Australia condemns recent violence in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 11:53 GMT]
In a media release issued Tuesday in Colombo, the Australian Govnernment strongly condemned the "recent violence in Sri Lanka, particularly the attacks on Sri Lankan security forces personnel and civilians in the north and east," and expressed similar condemnation to the "murder in Trincomalee on 7 April of the Tamil political figure Mr V. Vigneswaran."
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Germany supports modern fish marketing in the North

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 11:47 GMT]
The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) donated six cooler trucks and six crew cab vehicles as part of its assistance towards the recovery of fishing industry in the NorthEast, a press release issued by the GTZ in Colombo Tuesday said.
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Claymore attack targets SLAF vehicle in Batticaloa, 4 wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 April 2006, 08:31 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel, a SLAF officer's wife and her daughter, were wounded when a SLAF vehicle in a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) convoy was hit by a Claymore mine Monday at 12:30 p.m. at Korakallimadu in Kiran, police said.
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Young boy succumbs to Claymore shock wounds

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 April 2006, 05:19 GMT]
A 16-year old boy, who was standing outside his house succumbed to his shock wounds, caused by a Claymore mine explosion outside his house in Chavakacheri. A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was wounded in the explosion. Two civilians were wounded when SLA soldiers opened fire after the explosion, civilian sources said. The Claymore explosion took place, 200 meters from the SLA Chavakacheri Command (52 Division) on Post office road in Chavakachcheri, around 9 a.m., Monday.
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4 SLA troopers killed in Claymore attack in Vavuniya, 11 wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 April 2006, 04:24 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 10 wounded when a Claymore mine fixed to a three-wheeler parked along the Vavuniya-Mannar road at Veppankulam, 2.6 km nortwest of Vavuniya targetted an SLA vehicle, police sources in Vavuniya said. A civilian was also wounded in the attack that took place around 8:50 a.m., Monday. The soldiers at the site opened fire for more than 10 minutes and the road remained blocked for all traffic, civilian sources said.
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Claymore attack in Trinco, 2 SLAF personnel killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 14:42 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force personnel were killed and one was wounded when a Claymore mine hit their Jeep in Kappalthurai, located about 10 km from east port town along Trincomalee-Colombo trunk road, military sources in Colombo said. The attack was reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
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Colombo sabotages sea-transport, insisting on inapplicable procedures- Puleedevan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 10:51 GMT]
The LTTE had only agreed to transportation in "civilian vessel" and the arrangement, as promised by the new Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, was to be an "exclusive and extra-ordinary SLMM arrangement." Further, the LTTE had repeatedly made it clear that there could be no SLN escort or interference in the civil transportation. "This was a crucial issue agreed and guaranteed by the SLMM Head. Sri Lanka Navy attempted to override the SLMM arrangement with a procedure agreed for the transportation of LTTE owned military vessels in 2003," clarified Mr.S. Puleedevan, the director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat.
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State orchestrated violence raises spectre of 1983 pogrom- TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 01:26 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group in a scathing press release issued Friday accused the Sri Lanka Government of unleashing "State Terror" on Tamil speaking people with the intention of "ethnically cleansing" the Tamil dominated Trincomalee town
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Colombo attempts to force LTTE withdrawal from Peace Talks - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 14:08 GMT]
Accusing the Sri Lanka Government of imposing impractical conditions as part of a deliberate attempt to force LTTE to withdraw from talks, Head of LTTE’s Political Division, S.P.Thamilchelvan said that recent one-sided actions by some members of the International community have encouraged Sri Lankan state to adopt a hardline stance and Sinhala extremists to unleash violence against Tamil community.
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Eleven NE local bodies go to polls on 20 May

