Canadian opposition MPs condemn Vakarai bombing, MP slaying

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 05:40 GMT]
Canadian Parliamentarians, Albina Guarnieri, P.C., M.P., Member of Parliament, Mississauga East Cooksville, Dan McTeague, P.C., M.P. for Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge, and Omar Alghabra, Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Mississauga— Erindale, have written letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and issued press releases condemning the killings in Sri Lanka.
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Tamil Americans call for moratorium on military aid to Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 03:12 GMT]
Expressing condemnation over killing of at least 65 internally displaced people (IDPs) who were seeking shelter in a school in Vakarai by the government of Sri Lanka," a joint press release issued by Tamil organizations in the US Friday, called upon the international community to "impose a moratorium on military assistance to GOSL," and urged "the co-chairs of the peace process to explore modalities that will allow the peoples on the island of Sri Lanka to live with dignity, to determine their political and economic future without interference, and to ensure regional security."
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U.S. deplores Raviraj assassination

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:56 GMT]
The United States has deplored the assassination of Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo expressed deepest sympathy for the loss to the family of Mr. Raviraj, to his parliamentary colleagues, and to the people of Sri Lanka, who have been "unjustly robbed of his energy and talent." The press statement further said "it is critical that crimes such as the murder of Nadarajah Raviraj not go unpunished."
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GoSL should take responsibility for Raviraj's assassination - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:03 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Friday in Colombo to the press, "Raviraj's assassination is a clear attempt by the paramilitary operating with the Sri Lanka Army to stifle the Tamil parliamentarians' voice in and out of the Parliament to inform the International Community of the Sri Lanka Government's genocide against the Tamils." Sampanthan further said, "Almost an year has passed since the assassination of Batticaloa parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingam and the Sri Lanka government is yet to bring the killers to book. This reveals the covert connections the government has with them."
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U.S. regrets loss of innocent life in Sri Lankan military attack in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 12:05 GMT]
The U.S. Department of State in a media note issued on Thursday said the U.S "strongly regrets" the loss of innocent life caused by the shelling by the Sri Lankan military in Vakarai region Wednesday. The U.S. urged both the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to honor their commitment to abide by the cease fire, end all hostilities immediately, and return to negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. "We are also disturbed that the Head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission and his delegation came under fire in Pooneryn in the north of Sri Lanka the same day," the statement said.
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LTTE Political Head condemns Raviraj assassination in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 11:02 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan condemned the assassination of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj and accused the Sri Lankan state as responsible for the systematic slaying of humanitarian and democratic voices of Tamils. "Mr. Raviraj was slain in Colombo where he voiced against the abductions and killings carried out by the Sri Lankan military and it's paramilitaries," he said.
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Sea Tigers, Sri Lanka Navy clash in Trincomalee sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 05:14 GMT]
Heavy fighting was reported in the seas off Trincomalee and Nilaveli around 5:30 a.m. Friday. Fishermen in Trincomalee reported a big explosion and a series of explosions following it. Meanwhile, military sources in Colombo said a the Sri Lanka Navy had lost contact with a Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) around 5:45 a.m.
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Tamil Parliamentarian Raviraj assassinated in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 03:43 GMT]
Nadarajah Raviraj, 44, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian was shot in Colombo around 8:30 a.m. Friday. The MP succumbed to his wounds at Colombo National Hospital. A lawyer turned politician, former mayor of Jaffna, Mr. Raviraj, elected twice, has been an outspoken parliamentarian who voiced against the extra-judicial killings and forced disapperances in NorthEast and Colombo. The parliamentarian took part in a demonstration Thursday against the Sri Lanka Army shelling in Vaharai where 47 Tamil civilians, Internally Displaced from Trincomalee, were killed, Wednesday.
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Stop genocide against Tamils - TNA appeals to UN

