Man abducted after refusing motorbike to Pillayan group

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 June 2008, 11:29 GMT]
A 29-year-old man, K. Prabakaran, from Naakathampiraan Road in Ki'n'naiyadi, Batticaloa, was abducted after refusing to hand over his motorbike to a Pillayan group paramilitary operative known as Oviyan, according to the relatives of the victim. The family, yet to lodge a formal complaint with the police, has been visiting the offices of the paramilitary group almost on a daily basis, urging the group to release the victim.
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TNA MP meets Norwegian Special Envoy in Oslo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 12:14 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Batticaloa District, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, who is currently on a visit to Europe, met Norwegian Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in Oslo on Monday and discussed the political and humanitarian situation prevailing in the North and East. "Rajapaksa government is now attempting to seek regional recognition, especially from India, as it attempts to seek foreign funds for implementing a colonisation-agenda in the East," the MP told TamilNet after his meeting with the Norwegian Envoy.
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Sri Lankan Appeal Court decides to inquire Batticaloa election petition

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 10:34 GMT]
The Court of Appeal Tuesday decided to hold inquiry into the petition filed against the results of the Batticaloa district in the East Provincial Council election held on May 10. Two petitioners who contested the election from the Batticaloa district on the opposition party ticket have sought the court to annul the results as no fair and free election was not held in the district due to the presence of a paramilitary grou. Justice Ranjit Silva fixed the inquiry on July 11, legal sources said.
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East CM wants foreign funds for rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 2008, 16:16 GMT]
"We need assistance from foreign countries to provide dwellings to resettle displaced," said Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the Chief Minister of Eastern Province and the head of TMVP paramilitary. "My administration will not show any discrimination while maintaining law and order with our own police force," he said.
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Australia asks citizens not to travel to North, NorthCentral, East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 June 2008, 10:07 GMT]
Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in a reviewed and reissued travel advisory for Sri Lanka, asking citizens not to travel to "Northern, north central and eastern areas (including Cultural Triangle, Wilpattu and Yala National Parks),...because of the very high risk of politically motivated violence. " The advisory added that "[a]ttacks in Colombo have become more frequent and have killed many civilians. Recent attacks have been directed against public buses and trains. Further attacks can happen at any time, anywhere in Sri Lanka. Australians could inadvertently become victims of violence directed at others.
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7 injured in Police, STF baton charge on protestors in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 June 2008, 08:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka police and Special Task Force (STF) commandos, in an attempt Tuesday to disperse the demonstration march of the protestors in Kaaththaankudi against the killing of the Muslim vegetable trader from Kaahthtaankudi Sunday in Batticaloa, assaulted the demonstrators causing injuries to seven, sources in Kaaththaankudi said. The police confiscated 3 motorcycles and 30 bicycles of the protestors.
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Kaaththaankudi tense, shutdown continues third day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2008, 19:47 GMT]
The shutdown launched in Kaaththaankudi Monday in protest against the killing of the Muslim vegetable trader from Kaaththaankudi Sunday in Batticaloa, continued for the third day with all shops, schools, government and private institutions remaining closed, sources in Kaaththaankudi said. Police and Special Task Force (STF) commandos were jointly engaged in maintaining order and peace in Kaaththaankudi.
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Hartal observed in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 June 2008, 08:48 GMT]
Kaaththaankudi came to a stand when traders observed a shutdown Monday in protest against the killing of the Muslim vegetable trader from Kaaththaankudi Sunday in Batticaloa. Following the interment of the remains of the victim Monday morning, more than 3000 Muslims protested condemning Pillayan paramilitary group and the government of Sri Lanka, sources in Kaaththaankudi said.
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Muslim trader recovered dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 June 2008, 12:13 GMT]
Batticaloa police recovered the corpse of a Muslim vegetable trader from Kaahththaankudi along Kalladi Chivaananthaa School Street Sunday around 1:30 p.m on information from the residents of the area. Signs of tension prevail in Kaaththaankudi where police and Special Task Force commandos have been deployed to maintain order and peace.
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Sakthi TV journalist released by CID

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 May 2008, 16:17 GMT]
The TV Journalist from Sakthi Television for Ka'luvaagnchikkudi area, Batticaola district arrested by Criminal Investigation Unit (CID) police Saturday morning was released the same afternoon 3:00 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said.
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23 Muslim detainees released in Ea’ravoor

