Conflict sustained by world equating oppressor and oppressed - paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 08:12 GMT]
The international community’s “stubborn refusal to accept, even when it is thrust in their faces, the racist oppression that underpins ethnic politics there and, consequently, the impossibility of reforming the Sinhala state,” is sustaining Sri Lanka’s conflict the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued this week. “It is [the] ready equating of the violence of the oppressor with the resistance of the oppressed which reveals the international mindset,” the paper’s editorial said.
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SLA cordon, searches Vaddukkoaddai, youth missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 18:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an extensive cordon off and search operation in Thu’naivi and Changkaraththay in Vaddukkoaddai area from Thursday early morning, ordering more than fifteen youths to reclaim at the SLA camps in their localities, the National Identify Cards (NIC) confiscated during the operation, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, a youth from Koa’ndaavil west is reported missing since Saturday.
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SLMM representatives preparing to leave Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 17:48 GMT]
The representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) are completing any remaining activities and are preparing to leave Jaffna peninsula on the 16th, two weeks after the unilateral withdrawal of Sri Lanka state from the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said. SLMM representatives are handing over their vehicles and equipments to two Danish Non-governmental Organizations which still remain in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
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4 burnt corpses located in Uva Province

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 16:50 GMT]
Four charred dead bodies were located by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Ranminikanda jungle, bordering Kataragama in Buttala police division of Moneragala district in the Uva Province Thursday evening, Police said. Buttala police has received a complaint on Tuesday that four persons from Lunugamvehera had gone missing.
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Jaffna braces for battle

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 13:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna have forwarded requests to the Director of Public Health Service (DPHS) in Jaffna to hand over the ambulances in their use in case of an emergency situation, sources in Health Ministry in Colombo said. Speculation is rife in Jaffna that SLA is preparing an offensive in the northern front, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA hands over female dead body to Mannaar Police

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 21:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army on Wednesday handed over a dead body of a female in military fatigue to Mannaar police. The SLA said that an LTTE female cadre was killed during a confrontation with the SLA in Parappaangka'ndal area in Mannaar where the SLA claimed it had infiltrated 1 km into LTTE controlled territory. Meanwhile, four SLA soldiers with severe injuries were admitted at Mannaar hospital Wednesday. 13 SLA soldiers have been admitted at the hospital within the past 24 hours.
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Withdraw Indian radars from SL: Vaiko

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 13:52 GMT]
Vaiko, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu based Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK), wrote to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week urging him not to attend the February 4 independence day celebrations at Colombo to be "carried on by the bloodstained hands of the Rajapaksa regime." He also appealed to Dr. Manmohan Singh to withdraw the Indian radars supplied to Sri Lanka and stop any further supply of military equipment.
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STF, police search Eastern University student hostel

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 13:46 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and police surrounded Wednesday dawn the student hostel in Vanthaa’rumoolay Eastern University and conducted a search operation, subjecting the students to intensive checking and interrogation until 9:30 a.m, sources in Batticaloa said. SLA and the police have been deployed in large numbers in Batticaloa district in the wake of Sri Lanka government’s announcement of its unilateral withdrawal of the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the sources added.
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STF shoots dead youth in Ea’raavoor refugee camp

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 13:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) troops lay in ambush and shot dead a youth coming out of the refugee camp in Tha’lavaai Wednesday around 12 noon, Chavukkadi in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. The STF claimed that the youth killed was Sankar, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Batticaloa district head, and that a micro pistol was found at the place he was killed.
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Indian PM to skip SL Independence Day Celebrations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 10:43 GMT]
As Sri Lanka increased its military offensives against Tamils in the North following the abrogation of the ceasefire, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday virtually confirmed that he would not visit Colombo next month for the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka's Independence Day on February 4. "I have not made up my mind", he said when asked whether he would be traveling to Sri Lanka next month during an interaction with journalists in New Delhi. According to reports in the Indian media, the immediate provocation for India's ire was Sri Lanka’s decision to abrogate the six year CFA without seeking to negotiate with the Tamils.
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SLA suffers casualties in Tiger artillery strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 09:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army suffered casualties Tuesday evening around 7:30 p.m. when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) fired artillery shells on SLA troops, positioned 17 km southeast of Mannaar city at Parappaangka'ndal. At least 9 SLA soldiers with severe injuries were admitted at Mannaar hospital Tuesday night.
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SLA, LTTE clash in Mukamaalai FDL

