Police Inspector injured in Kattankudy

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 01:10 GMT]
A Police Sub Inspector was injured when unidentified persons hurled hand grenades on a Buffel Armed Personnel Carrier (APC) taking the Police officials from Batticaloa Police Head Quarters, to a conference with Kattankudy Ulamas (Muslim religious hierarchy) at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Police sources said. The meeting was aimed at exploring ways to diffuse the escalating tension among orthodox Muslims, members of Islamic Sufi sect, and the police in Kattankudy area in Batticaloa district.
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Fisherman shot dead in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 00:04 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a fisherman of Koyilkudiyiruppu, Thambuthottam in Chavakachcheri area in Thenmarachchi region in Jaffna around 8:30 p.m Thursday while he was returning from fishing in Kachchai Sea.
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Tamil homeland, diaspora in 3-days mourning for Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 21:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers officials in Kilinochchi announced a 3-day mourning period, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for the death of LTTE's theoretician and political advisor Anton Balasingham. Meanwhile, representatives of the diaspora Tamil organisations, expressing condolences following the demise of Mr. Anton Balasingham, have also announced a 3-day mourning, according to IBC Tamil radio.
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Viral fever epidemic affects over 100,000 in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 19:08 GMT]
The mosquito borne viral disease Chikungunya currently sweeping across Jaffna peninsula is believed to have affected more than 100,000 civilians, according to a preliminary survey A.Ketheeswaran, Director of Public Health Services, Northern Region has reported.
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LTTE leader salutes 'Voice of the Nation'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 18:42 GMT]
LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan in his condolence message following the demise of Anton Balasingham Thursday said that a "source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished," and conferred the title "Voice of the Nation." LTTE leader, in his message further said: "Bala Annai has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy. He shared my sorrows, my anxieties and my travails."
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Sanctioning Impunity

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 13:20 GMT]
“Memories of psychological trauma, physical pain from torture, and the loss of dignity while I was incarcerated in prison for one year in 1993 after I was arrested under PTA, still haunt me. Nightmares have returned after I heard that PTA has been reimposed. All local and international organizations concerned of human rights should exert pressure on Colombo to repeal the act," "Mahes", 38, a father of three children, from Valaichchenai said Monday.
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Youth shot dead in Vadamaradchy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 12:25 GMT]
Two unidentified men riding a motorbike shot dead a youth near the 4th Cross street in Thumpalai Road, Point Pedro at 12:00 noon Thursday, sources in Vadamaradchy said. Meanwhile, the officials of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Jaffna said that they have received several complaints of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) confiscating National ID cards of young men and women during cordon and search operations, and refusing to return them.
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Mannar shuts down, traders ignore SLA threats

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 11:36 GMT]
General shut down was observed in Mannar Thursday in remembrance of the internally displaced people in Vaharai in Batticaloa district killed due to the indiscriminate artillery fire and air strike by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Mannar said. The appeal for show of solidarity was made by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
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Police, orthodox Muslims clash in Kathankudy, 1 killed, 8 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 11:21 GMT]
A Muslim protestor was killed and 8 wounded when Police fired at the protestors Thrusday in Kathankuddy town, in Batticaloa district, which continues to be in turmoil for the eighth consecutive day as police open fire and teargas Thursday to control crowds which have set fire to a police sentry post, four auto rickshaws, four shops and four banks in Kathankudyy town. The orthodox Muslims, engaged in a spate of anger against the Islamic sect Sufi, demand the remains of M. S. Abdul Payilvan, one of the leaders of Sufi sect and the President of All Island Tharikathul Mufliheen, to be removed from Katthankudy soil and buried elsewhere. A police curfew has been imposed in Kathankudy Thursday.


