Propping up genocidal Sinhala State counterproductive, International Community should change approach - Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 12:33 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V Pirapaharan, in his annual Heroes' Day statement placed a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the international community for the breakdown of the peace process. He said that the involvement of the international community to resolve the Tamil national question has been unhelpful and added that their failure to condemn unambiguously the military path of the current regime has created the present situation in the island. He asserted that the propping up of the genocidal Sinhala State by the international community through economic aid, military aid and subtle diplomatic efforts will be counterproductive.
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Abduction fear pervasive, say TNA MPs

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 November 2007, 10:52 GMT]
In a press conference held Friday in the premises of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, R. Sampanthan, leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) expressed fear that a number of members of parliament (MPs) might be abducted prior to the voting on the Third Reading of the Budget to be held 14 December, parliamentary sources said.
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EPDP wants interim administration for North and East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 November 2007, 02:15 GMT]
The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a pro-government paramilitary group-cum-political party, has proposed setting up an Interim Administration for the North and East as the way forward to resolve the ethnic conflict, the Daily Mirror reported. An interim administration for Northeast capable of effecting self-rule, especially towards restoring civil normalcy and the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of displaced people was the primary demand of the LTTE when it began the Norwegian-brokered negotiations with the then UNP government in 2002. The UNP rejected the notion, saying it would encourage then President Chandrika Kumaratunga to sack its Parliamentary government.
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Sri Lanka’s ban on TRO ‘final nail’ in coffin of peace process

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 November 2007, 01:10 GMT]
The Tamils Rehabilitation Organisations (TRO) has condemned the Sri Lankan government’s banning of the charity, saying the Rajapakse regime had done so with the “ulterior motive of unleashing untold hardships on the Tamil people as part of [the government’s] continuing discrimination and oppression of the Tamil people.” The TRO, which has been the largest - and for long periods the sole - NGO assisting the hundreds of thousands of Tamils displaced by the conflict, said in a statement this week “With the banning of the TRO the final nail in the coffin of the peace process has been hammered home.”
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Masked men burn Sunday Leader printing press

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 08:03 GMT]
A twelve-member group of masked men, Wednesday early morning around 2:15 forcibly entered the printing press of the English weekly papers Sunday Leader, Morning Leader and Irudina Sinhala weekly and set fire damaging printing machines and copies of newspapers printed ready for distribution. The Free Media Movement (FMM), a Colombo based media watch dog, condemning the act, noted that the Morning Leader editor has been very critical of Asia Tribune website, which according to the editor, works hand in hand with the paramilitary Pillayaan Group. The paper, which has been critical of the government, was scheduled to reveal details of horse-trading to buy off parliamentarians, this week.
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Sajitharan released, family transported to Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 13:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Monday, after the budget voting, secured the release of S. Sajitharan, the son-in-law of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Batticaloa district, who had been abducted by the paramilitary Pillayaan Group. Mr. Sajitharan and the remaining members of the family of the TNA parliamentarian T. Kangasabai were transported from Batticaloa to Colombo and handed over to the MP, according to the TNA sources in Colombo. Mr. Kanagasabai, warned by the paramilitary operative Pillayaan not to vote against the budget, was not present in the parliament during the final voting on Sri Lankan budget Monday.
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TNA seeks GoSL response on abduction before budget voting

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 06:31 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan Monday morning urged the Speaker in Sri Lankan Parliament to prevail upon the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to secure the release of S. Sajitharan, the abducted son-in-law of Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian T. Kanagasabai, enabling the MP and other Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarians to vote on the Budget. Three of four Batticaloa district parliamentarians of the TNA were not present in the parliament Monday morning following threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated paramilitary, Pillayaan Group.
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TNA sends SOS to foreign diplomats

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 November 2007, 16:00 GMT]
The Parliamentary Group of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has urged the foreign diplomats in Colombo, including the U.S. Embassy, the British High Commission, the Indian High Commission, the Embassy of Japan and the Embassy of Norway, Sunday evening to persuade the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to secure the timely release of the family member of the Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian T. Kanagasabai, abducted by the paramilitary Sunday in Batticaloa, and to ensure a threat-free environment for the Tamil parliamentarians in exercising the democratic rights of the people they represent in the Sri Lankan parliament.
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Paramilitary threatens Batticaloa Tamil MPs not to vote against budget, abducts family member

