SLAF airstrike kills civilian, 6 wounded in Visuvamadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 August 2008, 05:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked on Saturday a populated village, known as 'Redd Barna' settlement, in Visuvamadu after targeting an irrigation tank in the area. A 40-year-old civilian, who was working at his paddy field was killed and six civilians were wounded, according to medical sources. The SLAF has stepped up indiscriminate bombardment on civilian settlements as the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells have targeted Mullaiththeevu and Akkaraayan hospital zones. At least five civilians were killed and more than 25 wounded in artillery and air-strikes carried out by the Sri Lankan forces in Vanni on Friday and Saturday.
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SLA shelling targets another hospital zone in Vanni, IDP killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an artillery attack targeting the area near Akkaraayan hospital, Vanneari and Aanaivizhunthaan in the Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district Friday evening around 6:30 p.m., killing a 49-year-old internally displaced person from Mannaar, who was residing in Vanneari. The attack on IDP settlement has caused the IDPs temporarily residing in the area to flee the area again.
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Government officials urge SLA to observe Safety Zones

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 08:10 GMT]
The target of the artillery attack of the Sri Lanka Army in the early hours of Friday in Mullaiththeevu was a residential enclave located within 500 meters radius of the Mullaiththeevu General Hospital, housing the Mullaiththeevu Government Agent (GA), the Medical Superintendent (MS) and many other government officials, who coordinate the essential services of the district. The attack was timed before a token protest scheduled for Friday by the government servants to voice against the killing of the Deputy Planning Director, Poonakari, in a claymore attack two weeks ago. TamilNet’s Vanni correspondent talked to the GA and the MS on Friday noon.
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Japan funds construction of bridge in Badulla, agro-wells in Batticalao

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 16:41 GMT]
The Government of Japan has provided US$175,000 through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), of which 50% is allocated to "Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies" to construct a bridge across Badulu Oya in the Badulla District, and the remaining 50% to the "Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Sharamadana Sangamaya Inc.", to ensure food security to the resettled IDP families in the Batticaloa District, a press release issued by the Japanese Embassy in Colombo said Friday. The Batticaloa project will also provide help to IDP families to enhance income sources in Manmunai South West to get back to normalcy.
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NESoHR: 70,000 new IDPs in Vanni in 60 days

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 11:35 GMT]
Documenting that during June and July, an additional 70,800 people registered with the Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu Secretariats as new Internally Displaced People from areas proximity to Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ma'nalaa'ru, and Mukamaalai Foward Defence Lines (FDLs), a report released Friday by NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), a Vanni based rights group, said that restrictions imposed by the Sri Lanka Government on taking essential items to Vanni have further hampered assistance given by the humanitarian agencies.
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NESoHR: 70,000 new IDPs in Vanni in 60 days

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 11:35 GMT]
Documenting that during June and July, an additional 70,800 people registered with the Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu Secretariats as new Internally Displaced People from areas proximity to Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ma'nalaa'ru, and Mukamaalai Foward Defence Lines (FDLs), a report released Friday by NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), a Vanni based rights group, said that restrictions imposed by the Sri Lanka Government on taking essential items to Vanni have further hampered assistance given by the humanitarian agencies.
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Jaffna Catholics to raise funds to help Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 05:17 GMT]
The Commission for Justice and Peace (CJP) in Jaffna peninsula has extended an appeal to all Catholics in the peninsula to generously contribute to a relief fund when special mass and Holy Communion will be held Sunday in the Catholic churches in the peninsula towards helping the 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Vanni, according to the Catholic Guardian religious magazine.
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Land dispute leads to arson in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 11:40 GMT]
Unidentified persons set fire Saturday around 9:30 p.m to more than fifteen temporary huts built by Muslims in Meeraavoadai in Koa’ra’laippattu Divisional Secretariat area in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police had intervened earlier Friday in a confrontation between Tamils and Muslims related to ownership of lands in Meeraavoadai and dispersed the two parties, the sources added.
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SLA blocks resettlement in Valikaamam HSZ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 August 2008, 01:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna has refused to allow resettlement in areas inside the High Security Zone (HSZ), but has given permission to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to settle in the no-man's area adjoining the Front Defence Line (FDL) area in Valikaamam north, sources in Jaffna said.
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SAARC and Human Rights

