raavoor police, Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Red Cross Society. Meanwhile, representatives of Chengkaladi Traders Association met Pillayan Tuesday, and appealed to him to close the EPDP office in the area.
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Shut down protest in Chengakaladi against abduction

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 June 2008, 14:32 GMT]
Traders of Chengakaladi area shut down their shops Sunday in protest against the forcible abduction of a fellow trader, Thursday around 3:30 p.m. Armed men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in a white van allegedly carried out the abduction, according to complaint made by his relatives with Ea’raavoor police, Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Red Cross Society. The shut down followed the distribution of the hand bill issued by the Traders of Chengkaladi calling for the immediate release the fellow trader, sources in Chengkaladi said.
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Sampanthan regrets neglected relationship

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2008, 15:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, who on Saturday met the visiting Indian top officials at India House in Colombo, told the delegation that "Tamils believed all these years that they were the natural allies of India, but it is not so today." Even the human rights violations against Tamils, abductions and genocide are largely ignored by India.
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Protection-seeker shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 June 2008, 06:25 GMT]
Armed men stopped a prison vehicle Friday morning, identified a youth who had been placed under humanitarian protective custody, and opened fire, killing two victims, near Punnaalaikkadduvan High Security Zone area while they were being transported with other prisoners to Point Pedro courts, according to initial reports. One of the victims, S. Leptinraj, was alleged to be involved in the killing of Ms. Maheswary Velayutham, Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) Key advisor, on May 13 in Kareveddi in Vadmaraadchi. Mr. Leptinraj and his sister had sought protection one week after their parents and a brother were abducted and a cousin shot and killed in Karaveddi.
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SLA compels students, public to attend Jaffna tamasha

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2008, 17:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities summoned government officials and departmental heads to SLA Palaali Military Head Quarters, prior to the SLA organized three-day Veasak Carnival that began Friday in Jaffna Duraippaah Stadium, and directed them to compel students, traders and the public attend the above carnival, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. Students from schools in Jaffna peninsula were transported in buses to attend the carnival where all entrants were subjected to rigorous body check before entering the heavily guarded carnival grounds, sources in Jaffna said.
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EPDP member shot in Mannaar bazaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2008, 14:59 GMT]
An EPDP member who was distributing the paper of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Thinamurasu, was shot and injured by unknown gunmen in Mannaar Bazaar around 5:30 p.m., police said. Civilians who fled the Bazaar as Sri Lankan forces entered attacking everyone at the place after the shooting incident said three Muslim youths were severely attacked by the military.
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Five EPDP cadres injured in TMVP attack in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 23:35 GMT]
A group of operatives belonging to the paramilitary-cum-political party, the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) armed with swords and machetes, attacked and seriously wounded five members of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Monday might 9:30p.m. in Vaazhaichcheanai outside the Pentecostal church, sources in Batticaloa said.
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SLA cordons off, searches large areas of Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2008, 21:27 GMT]
In the aftermath of the assassination of Maheswari Velautham, an advisor of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP ) leader Douglas Devandanda at her residence at Navi'ndil near Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi in Jaffna Tuesday, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers conducted a massive cordon and search operation Thursday in the vicinity of her residence.
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Remains of Maheswari Velayutham flown to Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 May 2008, 13:11 GMT]
The remains of Maheswari Velayutham, the advisor of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, shot and killed Tuesday, was flown to Colombo in a special aircraft with security arrangements Wednesday around 7.30 p.m, along with her family members and relatives, sources in Jaffna said. Her remains will be interred in Borella Saiva crematorium Thursday, the sources added.
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Maheswari Velayutham shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2008, 15:23 GMT]
Maheswari Velautham, an advisor of EPDP leader Douglas Devandanda, was shot and killed at her residence at Navi'ndil near Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi in Jaffna Tuesday around 6:30 p.m., initial reports from Jaffna said. Ms. Maheswari, whose association with Tamil militancy dates back to late 1970s, narrowly escaped from a group of Tamil prisoners who attacked Mr. Douglas Devananda when he visited Kalutara prison in June 1998 with her. She is a lawyer by profession.
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