Halo Trust employee feared abducted in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 January 2007, 11:11 GMT]
The driver of 'Halo Trust,' a humanitarian de-mining international non-governmental organization in Jaffna peninsula, has been missing since Tuseday 7:30 a.m after he left his house at Kellner Road in Nallur and reported for work at Halo Trust office, sources in Jaffna said. Nine employees from 'Halo Trust' have been either killed or abducted and disappeared in Jaffna Peninsula and the missing driver is the tenth victim.
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Mosque leaders urge Muslim Tamil unity, blame paramilitary for violence

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 January 2007, 08:34 GMT]
Representatives of the Federation of Mosques in Kathankudy, Saturday, in a bid to calm down tension between communities in the border settlements between Kathankudy Muslim and Arayampathy Tamil areas, urged the civilians not to fall prey to the forces seeking to damage Muslim Tamil harmony, after Karuna paramilitary personnel attached to the Sri Lankan counter-insurgency Special Task Force (STF) camp in Arayampathy had attacked Muslim travellers Friday, causing the victims to seek refuge in Kathankudy Mosque. Paramilitary violence and threats posed by armed "Jihad" men against Tamils have ceased and normalcy was reported in the area Sunday.
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SLA claims trooper's death in Ariyalai, suicide

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 January 2007, 13:21 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who was found dead after sounds of gunfire at the 513-brigade camp in Ariyalai in Jaffna Friday night, committed suicide, officials at the camp said. However, Jaffna Acting District Court Judge, Mr M Thirunavukkarasu, who visited the crime scene, found suspicious evidence contradicting the Camp officials' assertions, and directed further investigations into the trooper's death, sources said.
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SLA shoots dead youth in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 January 2007, 13:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers shot dead a youth along First Cross Street near Vembadi High School and Jaffna Central College, inside the high security zone of Jaffna town at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA soldiers allege that the youth was trying to flee from the area after attacking them when they shot him dead. The unidentified youth had a grenade inside his clothes, according to the soldiers.
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Another abducted student released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 January 2007, 00:22 GMT]
Former student of Jaffna Hindu College, Kanthiyalahan Srisanath, 21, abducted from his home at Navalar Road in Jaffna on Sunday, allegedly by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and collaborating paramilitaries, was released by his captors Friday early morning in front of his house, sources from Jaffna said.
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Jafffna Army Commander orders registration of motorcycles

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 January 2007, 00:14 GMT]
In a special announcement made on Friday, the Head office of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) command in the North issued strict orders directing residents to register all motor cycles and scooters including the light vehicles used by women in Jaffna peninsula, before Saturday at the SLA camps in their areas, and to obtain permits to operate the vehicles. Failure to register these vehicles will result in the arrest of the owner and confiscation of their vehicle, the announcement warned.
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Tamil suspects detained at Boosa camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 January 2007, 23:08 GMT]
Tamil civilians arrested by the Sri Lanka's forces under the newly introduced Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) Act are now sent to Boosa detention camp located in Galle in the south of the island due to lack of space in Colombo jails. About sixty Tamils taken into custody in Colombo recently are likely to be sent to Boosa detention camp shortly, sources in Colombo said.
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Relatives appeal for release of Eastern University Vice Chancellor