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 November 2007, 11:18 GMT]
Armed paramilitary men from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated Pillayaan Group entered the house of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian T. Kagagasabai and abducted the Batticaloa MP's son-in-law around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The group has threatened to kill the abductee if Mr. Kanagasabai voted against SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa's budget on Monday. The abduction took place at the police-protected house of the parliamentarian at Ka'luthaava'lai. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Police has withdrawn the security provided to all Batticaloa district TNA MPs residences in Batticaloa on Sunday.
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Civilian seeks protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2007, 05:46 GMT]
A civilian from Madduvil north in Thenmaraadchi sought protection Thursday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army and SLA- backed paramilitary men.
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"Disappearances and killings will continue" - Fonseka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 November 2007, 03:15 GMT]
Disappearances and killings of will continue as long as ‘anti-terrorist’ operations are continuing, Sri Lanka’s Army commander, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said this week in a interview to British investigative reporters. Asked about human rights abuses in the newly captured Eastern province, the commander replied: “This area is not a normal area. So people getting killed and some people going missing will happen as far as the anti-terrorist operations are continuing.”
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Police arrest TMVP personnel in Kaaththaankudi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 November 2007, 04:07 GMT]
Kaaththaankuci police arrested a personnel of TMVP paramilitary Tuesday around 5:00 p.m in Kaaththaankudi with the motorcycle he robbed from a Muslim trader, Ibrahim Mohamed Pakeem. The hand grenade the paramilitary man allegedly used to threatenthe trader was found in his possession when he was arrested, Police said.
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Colombo issued diplomatic passport to Karuna- paper

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2007, 15:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka weekly, Morning Leader, in Wednesday edition, alleged that Sri Lanka violated norms of international diplomatic behavior by directing the British Embassy in Colombo to issue a visa in a false diplomatic passport to the leader of TMVP paramilitary group, Karuna, facilitating his escape to the United Kingdom.
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Hartal observed in Batticaloa Muslim areas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2007, 02:37 GMT]
Residents of Muslim areas in Batticaloa district observed Tuesday the shut down called by the Federation of Mosques in Batticaloa district demanding the immediate release of a Muslim trader abducted Wednesday in Chiththaandi area, allegedly by Karuna paramilitary group, sources in Batticaloa said. The protesters marched from Oattamaavadi Bazar mosque to Maavadicheanai mosque.
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UK urged to charge Karuna for war crimes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 November 2007, 14:09 GMT]
Karuna, a former Tamil Tiger commander and later the leader of TMVP paramiitary group that has been deployed by the Sri Lankan forces in their war against the Tigers, has been arrested in Britain on suspicion of immigration offences, including traveling on a false passport, British press reports said this week. International human rights groups are now calling on the UK government to investigate Vinayagamoorthi Muraleetharan (Karuna) for war crimes and are assembling evidence to see whether they can trigger a prosecution, reports said. Amid fears by rights groups that Karuna would be deported to Sri Lanka, some press reports said he had applied for asylum in Britain.
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Paramilitary faction attacks Karuna camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 November 2007, 10:55 GMT]
The Meenakam house of the main faction of TMVP (Karuna) paramilitary group, guarded by the Sri Lankan Police, was raided by the rival Pillayan faction Monday night, Batticaloa Police said. Three Karuna personnel have been captured by the Pillayaan faction. Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter-insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan police, has been deployed in other Karuna camps in Batticaloa, strengthening security, Police said.
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Muslim federation calls for hartal, urges Tamil-Muslim unity in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 November 2007, 04:12 GMT]
Federation of Muslim Mosques in Batticaloa district appealed Monday to the residents in Muslim areas in Batticaloa district to join in a shut down Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of a Muslim trader abducted Wednesday in Chiththaandi area, allegedly by a Tamil paramilitary group. The Federation has also released a hand-bill titled, 'Let us safeguard Tamil-Muslim ties,' sources in Batticaloa said.
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Paramilitary member shot dead in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 November 2007, 16:44 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen invading into Chavukkadi refugee camp in Ea'raavoor police division Sunday around 7:30 p.m, shot dead a member of TMVP paramilitary with a pistol and escaped from the site, Ea'raavoor police said. The victim worked in TMVP paramiltary's Chengkaladi office.
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Key paramilitary operative wounded in Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2007, 14:51 GMT]
Seven paramilitary personnel with a key TMVP paramilitary operative, Sinnaththamby, were wounded when they were ambushed while riding in a white van at Naavaladi in Oaddamaavadi police division Sunday around 2:30 p.m. Three of the wounded, including the key operative Sinnaththamby, are in critical condition at Polannaruwa hospital, Police said.
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US Senator expresses concern of Sri Lanka's rights violations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 13:51 GMT]
Advocating for "international human rights field presence" in Sri Lanka, and asserting "there is no military solution to Sri Lankan conflict," the Democratic Senator from Vermont and Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy, in a statement issued at the Senate sessions on 2nd November said: " We have been increasingly concerned with reports of abuses by Sri Lankan government forces - not from the LTTE or their supporters as some have inaccurately claimed, but from the United Nations, the Department of State, and international human rights organizations."
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