Prayer campaign to force CFA abrogation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 February 2007, 06:13 GMT]
A special prayer is to be held at Kandy Dalada Maligawa Saturday in support of the demand that the government should abrogate the ceasefire agreement signed on 22 February 2002 before it completes five-year period next week. Buddhist monks in large numbers are expected to participate in the prayer campaign, sources in Kandy said.
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Abrogate CFA before February 22, demands Bhikku Front

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 February 2007, 02:16 GMT]
The Sri Lanka National Bhikku Front (SLNBF) is considering intensifying agitation if the government fails to abrogate the ceasefire agreement (CFA) before 22nd February, Venerable Dambara Amila Thera, President of the SLNBF told media persons Friday evening at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo where Buddhist priests have been fasting on rotation.
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International Community needs reassurance from Sri Lanka - British FM

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 16:11 GMT]
The international community needs to be reassured that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is committed to a peaceful solution, said Dr Kim Howells, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who left Sri Lanka Friday concluding his two day visit. Dr. Howells met Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, Sri Lankan Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights and representatives of opposition political parties Thursday after visiting Amparai district Wednesday.
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Lack of spares threatens bus service in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 13:04 GMT]
The public transport service run by the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) will come to a halt by the end of February if tyres and other spare parts to maintain a fleet of 66 buses do not arrive in the next few days, said Northern Region Commissioner of Transport services, S Kanesapillai Friday.
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SL Police arrests three Tamil teachers in Nuwara Eliya

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 10:48 GMT]
Special police team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three Tamil teachers in Ragala in Nuwara Eliya district in the central province Wednesday night, and has taken them to Colombo Thursday for interrogation, upcountry sources said. Police said the three were arrested on information from one of the three Sinhala journalists, arrested earlier in Colombo, on charges of having received arms training from Liberation Tigers.


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Chavakacheri courts orders action against SLA officers

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 04:49 GMT]
In a historic ruling, Chavakacheri courts, said Thursday that there is sufficient evidence of direct involvement of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officers in the disappearance of a number of youths in Thenmaradchchy area in 1996, and issued orders that further action be taken by Jaffna High Courts, legal sources in Jaffna said. The case against the accused officers of SLA was being heard at Chavakacheri courts since Monday, 12 February.
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SLFP dissidents urge Colombo to prevent Rights abuses

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 04:19 GMT]
Former Sri Lanka's Foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and former Port Development Minister, Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, on Thursday accused the Mahinda Rajapakse government of alleged human rights violations, and warned that Sri Lanka faced international isolation unless steps were taken to stem the tide of disappearances and extra judicial killings, sources in Colombo said. Addressing a press conference at the Parliamentary complex, Mr. Samaraweera said his concern about the growing human rights violations in Sri Lanka was one of the main reasons that he was sacked by Mr Rajapakse.
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Colombo court orders release of 18 Tamil civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2007, 00:20 GMT]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Thursday ordered release of 18 Tamil civilians arrested on February 9 in a cordon and search operation conducted in Borella and Mirihana in Colombo police division. The Magistrate made the order when the police told the court there was no evidence to implicate the said suspects with any offence.
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UNP condemns abductions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 21:41 GMT]
Tamils who have no connections with war and terrorism are being abducted in Colombo and other areas in the country, said Lakshman Kiriella, Kandy district United National Party parliamentarian addressing a press briefing held Thursday at the office of the Leader of the Opposition.
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FMM accuses Rajapakse of favoritism, urging self-censorship of NorthEast news

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 12:29 GMT]
Free Media Movement (FMM), a media watchdog based in Colombo, condemned Sri Lanka's President statement that he provided TV licences to JVP for the political support in the presidential election campaign. "Clearly, this nepotism and political favouritism is detrimental to the development of free media," the FMM said in the press release issued Wednesday. FMM also expressed consternation over Mr Rajapakse's criticisms of "Sinhala language weekly Mawbima newspaper for publishing articles that featured interviews with leaders of the LTTE, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in the North and East of Sri Lanka and exposing corruption."
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SL Police arrests 19 Tamil civilians in Moratuwa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 11:31 GMT]
Moratuwa Police took into custody 19 Tamils, all of them from areas of NorthEast, Thursday morning in a midnight to dawn cordon and search operation conducted by the government security forces in the Soysapura Flat area in Moratuwa police division, sources from Colombo said. The arrested are being detained and interrogated in Moratuwa police station.
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Rajapakse, Bandaranayake meet to reconcile

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 February 2007, 01:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and Anura Bandaranayake, one of three ministers sacked last week met Wednesday at Temple Trees and talked for about two hours regarding the current political situation. They explored ways to diffuse the tension in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) following the dismissal of three ministers.
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GoSL’s Rights team visits to assess Jaffna situation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 February 2007, 15:36 GMT]
"Normalcy is yet to return to Jaffna. The residents are deprived of the freedom of movement, and continue to experience restrictions and difficulties in getting the essential commodities since the closure of the A9 six months ago," said Rt. Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagm, the Bishop of Jaffna, participating in a meeting Wednesday, convened by a team from Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL from Colombo, held in the High Security Zone area in Jaffna town. Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, Mr Mahinda Samarasinghe, who led the team said their mandate is to explore means of restoring normalcy to Jaffna and remedy the short comings in the supply of essential commodities.
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Armed paramilitaries rob bus in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 February 2007, 11:53 GMT]
Karuna group armed paramilitaries in military fatigues waylaid a Colombo bound civilian bus from Kathankudy in Batticaloa on Sithandy main road in Eravur police division Tuesday around 8:20 p.m., and robbed Rs. 1,500,000 rupees, several national identity cards, 15 hand phones and jewellery from the passengers, according to complaints made to Eravur police.
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Body found in Vaharai well

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 February 2007, 00:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police recovered a decomposed body of a male in a well in Vaharai around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Police sources said. The body was bound inside a sack. Police transferred the body to the Valaichchenai District Hospital for autopsy and identification.
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UK Minister arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 February 2007, 15:34 GMT]
Dr Kim Howells, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, arrived in Colombo Tuesday evening on a three day-visit. He is to visit Amparai district Wednesday morning, sources said.
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JVP to hold public meetings against UPFA government

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 February 2007, 12:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's extreme Sinhala nationalist, Marxist, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is to hold a series of meetings southern Sri Lanka condemning the government for abandoning the Mahinda Chinthanaya principles, political sources in Colombo said. The first meeting of this series is to be held on February 15 evening at Nugegoda in Colombo, according to same sources.
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UNP Municipal Councillor shot dead in Colombo suburb

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 February 2007, 09:26 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council member of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) inside his office in Dehiwela, a suburb of Colombo Tuesday around 10:00 a.m.
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Buddhist monks demand abolition of CFA

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 February 2007, 22:10 GMT]
The National Bhikku Front, an organization of Buddhist monks, started an indefinite sit on protest in front of Viharamadevi Park around 11:00 a.m. Monday demanding the immediate abolition of the Norwegian brokered Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on 22 February 2002. More than 50 monks were present at the start of the protest ceremoniously by chanting of hymns praising Lord Buddha. Seven monks joined the sit-in.
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Two bodies found in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 February 2007, 21:27 GMT]
Bodies of two unidentified men were recovered by police at two different locations in Colombo. One body was found at Kettarama bridge area and the other at Galkissa seashore, according to the police.
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