17 Tamil civilians arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 20:35 GMT]
Seventeen Tamil civilians including three women were taken in to custody Tuesday in a cordon and search operation conducted in Wellawatte area in Colombo by the police with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). All of the detainees were natives of north and east provinces and had been working in shops and staying with their relatives, friends and some in lodges in Wellawatte to go abroad, human rights sources said.
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IDPs skeptical of resettlement in SLA HSZ in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 17:24 GMT]
The decision taken by authorities, to resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the High Security Zones (HSZs) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Valikaamam north, in the high level meeting held Monday at Palaali SLA head quarters is unlikely to succeed, IDP Welfare society persons said. The committee, appointed by Colombo Supreme Court to explore resettling IDPs in the HSZs of Jaffna peninsula, which met Monday at Palaali SLA head quarters, decided to take steps to resettle at least some of the IDPs in places which are not at present occupied by SLA.
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Colombo snaps outside communication with Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 15:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Telecommunication Department has cut off the telephone numbers with +9421228 format (Ki'linochchi lines) for the last few days, disabling the only available mode of communication to the outside world from Vanni at a time when more than 100,000 civilians have displaced in Ki'inochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts due to the Sri Lanka Army offensive. Fundamental services such as hospitals, civil services and media dependent on telephone communication have been severely affected, according to civil sources in Ki'linochchi.
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Civilian shot, injured in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 14:41 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen on motorcycle shot and seriously injured a 19-year-old family man Tuesday around 9:00 a.m near the fish market located next to the main entrance of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 52-4 Division Main Camp in Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi.
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Jaffna SLA Commander assures co-operation during GCE A/L exam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 10:57 GMT]
Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, assured that SLA will co-operate fully to conduct the August General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advance Level Examination in Jaffna peninsula smoothly, in a meeting held Monday in Palaali SLA head quarters, attended by Jaffna Government Agent and Key Education Officials in the peninsula.
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Resettling IDPs in SLA HSZ in Valikaamam discussed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 10:18 GMT]
The committee appointed by Colombo Supreme Court to explore resettling Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the High Security Zones (HSZ) of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Valikaamam north in Jaffna peninsula met Monday at Palaali SLA head quarters, and decided to take steps to resettle the IDPs in places which are not at present occupied by SLA, sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE to hand over dead body of SLA DPU soldier

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 15:44 GMT]
LTTE officials in Ki'inochchi on Monday said a unit of the Peoples Force of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (PF-LTTE) had recovered the dead body of a Sri Lanka Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) soldier who was killed following the recent attack in Kokkaavil where Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari Divisional Secretariat, Santhalingam Vimalakumar, was slain in a Claymore attack on Friday. Meanwhile, four of the thirty dead bodies were handed over to the LTTE through the ICRC by the SLA, were not identified as belonging to LTTE fighters, the Tigers said.
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SLA offensive repulsed in Paalamoaddai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni told media Monday that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) ground movement in Paalamoaddai in Vavuniyaa into LTTE controlled territory was repulsed by the Tigers after confrontations that lasted from 3:35 p.m. till 4:45 p.m. Five SLA soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the confrontations, according to LTTE officials.
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SLA fires artillery, MBRL from Northern Front

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 14:48 GMT]
A barrage of heavy artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire from the Northern Front was launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Sunday and Monday into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled territory in Iyakkachchi, Pazhai and Vadamaraadchi East villages despite no provocation from the LTTE side, sources in Ki'linochchi said.
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967 graduates get appointments in Batticaloa, Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 13:29 GMT]
485 graduates in Batticaloa district and 482 in Ampaa'rai district received appointments for jobs in two separate events on Monday. The appointments for the first batch of 1225 graduates who were already promised come in the wake of protests by more than 2,500 unemployed in the Eastern Province. Sri Lankan Education Minister Susil Premajayantha was the chief guest for the events on Monday. Security was beefed up in the nearby streets 24-hours in advance to the events amid a new wave of protest by voluntary teachers who were yet to receive permanent appointments.
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Maaviddapuram temple Thirukkaarthikai festival celebrated

