SLA rejects rent request for HSZ properties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 03:07 GMT]
A meeting held Friday between the representatives of Consortium of Jaffna Welfare Associations and the Sri Lanka Military officials at 51-2 Brigade Headquarters in Jaffna to explore ways to simplify procedures allowing civilian owners of SLA occupied private buildings and houses to collect rents, ended without any agreements, sources attending the meeting said. The meeting was arranged by the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials, sources added.
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Paramilitary cadre guns down bus passenger in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 March 2006, 07:14 GMT]
A young man travelling on a public transport bus from Eravur to Batticaloa was shot dead by a gunman, around 11 a.m., Thursday, police in the eastern town said. Eye wintnesses named the assailant as paramilitary 'Karuna group' cadre "Mathushan," attached to Palpody camp of the Special Task Force (STF). Two other civilians were injured in the shooting.
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SLA cordon, search Erlalai, beat bakery owner

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 12:02 GMT]
More than five hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops with a few paramilitary cadres arrived in several heavy military vehicles and eight Buffel armored vehicles, cordoned off, and searched residences in Erlalai South, Kalavodai Amman Temple areas at 3.30 a.m. Wednesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA soldiers, at 6 a.m., entered the house of a 30 year old civilian who owns a bakery, beat him and left after ransacking his business premises, sources added.
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Act upon Geneva commitment, NPC urges GoSL

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 17:25 GMT]
The National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based peace group, on Tuesday urged the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to apprehend and deal with the armed groups that were responsible for continued attacks on Liberation Tigers. "The attack on an LTTE security point within the LTTE-controlled territory that has left two LTTE cadres dead is a serious cause for concern as it threatens the credibility of the commitment made by the Government of Sri Lanka, the NPC said in a press release. "If those responsible are not immediately apprehended and dealt with, it is likely this will set a precedent for further attacks that would completely undermine the Geneva agreement," NPC statement said.
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Muttur Magistrate reprimands Police irresponsible arrests

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 10:26 GMT]
Mr.Manickavasagar Ganesharajah, Muttur Magistrate instructed the Police to adhere to proper procedures while arresting and investigating suspects in cases. He admonished the police to not to harm and harass innocent civilians, and not to arrest suspects arbitrarily. The Magistrate made this remark Tuesday in open court when the Police submitted a report in a case stating that they did not recover any explosives from a suspect during the investigation. The Magistrate acting on the police report released the suspect from the case, legal sources said.
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Diaspora Tamil Organizations welcome Geneva Joint Statement

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 12:21 GMT]
The International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a Geneva based consortium of Tamil diaspora organisations, in a press release issued Monday commended the facilitators Norway, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Liberation Tigers for bringing "relief to all peace loving people in the island." The press release also urged Mr Rajapakse to "use his power, influence and goodwill to prevail on those paramilitary cadres and get the seven TRO volunteers released immediately."
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Paramilitary operatives: ultimate victims of covert warfare?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2006, 22:41 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met in Geneva Wednesday and Thursday and reconfirmed their commitment to honour and uphold the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The issue of paramilitary groups figured prominently in the discussions and the GoSL delegation undertook a commitment: that no armed group or person other than its security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations in GoSL controlled territory.
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Regional Citizens Peace Committees to be established in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2006, 03:38 GMT]
Decision to form Citizen Peace Committees to monitor and report on human rights violations across Jaffna district was taken in a meeting among Secretaries of Jaffna district local councils, presided by Additional Government Agent (AGA), A. Sivasamy, held at the Jaffna district Secretariat Friday, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Head of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, Rohitha Priyatharsana also participated in the meeting.
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Colombo accepts CFA in toto, Balasingham tells Sunday Leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2006, 21:39 GMT]
LTTE's Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist, Anton Balasingham, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Leader, said that although the talks were difficult and tough, the Sri Lanka Government has "accepted the meaning and content of this document [Cease Fire Agreement]," and on the issue of paramilitaries he said: "we have told the government, you better start disarming these groups and put an end to their armed military operations so that we could send our cadres to the north and east.We are ready to do that.And if anything happens to them, it will constitue a very very serious violation of the joint statement issued by both the parties."
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GoSL to disarm armed groups

