SL Government troops conduct search operation in Kuchchaveli

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 February 2007, 12:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka government security forces Monday morning launched combined cordon and search operation covering fishing hamlets, Kallaruwa, Pudavaikattu, Pulmoddai and other coastal areas of Kuchchaveli divisional secretariat division north of Trincomalee town, sources said.
Full story >>

Military victory unlikely to produce lasting solution - British Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 February 2007, 11:36 GMT]
"A military victory for one side is very unlikely to produce a lasting political solution," says British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dr Kim Howells, who is visiting Sri Lanka Tuesday to assess the impact of recent fighting on the civilian population and will hold a series of meetings with the Sri Lankan government, diplomatic and civil society representatives in Colombo.
Full story >>

Samaraweera returns from Singapore

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 February 2007, 22:17 GMT]
Mangala Samaraweera who lost his Ministry portfolio when President Mahinda Rajapakse sacked three ministers in his cabinet last Friday, returned Colombo Sunday evening from Singapore, political sources in Colombo said. Mangala Samaraweera was in Singapore when Mr. Rajapakse sacked the dissident ministers who were critical of the Government.
Full story >>

Buddhist monks to fast demanding abrogation of CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 February 2007, 22:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's National Bhikku Front (NBF), an organization of Buddhist monks, is to launch a fasting campaign Monday in Colombo demanding the Sri Lanka President to abrogate the ceasefire agreement (CFA) signed by the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Civilians arrested in Kandy, Chilaw police divisions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 February 2007, 12:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Government security forces in a combined cordon and search operation arrested three upcountry Tamil youths who were waiting Saturday night at 8.30 p.m.at Kandy railway station to travel to Colombo, sources said. More than 45 civilians were arrested in Chilaw in a similar operation.
Full story >>

SLA extends curfew hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 February 2007, 00:01 GMT]
Palaly military command announced Friday over radio broadcast from Palaly base that curfew hours in Jaffna peninsula have been extended by an hour to ten hours effective Friday. The new curfew hours begin at 6:00 pm and will last till 4:00 am the following day early morning.
Full story >>

SLFP working committee meets

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 February 2007, 07:17 GMT]
Emergency meeting of the working committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has been summoned by President Mahinda Rajapakse, Saturday, following the sacking of three senior ministers of his cabinet. Anura Bandaranaike and Mangala Samaraweera were cabinet rank ministers and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi was non-cabinet rank minister.
Full story >>

UNP decides to boycott APRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 16:20 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has decided not to participate in the future deliberations of the All Parties Representatives Committee (APRC). This APRC was appointed by the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse last year to work out a common programme reaching consensus among southern political parties to find a political solution to the Tamil national question through peaceful means.
Full story >>

UN urged not to ignore Rajapakse regime

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 12:58 GMT]
The UN security council working group which is set to study underage recruitment in Sri Lanka later Friday should not ignore the practice of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse’s regime in the practice, a senior columnist with The Guardian newspaper wrote in Friday’s edition on Guardian's 'Comment is Free' section. And condemning political movements for the violence they turn to, “whilst ignoring their complaints and the degree of support they command leads only to political stalemate and more bloodshed,” Jonathan Steele said in his column. He criticised President Rajapakse for destroying the 2002 truce by trying to reoccupy the areas recognised as under Tiger control.
Full story >>

Two SLA troopers injured in Vavuniya attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 12:06 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen fired at a SLA foot patrol in Nellukulam area in Vavuniya around 12:00 noon Friday, Police sources in Vavuniya said.
Full story >>

Bomb scare halts train service in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 10:59 GMT]
The train service between Dematagoda and Maradana in Colombo came to a halt on Friday morning for about several hours following a tip off to the authorities concerned that an anonymous parcel had been lying on the rail track between these stations, Maligawatte Police said.
Full story >>

7 STF troopers, 3 civilians injured in mortar fire on Vavunathivu SLA camp

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 February 2007, 11:51 GMT]
Seven Special Task Force (STF) troopers and three civilians were injured in a mortar attack launched from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas Thursday around 9:40 a.m on the Vavunathivu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp, where a new STF camp was being constructed, SLA sources said. The SLA fired mortars back in retaliation.
Full story >>

Six more Tamil youths arrested in Dankotuwa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 February 2007, 11:23 GMT]
Six Tamil youths were arrested in Dankotuwa, 40 km northeast of Colombo, in the northwestern province, in a cordon and search operation by the Sri Lankan forces Wednesday night. They are being detained in police station in the area and are being questioned.
Full story >>

SC fixes inquiry into FR petition by Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 February 2007, 17:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court by a majority decision, Wednesday, granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petition filed by a Tamil journalist Mounasamy Parameswary against the State for violating her fundamental rights by detaining her "illegally without any charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)." She is being held in detention since her arrest.
Full story >>

Anura Bandaranaike receives death threat

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 February 2007, 12:13 GMT]
Anura Bandaranaike, the Sri Lankan minister of National Heritage, and the brother of former SL President Chandrika Kumaratunga, has complained to law enforcement authorities in Colombo that he has received telephone death threats from anonymous callers. The threats are reported amidst speculation that relationship between Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and Anura Bandaranaike has been severely strained since the latest cabinet reshuffle when Mr. Bandaranaike lost his Tourism Ministry portfolio.
Full story >>

SLA shoots dead youth in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 February 2007, 09:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers lying in ambush along an interior road in Thatchanthoppu Pillayar temple area at Karaveddy in Vadamaradchi opened fire on a youth, killing him at the spot Wednesday at 5.45 a.m., Karaveddy residents said. However, military sources in Colombo said SLA killed a youth who had attempted to hurl a hand grenade at the troopers.


Full story >>

Dissident MPs abstain from UNP Working Committee meeting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 February 2007, 01:12 GMT]
Dissident parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) who joined the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse last week and accepted minister posts, did not attend the 76-member working committee of the UNP held Tuesday evening at party headquarters "Sri Kotha" in Colombo, UNP sources said.
Full story >>

13 upcountry Tamil youths arrested in Dankotuwa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 February 2007, 12:01 GMT]
Thirteen upcountry Tamil youths were arrested Monday evening in Dankotuwa, 40 km northeast of Colombo, in the northwestern province, in a cordon and search operation by the Sri Lankan forces.
Full story >>

18 wounded as STF hand grenade explodes in Colombo exhibition

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 February 2007, 10:42 GMT]
A hand grenade exploded, wounding 18 persons including children, females and monks, at a military exhibition at the the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo Tuesday around 3:45 p.m. when a Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) person was demonstrating to the public on how to throw the hand grenade. Two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, 2 Buddhist monks, 4 females and 2 children were among the wounded.
Full story >>

SLAF helicopters fire rockets in Trincomalee north

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 February 2007, 10:39 GMT]
Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) MI-12 helicopters Tuesday morning fired rockets in Kadawanaikulam and Morawewa areas in the north of Trincomalee town for more than 30 minutes. The sounds of explosions were heard in the east port city, sources said.
Full story >>