Heavy fighting in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 13:59 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Mu'l'likku'lam area in Mannaar Thursday morning around 6:30 a.m. The fighting continued throughout the evening. Seven SLA soldiers wounded in LTTE artillery fire were rushed to Anuradhapura hospital, medical sources said.
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Sri Lanka's War Secretariat?

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 13:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP), in a 2000-word press release issued Thursday, took exceptions to the labelling of SCOPP as "the government’s War Secretariat," by Prof. Uyangoda, and as "Secretariat for Coordinating the War Process" by Sunday Times which highlighted SCOPP's "angrily incessant verbosity," in its story. Head of SCOPP adds, "our counterpart in Kilinochchi had shown itself indeed a War Secretariat, in celebrating the Black Tigers who had attacked the airbase at Anuradhapura," drawing moral equivalence between the 'behavior' of the two Secretatriats as part of SCOPP's rationale for defending Sri Lanka's rights abuses, among other accusations.
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Sri Lankan minister announces cabinet decision to proscribe TRO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 04:49 GMT]
Leader of the House, and Health Minister in the ruling United People Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said Thursday morning that a cabinet decision has been taken Wednesday to proscribe the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Sri Lanka, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr. Nimal Sripala de Silva was responding to a question raised in the parliament by Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the JVP, on the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government on restricting the activities of International NGOs inside Liberation Tigers controlled areas.
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Sinhala doctors unlikely to accept Jaffna vacancies- Director

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 18:59 GMT]
Although Sri Lanka Health Ministry has appointed 69 newly qualified doctors to Jaffna peninsula to fill the urgent shortage of doctors, the success of this effort is likely to be limited as more than 50 are Sinhalese, and due to the extraordinary situation prevailing in Jaffna peninsula many will decline to accept their positions, Dr. A. Ketheeswaran, Director of Public Health Service (DPH) Jaffna said. Further 24 of the new appointees are assigned to positions in the divisional hospitals, and DPH is finding it difficult to provide proper residential facilities, the director added.
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Masked men burn Sunday Leader printing press

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 08:03 GMT]
A twelve-member group of masked men, Wednesday early morning around 2:15 forcibly entered the printing press of the English weekly papers Sunday Leader, Morning Leader and Irudina Sinhala weekly and set fire damaging printing machines and copies of newspapers printed ready for distribution. The Free Media Movement (FMM), a Colombo based media watch dog, condemning the act, noted that the Morning Leader editor has been very critical of Asia Tribune website, which according to the editor, works hand in hand with the paramilitary Pillayaan Group. The paper, which has been critical of the government, was scheduled to reveal details of horse-trading to buy off parliamentarians, this week.
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Family man seeks protection with Jaffna HRC, flights to Ratmalana resumed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 04:55 GMT]
A family man from Valikaamam East sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna Tuesday due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries. Meanwhile, two private firms resumed flights from Jaffna to Colombo which were suspended by SLA Monday due to security reasons, sources in Jaffna said.
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Eelaventhan meets Harper, U.S. officials

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 November 2007, 13:32 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, Mr Eelaventhan, currently visiting Canada and United States met with Canada's ruling Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and politicians from other parties during the early part of November, and also met with United States State Department officials on the 14th of November, briefing them on the worsening humanitarian conditions in Tamil areas of North East of Sri Lanka, and the deteriorating ground situation that is leading towards large scale confrontation between Sri Lanka Security forces and Liberation Tigers.
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Sajitharan released, family transported to Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 13:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Monday, after the budget voting, secured the release of S. Sajitharan, the son-in-law of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Batticaloa district, who had been abducted by the paramilitary Pillayaan Group. Mr. Sajitharan and the remaining members of the family of the TNA parliamentarian T. Kangasabai were transported from Batticaloa to Colombo and handed over to the MP, according to the TNA sources in Colombo. Mr. Kanagasabai, warned by the paramilitary operative Pillayaan not to vote against the budget, was not present in the parliament during the final voting on Sri Lankan budget Monday.
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Colombo court releases Tamil youth arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 07:24 GMT]
A Tamil youth arrested by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army stationed in Kodikaamam on June 27 last year was released by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Friday after 16 months in remand under the Emergency Regulations.
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TRO denies U.S. accusations, says proscription will harm Tamil people

