Elderly woman dies in the turmoil in military transport arrangement from Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 September 2006, 15:18 GMT]
As all land routes from the Jaffna to the mainland being closed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), an elderly woman among the huge crowd of Jaffna residents vying for seats in 'Shakthi', the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) ship transporting civilians along with military personnel from Kankesanturai to Trincomalee died Tuesday due to rough handling by the SLA troopers at the Jaffna Sinhala Maha Vidyala where residents had to assemble for being selected for the sea journey by the SLA. Large numbers of Muslims too were among the many who are desperate to leave the peninsula where living has become dangerous because of the continuing extra-judicial killings, abductions and a severe shortage of food.
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Rajapakse wants protests postponed, Tamil doctor abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 September 2006, 01:49 GMT]
A protest shut-down, scheduled to be held Tuesday against the recent abductions of Tamil civilians and businessmen in Colombo, organised by representatives from seven political parties, was called off Monday following Rajapakse government's "requests", during the weekend, urging the organisors to postpone the shut-down, informed political circles in Colomb said. Meanwhile, a Tamil medical doctor and owner of three medical businesses in Colombo, was allegedly abducted in his car in Maradana in Colombo Monday.
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Six civilians killed in 24-hours, fear grips Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 September 2006, 16:00 GMT]
"White van" squad allegedly operated by Sri Lanka Army, abducted a 19-year-old female, beat the victim to death and hung her Thursday night in Uduvil, Jaffna. The victim was the fiancee of a 23-year-old male who was abducted, shot into eyes and dumped in Innuvil Monday. Meanwhile, an eyewitness from the bar on Manipay Road in Jaffna, said Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were behind the killings at the bar where two youths from Punguduthivu were gunned down in execution style Thursday night. Another youth was killed in Anaikoddai, shot into his eyes. The other victims to die were a 28-year-old employee at a fuel station Thursday night in Kalviyankadu and a 25-year-old fisherman, Friday morning.
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Terrorised Tamil traders flee to India - report

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 September 2006, 12:20 GMT]
Several Tamil traders and businessmen have fled Sri Lanka following a spate of killings and abductions, IANS reported Thursday quoting officials and refugees. Sinhalese gangs in Trincomalee are targeting prominent Tamils and many ordinary Tamils in the capital were gripped by a "fear psychosis" the agency reported, quoting activists as saying the recent violence has led to one of the most traumatic periods for the island's Tamil community.
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International community must ensure Sri Lanka honours CFA and paves way for talks- LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 September 2006, 00:03 GMT]
Welcoming the call by the Co-Chairs of Sri Lanka’s donor community for the Colombo government to abide by the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) and implement the pledges it made in Geneva, the Liberation Tigers said Wednesday it is the responsibility of the Norwegian facilitators and international community to ensure the Rajapakse government adheres to the territorial demarcations, terms and conditions of the CFA and thereby creates a conducive atmosphere for talks.
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Tamil parties protest against abductions in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 September 2006, 18:05 GMT]
Representatives of Tamil political parties addressing a press briefing held Friday in Colombo Holiday-In-Hotel said they are going to hold awareness meetings among Tamil people in Colombo from next week against the increase of abduction by the intelligence service of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). They stressed that several Tamil youths in Colombo had been abducted by SLA intelligence unit in past and immediate action should be taken to stop this.
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Abducted youth being trained in Polannaruwa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 August 2006, 11:05 GMT]
A number of youths from Amparai district abducted by Army-backed anti-LTTE paramilitaries are undergoing weapons training at military bases in Polannaruwa District, LTTE officials who met with the United Nations’ child agency, UNICEF, said this week. Many youth had been brazenly picked up by unmarked ‘white vans’ in Army-controlled parts of the eastern districts, they said, urging UNICEF to visit the training sites.
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Media Organizations demand release of abducted journalist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 August 2006, 12:51 GMT]
More than hundred journalists from print and electronic media demonstrated in front of in front of the Fort Railway Station, Colombo, condemning the abduction of Nadarajah Kuruparan, a veteran journalist and the News Manager of Suriyan FM Radio broadcast from Colombo, Tuesday noon.


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Priests, public demand release of Allaippiddy Parish Priest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 August 2006, 09:46 GMT]
A token hunger strike and a special Mass were held Monday from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. at the St. Theresa's Church, Kilinochchi, demanding the release of Allaippiddy Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Jim Brown and his aide Venseslos Vincent Vimalathas who were abducted by the Sri Lanka Forces in Allaippiddy in Jaffna District on 20 August and condemning the killings of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lanka Forces.


