SLA shelling targets another hospital zone in Vanni, IDP killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an artillery attack targeting the area near Akkaraayan hospital, Vanneari and Aanaivizhunthaan in the Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district Friday evening around 6:30 p.m., killing a 49-year-old internally displaced person from Mannaar, who was residing in Vanneari. The attack on IDP settlement has caused the IDPs temporarily residing in the area to flee the area again.
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Police attack volunteer teachers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 03:53 GMT]
Police in Batticaloa assaulted volunteer teachers Monday around 8:00 a.m when they were about to go on a procession from Batticaloa bus terminal to Batticaloa Hindu College to hand over an appeal to Sri Lanka Education Minister Susil Premajayantha seeking permanent appointments, President of Batticaloa District Volunteer Teachers’ Association, Arulaiah Mohnaraj said. The minister was the chief guest at the event in Batticaloa Hindu College held to give appointments to graduates in Batticaloa district.
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967 graduates get appointments in Batticaloa, Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 13:29 GMT]
485 graduates in Batticaloa district and 482 in Ampaa'rai district received appointments for jobs in two separate events on Monday. The appointments for the first batch of 1225 graduates who were already promised come in the wake of protests by more than 2,500 unemployed in the Eastern Province. Sri Lankan Education Minister Susil Premajayantha was the chief guest for the events on Monday. Security was beefed up in the nearby streets 24-hours in advance to the events amid a new wave of protest by voluntary teachers who were yet to receive permanent appointments.
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Tamil woman shot dead, in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 09:29 GMT]
Kaaththaankudi police recovered the body of a young Tamil woman with gun shot wounds on the forehead in Poonochchimunai village in Batticaloa district on information given by the residents of the village, Kaaththaankudi police said. She had been shot and killed Wednesday early morning, the police added.
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SLA launches large scale cordon, search in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 17:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a large scale cordon and search operation from Tuesday morning till evening covering areas west of A9 Jaffna-Kandy road blocking all the roads leading to the main road, local residents said. Residents were not allowed to leave their homes during the search.
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Civilians flee SLA shelling in Northern Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2008, 00:07 GMT]
Internally displaced families in Moon'raampiddi and Ve'l'laangku'lam villages, located in the northern part of Mannaar district, were fleeing their villages and settlements Friday after artillery and mortar barrage from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that has approached Iluppaikkadavai, north of Vidaththaltheevu. Meanwhile, IDPs from the administrative areas of Maanthai West division of Mannaar district and Thu’nukkaay division in Mullaiththeevu district are undergoing severe hardships without proper accommodation and relief supplies in Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district.
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SLA, STF, police accused of sexual harassment in Aaraiyampathi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 14:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops, Special Task Force (STF) commandos, and policemen who visit homes in Aaraiyampathi area during daytime for interrogation, elicit information about men in the family, and visit the homes that do not have any males, on pretext of night patrol, subjecting widows and women to sexual harassment, residents in Aaraiyampathi in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district said. The victims do not complain to the police or speak of their suffering due to fear of being killed by the troops and policemen.
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24 Civilians arrested by Vavuniyaa police

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 02:03 GMT]
24 civilians were taken into custody by Vavuniyaa police Tuesday afternoon and were interrogated, sources in Vavuniyaa said. Imposition of intensified security measures triggered the Police action, according to informed sources.
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Aaraiyampathi youth reported missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2008, 11:28 GMT]
A 17-year-old Tamil boy, resident of Maavilangkuthu'rai, Aaraiyampathi in Kaaththaankudi police division, Batticaloa district has been missing since 22 June, the youth’s mother reported at the office of Human Rights Commission in Batticaloa.
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STF intensifies searches in Aaraiyampathi area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2008, 09:57 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) conducted a cordon and search operation in Aaraiyampathi Paramanaathar Koayil area in Kaaththaankudi police division in Batticaloa district Tuesday from 6:00 a.m to 9:00 a.m. Meanwhile, residents of Selvaanakar in Aaraiyampathi had to leave their houses and seek shelter away from the village as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops set up camps amidst civilians houses in Selvaanakar.
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Knifed youths yet to be identified in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 June 2008, 16:20 GMT]
Bodies of two youths knifed to death Saturday night at Paarathipuram and Thaalikku'lam in Vavuniyaa, lying in the mortuary of the Vavuniyaa general hospital since Sunday are yet to be identified, medical sources said.
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STF exposed in Batticaloa killings: TNA MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 01:07 GMT]
The indiscriminate shooting on Sunday by Special Task Force (STF) troops of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) resulting in the killing of two civilians and injuring three others in Ka’luthaava’lai, Batticaloa demonstrates the 'barbaric behaviour' of STF, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian T.Kanagasabai Batticaloa district said in a press communiqué released Monday.
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Aaaraiyampathi public ignores TVMP call for hartal

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 June 2008, 14:02 GMT]
A call by TMVP(Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal) for hartal (mass protest) in Aaarayampathi to commemorate 31st day of the death of a key paramilitary operative Shanthan and his associate slain May 22 was ignored, and all activitities continued as usual, local residents said.
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White van abduction in Ka’luthaava’lai

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 June 2008, 02:15 GMT]
Unidentified armed men in a white van abducted a family man Sunday around 6:30 p.m. from his home at Ka’luthaava’lai in Ka’luvaangchchikudi police division in Batticaloa district while he was watching TV with his family, according to the complaint made by his wife to Ka’luvaangchchikudi police.
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Marukkaarai Moaddai

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 June 2008, 00:07 GMT]
The shallow tank / pond of Marukkaarai shrubs (Randia dumetorum)
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STF shoots dead 2 Tamil youths after Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 June 2008, 13:25 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos, an elite commando unit that comes under the Sri Lankan Police, shot and killed two young Tamil males, as the STF went amok on the residents in Ka'luthaava'lai, 22 km southeast of Batticaloa city, after a Claymore ambush killed a STF commando and a policeman in the village Sunday morning. Several civilians, including women and children, were assaulted by the STF.
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Claymore blast kills STF soldier, police officer

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 June 2008, 09:00 GMT]
A Special Task Force (STF) elite soldier and a police officer were killed in a claymore blast at Ka'luthaava'lai, in the Ka’luvaangchchikudi police division, 22 km, south of Batticaloa around 7:45 a.m., Sunday. Attacks on police, STF and paramilitary personnel have escalated in Batticaloa.
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SLAF fighter jets bomb preschool in Kumarapuram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 05:48 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir fighter jets, in four sorties, bombed the Kaaththaan preschool area in Kumarapuram, Paranthan in Ki’linochchi Saturday around 1:10 p.m when the school children, teachers and parents were gathered for the school’s sports meet to begin, sources in Ki’linochchi said. 35 children, 2 teachers and the parents narrowly escaped death in the bombing which caused damage to the school building and ten houses, the sources added.
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Persons arrested in Kaaththaankudi unrest released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 June 2008, 17:31 GMT]
Batticaloa magistrate released Tuesday fourteen persons arrested in the unrest in Kaaththaankudi 27 May and held in remand custody, on a cash bail of 3,000 rupees and personal surety bail of 3,000 rupees each, legal sources in Batticaloa said. The released 14 persons had been charged for causing damage to government properties during the unrest.
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Normalcy returns to Aaraiyampathi,, Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 June 2008, 15:02 GMT]
After more than a week of violence, normalcy returned Sunday in Kaaththaankudi, Aarayampathi areas in Batticaloa district sources said. All the business establishments have reopened and normal transport is being continued without any interruption. Muslims and Tamils are able to travel through each others’ villages, the local residents said.
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