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SLA attacks LTTE medics transport, 5 killed, "cowardly act," says LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 11:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers attacked a convoy of wounded LTTE cadres transported by the LTTE medics from Vaharai to LTTE controlled Karadiyanaru for medical treatment via sea route Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m. SLA sources said 5 Tigers were killed and a wounded Sri Lanka Army soldier, K.M.S. Ratnayake, who was in the LTTE custody since 08 October and being transported by the Tiger medics, was captured. Meanwhile, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said the SLA has attacked an unarmed medical transport and described the attack, a "cowardly act."
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Vavuniya shuts down in remembrance of Vaharai victims

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 08:46 GMT]
Normal life in Vavuniya Wednesday was affected to a great extent because of the shut down observed in remembrance of the dead Internally Displaced Persons of Vaharai in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) rocket and artillery fire. Shops, bankss, government and private institutions remained closed in response to the request made by the Vanni Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians.


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Police restricts parking in Jaffna town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 00:45 GMT]
Jaffna police issued a directive in Jaffna Wednesday that barred drivers from parking their vehicles in the central area of Jaffna town, except in seven places demarked for parking. Vehicles violating the directive will be confiscated, the Police warned.
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Anti-terrorism regulations suppress legitimate civil activities - CPA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 11:39 GMT]
Colombo based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in a statement issued Tuesday, noting the public pronouncements made last week by the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979 was to be reintroduced, and calling for urgent clarification by the Government on the state of confusion and mixed messages surrounding the operational status of the PTA that contradict the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), expressed serious concern regarding the new regulations called Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities Regulations (PPTSTAR).
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Two civilians killed, one policeman shot, injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 13:04 GMT]
A 50 year old civilian, caught in the cross fire in a clash between unidentified armed men and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit at Kokuvil in Jaffna Monday night, was killed on the spot. Jaffna police recovered the body around 8:45 p.m and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching hospital. In a separate incident at Udupiddy in Vadamaradchi, two unidentified armed men shot dead an employee of the Jaffna Teaching hospital at his house Tuesday around 7:00 a.m, sources in Jaffna said.
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Monitors urge parties to refrain from violence in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 11:33 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), in an statement issued from Colombo Tuesday, urged the Parties, the GoSL and the LTTE, to refrain from "any further viloence" in Vaharai area. Restriction of SLMM access by GoSL forces to areas where violations may have taken place is in itself a violation of the CFA and more importantly prevents the SLMM from working according to is mandate, charged the statement. "The LTTE has failed to protect civilians in Vakarai by restricting their movements," the SLMM statement accused the Tigers.
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SLAF kfirs drop eight bombs on civilian settlements in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 09:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kfir jets dropped eight bombs in four sorties Tuesday around 10:00 a.m on the civilian villages of Kattumrivu, Kathiraveli and Palchenai in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. No casualties were reported though four houses of civilians were badly damaged.


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Two SLA soldiers killed in Murunkan claymore attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 06:38 GMT]
Two soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were killed and one soldier and an elderly woman were injured when a claymore mine was detonated targeting SLA soldiers Tuesday around 10:00 a.m. at Sirukandal in Murunkan area in Mannar district.
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SLA allows limited fishing in Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 December 2006, 01:54 GMT]
Following talks held Saturday between the representatives of Fishermen Societies in Pasaiyoor, Gurunagar, Colombuthurai and officials of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna, limited fishing was allowed in Jaffna lagoon providing a measured relief to fisher families affected by the four month old fishing ban, fisheries society sources said. The relaxation did not apply to Vadamaradchi north, east and many of the islets.


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Protest condemning Vaharai killings held in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 December 2006, 22:56 GMT]
Several hundred residents of Kilinochchi held a demonstration Monday condemning the killings of Tamil refugees in Vaharai area by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and demanding the opening of the A9 land route, civil sources in Kilinochchi said. The demonstrators gathered in front of the Kilinochchi Kanthasami Kovil around 10:30 a.m. and marched north along A9 to the UNHCR office at Karadippokku Junction.
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SLA seeks ICRC assistance in locating missing soldiers

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 December 2006, 15:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has sought the assistance of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to trace and bring back the bodies of four soldiers reported missing in the fighting in Vaharai in Batticaloa district. ICRC sources confirmed that it had received such request from the SLA, media sources in Colombo said.
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