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 07:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army faced stiff resistance from the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam Wednesday morning when the SLA attempted to advance towards the Forward Defence Line of the LTTE at Mukamaalai in Jaffna district. Heavy fighting ensued between the SLA and the LTTE for one hour from 7:00 a.m. The SLA was forced to retreat as they suffered casualties in the confrontation, media sources in Vanni said citing LTTE's Northern Forces Operation Command.
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Col. Charles laid to rest in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 01:29 GMT]
The remains of Col. Charles, Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Military Intelligence, killed Saturday evening in a random Claymore attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit in Pa'l'lamadu in Mannar, was laid to rest with full military honours in Kanakapuram Heroes Cemetery Monday.
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14 SLA killed in Mannaar clash - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 17:18 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Operations Command of Maanaar told media Tuesday that a ground movement by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was thwarted at Mu'l'ikku'lam in Mannaar after 3 hours stiff resistance by the Tigers. Four more SLA soldiers were killed, trapped in a booby trap, while they were retreating with their casualties around 11:00 a.m., the Tigers said. Around 40 SLA troops were wounded, according to the LTTE claim. There were no Tiger casualties, they said. But, the SLA claimed that they had killed six LTTE fighters when the Tigers attempted to enter an area under SLA control.
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4 civilians disappear in Jaffna, 4 seek protections with HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 16:27 GMT]
Four Tamils, including youths and young married men, disappeared in Jaffna peninsula within the one week period ending Monday, according to reports lodged at the Jaffna office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), sources said.
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Parcel bomb explodes in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 14:47 GMT]
A parcel bomb explosion was reported in Colombo High Security area, 50 meters away from the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Head quarters near Lake House building around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Two civilians were treated for shock. Nobody was injured in the attack, Police said.
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Tigers thwart SLA advance in Mukamaalai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 10:38 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces successfully repulsed an attempt by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops Monday around 6:00 a.m at Mukamaalai Front Defence Line (FDL) to penetrate into LTTE territory, killing an SLA trooper, and injuring many. One LTTE fighter was killed, Mukamaalay LTTE operations command said.
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SLA artillery fire kills 2 civilians in Pooneryn

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 10:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched heavy artillery fire Saturday around 6:40 p.m on civilian settlements in the Fourth Mile area in Poonakari killing two family men besides causing damage to some of the dwellings in the area, sources in Ki’linochchi said.
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Sri Lankan minister killed in Claymore blast in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 05:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Minister of Nation Building D. M. Dassanayaka, seriously injured in a Claymore blast near Ja-Ela junction, 18 km northeast of Colombo city, Tuesday around 10:35 a.m., succumbed to his wounds at Ragama teaching hospital, Police said. The driver of his pajero vehicle and a security guard also succumbed to their wounds while 8 others were wounded in the attack. Mr. Dassayanaka was on his way to the Sri Lankan parliament to take part in the first day of 2008 parliament session. Meanwhile, pandemonium reigned at the first meeting of the Sri Lankan parliament as main opposition UNP protested over the assassination of Tamil parliamentarian T. Maheswaran who was slain on New Year's Day.
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"Deepening media crisis in Sri Lanka"- IFJ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 January 2008, 03:45 GMT]
Expressing alarm at the comments at made by Sri Lanka's Army (SLA) Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka labelling some journalists and sections of the media as "traitors," the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is a press release issued Monday said, "the statement by Major General Fonseka and the allegations of death threats against journalists are indicative of a deepening media crisis in Sri Lanka."
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