Boat explosion reported off Mannar, four feared killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 February 2006, 13:58 GMT]
At least four persons were feared killed in an explosion involving a boat off the seas of Pesalai in Mannar, Saturday afternoon Police said. Sri Lankan Police said those on board the suspect vessel set the explosion that destroyed the boat when a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessel tried to intercept the boat. Meanwhile, fishermen in Pesalai, expressed fears that the victims could be civilians travelling in a boat with high horsepower engines, that came under RPG fire from the SLN vessel.
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Muslim farmer shot, injured in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 06:43 GMT]
Mr.W.L.Najeebdeen aged 44 of First Division in Akkaraipattu in the Amparai district was shot and injured Friday morning around 8.00 a.m. by unidentified person when he was going to see harvesting in his paddy field which is located in Aanaivilunthan in Alankulam area. He was immediately admitted to the Amparai general hospital, police sources said.
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Preparations ahead of Geneva talks should focus on people's plight - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 07:58 GMT]
"One of the key issues in the February 2002 Cease Fire Agrement was ensuring a safe life to the civilians in Sri Lanka military controlled areas of the Tamil homeland," Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media, following a preparatory meeting with the Ambassadors of Norway and Swtizerland, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. "It is therefore vital that the team participating in the talks, study the ground situation prevailing in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas," he added.
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"Federal model, a durable solution to Sri Lanka's conflict"

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 February 2006, 12:20 GMT]
"A federal constitution offers a reasonable accommodation in a conflict where one side is committed to a unitary state and the other a separate state," a declaration passed at the National Symposium organised by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on The Future of Sri Lanka and The Federal Idea held at the BMICH on 6th February 2006, said. Over a thousand participants agreed to the declaration, the organizers said.
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Truce talks in Geneva on February 22

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 February 2006, 15:34 GMT]
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday evening informed the press that the parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, have asked Norway to facilitate talks in Geneva from 22 to 23 February. The announcement comes following the meeting between the Norwegian International Development Minister Mr. Erik Solheim and the Liberation Tigers Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist Mr. Anton Balasingham in London, and Mr. Solheim's consultations with the Government of Sri Lanka following his meeting with Mr. Balasingham.
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Southern Journalists meet counterparts, NGOs in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 February 2006, 15:13 GMT]
Nearly 30 journalists representing different media organizations in the South, met with Journalists from Jaffna district at the University of Jaffna Campus in Thinnaively at 3.30 p.m. Sunday, sources said. Head of Jaffna Journalists Union, K Kathirgamathamby, presided over the meeting.
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Halo Trust employee missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 February 2006, 14:43 GMT]
An employee of Halo Trust, an NGO engaged in mine clearing operations in Jaffna, is reported missing from Saturday night, sources from Jaffna said. Gunaratnam Logithas, 23, from Kaithady in Jaffna district, was travellling to Chavakachcheri from his home in his motorbike when he was reported disappeared.
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"Sri Lanka, an Asian Gaza strip"

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 February 2006, 15:58 GMT]
Describing Sri Lanka's people as "talented, educated and ready for the globalization experience," and extolling Sri Lanka's virtues as a country that "could mature into a gem like Switzerland or Singapore, that it could offer the rest of the world an exemplary measure of hope," Prof Tom Plate of University of California, Los Angeles, says that two decades of conflict has converted the tourist postcard island into an Asian Gaza strip and that "things are getting worse. Its new, recently elected President, Mahinda Rajapakse, is demonstrating astonishing ineptitude," in an article that appeared on a UCLA Asia Media news journal, 3rd February.
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TRO abductions, GoSL response may stall Geneva talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 February 2006, 14:10 GMT]
"We are concerned that the continued deterioration of ground situation in the NorthEast and the abduction of TRO staff members by paramilitaries can potentially prevent Liberation Tigers' participation in Geneva talks," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians after a meeting with Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi at 11 a.m. Saturday. "Colombo has openly attempted to discredit the LTTE by making misleading statements to the International Community on the recent abductions of TRO staff by the paramilitary cadres," they added. The meeting lasted for more than three hours sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Action, not words is needed - paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 February 2006, 20:43 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government’s tardy response to the kidnapping of ten aid workers of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) have raised serious doubts about the prospects of peace talks, the Tamil Guardian newspaper said this week. Arguing that “last week’s optimism [about talks] was premature and, as many Tamils now feel, sorely misplaced,” the expatriate publication said “this incident has demonstrated exactly what the future of negotiations with President Rajapakse and his government is likely to be.”
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STF opens fire at hartal observers in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 February 2006, 05:45 GMT]
Several civilians sustained minor injuries when Special Task Force (STF) soldiers opened fire at civilians observing hartal in Thirukovil area in Akkaraipattu Friday morning. The incident took place near Akkaraipattu-Pottuvil highway, sources said.
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Sri Lankan Parliament adjourned till February 14

