TRO staffers disappearance reaches one-year anniversary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 January 2007, 01:07 GMT]
Seven staffers of Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an NGO registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, were abducted on 29th and 30th January 2006, by armed paramilitiaries inside Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area in Polannaruwa. In a press release issued from Colombo offices, the TRO said: "To date the Sri Lanka Police have yet to conduct any meaningful investigation or inquiry into these disappearances. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka investigated this case and made a report to its head that has never been released."


Full story >>

Youth seeks safety at Jaffna Police station

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 16:47 GMT]
A youth from Kokuvil west in Jaffna surrendered at the Jaffna police station Monday fearing danger to his life by unknown armed men. The police produced the youth Monday before Jaffna district magistrate Mr. R. T. Wicknarajah who ordered the youth to be placed in Jaffna prison under the protective custody of the courts until February 9, legal sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Five more arrested in Jaffna for breach of curfew

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 16:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) troopers arrested two civilians from Gurunagar and three from other parts of Jaffna town within Jaffna Municipality Sunday night for violating curfew regulations, and handed them over to Jaffna police. The police produced the five arrested at the Jaffna court before District Magistrate R. T. Vignarajah who ordered them to be placed in Jaffna prison until February 9 and directed the police to conduct inquiry to find out whether they are connected to any criminal activity, legal sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Jaffna-wide schools boycott begins Monday

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 16:15 GMT]
The boycott organized by the Vadamaradchy Tamil Students union spread to schools across Jaffna peninsula beginning Monday as two students abducted in Vadamaradchy area earlier, remained captive. Most students in Jaffna district responded to the call by the Students Union to boycott school activities until the abducted students are released.
Full story >>

US backs Sri Lanka, urges talks and access for humanitarian agencies

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 14:23 GMT]
The United States, reiterating its strong support for Sri Lanka's efforts "to combat terror," Monday called on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's government to also forge a power-sharing proposal as the basis for negotiations with the LTTE. Pointing out development can only take place amid peace, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake told a meeting of Sri Lanka's donor community that 'transparency, good governance, and respect for human rights and the rule of law are essential preconditions for economic development and indispensable prerequisites for ... a lasting peace." He criticised Sri Lanka's blocking of access to humanitarian agencies in the Northeast.
Full story >>

SL Development Forum begins in Galle under tight security

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 10:08 GMT]
The first day session of the two-day Sri Lanka Development Forum-2007 began Monday morning at Light House Hotel in Galle town, capital of southern province amid tight security. Several hundred police personnel and troops of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) have been deployed in the town and surrounding the venue of the conference. SL President Mahinda Rajapakse declared open the forum.
Full story >>

9 civilians arrested in Jaffna for curfew violation

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 January 2007, 09:03 GMT]
Consequence to the announcement by Northern region SLA commander E.A.Chandrasiri on Saturday warning the strict enforcement of curfew in the peninsula, nine civilians were arrested within the municipal council area for curfew violation. The arrested civilians were produced by Jaffna police on Sunday before Jaffna Magistrate E.V.Wickremaraja, who ordered them to be detained until 9 February in Jaffna prison under protective custody.


Full story >>

Body found in abandoned well in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 21:46 GMT]
Residents of Chankanai found the body of a youth, with hands and legs bound, and with severe bodily injuries, dumped in a derelict well in an abandoned plot of land near Murugamoorthy Temple at Chankanai in Valigamam west.
Full story >>

Valikamam North displaced to be re-settled

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 20:45 GMT]
Consequeny to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Sri lanka, civilians displaced from their residences in High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikamam North would be permitted to return their residences based on certain court- imposed conditions, K.Ganesh, the Government agent of Jaffna said on Friday.
Full story >>

7500 flee homes due to SLA attacks in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 18:34 GMT]
Within the last four days, 7500 persons belonging to 1400 families have moved into government controlled area from Kiran, Chenkalady and Vavunativu Regional Secreatary divisions in Batticaloa district, Sundaram Arumainayagam, Batticaloa Government Agent (GA) said.
Full story >>

