LTTE Political Head writes to UN Secretary General

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 January 2008, 10:17 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head B. Nadesan, in a letter to United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, bringing attention to the Claymore attack by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit in Madu, urged the UN Secretary to "recognize Tamil sovereignty as a constructive approach to end the unending five decades long, large scale, and serious rights violations against the Tamil people." Stating that the Tigers have ensured that there was no underage members in the movement and that the LTTE has respected the efforts made by the international community to rectify the rights situation, Mr. Nadesan said the LTTE has "demonstrated its readiness to cooperate with the international community."
Full story >>

UNP to boycott official Independence Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 January 2008, 08:03 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has decided to boycott the 60th Independence Day official celebrations to be held on February 4 by the government led by President Mahinda Rajapakse. Instead the UNP high commend as appealed to people to attend prayers' meeting in places of worships organized throughout the country. UNP has organized its main prayer meeting at Dalada Maligawaa in Kandy, capital of the central province with a vow to regain lost fundamental and human rights under the present regime, UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake said.
Full story >>

Horror in the afternoon

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 22:42 GMT]
When her bunker at the Thadcha'naamaruthamadu refugee camp came under SLA shelling last Sunday, Mary Consulator sustained minor injuries and her child was critically wounded. She faced the crisis with the courage of a mother in a war-zone: she admitted her child to the Pa'l'lamadu hospital and stayed there to nurse it to health.
Full story >>

5 SLA killed, 15 wounded in Mannaar clash - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 20:28 GMT]
Five Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed and more than 15 wounded when Tigers confronted an SLA unit that attempted to advance in Paalaikkuzhi, 7.5 km southwest of Adampan Tuesday morning between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., LTTE's Operations Command in Mannaar told media in Ki'iinochchi. The SLA movement was thwarted, the Tigers claimed. In Vauniyaa Tigers clashed with the SLA for 40 minutes from 12:50 p.m. Casualty figures were not available, according to Vavuniyaa Operations Command of the Tigers. Clashes erupted in Northern Front at Ki'laali and Naakarkoayil between 12:40 and 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Full story >>

Contain threats against media, RSF appeals to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 16:12 GMT]
Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a Paris-based media watchdog, expressing concern over escalating threats and violence against media personnel in Sri Lanka, in a press release issued Tuesday appealing to Mr Rajapakse, said: "Mr. President, it is not yet too late to restrain those of your close associates and political allies who sow trouble and fear among journalists," and added, "The violent behaviour of the men employed by some of your ministers is bringing the government into disrepute, a situation that will be hard to redress if nothing is done."
Full story >>

U.S. Group advocates for Tamil Statehood

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 13:52 GMT]
"Applying the 'self-evident' truths celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, the United States should recognize the right of Sri Lanka's long oppressed Tamil people to independent statehood from the racial supremacist Sinhalese," says Bruce Fein, the associate deputy attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, and a lawyer for Tamils For Justice, a U.S. group of Tamil activists, in an opinion piece appearing Tuesday in Washington's conservative news paper, The Washington Times.
Full story >>

Endorsement of media repression in Sri Lanka, alarming- CPJ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 10:37 GMT]
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York based media rights group, in a press release issued Monday, expressed alarm at "Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s brazen public call yesterday to censor the media and reintroduce criminal defamation laws." Condemning Gotabhaya's statement to Sri Lanka media, CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said, "This is an open intimidation of the media...The Sri Lankan press sorely needs space to report independently on the escalating instability in the country, free of government intimidation."
Full story >>

TN Congress scorns freedom of expression favouring Tigers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 10:08 GMT]
Congress party legislators in Tamil Nadu, who demanded the arrest of Viduthalai Chi'ruththaika'l Kadchi (VCK, the Liberation Panthers Party) President Thol. Thirumavalavan for publicly expressing moral support to the LTTE staged a walkout Tuesday from the Tamil Nadu state assembly, when Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi responded to their demand by saying that such arrests could not be made citing a Supreme Court verdict on MDMK leader Vaiko which held that expressing solidarity was not a crime. This is the first time that Congress legislators have walked out of the Tamil Nadu assembly ever since the DMK assumed power in May 2006.
Full story >>

SLA attacks school bus in Madu, 8 killed, 35 wounded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 09:59 GMT]
8 civilians including children were killed and 35 wounded in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam controlled area in Madu division of Mannaar district Tuesday at 2:25 p.m. when a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army triggered a Claymore mine targeting a bus with school children, according to initial reports from Tamileelam Police officials in Madu. The bus, with children and catholic clergy, was returning from a sports event, according to the initial reports. Further details will follow.
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA clash in Ma'nalaa'ru, SLAF bombs Ira'naimadu