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 February 2006, 07:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan parliament sessions were brought to an abrupt end Thursday morning following a bomb scare within the Chambers of the House. The drama began ealry Thursday when sniffing dogs stopped near one of the benches and started sniffing there. Security officials found a parcel with some gum on the carpet and the Government Analyst's Department was called into examine the substance. Sittings beagn around 9.55 am after a dealy of about 25 minutes but were ended within less than a minute by Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara. However, the sittings were adjoured till February 14th, after Tamil National Alliance MPs walked to the Well of the House in protest against the abductions in the east.
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TNA MPs walk out of parliament in protest of killings, abduction

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 February 2006, 06:07 GMT]
If Colombo continued to allow provocative incidents take place in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas of the NorthEast, the peace talks planned between the Government and the LTTE would be in jeopardy, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has warned the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday. "This is a calculated move to disturb the talks to be held in Geneva between the Government and the LTTE. We demand that the Government to act urgently in this matter and take appropriate action to save the dialogue," Mavai Senathirajah, TNA MP for Jaffna District told a press conference after walking out of the Sri Lankan Parliament.
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Meeting with SLA constructive- Rights officials

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 11:20 GMT]
A delegation human rights activists led by Head of Human Rights Commission in Jaffna, Rohitha Priyatharsana, met with Commanders of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Palaly Military Camp Tuesday at 3.30 p.m. for nearly two hours, sources said. The discussions centered on issues related to increasing numbers of disappearances, arrests, and harassment to civilians caused by frequent cordon and search operations carried out by SLA in populated areas, sources said.
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SLA cordon, search Thumpalai area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 10:26 GMT]
Lourdes Mary Catholic Church area in Thumpalai, Point Pedro was cordoned off and house-to-house search conducted by more than 500 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, sources from Point-Pedro said. Residents of the area were not allowed to getout of their houses and vehicular traffic was blocked from entering or leaving the area during the search operation.
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Chulipuram student missing, familes continue to flee Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 01:39 GMT]
Ramanathan Ratheeskumar, 20, from Chulipuram east and a student at the Vaddukoddai Technical College has disappeared after leaving home Thursday to attend school, said his parents in a complaint registered with the Human Rights Commision in Jaffna Monday, civil society sources said.
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Rights commission to meet SLA officials in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 11:55 GMT]
A delegation of members of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and other civil rights activists are meeting high level officials of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the military head quarters in Palaly at 3.30 p.m. Monday, civil sources in Jaffna said. The discussions will center around the several disappearances in Jaffna district, and the attacks on civilians and journalists by the SLA soldiers, sources added.
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Another grenade attack on civilian residence in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 08:38 GMT]
Unknown attackers lobbed a grenade at a civilian residence in Vavuniya Sunday night. No one was wounded in the attack, which was the sixth grenade attack to be reported on civilian residences within the last few days, Vavuniya Police said. At least two houses of reputed businessmen were among the targets in Vavuniya. Incidents of extortions and violence, allegedly by paramilitary cadres, have escalated in Vavuniya.
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Three wounded in grenade attack on Vavuniya trader's house

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 January 2006, 11:16 GMT]
A 13-year-old boy, his 14-year-old sister, and their mother were wounded when unknown attackers lobbed a grenade Saturday night around 8:40 p.m. on the front-yard of the residence of a reputed trader in Vavuniya, Police said. The cause of the attack on the house of the businessman, Chandrakumar, the owner of Gopi Agency, is not known, the Police said. This is the fifth grenade attack to be reported in Vavuniya town within the past 7 days, sources said.
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Two attacks against troops Saturday night, says SLA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 January 2006, 01:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops on foot patrol in Irupalai area along Jaffna Point-Pedro came under fire from unknown gunmen Saturday evening, and in another incident in Chulipuram one SLA trooper was injured when unknown gunmen hurled a grenade at a SLA foot patrol, military sources in Jaffna said, without blaming any party for the attacks.
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