Sri Lanka's gross violations of Human Rights must stop- Selvy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 March 2007, 10:37 GMT]
Humanitarian Spokesperson of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), N. Selvy, Saturday expressed dismay at International Community's discourse with Colombo by failing to adopt a humanitarian strategy to end the culture of impunity in Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) administered territory. Despite expressing reservations on the effectiveness of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIEGP) according to the terms and reference of Colombo, Selvy said: "if the monitoring system could discipline the Sri Lankan state and bring the culprits to book, it would be worthwhile."
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87 youths abducted or disappear in Jaffna in 2007

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 March 2007, 02:02 GMT]
87 youths have either been abducted or disappeared in the first 69 days of 2007, records at the office of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) said. 416 civilians disappeared in 2006, according to the same records. The escalating numbers have raised the spectre of disappearances of 1997, when Amnesty declared "600-odd people who have "disappeared" in the last 18 months after their arrest by the security forces, nearly all have died as a result of torture or been deliberately killed in detention." Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested 6 youths in Aanaikkodai during the Saturday funeral of fish trader who was shot dead Friday, sources in Jaffna said.
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2 SLA troopers killed, 10 injured in APC accident

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 17:22 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers died and ten were injured when their Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) crashed against an electricity post Friday around 7:30 p.m at Chalampaikulam along Vavuniya-Mannar road, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Erlalai decaptitated body identified

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 14:13 GMT]
The decapitated body found in a tobacco farm in Mylankadu Erlalai on 5 March, Monday was identified as belonging to one of the five Chunnakam youths abducted by uniformed Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers between 4th and 6th of March, sources in Jaffna said. Officials at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital confirmed that the parents of the youth identified the body.
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2 SLA deserters kill fellow soldier

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 12:22 GMT]
Two soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were taken into custody Friday in connection with the murder of a fellow soldier in Teldeniya in Kandy district. All three soldiers had been attached to the Maveriyadenne SLA camp located close to Victoria Reservoir hydro power plant in Teldeniya, sources said.
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SL Police, SLA cordon, search Mannar town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 12:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police Saturday afternoon 1:30 p.m conducted a combined cordon and search operation in Sinnakadai, Bazaar in Mannar town. More than seven hundred civilians, men and women were ordered to leave their houses and workplaces, and assemble in the Mannar common playgrounds by the military officials, and were subjected to severe interrogation. Their national identity cards were checked. Civilians were allowed to leave the playground after registering their names and other details with the military authorities, sources said.
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Tigers hand over 4 STF bodies to ICRC in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 06:27 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Batticaloa District Deputy Political Head S. Seeralan handed over four bodies of Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) personnel killed Friday at Pullumalai, to the Batticaloa ICRC Saturday morning, Tiger officials in Batticaloa said. The LTTE has thwarted STF ground troop movement and seized 1 PK LMG, 1 RPG, 1 M16A2 assault rifle, 5 T56-2 guns and ammunition including 40mm mortar shells. A three pronged ground offensive with SLA/STF artillery barrage has forced more than 40 000 Tamils to flee their villages in LTTE controlled area.
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55 civilians killed in Mannar in 14 months

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 00:32 GMT]
Fifty-five Tamil civilians were killed, 105 injured, and 16 reported missing in Mannar district from 2006 January to February 2007 in military operations carried out by the Sri Lanka forces, civil sources said.
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3 youths missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 00:13 GMT]
A youth from Mallakam went missing after he went to the bank Thursday morning, and another youth from Kilner Lane at K.K.S road in Jaffna is missing since Thursday, the relatives of the youths reported to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) office in Jaffna, HRC officials said. In both cases the complainants said they feared the youths have been abducted. A third youth has not returned after he was taken for investigation at the Neervely Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp.
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Anuradhapura SLA commander killed in ambush

