18 wounded in bus explosion in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 07:07 GMT]
Eighteen civilians were injured in a bomb blast inside a bus in Colombo Mount Laviniya Saturday around 10:45 a.m. Most of the victims were bystanders. The passengers had a providential escape as a woman traveler alerted the conductor and the driver of the bus about an unattended parcel underneath a seat in the Colombo bound bus coming from Morattuwa. The explosion took place after the passengers have got off the bus and while the driver was taking it to a safe location, police said. The blast in Colombo has taken place a day after the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombardment on civilians in Vanni took the lives of 8 and injured 14, which included many children.
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International bias contributes to 'vicious cycle of violence', says Jaffna MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 02:37 GMT]
“The International Community and India, which provide tacit support to Sri Lanka's belligerency, fail to stop or condemn attacks on civilians by Sri Lanka armed forces. But, whenever an attack takes place in the South it gets the prominence of news and International response is prompt. Then, as an occasional passing reference, the antecedents are cited. There is a definite pattern in the international behaviour related to events in Sri Lanka. By such one sided approach, do they encourage retaliations to take place in the South?” asks Jaffna district parliamentarian K. Sivanesan.
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Canada’s amended Security Certificate regime criticised

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2008, 17:38 GMT]
The Canadian Parliament’s Bill C-3, enacted on February 12, came into force Friday, amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act 2000, one day before a Supreme Court deadline expired. The 2000 Act enabled the Government to detain and deport non-nationals it deemed inadmissible. Bill C-3 is in response to Supreme Court criticism that the security certificate regime was unconstitutional because it deprived concerned individuals of the opportunity to defend themselves because evidence cited for the government’s decision to detain or deport could be withheld from the individuals, their legal representatives and the public under terms of national security.
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SLA occupation eats into Jaffna paddy cultivation

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2008, 15:45 GMT]
Only around 65% of arable paddy fields in Jaffna peninsula was cultivated in 2007 while the rest remained fallow, turned into High Security Zones (HSZ) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and war zones, according to Jaffna Agricultural Department statistics. Though the 2007 paddy yield was more than the expected quantity, the yield only barely meets the needs of Jaffna peninsula, according to the officials.
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SLA trooper assaults NGO staffer in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2008, 15:03 GMT]
A female Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier denuded and assaulted a female Non-government Organization (NGO) staffer coming from the islets of Jaffna at the SLA check post at Pa’n’nai Bridge entry point early this week, according to a complaint made to the SLA High Command in Jaffna. The staffer from World Vision was on her way to participate in an NGO work-shop and had photos and an article related to tsunami disaster in Allaipiddy in her possession when the said female SLA troop checked her.
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8 civilians killed in SLAF bombardment in Poonakari, children among victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2008, 05:37 GMT]
Eight civilians including a 6-month-old infant, a 4-year-old boy, their mother, a 8-year-old girl and an English teacher were killed, 14 including four children and another teacher were wounded in a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombardment of a civilian settlement at Kiraagnchi in the Poonakari division of Ki'linochchi district Friday at 8:10 a.m. Three houses were fully destroyed and many houses have sustained damage in the indiscriminate aerial bombardment in which more than 20 bombs were dropped by four bombers. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan ministry of defence in Colombo claimed that the SLAF had attacked "an inland sea tiger base" at Kiraagnchi.
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NE Bishops scheduled to meet UN special envoy

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2008, 00:33 GMT]
A delegation of bishops from Northeast are scheduled to meet Angela Kane, UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs who arrived in Colombo Wednesday morning for a week-long fact finding mission in the island, sources close to the Bishops said.
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Kosovo’s victory has lessons for other liberation struggles - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 16:16 GMT]
Describing Kosovo’s declaration of independence on Sunday and the ensuing international recognition as “a powerful shot in the arm to peoples resisting and seeking independence from tyrannical regimes,” the Tamil Guardian newspaper this said that “whilst every situation and every circumstance is unique, there are important lessons from the Kosovan march to independence for liberation struggles everywhere. The paper pointed out that just a few years ago, the idea of Kosovan independence had been dismissed by the international community and the Kosovan Liberation Army had been condemned as terrorists by the United States and other countries.
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Large scale SLA search operation in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 14:03 GMT]
Thousands of SLA troops including soldiers in armoured personnel carrier and Field Bike units forced all residents in Valveddiththu’rai, Udupiddi, Kamparmalai and Naavaladi areas in Vadamaraadchi out of their houses on to the roads in a cordon and search operation launched Thursday around 1:00 p.m, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Nearly a hundred youths were led to temples and public places for interrogation, and it is not known whether they had been detained, eyewitnesses said.
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SLA launches fresh search operation in Buttala

