India should organize peace talks: Karunanidhi

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 16:46 GMT]
"India should organize negotiations between the warring parties in Sri Lanka to bring peace to the island nation," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi in an exclusive interview to the Times of India on Friday. His statement comes at a time when India has chosen to ignore all calls to mediate between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers and has satisfied itself with playing behind-the-scene roles.
Full story >>

ACF: Moothoor massacre, a war crime

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 15:02 GMT]
Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger/ACF) in a press note to journalists released Thursday said, “[t]he Muttur slaughter can't be considered only as a "collateral damage" during the Muttur battle: our team has been specifically and deliberately targeted, their death has been organised execution style with bullets shot in their head. Everything was consciously and brutally planned: the victims were kneeling, unarmed and defenceless. The culprits of this massacre are the ones who were carrying the arms. We can assert that this massacre is a war crime in violation of the Geneva Conventions.”
Full story >>

Indian PM denies arms supply to Sri Lanka: Vaiko

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 14:17 GMT]
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told Vaiko who met him Thursday in New Delhi that there is no truth in reports on Indian supply of arms to Sri Lanka. Vaiko met Indian PM to brief him on his meeting with Erik Solheim and Jon Hanssen-Bauer in Oslo and the outcome of the conference organised by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in Norway's capital last week. The Indian PM further told Vaiko that he was aware of Pakistan and China supplying arms to Sri Lanka. The general secretary of Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK) also met Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday night.
Full story >>

Two shops looted, set on fire in Ka'ruvaakkeani

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 12:56 GMT]
Unidentified armed men looted the entire contents of two shops Wednesday night 10:00 p.m.in Ka'ruvaakkeani within Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district before setting them ablaze, sources said.
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA exchange artillery fire in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 00:47 GMT]
A large number of artillery shells believed to have been launched by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday morning towards the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in Thenmaraadchi fell in the vicinity of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bases in Va'ra'ni, Mirusuvil Educated Women’s Scheme and Usan.
Full story >>

15-year-old girl killed in SLAF airstrike

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 07:26 GMT]
A 15-year-old girl was killed Thursday morning around 6:30 a.m. when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked Punnaineeraaviyadi in Visuvamadu in Mullaiththeevu district, according to Tamileelam Police.
Full story >>

Buttala-Kadirgaamam highway re-opened after 3 months

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2008, 00:43 GMT]
Buttala-Kadirgaamam highway was re-opened on Sunday on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year, after being closed for about 3 months. The road was closed down following attacks on Sri Lanka government security forces by the LTTE. However, traffic and public movement on the road is allowed only in day time from 7:00 a.m. till 6 p.m with condition that all vehicles should go in groups. The road is closed for night traffic, media sources said.
Full story >>

Resettlement of Allaippiddi IDPs begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 18:27 GMT]
Thirteen families of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Allaipiddi, the islet village where 13 civilians were massacred by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in May 2006, have been resettled in Allaippiddi in the first stage of resettlement, according to Jaffna Secretariat. 65 more families are ready to return to Allaippiddi and to occupy houses built for them with the help of World Vision, International and local NGOs and they will be resettled on Monday, Jaffna Government Agent announced. Education Department officials in the islet are making arrangement to reopen Paraasakthi Maha Viththiyalam, the only school in Allaippiddi.
Full story >>

Police re-opens Buttala road, instruct vehicles to go in convoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 17:01 GMT]
Buttala-Kadirgaamam (Kataragama) highway has been re-opened on Sunday on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year, after about three months with the condition that vehicles should go in convoy and not alone. The road continues to remain completely closed for night traffic, the Police said. The road was closed down following attacks on Sri Lankan forces by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam.
Full story >>

SLA imposes travel restrictions on Mannaar Tamils

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 05:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has recently imposed travel restrictions on Tamils traveling to and from Mannaar. Tamils who leave Mannaar are only allowed to travel in train from Mathavaachchi while the Tamils, returning to Mannaar from other areas are filtered by their native and residential addresses and refused entry into Mannaar if they carry a National Identity Card with a residential address in South at Kaddaiyadampan SLA checkpost, located between Madu Road junction and Murungkan, on Mannaar Mathavaachchi Road. Family members are separated and refused entry, residents complain.
Full story >>

