Tamils urge UN to recognize rights to form interim government

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 2004, 10:12 GMT]
International Federation of Tamils (IFT), an organization of expatriate Tamils, urged the United Nations to recognize the Tamil people's rights, under international economic social and cultural covenants, to form an interim administration to improve their living condition in north east of sri lanka, Tamil sources in Geneva said. The memorandum was submitted to the 56th session of UN sub commission on promotion and protection of human rights.
Full story >>

SLA returns 450-acres paddy fields back to Thenmaradchchi farmers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 July 2004, 19:55 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday handed over 450 acres of paddy lands in Maravanpulo village, which come under the high security zone of Thenmaradchchi south division, to the Jaffna District Government Agent Mr.S.Pathmanathan, civil sources said. According to records maintained by the GA, SLA is currently occupying more than three thousand acres of paddy lands in this division for the last four years.
Full story >>

Security Forces, LTTE meet in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 00:14 GMT]
Liberation Tigers agreed to cooperate with Sri Lanka Security Forces to bring the violence and murders in Vavuniya district under control in a meeting attended by Senior LTTE officials and Security Forces commanders at the offices of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Vavuniya Monday, security sources said.
Full story >>

HSZ in Jaffna illegal - JDHAC

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 16:05 GMT]
"The retention of the high security zones in the Jaffna district after the expiry of the State of Emergency in the country is considered illegal," said the Jaffna District Humanitarian Agencies' Consortium (JDHAC) in a memorandum to Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, Friday.
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA discuss issues affecting Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 14:36 GMT]
Jaffna district political head of LTTE, Mr.C.Ilamparithi, and Jaffna district General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Susil Chandrapala, held a two-hour long discussion at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Friday morning, on problems affecting the normal life of the people of the Jaffna district, sources said.


Full story >>

SL President's media spokesman visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2004, 17:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka President's media spokesman and the Director General of the Northern Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation Ministry, Mr.Harim Peiris, Wednesday arrived in Jaffna and held discussions with government officials and the Sri Lanka Army Commander in Jaffna, Major General Susil Chandrapala, at the Jaffna district secretariat.
Full story >>

Muslim families allowed to resettle in Thenmaradchchi HSZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2004, 19:25 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Monday allowed five internally displaced Muslim families to resettle in their houses located in the high security zones in Thenmaradchchi in Jaffna district. SLA officials of the 53rd Brigade handed over the keys of the five houses to the legal Muslim owners in the presence of Thenmaradchchi Division Secretariat officials, sources said.
Full story >>

Supreme Court asks MOD to submit report on Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2004, 03:18 GMT]
The Supreme Court (SC) Monday directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to submit a report on the question of maintaining high security zones (HSZs) in the Jaffna district. A three-member bench of the Court made the order on Fundamental Rights violation applications filed by five Tamil farmers and Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, in the Jaffna district, legal sources said.


Full story >>

SL President urged not to stop relief to IDPs in Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 14:20 GMT]
The Federation of Jaffna District Civil Organizations (FJDCO) Friday condemned the decision of the Government of Sri lanka to curtail the distribution of dry ration relief given to hundreds of thousands of families, a majority of whom are displaced and languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres without employment. The FJDCO has sent an urgent message to Sri lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, to order that all IDPs and those affected by the war be issued dry ration relief as usual without any reduction, sources said.
Full story >>

Human Rights Commission to issue report on HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2004, 15:27 GMT]
"The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is to release a report shortly in regard to the alleged violation of human rights of internally displaced families due to the continuous maintenance of High Security Zones in the Jaffna peninsula by the Sri Lanka Army", said Mr. Senaka Dissanayake, HRCSL co-ordinator in the Project for the Humanitarian Assistance to IDPs and Returnees addressing a seminar in Jaffna Thursday.
Full story >>

