Three-wheeler driver shot, injured in Kodikaamam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 05:47 GMT]
The driver of a three-wheeler, allegedly shot by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops Friday night around 7:00 p.m, and seriously injured on Va’ra’ni road in Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi, was first admitted to Chaavakachcheari hospital, and later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital Friday midnight for additional treatment, sources in Kodikaamam said.
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NY Amnesty rally protests violence against journalists in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2008, 03:10 GMT]
Several hundred human rights activists participated in a protest event "Get On The Bus (GOTB)" sponsored by Amnesty International, in New York Friday afternoon outside the Sri Lanka consulate in midtown, protesting against violence against media in Sri Lanka, attendees to the event said. The protesters visited three other country missions in New York, Libyan Mission (political prisoners), Darfur (international justice and accountability), and Myanmar (people of Burma/democracy).
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International Community should learn from experience, Vaiko tells Norway

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 23:03 GMT]
Expressing that the lack of implementation by the Government of Sri Lanka on the agreed principles of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), especially disarming of army backed paramilitary groups, led to the ultimate breakdown of the peace process, Vaiko, the General Secretary of Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK), told Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim and Jon Hanssen-Bauer, the Norwegian Special Envoy, that the International Community should prevail upon the GoSL to reinstate the ceasefire in order to engage in a meaningful process for a negotiated settlement.
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SLA shell kills family man in Poonakari

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery shells on civilian settlements Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas in Aththaai, Poonakari Friday around 2:45 p.m., killing a family man and destroying two houses completely.
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SLA intensifies checks, search operations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:32 GMT]
Following the shooting incident in Nalloor Thursday in which a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was seriously injured, SLA in Jaffna intensified its checks and searches in areas inside Jaffna Municipality area, subjecting people who were busily engaged in purchases for the Tamil-Sinhala New Year celebrations, sources in Jaffna said.
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Mother, daughter seek protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:01 GMT]
A mother, with her 9-year-old daughter, sought protection Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said.
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Differentiating viewpoint from propaganda: quality media suffers

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 16:00 GMT]
The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, who addressed the seminar on 'Freedom of Expression – Missing in Action?,' on Monday in Oslo said: "We must learn to distinguish between expressions that seek only to degrade, humiliate and dehumanise, and those that seek to provide information and viewpoints – even though these may be painful, troubling or controversial." Meanwhile, Oslo Dokumentarkino, the distributor of the documentary film "My Daughter the Terrorist," in a press statement issued on Friday, charged that the Government of Sri Lanka was trying to stop screening of the Norwegian documentary film, as Norwegian FM was announcing new strategy to defend freedom of expression.
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US to drop ANC’s terrorist tag

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 14:24 GMT]
A bill has been introduced in the US Congress to remove South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), and its leaders from US blacklists as terrorists, press reports said this week. The United States blacklisted the ANC when the liberation movement was designated a terrorist organisation by South Africa's old apartheid regime in 1960. The end of the Cold War in 1990 in turn ended Western support for the Apartheid regime. Thereafter, the ANC came to power, forming government in May 1994. Its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was disbanded eight months later.
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SLA soldier buried in landslide, another commits suicide

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 11:05 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) riding a motorbike was buried under a mound of earth due to landslide at Morawlatenna in Balangoda police division in Sabragamuwa province Thursday morning, media sources said. Meanwhile, a soldier of the Civil Defense Force committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon on Wednesday night at a checkpoint in the Uppuve'li police division in Trincomalee district.
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As humanitarian crisis unfolds, Diaspora needs to help – paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 04:55 GMT]
Warning that, faced with determined resistance to its offensives into the Vanni, the Sri Lankan government, like previous ones, will intensify punitive attacks and measures against the Tamil population there, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week called on the Diaspora to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis. “The embargo on food and medicine will be tightened further and civilian centers will be targeted more heavily. The Diaspora has long been the mainstay of relief efforts for the people of the Northeastern warzones. It needs to step forward yet again,” the paper said in its editorial.
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Youth seeks protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2008, 03:31 GMT]
A youth, who managed to escape an attempt to abduct him by a gang of armed men on motor cycles in Jaffna town in broad daylight Thursday, sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office. HRC officials made arrangements for the youth to be placed in the protective custody in Jaffna prison through Jaffna Magistrate Court, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA trooper shot, injured in Nalloor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 12:19 GMT]
Unknown gunmen opened fire on group of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers distributing food to fellow soldiers Thursday 7:45 a.m. near Kailaasapillaiyar Temple, in Nalloor, Jaffna, Sources in Jaffna said. The incident took place in front of the old offices of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Colombo attempts to create 'health disaster' in Vanni - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 08:16 GMT]
Health services in Vanni are facing a man made disaster created by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry, said N. Selvy, LTTE's spokesperson on Human Rights. Sri Lankan forces have blocked supplies to Ki'linochchi Deputy Provincial Director of Health Service (DPDHS) division. The DPDHS office recently said that medicine quota for the district hospital for the first quarter of 2008 is yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Mullaiththeevu DPDHS has told media that only 20% of the fuel supplies needed to operate the district hospital, two sub-hospitals and six pharmacies in the district, has been allowed across the entry point at Oamanthai by the Sri Lankan forces.
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SLA instructs outstation farm workers to leave Mannaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 02:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have issued instructions to farmers in Mannaar district to send back all laborers brought from outstations. Farmers have brought this matter to the notice of he Wanni district parliamentarian Sivasakthi Aanandan, media sources said.
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SLA conducts large scale search operation in Vadamaraadchchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 01:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers conducted a large scale cordon and search operation Wednesday morning in Vadamaraadchi following the shooting incident where unidentifed armed men seriously injured a youth Monday evening in the vicinity of Vallipurakkoayil area in Vadamaraadchi, sources in Point Pedro said.
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Youth injured in shooting incident in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 14:31 GMT]
Unidentified armed men, lying in ambush, opened rapid fire Monday around 7:00 p.m on a group of men engaged in illegal excavation of sand in Vallipurakkoayil area in Vadamaraadchi, seriously injuring one, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Despite Point Pedro Magistrate Court’s action against sand pilfering, groups backed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continue to steal sand, particularly during curfew hours, the sources added.
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SL Parliament begins debate on emergency extension

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 10:23 GMT]
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Wednesday tabled a motion seeking an extension of the State of Emergency now in force since August 2005, for another month, parliamentary sources said. Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara was in the chair when the debate on the motion began. Wickremanayake said during March, 93 members of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and police died in the fighting with the LTTE.
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SLA shell kills fisherman in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 09:37 GMT]
Shelling by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday around 10:00 a.m killed one of the fisherman fishing in Jaffna lagoon, sources in Jaffna said. The victim's boat was nearly 3 km from the shore when the incident happened. Frightened fishermen hurriedly returned to the shore with the body of the fishermen killed, the sources added.
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SLA fires artillery on Northern Fronts

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 01:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued to pound Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory since Monday night from its artillery bases in Va’ra’ni in Thenmaraadchi with artillery and Multi Barrel fire for the second day, amidst persistent rain, sources in Thenma’raadchi said. Intermittent attacks continued during daytime Tuesday lasting until night, the sources added.
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Gun men rob grocery stores in Vanthaarumoolai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 00:16 GMT]
Unidentified armed men robbed two business establishments one at Chiththaandi and another at Vanthaarumoolai in Batticaloa district Sunday night sources said.
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