Homage paid to slain Fr. Kaunaratnam in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 13:28 GMT]
More than a thousand people participated in the special Holy Mass Tuesday in Jaffna Cathedral (Kognchegnchi Maathaa Koayil) in Jaffna, paying homage to Rev. M. X. Karunaratnam, killed in a Claymore attack in the Vanni. Rev. Karunaratnam tirelessly strove to expose the human rights violations in Sri Lanka to the International Community and its various organizations including Vatican, Jaffna Bishop House Principal Priest, Rev. Justin Gnanapragasam who conducted the Holy Mass, said in his speech. People in Jaffna peninsula, for the first time since August 11 2006, assembled in large numbers at one place to participate in an event.
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Father, son from Thenmaraadchi seek HRC protection

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:07 GMT]
A 53-year-old retired government officer and his 19-year old son, a student of Jaffna Hindu College, sought Monday protection at the offices of the Human Rights Council (HRC) due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, HRC Jaffna sources said. The son was being continually threatened to death by SLA troops on his way to college or private educational institutions, according to complaint lodged with HRC.
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Holy Mass to pay homage to slain Fr. Karunartam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 06:48 GMT]
Jaffna Bishop House issued Monday a request to all priests and people of Christian faith in Jaffna peninsula to attend the special Holy Mass paying homage to Rev. Father X. M. Karunaratnam killed in Claymore attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Sunday in Vanni. The mass will be held Tuesday at 4:00 p.m in Konchchonchi Maatha Koayil also known as the Periya Koayil (Big Church), located in Jaffna city.
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Norway condemns killing of NESoHR Chairman

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 06:33 GMT]
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Tuesday said that Norway condemned the killing of Rev. Fr. M.X. Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESoHR), who was slain in a Claymore attack that targeted his vehicle. The killing further adds to the already far too high civilian toll of the ongoing conflict, the press statement said. NESoHR was launched, in July 2004, as part of the Norwegian-facilitated 2002 Peace Process to strengthen the human rights protection mechanisms in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
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TNA condemns Father Karunaratnam slaying

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 04:32 GMT]
Father Karunaratnam was actively engaged in Human Rights related work, and as Chairman of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, played a prominent role in the exposure of the grave human rights violations to which the Tamil Civilian population in the Vanni area were continuously subjected, said R.Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance and Maavai S.Senathirajah, the general secretary of Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) in a press statement issued on Tuesday. "We deeply mourn the loss of Rev Father Karunaratnam who indefatigably served the legitimate interests of the Tamil Civilian population in the Vanni."
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SLA Tank destroyed in Mukamaalai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 04:13 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army Tank was destroyed at Mukamaalai Forward Defence Line (FDL) Tuesday around 7:30 a.m. when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) anti-tank unit confronted the SLA soldiers who attempted to break the Tiger FDL, according to LTTE's Northern Front Operations Command. Meanwhile, an SLA artillery and mortar launchpad caught fire as the Tigers targeted the installation, the Tigers said.
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Confrontations stepped up in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 18:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Ki'linochchi that the LTTE defensive formations confronted two offensive thrusts by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Mannaar on two fronts Monday morning and that the LTTE mounted an attack on SLA stationed in Koayilmoaddai. 7 SLA soldiers were killed and 21 wounded in the first confrontation at Kaaththaangku'lam between 5:30 and 10:00 a.m. and another confrontation lasted for 2 hours when SLA launched an offensive push from Thirukkeatheesvaram towards Paappaamoaddai.
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Youth killed, 7 seriously injured in SLAF bombing in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 17:39 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kifir fighter jets in two sorties bombed Monday around 9:30 a.m fishermen engaged in fishing in A'lampil in Mullaiththeevu district in Vanni killing a youth and seriously injuring seven innocent civilians including two small girls. Four SLAF bombers again struck Ma'nalkudiyiruppu, a civilian settlement near Mullaiththeevu town and fishermen, around 4:10 p.m in four sorties dropping more than 43 bombs in a continued air strike that lasted till 5:20 p.m. The head of the youth killed was severed from his body in the bombing.
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Threat to Jaffna journalists from SLA, paramilitaries