One SLA trooper killed, two injured in Valvettiturai claymore attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 18:32 GMT]
Unidentified persons activated a claymore device in front of Valvetti Peoples' Bank, located between Udupiddy and Valvettithurai in Vadamaradchi district around 4:45 p.m Sunday targeting a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit, killing one trooper and injuring two, according to unconfirmed reports from Valvettithurai.
Full story >>

SLA to strictly enforce curfew in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 11:16 GMT]
The high command of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA ) from Palaly announced in a media communiqué issued Saturday that the night curfew already in place in the peninsula from 7:00 pm till 4:00am will be very strictly imposed effective immediately. Along main roads in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicles using loudspeakers announced violators of curfew hours will be arrested and subjected to legal action.
Full story >>

Defections annul MoU with SLFP- UNP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 10:16 GMT]
Rukman Senanayake, Chairman of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has informed the government that the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government will come to end with the accommodation of party dissident group in the cabinet.
Full story >>

Man shot dead in Nelliady

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 January 2007, 13:25 GMT]
A 43-year old man was shot dead by unknown gunmen in front of Nelliady Madhya Maha Vidyalayam along Nelliady-Vathiri road in Vadamaradchy at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, sources in Point Pedro said. Gunmen brought the victim in a motor-bike to the area, and shot him dead at point blank range before escaping. Unconfirmed reports said that the victim was an intelligence operative working with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
Full story >>

Attack boats enter Harbour of Colombo, SLN claims destroying 3 boats

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 January 2007, 02:24 GMT]
Three to five attack boats Saturday morning entered the outer harbour waters of Colombo Harbour and launched attacks on Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessels. Big explosions were heard, according to the crew members of a cargo ship. SLN claimed to have attacked and destroyed 3 "suspicious boats" moving towards restricted waters off Colombo, around 5:40 a.m. Shock waves from the explosion slightly damaged a Panama registered container vessel PELOPONESIAN PRIDE, approaching the harbour. A search operation was launched by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) after the explosions, that comes 3 months after an attack on Galle Harbour.
Full story >>

Reopening of Jaffna University scheduled for mid February

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 January 2007, 01:14 GMT]
Acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of University of Jaffna Prof K.Kumaravadivel announced on Friday that preliminary arrangements have been completed for the reopening of the university in mid February, administrative officials at the Jaffna campus said.
Full story >>

Abducted man found dead, youth missing, three arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 January 2007, 20:56 GMT]
Police recovered the body of the building contractor reported missing since Monday in Pannakam area, with hands bound and with cut wounds, Friday morning, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, in two separate complaints made to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna, a youth from Kachcheri-Nallur road was reported missing by his parents, and three youths from a house on the same road were reported arrested by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, sources close to HRC said.
Full story >>

Indian Envoy's help sought in resettling displaced civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 January 2007, 09:25 GMT]
A delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians met the Indian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Alok Prasad and his deputy Manickam in Colombo at 10:00 am Thursday morning at the official residence of the envoy and appealed to him for help in resettling the recently displaced Tamil civilians in East, TNA sources in Colombo said,
Full story >>

Vadamaradchy schools boycott enters fifth day

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 January 2007, 01:12 GMT]
The boycott of classes by more than 12000 students in Vadamaradchy demanding immediate release of two students from Point Pedro Hartley College and Velayutham Maha Vidyalaym abducted recently entered fifth day Friday, student leaders in Point Pedro said.
Full story >>

41 missing in 3 weeks in Vavuniya - HRC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 January 2007, 12:22 GMT]
Human Rights Commission (HRC) Vavuniya said that complaints related to disappearances of 41 civilians have been reported in the last three weeks at their office. 104 total complaints have been filed that include threats to life, intimidation, and arrests, officials further said.
Full story >>