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 14:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army commander of the Anuradhapura Saliyapura Gajaba Regimental HeadQuarters, Colonel Jayantha Shurawera, and three of his men inlcuding a Major, and four national park employees were killed in a gunfire ambush inside the Wilpattu wildlife sanctuary around 10:30 a.m. Friday, military officials in Colombo said.
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40,000 civilians displaced in two days in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 13:09 GMT]
More than 40,000 civilians were displaced within the last 48 hours in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Paduvankarai area as heavy artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher fire by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued, forcing the civilians to flee from Kokkaddicholai and the surrounding villages. "Batticaloa is experiencing another tragic humanitarian crisis without the attention of the International Community," charged Batticaloa district parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy. Meanwhile, a third front, opened by the Sri Lankan Special Task Force troopers at Pullumalai, 31 km southwest of Batticaloa, was thwarted by the Tigers, according to the LTTE.
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SLA trooper killed in Nelliady attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 12:28 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper was killed and two soldiers were injured in an attack against a SLA road patrol along Nelliady-Vathiry area in Vadamaradchy Friday 3:00 p.m, sources in Point Pedro said. Jaffna SLA command has not officially confirmed whether the casualty is from a hand-grenade explosion or from a claymore attack.
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SLA reopens Uyilankulam checkpoint

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 11:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday morning reopened the Uyilankulam checkpoint, the gateway to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory in the Mannar district. The Uyilankulam checkpoint was closed by the SLA following a clash between the government troops and LTTE cadres Wednesday, sources said.


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Thousands displaced in fresh Sri Lankan offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 13:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has launched heavy artillery barrage towards Liberation Tigers controlled territories in Batticaloa district since Thursday morning as Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) began a two pronged ground offensive from Chenkalady through A-15 (Batticaloa Badulla Road) and from Pulukunawa and Syambalanduwa. Around 10 000 civilians were forced to flee from the shelling inside the LTTE territory. Liberation Tigers said their fighters were engaged in a defensive fight on two fronts. Two civilians were killed in SLA shelling on Thandiyadi. Access routes were closed Thursday morning. Wireless telephone link and mobile network remain dead in the district.
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Trader shot dead in Mallakam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 12:20 GMT]
The owner of a private Telecommunication center was shot dead by unknown gunmen at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, sources in Jaffna said. Four armed men who arrived in two motorbikes while the owner was opening the center for business, shot the owner in point-blank range before escaping, according to eyewitnesses.
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200 IDP families resettled in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2007, 06:12 GMT]
Two hundred Internally Displaced families (IDP) from Vaharai have been resettled in Oriyankadu area opposite Vaharai village, said sources in Valaichenai. Fifty-seven IDPs including 16 women, however, expressed their reluctance to be resettled at Oriyankadu, after being taken there by Vaharai Regional Secretariat officials, due to the temporary accomodations and they feel unsecure with the dominating presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), the sources added. The A15 route remains closed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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Parents visit Sinhala soldiers in LTTE custody

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 23:06 GMT]
The parents and relatives of five soldiers of Sri Lanka armed forces currently in custody of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) visited the soldiers in Kilinochchi Wednesday, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. The Red Cross facilitated the visit. The group arrived in Kilinochchi from Vavuniya and met the soldiers at a remand prison of the Thamileelam Police around 11:00 a.m. in the presence of V. Aravindan, Probation Officer of Thamileelam Police , Kumarasamy Kanagalingam, the Chief Inspector of Thamileelam Police and Selvaretnam Jeyapalan, the Chief Prison Guard.
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SLA abducts 3 youths in Vadamaradchy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 13:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted three more youths from the Vadamaradchy area between 4th and 6th of March, officials of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna said, citing complaints filed by the relatives of the missing.
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SLA fires artillery on LTTE-held villages in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 10:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday launched indiscriminate artillery fire on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held villages in the Mannar district. The attack commenced at 8.30 a.m. and continued till about 12.30 p.m., sources in Mannar said. Several hundred residents from villages Palaikudi, Parapukadanthan and Adamban fled from their houses and sought refuge in Madhu church.
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LTTE shells hit Manthuvil Base

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 March 2007, 01:26 GMT]
Artillery shells launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) hit the 52 Brigade Head Office of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) situated at Manthuvil in Thenmaradchy region in Jaffna district around 12:00 noon Tuesday. Two shells fell inside the Base and one outside it. Ambulance was seen rushing out of the Base towards Palaly Military Hospital following the attack, civilians of the area said.
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