Amnesty International concerned about escalation of violence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2006, 22:01 GMT]
Amnesty International has appealed to the parties to halt the killings, abductions and "disappearances," being reported daily from the north and east of Sri Lanka. The Amnesty International, in a public statement issued on Wednesday said it was appalled by the news of the killing by unidentified attackers of Member of Parliament Joseph Pararajasingam, while he attended mass at St Mary's Church, Batticaloa on Christmas Eve. The deteriorating security situation will also drastically effect aid and relief operations to those displaced by the tsunami and by years of conflict who see no hope of returning to their homes, Amnesty has warned.
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Journalists to demonstrate against Emergency Regulations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2006, 11:12 GMT]
Media organizations including Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Media Employees Trade Union Federation and Free Media Movement, in a press release issued Wednesday, said they are planning to demonstrate in front the Fort Railway Station Thursday protesting against the Emergency Regulations that allows Sri Lanka Security personnel to detain and harass journalists.
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US wants cost of return to war to be high

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 12:43 GMT]
The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Lunstead, told a business gathering in Colombo on Monday that the US wanted the "cost of a return to war to be high," in Sri Lanka. Resisting from accusing the Sri Lankan Armed forces in the escalation of the recent viloence, the US Ambassador, in his address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, said that the US wanted it to be clear, if the Tigers chose to "abandon peace," they will face a "stronger, more capable and more determined" Sri Lankan military.


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Gnanakone to sue Sri Lanka’s Defense Ministry, IGP

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 20:54 GMT]
Mr. Charles Gnanakone, an Australian citizen who was arrested while in Colombo and detained by the Colombo Crimes Division of the Sri Lanka Police in connection with the murder of Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, before being released by an order of the Court of Appeal, has given notice through his lawyer to the Defense Secretary and the Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka, that he intends to sue them for millions of rupees in damages for unlawful arrest and detention, legal sources said.
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Media associations to hold demonstration against harassment

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 20:28 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum and Media Employees Trade Union Federation have decided to hold a demonstration in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo Thursday evening against the security forces for harassing Tamil media persons and media institutions using the Emergency Regulations, sources said
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SL President meets Co-Chairs, World Bank Director

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 11:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse met with Ambassadors of Co-chairs of Tokyo Donor Conference at the President's office on Monday. Separately, Mr Dhanendrakumar, World Bank's Executive Director for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan made a courtesy call on the SL President Monday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said
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FMM condemns SLA searches of Jaffna press

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2006, 11:01 GMT]
Free Media Movement (FMM) in a press released issued Monday in Colombo condemned the cordon and search of the office of Jaffna Tamil daily Yal Thinnakkural on Friday by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and urged the "authorities to look in these complains without delay and instruct security forces to respect freedom of information rights of all and journalist right to cover all issues of public interest."
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SLTMA demands protection for Tamil media persons

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 January 2006, 00:24 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) has requested the Media Minister Mr.Anura Priyadarshana Yapa to take immediate steps to stop harassment of Tamil media institutions and Tamil media persons by government armed forces. SLTMA in its letter to the Media Minister listed several incidents where members of armed forces have subjected Tamil media persons and institutions with unwanted inquiries and harassment, sources said.


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Explosives found in bus, Murunkan Police detains driver, passengers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2006, 14:49 GMT]
The Murunkan Police on Friday morning around 4.40 a.m. detected explosives in a Mannar bound bus that left Colombo Thursday night and arrested five persons including the driver and the conductor of the bus. The explosives were discovered during an inspection at the checkpoint in Kaddaiadampan, a village in the Mannar, Police said. The Murunkan Police served three-day detention order on the driver who is a Sinhalese, conductor and three passengers for further investigation, legal sources said.