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 01:20 GMT]
19 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians led by Mr. R. Sampanthan, Leader of the TNA Parliamentary group and Member of Parliament for Trincomalee district, protested Thursday at 11:00 a.m in front of United Nations office in Colombo condemning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bombing of Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vaharai and Kathiravelli, killing 53 civilians and seriously injuring 127, sources in Colombo said. The protesters urged the United Nations to urgently intervene to stop the "genocide against Tamils let loose by the Sri Lanka government."
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Sea Tigers sink 2 Sri Lankan attack crafts, seize armament, capture troopers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 12:45 GMT]
A Sea Tiger flotilla clashed with Sri Lanka Navy in the Northern waters killing 25 SLN troopers, capturing 4 troopers alive and destroying two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. The two Dvora FACs were seized and the Sea Tigers dismantled all the armament including a 23 mm cannon and a HK AGL gun. Dead body of a SLN trooper was also recovered by the Tigers. The clash erupted as Sea Tigers engaged in training activities were provoked by Sri Lanka Navy vessels in the seas off Nagarkovil in LTTE territorial waters, according to the Tiger spokesman. A third Dvora FAC was damaged. Five Sea Tigers were killed in close gunbattle, he said.
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"Civilians are too often the victims"- Britain

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:34 GMT]
"This [Vaharai] incident is not unique in the country’s recent history, but it highlights that civilians are too often the victims of this conflict,“ the British High Commission in Colombo said in a press release issued Wednesday.
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SLMM head visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 11:26 GMT]
The head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Lars Johan Solvberg, Thursday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. arrived in Mannar by land and held discussions with SLMM monitors in Mannar district office. The discussion centred on the ground situation prevailing in the district. He left Mannar to Colombo around 1:30 p.m. the same day, sources said.
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UNP demands inquiry into Vaharai killings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 02:46 GMT]
Mr.Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the UNP, the main opposition United National Party (UNP), in a statement released in Colombo Thursday, condemned the killing of civilians in Vaharai division in Batticaloa district and called on the government to hold immediate proper inquiry into this tragedy, sources said.
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SLA arrests eight men in Kottawa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 16:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and police cordoned off and searched Kottawa area in Colombo Wednesday around 08:10 a.m arresting eight persons including six Tamils in connection with the recovery of a 40 mm hand grenade found on the top of a building in Kottawa area, said Kottawa police.
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UN envoy arrives to study plight of children

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
Ambassador Allan Rock, special representative of United Nations arrived in Colombo on the invitation of Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) on Tuesday morning, Office of the United Nations in Colombo said. Ambassador Rock represents Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Under Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, and will study the plight of children affected by war in Sri Lanka, the UN officials added.
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FMM deplores SLA's censoring of Jaffna press

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 11:52 GMT]
The Free Media Movement (FMM) in a press release issued in Colombo Tuesday said that FMM is "deeply concerned that the media situation in the Jaffna Peninsula is extremely dire, with many media establishments and journalists now preferring an overt legal censorship of the media as opposed to frequent thinly veiled threats and intimidation by armed forces, including the Army."


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TNA parliamentarians meet Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 10:54 GMT]
Nineteen of the twenty two Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Tuesday met with Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), at the latter's request and held discussions on the urgency of bringing normalcy in the North East, legalising the merger of the two provinces, and the opening of the land route A9 to Jaffna peninsula, political sources in Colombo said.
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SLMM Head, visiting Pooneryn, comes under artillery fire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 10:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells crossed over the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Major General Lars Johan Sølvberg and his delegation who were visiting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Pooneryn jetty Wednesday evening to undertake a feasibiity study on Colombo's latest suggestion in opening Pooneryin Sangupitty Road as an alternative to A9. SLA fired artillery shells exploded 200 meters behind in Pooneryn jetty area while the delegation was visiting the site for inspection around 3:15 p.m. The Norwegian Major General returned safely, LTTE officials told TamilNet. While returning, artillery shells exploded at 20 meter distance.
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Lack of Tamil proficiency impedes prompt action by SL police- IGP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 November 2006, 09:33 GMT]
The Sri Lanka police constables and officials lack proficiency in Tamil language, and therefore, are unable to take prompt and right action on the complaints made by the Tamils regarding abductions, disappearance, killings, and other law and order concerns of Tamils, said Inspector General of Police (IGP), Victor Perera, in a press meet held in Colombo Monday.


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LTTE reiterates SLMM access to Northern FDL, Vaharai region

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2006, 15:01 GMT]
Colombo should allow the neutral Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials to inspect the forward defence line (FDL) areas and provide the SLMM access Vaharai region to undertake independent verification of the ground situation, instead of producing "baseless allegations of LTTE attacks," in Colombo media, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said Monday night. Sri Lankan armed forces have intensified the attacks with a "military intention" of launching another offensive aiming to escalate the armed hostilities, the Tigers spokesman told media from Kilinochchi.
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