Thousands of Tamils defy Paris protest bar

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 22:37 GMT]
Over 2,000 Tamil expatriates gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower Monday, despite the authorities’ cancellation of a planned protest rally to condemn the arrests by French police of several Tamil activists for raising funds for the LTTE. The protestors gathered in nearby public places, blocking traffic. Although the protest’s cancellation had been publicised on Tamil radio and television by the rally’s organisers who told expatriates that permission would be sought anew, several thousand people converged on the city centre, defying orders to disperse, to condemn the arrests on April 1, a week after the LTTE airstrike on Katunayake.
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Karuna threats prevent Batticaloa MPs from visiting electorates

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 11:57 GMT]
"Due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed Karuna group in Batticaloa district, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians representing constituencies in the district have not been able to go to their electorates for the last six months, affected parliamentarians said. Batticaloa MPs have been unable to even participate in high level planning meetings where the district's urgent needs are discussed and decisions taken,TNA parliamentarians told media Sunday.
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SLA conducts cordon, search in Potpathy road

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 10:58 GMT]
More than 50 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who arrived in Buffel armoured vehicles cordoned off the area adjoining the former political office of the Liberation Tigers in Potpathy road, Jaffna and searched the houses in the area between 5:00 p.m and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, local residents said.
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Mannar district under tight security

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 10:34 GMT]
Security in Mannar district has been tightened and more police personnel and soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been deployed for patrollling of key roads, civil sources in Mannar said. Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Police have set up additional roadblocks along Pallimunai-Mannar Road and along Talaimannar-Thalvupadu Road, and are thoroughly checking all vehicles.
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SLA arrests 31 civilians in Eravur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2007, 10:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police arrested 29 men and 2 women, in a cordon and search operation conducted Saturday around 4:00 p.m in Palacholai, Kaluvankerny and neighbouring areas in Eravur police division in Batticaloa. The SLA, after interrogating the arrested civilians, handed them over to Eravur police around 7:00 p.m, for further investigation, sources in Eravur said. The arrested are detained at Earvur police station.


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Claymore ambush kills SLA soldier, wounds 6, soldiers beat civilians in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2007, 08:05 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed and six soldiers were wounded in a Claymore attack Sunday noon when unknown attackers targeted a group of SLA troopers on road patrol near Pandathatharippu in Valikamam region, 12 km northwest of Jaffna city. SLA soldiers who cordoned off the area following the road side blast, beat the civilians in the area, civilian passengers reaching the city said.
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SLA accused of claymore attack on passenger bus

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2007, 03:32 GMT]
Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.V.Selvam Adaikalanathan in a statement issued Sunday accused the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the claymore mine attack on the passenger bus at Piramanalankulam bound for Vavuniya from Mannar on Saturday. Eight civilians were killed and about 25 injured in the attack.
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Tamil trader abducted in Karaveddy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 16:58 GMT]
Unidentified armed men driving a white van abducted a young Tamil trader in Karaveddy, Vadamaradchchi, Friday night at 10:30 p.m. The relatives of the victim have lodged complaint at Nelliady police and at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC), sources in Point Pedro said.


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Civilians flee from LTTE-held village in Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 16:50 GMT]
Fifteen persons belonging to four families from Pappamoddai village in the Liberation Tigers controlled territory in Mannar district sought refuge Saturday morning in Sri Lanka government held Pallimunai village. They arrived in a boat at Pallimunai coast and registered their names with the Grama Sevaka Niladhari of the division seeking relief and accommodation, sources said.
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SLA searches offices of Jaffna daily

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 13:32 GMT]
Administration and Publication offices of Jaffna Tamil daily, Yarl Thinnakkural ("Daily Voice") was cordoned off and searched by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Sunday morning, civil sources in Jaffna said. This is the third time SLA has intruded into the offices of the daily after 11 August when renewed hostilities broke out between SLA and the Liberation Tigers.
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Twelve Tamil civilians arrested in Munthal, Uddapu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 10:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and Police Saturday morning arrested 12 Tamil civilians in Uddapu and Munthal, Tamil villages in Chilaw division in northwestern province in a cordon and search operation. The arrested Tamils are natives of Trincomalee, Jaffna and Uddapu areas.
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Punguduthivu body may belong to Fr.Brown, say Jaffna clergy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 02:06 GMT]
The Catholic clergy of Jaffna peninsula suspect that the mutilated torso found at Punkuduthivu sea on 14 March 2007 packed in a military sand bag tied with a grindstone by barbed wire, likely belongs to the disappeared Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Jim Brown, sources close to the church in Jaffna said. The church has appealed to the Jaffna Magistrate to facilitate sending blood samples to an authorized lab in Colombo to perform DNA tests to identify the suspect body.
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Jaffna peninsula faces electricity shortage

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 01:04 GMT]
Electricity supply to the Jaffna peninsula is danger of being curtailed severely following the announcements by the two private operators of electric power plants that they will be decreasing production of electricity due to contractural issues and other logistical difficulties, civil sources in Jaffna said.


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SLA soldier killed, civilian injured in Jaffna traffic accident

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 00:05 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed a civilian seriously injured when two motorbikes collided at Kulappiddy junction along KKS road within Jaffna municipal limits, around 8:00 a.m. Friday. The injured soldier, L. Ariyadasa, 30, was rushed to Palaly military hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The injured civilian is treated at Jaffna Teaching hospital.
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Six Tamil civilians arrested in Kandy

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 21:43 GMT]
Six Tamil civilians were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in Kandy town in the central province Thursday night by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police. Five of the arrested are natives of Jaffna district and one person is from upcountry, police said.
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Sri Lankan soldiers harass ex-president's grandson

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 16:36 GMT]
Ex-Sri Lankan president and late UNP stalwart J. R. Jayawardene's grandson, Amirith Jayawardene, was chased and harassed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Friday night in Colombo for having attempted to overtake a SLA Jeep.
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SLA orders Thampalakamam Tamils to register names

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 01:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday ordered all residents of Thampalakamam, a traditional Tamil village, located along Trincomalee-Kandy road, about 24 km off southwest of east port town, to register their names with addresses and other related details with the police station located in Kovilady area before Thursday evening, civil sources said.
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SLA blocks Maundy Thursday prayer in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 00:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers stopped hundreds of Catholic worshippers assembled at St James Church in Sillalai Parish in Jaffna district from celebrating Maundy Thursday, and ordered them to leave the Parish for not obtaining prior permission to hold the ceremony, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA fire injures Valaichenai farmer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 12:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers opened fire on two farmers travelling on a tractor to work in paddy fields, Thursday around 11:00 a.m, at Ottuveli area located behind Valaichenai Paper Factory in Batticaloa district, seriously injuring one of them, sources in Valaichenai said.


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SLAF bombs Vadamaraadchi East villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 11:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir bombers flew over Vadamaradchi East Thursday afternoon and bombed Iyakkachchi and Kaddaikkaadu villages in Liberation Tigers controlled Vadamar'aadchi East in Jaffna district. A few houses were damaged in the attack.
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