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 January 2007, 13:59 GMT]
Dr.Malaravan, son-in-law of Professor Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath, the Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) who was abducted on Dec 15th in Colombo in High Security area in the Bauddhaloka Mawatte, issued a second urgent appeal to the abductors to release his uncle. Dr Malaravan said that the members of Raveendranath's family will ensure that the Professor will resign his post of Vice Chancellor at the Eastern University. From the time Dr.Raveendranath was abducted, all activities at the Eastern University have been at a complete stand still.
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NorthEast demerger, breach of International Treaty- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 January 2007, 06:53 GMT]
“Not only the Tamil speaking people but also the International Community are unhappy with the de-merger of NorthEastern province. Though the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka told that former President J. R. Jayewardene’s step was defective and invalid, the Sri Lanka's President Mr. Rajapakse who wants to share no powers with Tamils, seized the opportunity quickly and declared the de-merger amidst the opposition from many of his own cabinet ministers and Members of parliament. Mr Rajapakse has not only betrayed the Tamil people, but also breached an international treaty, R. Sampanthan told in the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday.
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SLA extends curfew hours, restricts use of motorbikes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 20:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) announced over its Palaly based radio Thursday that the 9:00 p.m to 4:00 am curfew in Jaffna peninsula was extended two hours from 7:00 p.m to 4:00 a.m with effect from Thursday night. Meanwhile, the SLA high command in Jaffna banned the use of all lightweight motor cycles in Jaffna peninsula from Wednesday, sources from Jaffna said.
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Three SLA troopers injured by rocket fire in Vavunativu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 11:52 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers from Vavunativu camp were seriously injured in rocket fire launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Vavunativu area in Batticaloa Wednesday around 7:00 p.m, SLA sources said. The attack continued through Wednesday night.
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Two claymore attacks on SLA in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 02:51 GMT]
In a claymore attack on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Maravankulam area in Chundikuli inside the Jaffna Municipal area at 7:15 a.m Thursday two SLA soldiers were injured, one seriously, sources in Jaffna said. In another claymore attack on a SLA road patrol in Vathiri, Thikkam Road in Vadamaradchy at 6:30 a.m., unconfirmed reports said that SLA suffered casualties. Military sources did not reveal any details on this incident.
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Vaharai tragedy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 02:05 GMT]
Following Sri Lanka's Military Commander Lt.Gen Sarath Fonseka's assertion that Sri Lankan Forces will evict Liberation Tigers from the East withn the next two months, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has intensified shelling and artillery attacks into Vaharai.
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"White van" squad abducts two Tamil youths in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 01:14 GMT]
Six unidentified armed men in a white van abducted two Tamil youths Tuesday around 8:45 p.m from the house their house at Kampawathe area in Puthalam, according to a complaint made with the Puthalam police.


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SLA intimidates Jaffna media- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 January 2007, 00:07 GMT]
“Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers Tuesday night entered three Jaffna based Tamil newspaper offices, threatened the staff, and took away at gun point the press communiqué from Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) waiting to be published," said Kirushnan Sivanesan, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian for Jaffna district Wednesday.
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44 Tamils arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 22:26 GMT]
Forty four Tamils were arrested in a sudden cordon and search operation conducted jointly by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police personnel in Mount Lavinia, Colombo, from Tuesday night 10:00 pm until Wednesday early morning 4:00 a.m, sources in Colombo said. Most of the arrested were from NorthEast and Hill country areas. More than 100 security personnel were involved in this operation.
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SLA, LTTE exchange rocket fire at Muhamalai FDL

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 19:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers and LTTE fighters exchanged artillery and rocket fire in Muhamalai sector on the Thenmaradchi division of the Jaffna peninsula, Wednesday. Eight SLA troopers who were injured in Wednesday's shelling were admitted at the Palaly military base hospital.
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Paramilitary office attacked in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 18:58 GMT]
Armed men launched an attack on the office of paramilitary Karuna Group, located at Kallady, inside the High Security area of Sri Lanka Army at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday. Reports said one paramilitary personnel was killed and eight others injured. The attack lasted for more than an hour damaging the office. Kallady is located 3 km south of Batticaloa town.
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Abducted Jaffna undergrad released after torture

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 12:46 GMT]
Arunakirinathan Niruparaj, the third year science student at the Jaffna campus who was abducted from Kokuvil area on 3rd January, allegedly by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and collaborating paramilitaries, was released by his captors Wednesday early morning 2:00 a.m in front of his residence, sources in Jaffna said. Niruparaj has been subjected to severe torture, can hardly speak, and has been admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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Four civilians disappear in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2007, 20:14 GMT]
Four civilians including two youths have gone missing within the 48 hour period beginning Sunday, sources in Jaffna peninsula said, quoting complaints lodged with the HumanRights office in Jaffna. Two of the four are alleged to have been forcefully abducted at night by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers traveling in a white van, according to the relatives.
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