USAID reconstructs milk chilling facility in Vellave'li, Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 10:52 GMT]
A high-ranking official from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) inaugurated on Tuesday a milk chilling center in Vellave'li, Batticaloa, on the site where the original structure was completely destroyed in 1990, according to a press statement issued by the Embassy of the United States of America in Colombo. Through a grant to international NGO World Concern and in partnership with Milco Private Ltd., the USAID constructed 40 cattle sheds and five milk collection points, provided 300 milk cans and trained 160 farmers in feeding technologies, animal health and business planning. In all, nearly 2,000 households in the area have benefited.
Full story >>

SLA, Police complicit in white van abductions- SL Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 02:18 GMT]
"I have received information that Sri Lanka Police personnel and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were involved in several white van abductions. Reluctance of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other law enforcement officials to take timely steps to investigate these crimes is clear evidence of widespread violations of human rights and breakdown of law and order," said Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Vocational Training and Industrial Education, P. Rathakrishnan, during a meeting with the relatives of the disappeared held late last week at the Colombo 14 offices of the Upcountry People's Front (UPF), Tamil daily Thinakkural reported in the Sunday edition.
Full story >>

"Sri Lanka will not succumb to western pressure"- Wickremanayake

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 01:31 GMT]
"Western powers have been exerting pressure to Sri Lanka to start negotiation with 'terrorists' as a condition to provide economic assistance. I categorically state that Sri Lanka will not succumb to any such pressure," declared Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sunday addressing an event to mark the release of two Sinhala translation of books on Kandahar area in Pakistan, sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Large scale SLA cordon, search in Vadamaraadchi, Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 15:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna peninsula deployed more than a thousand soldiers in a large scale cordon and search operations Monday from dawn till 5:00 p.m in areas of Vadamaraadchi and Thenmaraadchi, civil society sources from Jaffna said. Information on anyone being arrested in the search is not known. SLA soldiers, during search in houses, took away the computers saying that the owners can come and get them after investigation from the SLA camps, according to sources.
Full story >>

SLA re-imposes fishing ban along Northern coastal villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 15:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka security forces stopped fishermen from going out to sea Monday after announcing earlier in the week that fishing ban that was instituted three days from Thursday to Saturday will be lifted. The sudden ban further worsenend woes of northern fishermen already reeling from the economic hardships. Fishermen were sent back from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints Monday when they went to present identities before venturing out to sea, Fisheries Union officials said in Point Pedro.
Full story >>

Carter Center urges U.N. Assembly not to re-elect Sri Lanka to Human Rights Council

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 15:30 GMT]
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Atlanta based Carter Center, in a statement issued on Friday has urged the U.N. General Assembly not to re-elect Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council in the upcoming Council elections. Six countries -- Bahrain, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste – are competing for four open seats in the Asian Group of U.N. member states. The Carter Center urges delegations to support the candidacies of Bahrain, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Timor Leste because these governments have demonstrated a greater commitment than has Sri Lanka to the advancement of human rights.
Full story >>

Batticaloa celebrates Vesak

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 13:08 GMT]
Vesak, the holiest day in Buddhism, is celebrated this year Monday and Tuesday in Batticaloa district. The celebrations are being conducted in all the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps, police stations and in the camps of Special Task Force (STF) in the district, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

LTTE attacks SLA post in Mukamaalai, 1 SLA killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 12:29 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) fighters on Sunday attacked a Sri Lanka Army post located in Mukamaalai Forward Defence Line of the SLA in the Northern Front, destroying the post, the Tigers said. One SLA soldier was killed and 8 wounded in the attack.
Full story >>

Tigers locate 6 SLA bodies, seize weapons, heavy fighting in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 05:35 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Sunday thwarted a ground movement launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Irungka'ndalku'lam towards Va'n'naaku'lam in Mannaar claiming that at least 26 SLA soldiers were killed in the fighting and that more than 50 SLA soldiers were wounded. The Tigers have located 6 dead bodies of the SLA soldiers in the clearing mission. Two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers and six T-56 assault rifles were among the weapons seized by the Tigers. Three Tiger fighters were killed in action, according to the LTTE officials in Vanni.
Full story >>