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 04:41 GMT]
More than 2000 Saiva devotees participated Sunday in the Thirukkaarthikai festival in the historic Maaviddapuram Kanthasuvaami Koayil located in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north on the 20th day of the 25-day annual festival. More devotees attended the Sunday festival to perform religious rites compared to the last two years, temple authorities said.
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7,400 telephone links remain cut in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 04:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Telecommunication (SLTC) Jaffna office announced that the Ministry of Defence in Colombo has to make the final decision on the applications of 400 customers in Jaffna peninsula who had obtained the newly demanded police clearance to use their Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless phones that remain suspended for the last two months on instructions of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna due to 'security reasons'.
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SLA shelling targets Theavanpiddi, civilian killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 18:00 GMT]
A civilian was killed and two wounded Sunday when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery and mortar barrage as displaced civilians were engaged in transporting their movable properties at Thevanpiddi, one of the topmost localities of Mannaar district. The SLA launched a day-long intense shelling barrage from 7:00 a.m. targeting Theavanpiddi where the statue of Our Lady of Madu was placed for the past 12 weeks. The shrine was taken on an ambulance by the Church authorities via Omanthai to Mannaar Bishop's House on Friday.
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Resettling IDPs in SLA HSZ in Valikaamam to be explored

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 14:26 GMT]
A committee presided by Jaffna High Court Judge R. T. Vignarajah is to explore the possibility and ways of resettling Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the High Security Zones (HSZ) of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Valikaamam north area in Jaffna peninsula, next week, legal sources in Jaffna said. Colombo Supreme Court had appointed the above committee after inquiring into the Fundamental Rights Violation petition filed by the IDPs seeking permission to resettle in their villages in Valikaamam north and to engage in their livelihoods.
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Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, not far away, says Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 09:40 GMT]
It is "not too far away," to "liberate the people of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu" and make them live under a "democratic set up" now being "enjoyed by the people of the eastern province," declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a provincial election campaign meeting in Anuradhapura on Saturday. The statement comes after Sri Lanka Army officials in Colombo told media that their forces were making "rapid progress" in Vanni claiming that the SLA recovered 37 dead bodies of LTTE fighters together with arms as the Sri Lankan forces were engaged in consolidating an offensive line south of Mallaavi.
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Army deserters arrested for entering Yala sanctuary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 02:10 GMT]
Six deserters of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were arrested by the SLA soldiers and Wild Life department officials when they were entering the Yala sanctuary which has been declared out of bound for civilians due to security reasons, sources said.
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Speeding SLA Buffel crushes woman to death in Chaavakachcheari

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2008, 14:25 GMT]
A 62-year old Tamil woman was crushed under a speeding Buffel Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) military vehicle at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning along the Jaffna-Kandy road in front of the Government Hospital in Chaavakachcheari, sources in Jaffna said. The woman died on the spot.
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Demining in Jaffna peninsula likely to stall

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 18:34 GMT]
Danish Demining Organization and Halo Trust, the two humanitarian organizations engaged in demining projects in Jaffna peninsula, have decided to reduce the number of employees owing to cutback on funding by International Organizations, according to an official of the Demining Coordinating department in Jaffna Secretariat.
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Homage paid to slain Vimalakumar in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 14:34 GMT]
Homage to Santhalingam Vimalakumar, Deputy Planning Director of Poonakari division in Ki'linochchi District Secretariat killed Friday morning in a DPU Claymore attack at Kokkaavil in Oddisuddaan was paid in an event held Friday in the conference room in Ki'linochchi Secretariat presided by S. Regi Aloysius, the head of Ki'linochchi Secretariat Welfare Association. Government Administrative officials, Medical Officers, Education Department officers and a large number of people took part in the event paying their last respects to the remains of Vimalakumar.
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JHU accuses five UPFA ministers supporting devolution

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 10:54 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party condemned a group of ministers who have been supporting devolution of police and land powers to provincial councils according to the 13th amendment to the constitution. JHU leaders at a press briefing held Thursday said ministers in the UPFA government have formed a movement to urge the government to devolve police and land powers to provincial councils. JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said the JHU would oppose such move and would take stern steps to crush the movement.
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