No doctors in Pungkudutheevu Hospital for 17 years

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 16:09 GMT]
Pungkudutheevu District Government Hospital, in the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) controlled islets of Jaffna, since its destruction in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 1991 offensive, has been without any permanent medical officers due to the reluctance of Sri Lanka government (GoSL) to rebuild the hospital complex in Pungkudutheevu, Jaffna District Director of Public Health Services (DPHS), Dr. Ketheeswaran said.
Full story >>

Claymore ambush wounds two homeguards in Kebithigollewa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 09:52 GMT]
Two home guards of the Sri Lankan Civil Volunteer Force were injured in a claymore mine explosion Tuesday morning around 7.30 am in Kebithigollewa. The injured were first admitted to the Kebithigollewa hospital and then transferred to Anuradhapura general hospital, Police said.
Full story >>

SLA vehicle fatally knocks down Tamil cyclist on A9 road

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 09:49 GMT]
A Tamil civilian was killed when an armored vehicle of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) knocked him down on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year Day. The victim Kaalimuththu Ledchumanan, 44, of Paththiniyaar Makizhangku'lam was cycling towards home Sunday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. along A-9 highway from Thaandikul'am when the armored vehicle knocked him down fatally, media sources said.
Full story >>

Liberate Calendar

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2008, 23:57 GMT]
A Calendar is conceived and designed by logic and astronomy rather than emotions and myths of politics. If people don’t understand the calendar they follow, educate them. If any section of the society thinks that the calendar is its prerogative, liberate the calendar, rather than mutilating it or abandoning it. If there is any problem in the calendar it has to be investigated and corrected by a forum of astronomers, climatologists and environmental scientists, sitting along with traditional astronomers historians and Tamil scholars. Any society, which doesn’t care to investigate and understand its own heritage of science, is not going to make any progress. It will always remain in slavery.
Full story >>

IIGEP: Colombo lacks political will to investigate Human Rights violations

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2008, 22:51 GMT]
The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), which terminates its observation mission reasoning that the proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) setup by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to investigate and inquire into serious violations of Human Rights, have not been transparent and not satisfied basic international norms and standards, in its concluding public report on Tuesday blamed the Government of Sri Lanka for "absence of will" in the present Inquiry to "investigate cases with vigour, where the conduct of its own forces has been called into question."
Full story >>

SLN limits transport of fish, coconuts from Delft to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 16:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), stationed in the islets of Jaffna, has imposed restrictions on Neduntheevu (Delft) residents carrying essential goods in Kumuthini passenger ferry boat, affected residents said. Neduntheevu residents have protested against the SLN pointing out that Kumuthini is the only passenger service plying between Kurikaaduvaan in Pungudutheevu and Neduntheevu, and their economic well-being will be affected by the new restrictions. Kumuthini, which is known for the SLN massacre of passengers in May 1985, is more than 30 years old, and often breaks down.
Full story >>

Senior SLA Commander injured in LTTE sniper fire

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 15:47 GMT]
Lt.Col.Jagath Ratnayake, Commander of the 4th Gemunu Watch division of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) responsible for the Forward Defense Lines (FDLs) at Muhamaalai was seriously injured by sniper fire of the Liberation Tigers, Sinhala daily Lankadeepa reported. The Commander was first transported by Military helicopter to Palaali Military Hospital, and later transferred to Colombo National Hospital, according to the same paper.
Full story >>

Sri Lankans experience one hour powercut

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2008, 13:15 GMT]
The electricity supply to entire Sri Lanka was disrupted Sunday for about one hour due to equipment malfunction at the Victoria hydro-power plant. The supply had been restored throughout the island phase by phase Sunday by afternoon 1:00 p.m., media sources said.
Full story >>

30 SLA killed in 4 fronts in Mannaar - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 17:00 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said at least 30 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 75 wounded when LTTE defensive formations in Mannaar confronted a four-pronged SLA attempt to advance west of Giant's Tanks in Mannaar. Tigers lost 3 cadres in the fighting that lasted from 5:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. The SLA continued to target Madu area with artillery and mortar fire and sporadic clashes were reported west of Thadcha'naamaruthamadu, according to Tiger military spokesman.
Full story >>

SLA soldier killed in Vadamaraadchi bomb blast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 11:34 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed on the spot, and another seriously wounded soldier reportedly succumbed to his injuries after a bomb blast that targeted a SLA convoy on Point Pedro - Jaffna Road Saturday around 1:30 p.m., sources in Jaffna said. The ambush took place between Maali Santhi Junction and Nelliyadi. The SLA was blocked by the SLA and a cordon and search operation laun
Full story >>