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 November 2007, 20:23 GMT]
Expressing dismay over U.S. Department of Treasury's action against the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), and reiterating that TRO is NOT a "front to facilitate fundraising and procurement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," the TRO, in a press release issued Sunday, stated categorically that "all funds received are utilized according to the wishes of the donor, in line with the stated mission of TRO, to assist the tsunami and war affected populations of the NorthEast. None of these funds are, or have ever been found to have been, misappropriated for use by any other organization or used inappropriately by TRO itself."
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TNA sends SOS to foreign diplomats

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 November 2007, 16:00 GMT]
The Parliamentary Group of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has urged the foreign diplomats in Colombo, including the U.S. Embassy, the British High Commission, the Indian High Commission, the Embassy of Japan and the Embassy of Norway, Sunday evening to persuade the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to secure the timely release of the family member of the Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian T. Kanagasabai, abducted by the paramilitary Sunday in Batticaloa, and to ensure a threat-free environment for the Tamil parliamentarians in exercising the democratic rights of the people they represent in the Sri Lankan parliament.
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TNA MPs condemn US action on TRO

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 November 2007, 18:19 GMT]
"While the Government of Sri Lanka has imposed an effective economic embargo in Vanni, and the sustained bombardments of Sri Lanka Military have made situation difficult for International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) to work amidst the affected local residents in border villages of Tamil areas, United States has made the situation worse for the Tamil people, internally displaced and reeling under economic hardship, by stopping the humanitarian aid from the branches world-wide of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO)," said Kajendran, parliamentarian from the Tamil National Alliance.
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Indian academic doubts IC's understanding of LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 November 2007, 15:14 GMT]
In a recently brought out publication, 'Sri Lanka: Search for Peace', by the New Delhi based Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, Professor P. Sahadevan, chairperson of the Centre for South Asian studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University questioned the International Community's understanding of the nature and characteristics of the LTTE. The decision to ban the LTTE by the European Union last year, was a political mistake, Sahadevan writes while contending that the IC is the best bet to bring peace in Sri Lanka.
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Court releases Kadirgamar suspects on bail

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 November 2007, 12:21 GMT]
The Colombo High Court last Thursday allowed bail for the two suspects arrested following the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, the former foreign minister of Sri Lanka, after two and a half years in remand. The suspects were taken into custody alleging that the two suspects from the upcountry had come to Colombo fifteen days before the date of crime and they were taking photograph after the killing, legal sources said.
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Civilian seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 November 2007, 07:11 GMT]
A 32-year old civilian from Sarasaalai North, Thenmaraadchi sought protection Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army and SLA- backed paramilitaries.
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Eelam and Indian Security: Need for policy alternatives

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2007, 23:33 GMT]
"The history of the past sixty years has brought us to a point that makes separation a necessary condition to renegotiate a union on an equal basis," writes Ampalam in the concluding part of his opinion column. "We live in a time witnessing the European nation states that gave birth to modern nationalism and fought two world wars, involving the entire world for the sake of their nationalistic competition, coming together as European Union. The Asean countries have set a similar agenda. Such wonders became possible when there were no conquests or outside interferences. Perhaps it is much easier to come together and achieve unity if the concerned parties are free to choose," he writes.
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U.S. freezes TRO funds

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 15:10 GMT]
The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday announced that it would freeze the U.S.-held assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). A press release, issued by the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka charged that the TRO has acted as a front to facilitate fundraising and procurement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Three UNP MPs to support Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 12:44 GMT]
Three opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians have promised Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to cross over to the ruling alliance UPFA goverment to strengthen the majority of the Rajapaksa goverment, informed political sources in Colombo said. Colombo district UNP MP T. Maheswaran, Gurunagale district MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Mohammed Mahroof, another Colombo district UNP parliamentarian met Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday extending their support.
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Electricity shortage in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 12:08 GMT]
Due to reduction of generated power in Jaffna by the contrated power generator, KOOL AIR, effective Wednesday, the supply of electricity during night will be reduced by at least one hour throughout the peninsula, Jaffna Government Agent (GA) K.Ganesh announced in a media communiqué issued Wednesday.
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Dilan Perera protests against UNP MP's crossover

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 09:22 GMT]
Dilan Perera, Sri Lanka's Justice Minister without cabinet portfolio and Badulla district parliamentarian of SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Thursday went and sat in the opposition bench in the Sri Lankan parliament, protesting against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa for accommodating a United National Party (UNP) opposition parliamentarian who was implicated in the killing of Mr. Dilan Perera's associate, Nalanda Ellawala in 1999. Mahinda Rajapaksa is in discussions with Dilan Perera, amid claims and counter claims by ruling party and opposition of crossovers from both parties before Monday when the budget is to be put to final vote.
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