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Tamil News Manager abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 August 2006, 02:50 GMT]
Nadarajah Kuruparan, News Manager of Sooriyan FM Radio broadcast from Colombo and the programme leader of popular weekly programme, Viluthukal, in Sooriyan FM, is reported missing since Tuesday morning around 4:30 a.m., Dehiwale Police said. Mr. Nadarajah Kuruparan, a senior Tamil news editor, was on his way to work in his car, when he was reported missing 300 meters away from his house, on Pinthali Road. Journalist associations and Free Media Movement in Colombo held an urgent protest calling for the release of Kuruparan in front of Colombo Fort Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. till 13:30 p.m.
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Paramilitary abductions continue in Batticaloa, Amparai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 August 2006, 21:44 GMT]
Paramilitary Karuna Group men working with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) abducted 15 Tamil civilians in Batticaloa and Amparai Districts within last two days, said Jeya, the Amparai District LTTE Political Head. He further said the incidents have been reported to the Sri Lanka Monitoring mission(SLMM).


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Aid massacre ‘result of impunity’ - TRO

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 August 2006, 15:37 GMT]
Joining several humanitarian organizations in condemning the massacre of the 17 ACF staff members in Muthur, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) said the failure to investigate and punish those responsible for attacks on its own aid workers in January 2006 had contributed to a climate of impunity.
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Facilitator to ensure humanitarian action, sluice gates to be opened

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 August 2006, 06:15 GMT]
Norwegian Special Envoy Jon-Hanssen Bauer has assured the LTTE leadership that the facilitators would act, within three weeks, to ensure equitable humanitarian assistance as the Tiger leadership told the facilitator that the LTTE would convince the Maavilaru Tamils to re-open the closed sluice gates. The Tigers also said that the Sri Lanka's direct military actions such as air-strikes, artillery attacks and "socalled limited operations" would be regarded as Declaration of War.
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Armed men abduct civilian in Eravur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 July 2006, 12:46 GMT]
A Savukadi resident, Subramaniyam Krishnamoorthy, 28, was abducted by armed men travelling in a white-van at a play ground in Savukadi a hamlet of Thalavi in Eravur at 6:20 p.m. Friday, residents complained to the Eravur police. The abductors took his motorcycle with them. Mr Krishnamoorthy was about to leave the play ground after playing soccer when he was abducted, sources said.
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Surge in Mannar residents fleeing to South India

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 July 2006, 01:55 GMT]
Increasing number of residents of Mannar district have started fleeing to South India by boats following the escalation in number of abductions, and killings of several Tamil civilians by State armed forces and Deep Penetration Units of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), civil sources said.
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Fisheries Society President feared abducted

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 July 2006, 06:47 GMT]
President of the Aathikovilady Fisheries Society and Board member of the Federation of Fisheries Societies, Vadamaradchi North, Mr.Rasathurai Inthirarajah,38, has been reported "missing" since Friday, 21 July.
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SLMM Trinco head meets Elilan in Sampoor

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 July 2006, 11:09 GMT]
Mr.Ove Janssen, head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee Friday morning met with Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head, LTTE sources in Trincomalee said. The meeting was arranged to discuss the current ground security situation in the district with the SLMM and to brief the SLMM about the difficulties faced by Tamil civilians in Muttur east, LTTE sources said. The meeting was held in the LTTE district political secretariat located in Sampoor in the Muttur east.
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Independent report verifies SLN complicity in Pesalai violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 July 2006, 15:44 GMT]
In a report filed by a fact finding mission from two Colombo-based NGOs to look at the Pesalai violence of 17 June 2006, the investigators said, "Although in the initial days following the attack the government laid the responsibility for the attacks at the door of the LTTE, the strong report compiled and widely disseminated by the Bishop of Mannar pointed directly to Navy involvement. None of the many we met had the slightest doubt on this issue." The report also details the background to the prevailing ground situation in Mannar, urgent efforts required to prevent escalation of tensions, and provide security to the poor fisher families in Mannar.
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Abductions escalate in Muttur- Elilan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 July 2006, 23:07 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the abduction of Tamil civilians from LTTE held territory to government controlled Muttur has escalated and that SLMM has made little progress on previous complaints of abductions, LTTE sources said.
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Violence adding to 600,000 displaced - Amnesty

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 June 2006, 00:01 GMT]
Saying that over six hundred thousand displaced people are suffering the effects of intensifying violence, Amnesty International Wednesday blamed the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan government and other armed groups. Almost 40,000 people have been displaced since April 7, the London-based human rights group said.
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