Talks should address democracy, human rights, development- GoSL

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 12:43 GMT]
Expressing hopes that the talks will build the "required atmosphere and move the country forward to the realization of a just and honorable peace," Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, in the opening speech on behalf of Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) Saturday morning said, GoSL's APC is "formulating a political and constitutional framework for the resolution of the national question." He said that despite provocations of the LTTE, GoSL is continuing the dialogue, and cautioned "LTTE not to consider GoSL's commitment to the peace process as a sign of weakness."
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Civilian shot dead in Eravur

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 12:20 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a elderly man Friday at 8:30 p.m at Murakodanchenai in Eravur police division in Batticaloa, Eravur police said. The assailants called the victim out of his house, shot him at close range, and escaped from the site, Police added.
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Peace process depends on ceasefire implementation - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 10:49 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers called Saturday for the full implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA), saying "such actions will bring normalcy in the lives of our people, and help in taking forward the peace process towards a satisfactory conclusion." Addressing the opening session of the Norwegian facilitated negotiations in Geneva, LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said: "the best we can hope for from the current talks is therefore, the strengthening of the CFA agreement that has the potential to lead to a permanent, just peace in this island."
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Geneva Talks II begins

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 10:37 GMT]
"Developments in Sri Lanka in the past months have seriously endangered the peace process," said Switzerland Foreign Affairs Deputy Head Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini who gave the opening address wishing the facilitator and the Parties better understanding, in Geneva Saturday. Stressing the need for "confidence in the Norwegian Government as facilitator seeking ways to lead the delegations to a better mutual understanding, confidence in the other Party as a partner with whom one can engage," Ms. Heidi Tagliavini said the International Community the recent developments in Sri Lanka have caused considerable concern within the International Community.
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Karuna ‘abducted hundreds of children’ – The Times

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 15:48 GMT]
The Karuna Group has abducted between 300 and 900 children — some as young as 12 — since March, The Times newspaper reported this week, quoting international and local aid workers in Sri Lanka. The paramilitary group’s “escalating activity has emerged as a key factor behind the upsurge in violence that has killed more than 2,000 people this year and left a 2002 ceasefire agreement in tatters,” the British newspaper said.
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TNA appeals to UN: "GoSL uses Humanitarian crisis as tool of war"

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 06:36 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) consisting 22 out of the 23 Tamil members elected to Sri Lankan Parliament from the NorthEast, in an appeal to the United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights and Refugees, said that the Government of Sri Lanka was using the humanitarian crisis as a tool of war. Detailing the humanitarian situation prevailing in all the districts of NorthEast, the TNA charged that the GoSL was engaged in a policy to drive the Tamil civilian population out of the Trincomalee District. The TNA's appeal to UN comes a day before the talks in Geneva.
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EU allocates Rs.667m to help displaced Sri Lankan Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 00:26 GMT]
The European Commission (EU) is concerned about the upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka from the beginning of 2006 that directly affects thousands of civilians in the island, said the report of Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Activities, read by Julian Wilson Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, at a press briefing held Wednesday around 11:00 a.m at the EU office in Colombo.


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NGO staffer disappears near Chemmani

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 00:18 GMT]
A field officer attached to Non Violent Democrative Activities Group (NVDAG), a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO), disappeared after being interrogated by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) stationed along the A9 highway between Chemmani road junction and Ariyalai Mampalam junction Wednesday, civil society sources in Jaffna said.