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 13:56 GMT]
Elections to 22 local government institutions including the Municipal Councils of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha and Kalmunai and Urban Councils of Vavuniya, Gampola and Wattegama are to be held on May 20. Elections to these local bodies earlier scheduled for March 30th were first postponed to April 18 and now extended to May 20 to avoid intervening Wesak holidays and GCE Advanced Level examination, election department sources said.
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Muslim trader shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 10:08 GMT]
A Muslim trader was shot dead by unidentified gumen at Muneeswaram road in the center of Jaffna town, around 2.15 p.m., Friday, police and medical sources said. Four civilians were killed in seperate incidients in Thenmaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula, yesterday.
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Claymore blast hits SLA bus in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 09:14 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured when the bus in which they were traveling was hit by a claymore mine blast at Allesgarden, about 3 km. north of Trincomalee, Friday. The blast occured on the Trincomalee-Nilaveli road, around 2.30 p.m., police in the eastern town said.
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Henricsson to facilitate safe travel of Eastern LTTE Commanders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 April 2006, 09:01 GMT]
The stalemate in the preparation to Geneva Talks ended Thursday as the Tiger leadership accepted the latest suggestion submitted by Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who assured safe travel of the Eastern LTTE Commanders in a civilian vessel without Sri Lanka Navy involvement. Maj. Gen. Henricsson will be on board the ferry on Saturday when the LTTE will be sending Acting Commanders to Eastern districts and transport Col. Sornam, the Trincomalee Commander of the LTTE and Col. Bhanu, the Batticaloa Commander to Mullaithivu.
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Paramilitary MI handler shot in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 16:20 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and seriously wounded a senior Sri Lanka Army Military Intelligence officer, Kumara, 38, and his Muslim associate Gajan Ali in front of a house the officer uses to visit frequently in Mancholai, 5 kiliometers away from Miravodai SLA camp around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The officer was an experienced paramilitary handler, according to Muslim villagers.
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Japan concerned about escalation of violence in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 12:42 GMT]
"The Government of Japan is seriously concerned with the recent escalation of violence in the North and East of Sri Lanka, including the claymore attack against the Navy bus on Tuesday in Thambalagamam Trincomalee..," said a press release issued by the Embassy of Japan in Colombo Wednesday.
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US condemns attacks, killing of Vigneswaran

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 12:00 GMT]
In a press release issued Tuesday in Colombo, the United States condemned the "recent terrorist attacks carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against the armed forces of Sri Lanka," and "other recent incidents of violence, in particular the April 7 murder of Mr. V. Vigneswaran in Trincomalee."
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19 killed, 45 wounded, 20 shops burned in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 10:41 GMT]
The death toll in the Trincomalee town violence has risen to 19 with more than 45 wounded. Around 15 persons with serious wounds were being treated at Trincomalee hospital. Around 20 Tamil and 2 Muslim shops have been burnt down by thugs armed with incendiary devices assisted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers, said Trincomalee District TNA parliamentarian Thurairatnasingam. Widespread attacks on Tamils were reported after a bomb explosion in the town around 4:00 p.m where a Sri Lanka Army soldier was reportedly killed. Looting continued in the east port town where an indefinite curfew was clamped down by the Police.
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Gang attacks TNA MP's car in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 16:03 GMT]
Mr. N.Raviraj, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Tuesday evening made a complaint at the Kantalai Police that his car was attacked with stones by a gang at Abeyapura, a suburb in Trincomalee town when he was returning after attending the funeral of Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of the Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum (TDTPF), police sources said.
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Eleven SLN troopers killed in Claymore attack in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 07:23 GMT]
Eleven Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers were killed in a Claymore attack that targetted an SLN convoy in Thampalakamam near 9th Mile Post on Trincomalee - Habarana Road Tuesday around 1:15 p.m., according to military sources in Colombo. Eight SLN personnel were seriously wounded in the Claymore attack. Two British nationals were wounded when their vehicle was hit by the Navy bus after the explosion, police said.
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TNA MPs, LTTE leaders pay respect to Vigneswaran in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 00:56 GMT]
"Tamil human rights activist Mr. V. Vigneswaran's assassination and those of 17 other Tamils in the period from November 2005 to January 2006 clearly shows that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will never protect the human rights of the Tamils. Therefore we ourselves have to strive to protect our rights," said Rev. Fr. Kanagaratnam, Director North East Human Rights Secretariet (NEOSHR), paying homage to slain Mr. Vigneswaran whose body was kept for viewing at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi Monday, said sources.


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