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 20:34 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) Monday noon and the clash went on till 6:00 p.m. The Tigers said the SLA abandoned the attempt to breach the LTTE Forward Defence Line in Kokkuththoduvaay and Ma'nki'ndimalai after 6-hours stiff resistance.
Full story >>

SLA steps up minor clashes in Madu region

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 19:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army, that has suffered casualties in medium scale offensive operations in Mannaar, has stepped up minor clashes as Tigers have successfully utilized booby traps and sniper attacks to confronting large number of SLA troops engaged in offensive operations. On Monday, Six clashes were reported in Pa'ndivirichchaan and Chinna Pa'ndivirichchaan areas close to Madu in Mannaar district and two clashes were reported in Vi'laaththikku'lam area bordering the Vavuniyaa district, in addition to a clash in Paalamoaddai.
Full story >>

2 civilians abducted, 2 seek HRC protection in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 15:30 GMT]
Two civilians, one from Oore’lu and the other from Changkaanai, are feared abducted according to complaints made Monday by the family members with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna. Meanwhile, two civilians from Jaffna and Kaithadi north have sought protection with HRC due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, Monday.
Full story >>

Tamil Nadu fishermen on indefinite strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 09:49 GMT]
Normal life was paralysed in Rameswaram as TamilNadu fishermen continued their indefinite strike into the third day today to condemn the Sri Lanka Navy's atrocities against them and demanded immediate removal of the underwater mines set up by SLN between Kachchatheevu and Neduntheevu. They called for the nullification of the Kachchatheevu agreement and demanded the release of 12 of their brethren arrested by the SLN. None of the 2500 steamers and 1500 country boats ventured into the sea as fishermen were steely in their resolve to indefinitely boycott the seas until their demands were met.
Full story >>

Tiger artillery targets Palaali airbase, fighting intensifies in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 08:01 GMT]
Liberation Tigers artillery fire targeted Palaali airbase Monday mornng while a helicopter carrying top military officials from Colombo was about to land. Tension prevailed in Palaali military complex as around 20 shells hit the base, informed sources said. All military and civilian transports were canceled. Meanwhile, Jaffna experienced a power-cut and the mobile phone links remained cut-off as Sri Lanka Army stepped up heavy artillery fire on LTTE Forward Defence Line. Sri Lanka Air Force bombers were flown from South in the skies over Jaffna to attack Tiger territory. SLA troops also suffered heavy casualties in the fighting in Northern Front.
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA clash in Ma'nalaa'ru

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 00:19 GMT]
An attempt by Sri Lanka Army(SLA) troopers Sunday morning 9:30 a.m. to move forward through three fronts with heavy artillery gunfire in Ma'nalaa'ru area towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases was successfully defeated due to strong counter attack by LTTE cadres, Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Ma'nalaar'u said.
Full story >>

SLA attack injures four civilians Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 00:16 GMT]
Four civilians residing in Thadchanaa Maruthamadu refugee camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP) Mannaar district were injured when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an artillery attack Sunday morning 11:00 a.m. targeting the IDP camp, source in Mannaar said.
Full story >>

15 SLA killed in Pa'ndivirichchaan clash - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 January 2008, 15:51 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar claimed Sunday that at least 15 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 30 SLA troopers wounded Sunday evening in a five-hour fighting in Periya Pa'ndivirichchaan area in Mannaar where SLA launched a ground offensive Sunday noon into LTTE controlled territory. Reporting that minor clashes were continuing in the area, the Tigers said a Deep Penetration Unit of the SLA with Claymore mines was defeated in Chinna Pa'nadivirchchaan around 11:00 a.m. Sunday.
Full story >>

Tigers repulse two pronged SLA offensive in Paalamoaddai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 January 2008, 15:16 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) successfully repulsed Sunday around 3:45 p.m, a two pronged attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers to move forward through two fronts to attack the Tiger sentry posts on the Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Paalamoaddai, in Mannaar district. The SLA retreated with losses, Mannaar LTTE Field Operation Command said.
Full story >>

SLA, LTTE clash in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 January 2008, 14:39 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed in Mukamaalai Sunday morning between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. when Tigers counter-attacked an SLA unit that attempted to breach the LTTE Forward Defence Line. One Tiger fighter was killed in action, according to Mukamaalai Operations Command of the Tigers.
Full story >>

Four pronged offensive by SLA in Ma'nalaa'ru thwarted by LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 January 2008, 21:33 GMT]
Attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Saturday afternoon 2:00p.m, to move forward through four fronts including Ma'nalaa'ru, Ma'nki'ndi Malai with heavy artillery gunfire towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases was successfully thwarted by Liberation Tigers in a counter attack, LTTE sources said.
Full story >>