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 08:31 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday launched a fresh cordon and search operation in areas surrounding Buttala-Kathirkaamam (Kataragama) road and other suburbs following the killing of three SLA soldiers by an unidentified group of persons.
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GoSL imposes restrictions on food supplies to Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 08:29 GMT]
New restrictions imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka on transport of goods from Vavuniyaa to Ki’linochchi via Oamanthai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) check post will severely hamper distribution of food and other essential commodities to Vanni, Vavuniyaa Secretariat sources said. SLA is directed to allow only 30% of the food supplies required to support Vanni needs, Ki’linochchi district Government Agent, Mr. Vethanayagam said. Meanwhile, a controlled price for bread is to be fixed in Jaffna peninsula with effect from Sunday, Jaffna Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh said.
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3 SLA soldiers killed in Buttala ambush

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 03:46 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed when Liberation Tigers ambushed the vehicle in which they were travelling on Buttala - Kathirkaamam (Kataragama) Road, around 11 a.m., Wednesday, Police said.
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Norway to recognise Kosovo's UDI

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 13:10 GMT]
Announcing the decision of Norway to recognise Kosovo's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Serbia, as an independent state, Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, on Wednesday said: "Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that further negotiations would lead to a mutually agreed solution to the status issue. At the same time, the status quo is no longer viable. There is a need to clarify Kosovo’s future status so that it can continue its economic and political development. In the current situation, it is important that the members of the international community as far as possible take a common position. This in itself would contribute to clarity and stability."
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3 SLA soldiers gunned down in Buttala

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 12:23 GMT]
A group of attackers opened fire on a Sri Lanka Army vehicle on Buttala - Kathirkaamam (Kataragama) Road Wednesday around 11:00 a.m., killing three SLA troopers on the spot, Police said. Meanwhile, Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe, Hambantota SLA Commander, has been removed from his post with immediate effect. Col. Devendra Perera is appointed in place of Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe
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Keerimalai Nakuleasvara temple festival begins Friday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 05:27 GMT]
The annual festival of the historical Keerimalai Nakuleasvara Saiva temple located in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) will begin on Friday and continue until 7 March, and the SLA command in Jaffna will allow devotees to go through its check posts in Cheanthaangku’lam and Thellippazhai SLA Front Defence Line (FDL) area in Valikaamam north, the chief priest of the temple, Rajaraja Sri K. Nakuleaswara Kurukkal said.
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India's Peace and War

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 01:24 GMT]
The now defunct Ceasefire Agreement in Sri Lanka was mooted and shadow-managed by the BJP government, according to Indian journalist, M.R. Narayan Swamy. Wickramasinghe and Pirapaharan were aware of this top secret mission of India, supervised by Vajpayee's Advisor Brajesh Mishra, but not J.N. Dixit who succeeded him with the change of government in May 2004. Dixit had to learn it from Wickramasinghe. The CFA signed in February 2002 was unilaterally withdrawn by the Sri Lanka government in January 2008. Swamy's revealing and the chronology of events implicate the Congress establishment and the ego war of the Chanakyas (Machiavellis) of New Delhi in belligerency returning to Sri Lanka.
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SLA hands over 7 dead bodies to Mannaar hospital

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 February 2008, 11:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army on Monday handed over seven dead bodies, of four females and 3 males, to Mannaar hospital through the Police. The killed were LTTE cadres in the heavy fighting that ensued in Mannaar on three fronts on Monday, according to the SLA. Four of the dead bodies were to be transported to LTTE controlled area by the ICRC via Oamanthai in Vavuniyaa, sources in Mannaar said. Both the LTTE and the SLA have claimed to have inflicted heavy casualties to the other side as clashes intensified on Monday.
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SLA blocked in three fronts in Mannaar - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 February 2008, 17:47 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam on Monday confronted Sri Lanka Army on three fronts in Maanaar from 4:00 a.m. Heavy fighting lasted till 7:30 p.m. when SLA movement was successfully blocked by the Tigers at Paalaikkuzhi, Kaddukkarai and Ka'rukkaayk-ku'lam according to LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar. The SLA has suffered heavy casualties, the Tigers said. Atleast 10 SLA soldiers were killed by Tiger snipers. Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir fighter jets and MI-24 gunships were also engaged, providing support fire to the SLA forces. Meanwhile, sources in Mannaar city said tension prevailed in Tha'l'laadi as LTTE fired artillery shells fell inside the military garrison.
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SLAF jets bomb LTTE territory in Poonakari

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 February 2008, 17:17 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fighter jets dropped more than three bombs Monday around 2:30 p.m on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory in Poonakari (Pooneryn) in Jaffna after flying low over Jaffna peninsula prior to the air strike, sources in Jaffna said.
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Death threats force NGO staff from meeting UN official in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 February 2008, 17:00 GMT]
A section of representatives of the Jaffna District Non-governmental Organizations Federation (NGOF) walked-out Monday from a meeting at NGOF office in Jaffna in protest against the NGOF for not meeting the United Nations Development (UNDP) Residence Representative in Sri Lanka, Mr. Neil Buhne, on his official visit to Jaffna Friday, sources in Jaffna said. The representatives of Jaffna District NGOF and other Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Jaffna peninsula had avoided meeting the UNDP Coordinator due to continuous death threats issued by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries, the sources added.
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