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TamilNadu parties ready to lend support to Tamil struggle- Ramdoss

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2006, 12:21 GMT]
"While the Tamil National struggle in Sri Lanka has assumed new dimensions in its progress towards its goal, parties in Tamil Nadu are spiritually bound to provide unflinching support to Eelam Tamils. We are mobilizing our supporters in India to show our strength and unequivocally express our support," said Leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Dr Ramdoss, when Sri Lanka's Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Periyasamy Chandrasekaran met him Saturday. Mr Chandraseakaran is currently on a two week long visit to Tamil Nadu to meet political leaders sympathetic to Tamil struggle, media co-ordinator for UPF in Colombo, Prabha, said.
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SL Police arrests 30 Tamil youths in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2006, 06:25 GMT]
More than 100 police officers cordoned and searched Puttalam Town area Friday between 7 to 9 p.m. and arrested 30 Tamils including two women, sources in Puttalam said. Arrested youths are being detained in Puttalam Police station.
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Sri Lanka's President meets TNA delegation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2006, 05:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse and a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan began Saturday around 11 a.m. at Temple Trees at the invitation of the SL President, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. The discussion currently is in progress, government sources said.
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Protest in Colombo over indiscriminate arrests of Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 January 2006, 12:40 GMT]
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated Friday afternoon 3 p.m.at the Five Lamp junction in Colombo city against indiscriminate arrests and harassment of Tamil people in Colombo under the Emergency Regulations. Several organizations and Sinhala and Tamil political party leaders participated in this jointly organized event, sources said.
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Indian Executive shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 January 2006, 11:25 GMT]
Mr Atmakuru Prasad, 25, from Hydrabad in Andhra Province in India was shot dead by unknown gunmen at 9.30 p.m. Wednesday near Alfred Place in Dehiwela Colombo, sources said. Mr Prashad was returning to his house after finishing his dinner at a Galle Road hotel when he was shot.
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Claymore attack on SLA tractor in Vavuniya, 2 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 January 2006, 07:23 GMT]
Two SLA soldiers were wounded in a Claymore attack on a SLA tractor at Thevakulam, near Ichankulam northwest of Vavuniya around 9:45 a.m. Thursday. One SLA sergeant with serious wounds was rushed to Vavuniya Hospital, Police said. Seven soldiers were traveling in the tractor.
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Tamil Americans urge Co-chairs to promote "equal partnership for peace”

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 January 2006, 00:35 GMT]
A group of US organizations representing Tamil Americans, in a letter sent to Co-chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference Monday, welcomed the Co-chairs' call for an immediate meeting of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers, and urged the Co-chairs to make clear to both sides that attacks on civilians will not be tolerated, ask military to withdraw from civilians homes and public buildings and to threaten SL Government with sanctions if steps are not taken to disarm paramilitaries.
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Tamil businessman succumbs to gunshot wounds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 January 2006, 18:39 GMT]
Mr Balenthiran, a Tamil businessman and father of two children, who was shot and seriously injured by unknown gunmen on Tuesday night 10.30 p.m. at Wellawatta in Colombo, succumbed to his injuries at 2.50 a.m. Wednesday in Colombo National Hospital, medical source said. He was shot near the Rolex Bakery. He was initially rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital in critical condition and was later transferred to Colombo General Hospital, medical sources said.


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Free Tamil women from fear of rape- Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 January 2006, 11:33 GMT]
International community should condemn the acts of sexual harassment and rape by the Sri Lanka security forces on Tamil women and urge the Sri Lanka Government to vacate the military from Jaffna, said Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Jaffna and a social activist, in a letter sent Tuesday to Ambassadors of Co-chairs and other European countries in Colombo.
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JVP to move no-confidence motion on CWC MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 January 2006, 17:20 GMT]
The Parliamentary group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Monday decided to move a no-confidence motion on Mr. M.Sachchithanandan, Deputy Chairman of Parliamentary Committees, when the parliament resumes its sittings on January 17, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. JVP accused Mr.Sachchithanandan of violating Sri Lanka's constitution by going to LTTE held Killinochchi to pay homage to the slain parliamentarian Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham.
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War and Peace- LTTE way: Taraki, 1991

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 January 2006, 00:08 GMT]
In the 12 June 1991 issue of Sri Lanka's English daily, Island International, late Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular journalist and Senior editor at TamilNet, writes on issues that dominated the early Premadasa period after the departure of IPKF as prevailing climate appeared ripe for peace talks. However, on the day the article appeared, two soldiers were killed in a Batticaloa landmine attack. Enraged soldiers massacred 150 Tamil civilians (13 June) in Kokkadichcholai. LTTE retaliated by killing 19 soldiers (20 June) in an ambush, leading to continued blood letting as Eelam War II (June 1990 to 1994) was fought without any hopes of peace talks.
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