Jaffna lawyers announce boycott of Courts

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2008, 16:27 GMT]
Northern Bar Association of Sri Lanka (NBSL) decided in its Saturday meeting in Jaffna to launch a boycott of all Courts of Law in the Jaffna peninsula from 2 May until the section allocated for the use of their members in the newly opened judicial complex is made available, Ms. Shantha Abimannasingam, Zonal Vice President of NBSL said. Failure of any constructive measure to be taken despite NBSL discussions on this issue with the Attorney General and key officials of the Justice Ministry has forced us to resort to boycott, she added.
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Carpenter shot dead in Neerveali

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:10 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot and killed Friday afternoon a carpenter in Neerveali in Valikaamam east, sources in Jaffna said. Achchuveali police recovered his body and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary Friday evening.
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SLA intensifies cordon, search operation in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2008, 16:01 GMT]
Several hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops were deployed in a large scale cordon and search operation launched Saturday early morning in Karaveddi area in Vadamaraadchi herding all people irrespective of age or gender into temples and schools for interrogation, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA troops confiscated the National Identity Cards (NIC) of several youths and young women, and directed them to collect their NICs in the SLA camp, the sources added.
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SLN imposes fishing ban in Vadamaraadchi North

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 09:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) issued a special order Tuesday banning all fishing activities in Vadamaraadchi North in seas from Point Pedro Munai and Katkoava'lam up to Valveddiththu'rai (VVT) until further notice. The fishermen who set out for fishing in the morning were turned back by the troops manning the check points along the coast, Fishermen Society Federation sources in Jaffna said.
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Youth shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2008, 13:23 GMT]
Unidentified armed men following a 34-year old family man in a motorbike shot him dead near Murugamoorthi Temple vicinity in Kantharoadai West Chunnaakam, Valikaamam Saturday morning, sources in Jaffna said.
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Family man shot dead, another abducted in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 17:55 GMT]
Four unidentified armed men on two motor cycles arriving at the house of a family man in Kea’niyadi, Meesaalai West in Thenmaraadchi Tuesday morning shot and killed him, sources in Thenmaraadchi said. Another family man from Kaalaiyadi South in Pa’ndaitharippu was abducted from his house Monday around 10:00 p.m during curfew hours by unidentified armed men in a white van, his family members registered complaints with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna Tuesday.
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Court orders resettlement of 3000 IDP families in Valikaamam North

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 11:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday ordered Sri Lanka Government officials to expedite resettlement of first batch of three thousand families displaced from Valikaamam North in Jaffna district in their own lands, after a two member-committee comprising a representative nominated by the Jaffna High Court and a nominee of the Defense Ministry had scrutinized their applications and submitted their report to the Court, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Authorities blind to sexual abuse of minors in SLA controlled Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2008, 16:34 GMT]
Government officials meant to look after the interests of minors turn a blind eye to sexual abuse of young girls which has risen at an alarming rate in Jaffna peninsula in recently, civil society groups in Jaffna peninsula said. Climate of war, continuing economic restrictions, poverty, lack of employment, restriction of free movement, and calculated plans of cultural decadence witnessed especially after the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closure of the A9 land route to Jaffna peninsula are in the background of sexual abuse of minor-aged, the sources said. A 13-year-old girl in Valikaamam gave birth to a child recently and Court has directed the newborn to be placed in the care of Child Care Centre.
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Jaffna's fishing industry in peril