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 February 2006, 18:09 GMT]
Norwegian Minister of International Development released a statement on behalf of the parties to the Sri Lanka conflict, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday evening in Geneva. The GOSL is committed to taking all necessary measures in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement to ensure that no armed group or person other than Government security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations. The LTTE is committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure that there will be no acts of violence against the Sri Lankan forces and the police. The parties are to meet again in Geneva on April 19th for a second round of talks.
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Sri Lanka Government's opening statement at Geneva

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 12:21 GMT]
"Ceasefire Agreement entered into between the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mr. V. Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE on the 22nd February 2002 is contrary to our Constitution and law," declared Nimal Sripala De Silva, Head of the Sri Lankan delegation at the opening session of the talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka.
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Armed men beat MAG staffers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Armed men in civilian clothes claiming to be belonging to paramilitary Karuna Group entered the offices of MAG (Mines Advisory Group) in Batticaloa at 2.55 p.m. Wednesday and beat a local staffer working at the office, and threatened the British national heading the Batticaloa office of MAG, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Grenade attack damages house in Pesalai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 10:36 GMT]
Unidentified persons hurled a grenade at a house belonging to a Tamil civilian along Jude's Road in Ward No:01 of Pesalai town in Mannar district Wednesday afternoon 12.45 p.m. The front portion of the house was badly damaged due to explosion. No one was hurt in the incident, Talaimannar Police said.
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Ceasefire Agreement is foundation of peace and must be implemented - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 10:19 GMT]
Describing the February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA) as the “most constructive achievement” of the Norwegian peace process and “the foundation upon which the process has to be built,” the Liberation Tigers’ Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist, Anton Balasingham said Wednesday the CFA had been agreed upon by both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE after “careful and meticulous scrutiny” and crafted with the skilled assistance of the Norwegian facilitators.
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Lankan Deep Penetration Unit retreats leaving behind Claymore mine - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 February 2006, 14:31 GMT]
A team of Sri Lanka Army soldiers who entered LTTE controlled Mahilankulam 25 km southeast of Mannar near Iluppaikulam withdrew from the site when intercepted by an LTTE patrol, Media Coordinator of the Liberation Tigers, Daya Master told media Monday evening. The Sri Lankan soldiers had left behind a claymore mine when they withdrew from the site, he added.
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Mannar civilian detained in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2006, 16:23 GMT]
The Mannar Citizens Committee (MCC) has appealed to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to take steps to obtain the release of a Tamil civilian Mr.Jesuthasan Kamalathasan of Pesalai who is being detained at the Terrorist Investigative Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police, sources said. The Police following a grenade attack at the army post located near Mannar hospital premises on January 16 took him into custody. An SLA soldier was killed in this incident.
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Lt Col Ponnamman's 19th anniversary celebrated

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2006, 12:28 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers, V Pirapaharan, paid respects to LTTE's Senior Commander Lt Col Ponnamman at an undisclosed LTTE camp in Vanni Friday, at the ninteenth rememberance anniversary, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Remembrance day for slain students held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 16:30 GMT]
Forty-fifth day remembrance of five Tamil students shot dead by State armed forces in execution style close to the Trincomalee beach on January 2nd this year was held at the same location Wednesday morning attended by large number of students, parents, teachers and members of public. The Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum and Students' Association organized the event, sources in Trincomalee said.
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State of Emergency extended till March 7

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 15:53 GMT]
Sri Lankan parliament Tuesday extended the State of Emergency for another month till March 7. Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Prime Minister and the Deputy Defense Minister moved the extension motion when the parliament resumed its sitting Tuesday. The State of Emergency was declared last year on August 13, the day after Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister was assassinated at his residence in Colombo. Since then the State of Emergency has been extended every month with the approval of the parliament, sources said.
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Kumarapuram massacre victims remembered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 February 2006, 17:06 GMT]
People of Kumarapuram, a village in Killiveddy area, Saturday observed the 10th death anniversary of twenty four Tamil civilians, including children massacred by a group of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army ( SLA ) on 11th February 1996. Thirty Tamil villagers were seriously injured in the incident. Kumarapuram, which lies about 32 km south of Trincomalee town by sea, comes under the administrative limit of the Muttur Divisional Secretariat.
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