IGP Victor Perera to retire next month

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2008, 18:10 GMT]
Victor Perera, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is to retire by the end of June. He has sent in his retirement papers to the National Police Commission for approval, reports from Colombo said.
Full story >>

Vavuniyaa Court directs SLA to arrest abductors

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2008, 17:42 GMT]
Vavuniyaa Magistrate M.Ilancheliyzan Friday directed the Commanding Officer of the Veappangku'lam detachment of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to arrest the members of a gang who have allegedly abducted a Tamil trader on Tuesday from his residence in Veappangku'lam. The Magistrate summoned Colonel Perera, Commanding Officer to court and issued the directive on a written complaint made by the wife of the trader to court, legal sources said.
Full story >>

Police officer demands ransom from fishermen in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2008, 15:02 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Chief Inspector of Police who is serving as Officer-In-Charge of the Police (OIC) of the police post in Peasaalai in the island of Mannaar, has been demanding ransom from the fishermen of Peasaalai during the recent days, according to religious leaders in Mannaar. The OIC has gone door-to-door in certain areas of the village, demanding ransom ranging from SLR 20,000 to 500,000. The police officer has accused the fishermen of transporting 'banned goods' to LTTE controlled areas from Mannaar and warned them that they would be spared from charges of 'assisting terrorism,' only if they heeded to his ransom demand on time.
Full story >>

15 civilians arrested in Kandy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2008, 14:33 GMT]
Fifteen civilians from all three communities were taken into custody on Saturday in Kandy town in a cordon and search operation conducted by the police with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). They had been employed in several business establishments within the municipal limit of Kandy, media sources said.
Full story >>

ICRC receives dead body of LTTE cadre in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2008, 11:02 GMT]
The ICRC on Friday received a dead body of an LTTE cadre from Mannaar hospital to be transported to LTTE controlled area after Mannaar magistrate's inspection, Police said.
Full story >>

SLA, SLN conduct joint war rehearsals in Jaffna seas

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2008, 02:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) sailors from Karainagar Naval base and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers stationed along the northern coastal areas, have been jointly conducting large scale war exercises in the seas off the coast of Jaffna peninsula in Valigaamam North High security Zone (HSZ) for the past few days supported by attack air crafts of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), civil sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

SLA cordons off, searches large areas of Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2008, 21:27 GMT]
In the aftermath of the assassination of Maheswari Velautham, an advisor of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP ) leader Douglas Devandanda at her residence at Navi'ndil near Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi in Jaffna Tuesday, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers conducted a massive cordon and search operation Thursday in the vicinity of her residence.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka not fit to be in UN Rights Council- Tutu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2008, 11:36 GMT]
"With a terrible record of torture and disappearance, Sri Lanka doesn't deserve a seat on the UN human rights council. It should be voted out," says the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, in a comment that appeared on the daily Guardian, U.K., May 15th edition.
Full story >>

Remains of Maheswari Velayutham flown to Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 May 2008, 13:11 GMT]
The remains of Maheswari Velayutham, the advisor of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, shot and killed Tuesday, was flown to Colombo in a special aircraft with security arrangements Wednesday around 7.30 p.m, along with her family members and relatives, sources in Jaffna said. Her remains will be interred in Borella Saiva crematorium Thursday, the sources added.
Full story >>

Tamil farmer seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 May 2008, 10:19 GMT]
A 33-year-old farmer from Ka'l'liyangkaadu within Jaffna Municipal council area surrendered himself Tuesday at the office of Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) seeking protection complaining that he has been continuously receiving death threats in the past few days. Incidents of extortion from businessmen, building contractors and traders in Jaffna peninsula have been rapidly escalating in the recent months, a spokesman for civil groups said.
Full story >>

8 Tamil youths arrested in Wattegama

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2008, 10:46 GMT]
Eight Tamils youths were taken into custody by Sri Lanka police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) when they conducted a cordon and search in Puthukaadu area in Wattegama police division in Kandy district Sunday night.
Full story >>