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 04:20 GMT]
Journalists in Jaffna face continued threats to their lives and harassment from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, severely impacting news coverage, and the deteriorating media freedom may lead to a complete breakdown of newspaper publications in the North, sources close to Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told TamilNet Sunday.
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SLA rescinds suspension of passenger ship service

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Command in Jaffna reversed its decision to suspend passenger ship service between Kaangkeasanthu’rai (KKS) and Trincomalee, and informed the Jaffna public Sunday night that the ship service will be resumed from Monday 21 April, civil society sources from Jaffna said.
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Water cutting festival held in VVT Muththumaari Amman temple

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 15:38 GMT]
Water cutting festival of the historic Valveddiththu'rai Muththumaariyamman temple was held Sunday with the participation of thousands of devotees who took the holy deity Muththumaariyamman, Pi’l’laiyaar, and Murukan in procession to the shores where the deities were ceremoniously bathed with the devotees joining them, sources in Vadamaraadchi said.
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Jaffna Saivites observe Chiththirai Paruvam rites

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 12:05 GMT]
Saivites in Jaffna peninsula in their thousands observed Chiththirai Pa'ruvam (April Full moon day rites) in which offerings are made to one’s late mother, by bathing in 'holy waters'. It was observed with significance in Villu'ndi Theerththakea'ni near Jaffna town and Oo'ra'ni Theerththakea'ni in Valveddiththu'rai.
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NESoHR Chairman Fr. Karunaratnam killed in DPU attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 07:57 GMT]
Rev. Father M X Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), was killed in a Claymore attack carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army on Sunday, according to initial reports from Tamileelam Police. The attack took place on Mallaavi - Vavunikku'lam Road in Vanni around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to initial reports.
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SLA suspends KKS-Trincomalee passenger ship service

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 19:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Palaali Military High Command has allegedly issued a directive informing the public that the passenger ship service between Kaangkeasanthurai (KKS) and Trincomalee will be suspended from Sunday until further notice, informed sources in Jaffna said. The military cited security situation as the reason for the suspension. However, Jaffna Government Agent (GA) K. Ganesh has not issued any formal statements regarding this matter until Saturday night, civil socitey sources in Jaffna said.
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ADB funds reconstruction of bridges in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 17:07 GMT]
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated Rs.325m to reconstruct Ponnaalai Bridge that connects Kaarainakar in the islets and Jaffna peninsula, and initial reconstruction work is already in progress, Jaffna Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh said. ADB has also consented to fund building the Vallai Bridge between Vadamaraadchi and Jaffna that had been destroyed in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.
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Special team conducting inquiries into Jeyaraj killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 12:21 GMT]
A special team comprising senior intelligence officers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), police, and other state security agencies has been conducting confidential investigation into the killing of Jeyaraj Fernandopulle amid news reports which alleged that the suicide bomber had been moving in the area as a member Ministerial Security Division on the day of the incident, reports quoting police department spokesman M.K.Ilankakone said.
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Claymore attack injures policeman in Thampalakaamam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 10:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police Saturday morning launched a cordon and search operation at Thampalakaamam, after a claymore attack injured a policeman at 5:30 a.m. in Potkerni, a suburb of Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee, reports from Trincomalee said.
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34 security personnel killed, 236 injured in 17 days - SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 09:04 GMT]
During the last seventeen days 34 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been killed and 263 others were injured in the war front, media reports quoted SLA military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara as saying at Thursday press briefing held at Media Centre for National Security in Colombo.
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Tamil woman arrested at politico's funeral in Ratnapura

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 05:15 GMT]
Ratnapura police Thursday arrested a Tamil woman attending a funeral event of a leading member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Police said she was taken in for questioning on suspicion that she being a member of the LTTE, reports from Ratnapura said.
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Court orders inquiry into SLA soldier's death

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2008, 02:29 GMT]
Vavuniyaa Magistrate M.Ilancheliyzan Thursday instructed the police to conduct further inquiry into the death of a soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) whose bullet ridden body was recovered from sentry point located in the premises of SLA operation command, media sources in Vavuniyaa said.
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