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2008, 14:04 GMT]
Two of the 25 Muslims arrested and interrogated by the Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) following the STF firing on Muslim protesters 26 May in Ea’raavoor are continued to be held in detention while the rest have been released Thursday, sources in Ea’raavoor said.
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TMVP member injured in gun mishap in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2008, 13:31 GMT]
The fire arm of a member of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Pillayan group (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, TMVP) accidentally went off Friday around 9:00 a.m., injuring him while he was working in the Thampaanam TMVP Office located on Badulla Road in Batticaloa district, Ka’radiyanaa’ru police said.
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300 families displaced in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 May 2008, 10:32 GMT]
More than 300 families have temporarily displaced from the Tami - Musim border villages in Ea'raavoor. Although normalcy is returning, tension prevails in the border villages and the Sri Lankan armed forces are deployed along the main road and the traffic was restored, according to the Police. Several Tamil families who have sought refuge at Thannaamunai Church are yet to return. The Church was assisting the displaced families and there has been no government assistance, the refugees complained.
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STF interrogates 25 Ea'raavoor Muslims, curfew extended

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 May 2008, 10:44 GMT]
25 Muslim youths were arrested and interrogated by the STF after the elite commando unit opened fire on the protesters, killing a mother and wounding a youth, on Monday at Ea'raavoor. Two policemen were wounded in the episode, Police said stating that the STF opened fire only after they were shot by armed men among the protesters. Meanwhile, Muslim representatives alleged that at least 14 of the arrested youth have been subjected to torture as the police was attempting to get forced written statements from the youth.
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STF opens fire on Muslim protestors, mother killed, youth wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2008, 15:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) commandos in Ea'raavor opened fire on Muslim civilians who protested against the abduction of two Muslim youths by the TMVP paramilitary by blocking the Vaazhaichcheani Batticaloa main road Monday around 5:00 p.m., killing a mother and wounding a 24-year-old youth, according to initial reports. The protests intensified as another Muslim from Ea'raavoor, was abducted Monday by the paramilitary and subjected to torture inside a Coconut farm in Thannaamunai. He was freed by the Sri Lankan forces. Around 300 families of both the communities have displaced from the border areas. A police curfew was imposed at 6:00 p.m.
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Abductees not released, Ea’raavoor shut down continues

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2008, 10:14 GMT]
The general shut down observed in the Muslim town Ea’ravvor in Batticaloa district demanding the release of the two Muslims abducted Thursday allegedly by TMVP Pillayan paramilitary group continued Monday with all shops, schools, banks, public and private institutions closed, sources in Ea’raavoor said. Though TMVP had promised to release the abductees earlier, they have not been released, Eastern Province Council member and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Eastern Province President, Baseer Seku Dawood, said.
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Ex-paramilitary shot, injured in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2008, 18:21 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen riding on a motorbike shot and seriously injured a former Muslim member of paramilitary Karuna group, Sunday around 7:10 p.m, at Fiscal Road in Akkaraipattu police division in Ampaa’rai district, sources in Ampaa'rai said.
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Ea'raavoor tense, 9 wounded, Police imposes curfew

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2008, 10:46 GMT]
Muslims in Ea'raavoor on Sunday alleged that two more Muslims were abducted as they launched a shut-down protest against the paramilitary-cum-political party, the TMVP, that had promised to release two Muslims who were abducted on Thursday, when the group attacked Muslims after a key paramilitary operative of the group was gunned down in the Muslim town of Kaaththaankudi. Ea'raavor Police has clamped down a curfew from 2:00 p.m. Sunday till 5:00 a.m. Monday. Seven passengers and two conductors were wounded when Muslim youths stoned three Sri Lanka Transport Board buses in Ea'raavoor. Residents of Tamil village Iyangkea'ni in Ea'raavoor were seen fleeing.
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Kaaththaankudi returns to normalcy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2008, 00:25 GMT]
The turbulent town of Kaaththaankudi in Batticaloa district is slowly returning to normalcy since the violent clashes and killings on Thursday and the business establishments and the markets in the area have once again started functioning, sources said.
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Abducted female students produced in Vaazhaicheanai courts

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2008, 14:25 GMT]
Two teenage female students of Naamakal Viththiyaalayam, Kalkudaa in Batticaloa district, abducted early march by paramilitary operatives in white van and released on 15 May, were produced by police Friday in Vaazhaicheanai courts, legal sources in Batticaloa said.
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