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2008, 10:55 GMT]
Fishing in Jaffna peninsula has suffered a near 95% plunge in the past twenty year period from 1983 due to ban and restrictions imposed on fishing by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), rendering most of the fishermen dependent on relief supplies to survive, Fishermen Society Federation sources in Jaffa said. SLA Commander Jaffna, Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, however, has ruled out lifting of fishing restrictions until security in seas surrounding the peninsula improves.
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Runaway SLA soldier arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 13:40 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who ran away Friday noon from his camp in Neerveali-Irupaalai area in Valikaamam East was caught two days later, hiding in the shrub jungle in the same area, in an extensive search operation launched by the SLA. The said soldier had run away in protest against the order transferring him to Colombo SLA Head Quarters, SLA authorities told Jaffna Additional Magistrate Mr. Vasanthasenan when he was produced before the magistrate Monday.
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Body found dumped in I'lavaalai, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 05:33 GMT]
The body of a middle aged family man who left his home last Wednesday in Aavarangkaal, Puththoor to visit his relatives, was recovered Saturday from an abandoned well located in an isolated area at Maareesankoodal, I'lavaalai, 30 km from his residence, in a highly decomposed state by I'lavaalai police acting on information provided by the public residing in the vicinity.
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Keerimalai Nakuleasvara temple festival begins Friday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 05:27 GMT]
The annual festival of the historical Keerimalai Nakuleasvara Saiva temple located in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) will begin on Friday and continue until 7 March, and the SLA command in Jaffna will allow devotees to go through its check posts in Cheanthaangku’lam and Thellippazhai SLA Front Defence Line (FDL) area in Valikaamam north, the chief priest of the temple, Rajaraja Sri K. Nakuleaswara Kurukkal said.
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SLA launches large scale search in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 January 2008, 08:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) in Jaffna launched an intensive large scale cordon and search operation from early morning in Valikaamam until evening Friday forcing people to gather in public places where they were subjected to lengthy interrogation, sources in Jaffna said.
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Youth found dead with bullet wounds in Irupaalay

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 January 2008, 19:26 GMT]
Koappaay police recovered the body of a youth with gun shot injuries Thursday around 11:00 a.m in a farmland in Irupaalay east in Koappaay east in Valikaamam where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and Field Bike Unit had conducted a cordon and search operation Wednesday evening, sources in Jaffna said. The police informed Jaffna Magistrate that a weapon was found near the body.
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NGOs curtail Jaffna activity after SLMM's withdrawal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 January 2008, 17:49 GMT]
Many International Non-government Organizations (NGOs), including Danish Demining Organization, serving in Jaffna peninsula closed their branch offices with the departure of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Thursday, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA, police cordon, search many areas of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 17:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police launched extensive cordon and search operations in many parts of Jaffna peninsula from Monday morning till evening, subjecting people to search and interrogation. Karaveddi in Vadamaraadchchi, and Kurunakar near Jaffna town were two places where the searches were intensive, with hundreds of SLA troops and policemen deployed, sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna GSs released after interrogation in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 January 2008, 00:02 GMT]
Eleven Grama Sevaka (GS) Village Officers, from GS divisions in Vadamaraadchi, Thenmaraadchi, Valikaamam and the islets in Jaffna peninsula, flown to Colombo on New Year Day to Police Crime Branch (PCB) Interrogation centre ‘Fourth Floor’ by PCB officials, returned to Jaffna Sunday morning after being interrogated by Crime Branch officials in Colombo, sources in Jaffna said.
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Family man seeks protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 January 2008, 17:20 GMT]
A family man from Navaali in Valikaamam sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Thursday as he was continuously threatened to death by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitary men. The man was placed in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison. The number of civilians seeking protection with HRC is on the increase at an alarming rate.
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Four surrender at Jaffna HRC seeking safety

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 December 2007, 19:56 GMT]
Four civilians from Thenmaraadchy and Valikaamam in Jaffna sought safety at the offices of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) Sunday, fearing for their lives from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Human Rights Watch (HRW), a human rights organization based in New York, told a public radio in Chicago saturday that in the last 18 months more than 1000 Tamils between ages 18 and 35 have disappeared, or tortured and killed, mainly in Jaffna. HRW added that on the average 4 persons are abducted or killed every day in Jaffna.
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UNP candidate in Jaffna shot dead

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 December 2007, 17:20 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen following a prominent member of United National Party (UNP), shot him dead Friday around 5:30 p.m as he was riding on his motor cycle in Chuzhipuram area in Valikaamam. Muthukumar Sivapalan, was rushed to Moo’laay hospital with serious injuries and later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, sources in Jaffna said. During the last election campaign, Mr. Sivapalan had strongly worked against the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) led by Douglas Devananda, a cabinet minister in the present Sri Lanka government, Tholpu’ram residents said.
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