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TNA urges LTTE to prioritize opening of A9, warns humanitarian catastrophe in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 October 2006, 18:34 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in an urgent letter to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday, noting that the humanitarian situation in Jaffna has reached critical levels since the closure of the A9 highway, appealed the Tigers to take-up the opening of the A9 highway as a matter of top priority at the forthcoming talks in Geneva. Sri Lanka Army conrolled Jaffna, with 653,755 persons, requires 11,000 Metric tons of food supplies per month. For the last three months, only 14,000 Metric tons of food items had been sent by ship, the short fall is 19,000 Metric tons. The fuel that is currently available is grossly inadequate.
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Two civilians injured in Valaichenai shootings

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 15:45 GMT]
Unidentified persons waiting in ambush opened fire seriously injuring a youth riding his bicycle for work, at Kinnaiady in Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa Tuesday around 6:40 a.m, Valaichenai police said. In a separate incident, a woman, 30, was caught in the cross fire between two rival groups and was seriously injured around 11:00 a.m, at Vinayagapuram in the same police division.
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IFJ condemns bombing of VoT radio station

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 October 2006, 16:51 GMT]
The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the bombing of the official radio station of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Voice of Tigers (VoT), by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) in Vanni last Tuesday. The IFJ, reminding the Sri Lankan government of its "absolute obligation" under the Geneva Convention to respect the safety of journalists, said it hoped the attack does not set a "terrible precedent" for further "targeted attacks" on media outlets. The SLAF attack on Thamileelam Vanoli tower in Kokkavil, destroyed the main transmitter and tower of the station that broadcasts three services, the VoT, a Sinhala service and a Tamil commercial service from Vanni.
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Shell injures police, civilian in Vavunathivu

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 October 2006, 15:34 GMT]
A civilian and a police Seargent were seriously injured when a mortar shell exploded near the police sentry point on the Vavunathivu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Forward Defence Line (FDL) Monday around 6:30 a.m, said residents in Vavunathivu.
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6 youths disappear near Chemmani

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 October 2006, 15:33 GMT]
Six youths have been reported missing near Chemmani, the gateway between Valigamam and Thenmaradchy, within five days from Monday 16 October, the Human Rights Council (HRC) officials said in Jaffna Sunday.
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SLA shells injure two youths, child in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 October 2006, 10:52 GMT]
Three members of a family including a 3 year old boy was seriously injured when high explosive artillery shells fired by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Valaichenai brigade and Sinhapura camps on residential settlelments in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Vaharai areas in Batticaloa district at 6:00 pm Friday, hit their house, said sources in Vaharai. The injured were rushed to Vaharai hospital and are listed in serious condition, hospital sources said.
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8 killed within 24 hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 01:27 GMT]
Seven civilians were shot and killed by unidentified armed men and the body of a youth from Kandarmadam with cut injuries was found in a well in Neeraviady Jaffna peninsula within the last 24 hours from Thursday 6:00 p.m to Friday 6:00 p.m., civil society sources in Jaffna said.


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2 Civilians shot dead, auto-rickshaw driver disappears in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 05:18 GMT]
An auto trishaw driver from Chavakachcheri has disappeared after being seen interrogated by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Five Junction check point in Jaffna Wednesday, civil society sources said. Meanwhile, two civilians were shot dead in different incidents in Jaffna Peninsula, Thursday.
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Akashi visits Muttur

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 00:24 GMT]
Mr. Yashushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy, paid a visit to Muthur town Thursday morning and met Muslims, Tamils and Sinhala residents at the Muthur Divisional Secretariat, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Civilian shot, injured in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 22:05 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot and injured the head of a family in his residence located in Ward No: 08 of Pesalai Wednesday night around 7.40 p.m. The victim has been identified as Veera Arachchilage Antony Silva aged 38 and a father of two children.
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Hindu Temple, 13 houses damaged in SLAF bombing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 17:55 GMT]
A Pillayar temple, a Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society building and 13 houses were badly damaged Thursday morning around 11:00 when SLAF kfir attack aircrafts bombed civilian settlements in Tharavai and Iralakulam in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) controlled area in Batticaloa district.
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Tigers, Norwegian facilitators agree on Geneva travel arrangements

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 14:31 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, after meeting Jon Hanssen-Bauer, the Norwegian special envoy to Sri Lanka peace process, in Kilinochchi Thursday, told media that the Tigers had given their consent to participate in the talks in Geneva, provided that the International Community, through Norwegian facilitators, guarantees a safe travel arrangement. Switzerland Ambassador also met the LTTE Political Head in Kilinochchi Thursday.
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