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2008, 01:23 GMT]
A SAARC 'Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms' of the people of the region based on the same model as that of the European Union, as well as a 'Regional Mechanism on Human Rights' may be a way to fight the so-called terrorism because such a convention with a regional mechanism to implement it will prevent the root causes for violence arising in the first place. Countries like Pakistan and India, the two big brothers of the region should do better than abetting the war machinery of Sri Lanka that kills its own citizens. Aspirations of the peoples cannot be put down by Human Rights violations and State Terrorism, says Columnist Koanaamalai Manraadiyaar.
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Member of European Parliament envisages converting Tamils to Buddhism

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2008, 20:45 GMT]
"Frequently now I wonder whether Sri Lanka would have been a much more peaceful and much more homogeneous place if say 40% or so of the Tamil speaking population had been Buddhists and not exclusively Hindu or Christian. Is taking the Buddhist religion to Tamil people such a difficult task?" wonders Niranjan de Silva Deva-Aditya, Member of European Parliament (MEP) from U.K. and Honorary Ambassador-at-Large for Sri Lanka, in a statement after his recent visit to Sri Lanka as Vice-Chairman of the EU delegation. The Sinhala speaking MEP is tagged with a title, 'Vishwa Keerthi Sri Lanka Abhimani' (universally famous pride of Sri Lanka), bestowed onto him by the Buddhist clergy of Sri Lanka.
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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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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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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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Looming humanitarian crisis in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 11:25 GMT]
45,338 additional persons have been displaced in Mannar, Vavuniyaa, Ki'linochchi, and Mullaitivu districts, due to the shelling and aerial bombardment by th Sri Lanka Security Forces in the last four weeks, adding to the Internally Displaced People (IDP) population of 107,048 in Vanni, said a report released by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). The report warned that the restrictions imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka to humanitarian agencies to attend to the IDP needs have created conditions for an imminent humanitarian crisis in Vanni.
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IDP abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 04:38 GMT]
Unidentified men in a white van abducted Sunday an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) from Trincomalee district staying in an interim refuge centre in Batticaloa district, according to the complaint lodged by abductee's father with Batticaloa police Monday morning.
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Civilians flee SLA shelling in Northern Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2008, 00:07 GMT]
Internally displaced families in Moon'raampiddi and Ve'l'laangku'lam villages, located in the northern part of Mannaar district, were fleeing their villages and settlements Friday after artillery and mortar barrage from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that has approached Iluppaikkadavai, north of Vidaththaltheevu. Meanwhile, IDPs from the administrative areas of Maanthai West division of Mannaar district and Thu’nukkaay division in Mullaiththeevu district are undergoing severe hardships without proper accommodation and relief supplies in Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district.
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150 IDP families rendered homeless in fire in Vavuniyaa refugee camp

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2008, 09:57 GMT]
Around 150 internally displaced families have been rendered homeless and being provided shelter in a school due to a fire that broke out Thursday morning located in the Poonthoaddam refugee camp No. 08 in Vavuniyaa town. Seven huts in the camp were reduced to ash, according to Government Agent C.Shanmugam.
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73 IDP families to be resettled in Moothoor east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2008, 08:05 GMT]
A group of Tamil families fled from Moothoor east in Trincomalee district to Batticaloa with the launching of military operation by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on their villages in 2006 are to be resettled Friday.220 members of 73 families are to be brought by the eight buses via Vaakarai-Verukal road to their villages in three Grama Sevaka divisions, Paddaalipuram, Pa'l'likkudiyiruppu and Nallur, resettlement authority officials said.
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