Fire destroys computers worth Rs.4m at Hartley College

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2004, 18:10 GMT]
Computer center Hartley College, Point Pedro, a leading educational institution in the Jaffna district, housing computer equipment estimated to be worth nearly Rs.4 million was completely destroyed by fire Saturday, school officials said. The school is located inside the High Security Zone around the harbor area in Point Pedro.
Full story >>

SLA bans cultivation in lands outside Palaly HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2004, 18:09 GMT]
Inspite of repeated assurances by the Jaffna command of the Sri Lanka Army that internally displaced families will be allowed to resettle and do their cultivation in their lands located six hundred meters away from the forward defence line of the Palaly high security zone, soldiers manning checkpoints are putting obstacles for the resettled farmers to prepare their lands for cultivation, resettled families complained to TamilNet Friday.
Full story >>

SLA bars Muslim IDP families from resettling in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 18:17 GMT]
Five internally displaced Muslim families with about twenty-five members who returned to Jaffna from Puttalam recently for resettlement have been staying in the damaged Jumma Mosque in the Chavakachcheri town in Thenmaradchchi division as the Sri Lanka Army has refused permission to them to occupy their houses. Their houses are located in the high security zones of the army, civil sources said.
Full story >>

Resettlers in Thenmaradchchi HSZ to get livelihood assistance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 21:55 GMT]
The Jaffna District Secretary and Government Agent, Mr.S.Pathmanathan, Tuesday directed his officials to expedite the payment of livelihood assistance to resettled internally displaced families in the high security zones in Thenmaradchi division in Jaffna district, authoritative sources said.
Full story >>

Pannalai resettled complain of SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 April 2004, 09:55 GMT]
Eight Internally Displaced (IDP) families now resettled in no man zones located beyond 600 meter of the High Security Zones (HSZs) in Pannalai, Valigamam north in the Jaffna district Sunday complained that the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning checkpoints and camps in the area have started harassing them with an intention of ousting them from their dwellings, civil society sources in Jaffna said.


Full story >>

A few families allowed to resettle in Thenmaradchi HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 April 2004, 14:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army has allowed resettlement of a few internally displaced families in the high security zones in Thenmaradchchi south division in Jaffna district on a staggered basis. The first batch of IDPs would be allowed to resettle in areas close to Thoppu Pillaiyair Kovil in Maravanpulo village on the Tamil-Sinhala New Year Day, civil sources said.
Full story >>

IDPs under pressure to vacate Point-Pedro refugee camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 March 2004, 01:41 GMT]
Internally Displaced families (IDPs) from Nagar Kovil area in Vadamaradchy East, temporarily living in a refugee camp located in Thumpalai, Point Pedro, near the Lourdes Virgin Mary Church, are said to be pressured to vacate the premises by people claiming to be Church Administrators, local media reports said.
Full story >>

SLA permits opening of HSZ temples for Sivarathiri celebrations

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 February 2004, 19:40 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has allowed celebrations for Maha Sivarathiri day to be held with some restrictions in three Hindu temples, Murugan Kovil and Valliamman Kovil in Kaithady-Navatkuli area and Thoppur Pilliayar Kovil in Maravanpulo area, which are located in the High Security Zones in Thenamaradchchi division in Jaffna district, security sources said. Maha Sivarathiri day falls on February 18, civil sources said.


Full story >>

EU assures support to North-East development

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 2004, 15:22 GMT]
Mr. John Cushnahan, Member of the European Parliament, Friday assured the visiting delegation of the Liberation Tigers’ political division in Brussels, Belgium, that the European Union would provide support for the rehabilitation and development of the North-East, LTTE sources said.
Full story >>

India should not assist expansion of Palaly Airbase- Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 16:39 GMT]
"India should desist from providing financial assistance to expand the runways of Palay airbase as it will help the Sri Lanka Government to annex additional fertile lands and residences of Jaffna people into the High Security Zone (HSZ)," said Minister of Hindu Affairs, Mr.Maheswaran, popular Tamil daily Uthayan reported in its Wednesday edition.


Full story >>