Two men abducted in Kokuvil, 3 youths surrender to HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 01:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted a middle-aged man from his house in Potpathy Road in Kokuvil at 1:00 a.m. Monday, while unidentified armed men abducted another man from his residence in Kondavil West Jaffna Sunday midnight, civil sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, 3 youths surrendered to the Human Rights Commission offices fear for their lives from the SLA and collaborating paramilitaries, and several other youths are expected to surrender Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Colombo ignoring humanitarian catastrophe - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 15:49 GMT]
Colombo was engaged in "last minute tactics to placate the international community," prior to a scheduled meeting of Co-Chairs in Washington, by dispatching a single lorry into Vaharai where 38,000 civilians were starving for the past fortnight. Likewise, Colombo was showcasing to the media that it would dispatch a single convoy of supplies through A9 into Jaffna where 600,000 Tamils are under military siege in an "open prison," charged S. P. Thamilchelvan, political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday.
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6 SLA troopers injured in Vadamaradchy claymore attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 12:14 GMT]
Unidentified attackers triggered a claymore mine at a vehicle convoy of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) near Puraporruki in Vadamaradchy along Point Pedro-Jaffna road at 12:30 p.m. Monday injuring six SLA soliders and one civilian seriously, sources in Jaffna said. The injured soldiers have been taken to Palaly Military Hospital. Condition of the injured civilian is not known.
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Two EPDP cadres shot, injured in Eravur

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 10:00 GMT]
Two cadres of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) working with soldiers of the Komanthurai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp were shot and injured by unknown gunmen Sunday around 2:25 p.m at Thalavai in the Eravur police division in Batticaloa, sources in Eravur said. The EPDP cadres were returning from Thalvai in their motorcycle, when they were shot.
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SLAF bombers observed over Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 09:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers were observed over the suburbs of Kilinochchi around 12:45 p.m. Monday.
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Stranded Madhu pilgrims take long-trip back to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 02:11 GMT]
About three hundred pilgrims from Jaffna, out of one thousand stranded in Madhu church in Mannar district since August 15, left Trincomalee port Sunday morning by vessel Green Ocean escorted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to Kankesanthurai port, sources said.
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Vaharai children eat roast fish to quench hunger

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 November 2006, 00:05 GMT]
Faced with severe shortage of food and driven close to starvation, children in besieged Vaharai area in the LTTE controlled Batticaloa district, have started eating locally caught fish, after roasting them, in open fire under unhygenic conditions, Mr. Moorthy, the coordinator for Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) for Vaharai area said Sunday.
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Body with gunshot wounds recovered in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 12:03 GMT]
An unidentified body of a middle-aged male with gunshot wounds to his head was recovered in Thavasikulam area in Vavuniya Sunday afternoon, Vavuniya police said. From information obtained from copies of receipts found in victim's clothes, Police speculated that the victim is likely to be a trader from Manal Aru area.
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SLA, LTTE exchange mortar fire in Vavunathivu, Kommathurai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 November 2006, 07:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) exchanged mortar fire in Vavunathivu, 5 km southwest of Batticaloa town and Kommathurai and Black Bridge, 15 km northwest of Batticaloa Saturday evening and night. Details of civilian casualties or LTTE casualties were not available. 4 SLA soldiers were wounded and admitted to Polonnaruwa hospital. Meanwhile, a dead body was handed over to Valaichenai hospital by the SLA soldiers Saturday, medical sources said.
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Army vows not to let food into Vaharai, says will capture region

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 19:41 GMT]
Despite a personal assurance given Thursday by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to Tamil parliamentarians that emergency food supplies would be permitted to reach tens of thousands of Tamil refugees facing starvation in LTTE-controlled areas, Sri Lanka Army at the border turned back convoys on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s returning convoy was stopped by suspected paramilitary men and subsequently looted by refugees in government controlled areas. A local Army officier, has told civil officials not to send any more convoys, vowing the Army would not allow food into LTTE-controlled areas under any circumstances and saying the area would be captured soon.
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Two abducted youths found dead with cut wounds in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 16:46 GMT]
Two Tamil youths from Thirunelvely and Neervely areas in Jaffna, abducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers who arrived at the victims' houses in Buffel armored vehicles Friday night were found dead Saturday morning with severe cut wounds inflicted with a sharp instrument, civil sources in Jaffna said.
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UN considering resolution criticizing Sri Lanka's rights violations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 15:16 GMT]
The United Nation's Human Rights Council, created in 2006 to improve the United Nations' capacity to confront the world's worst rights abusers, is considering a resolution criticizing Sri Lanka, a European Diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told Washington Post, the paper reported in its Saturday edition.
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Indian Premier writes to Vaiko: Colombo must meet legitimate Tamil rights through negotiations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 12:38 GMT]
Indian Prime Minisiter Dr. Manmohan Singh has written to Mr. Vaiko, the General Secretary of MDMK in Tamil Nadu state of India, sharing his concerns about the closure of A-9 highway and the loss of many innocent lives, mainly Tamils, including women and children, stating that it was a matter of "utmost concern and sorrow." India would reiterate to Colombo that it must find a political solution through negotiations and meet the genuine and legitimate rights of the Tamils, rather than adopt tactics that lead to the death of innocent people, Dr. Manhoman Singh said, adding that India has taken great care not to provide Sri Lanka with lethal hardware that could be used against Tamils.
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SLA massacres students, 5 killed, 8 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 07:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning a checkpost close to Thandikulam Agriculture Farm School in Vavuniya entered the school premises, lined up the uniformed hostel students who were engaged in practicals and shot at them, killing four students, 3 Tamil and a Muslim, and wounding nine. The troopers manning a checkpost, at Soya Lane, 100 meters away from the school, stormed the premises after a Claymore blast killed five soldiers opposite the school around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Fellow students said the troopers shot at them while they were pleading they were innocent students. A critically wounded student succumbed to his wounds at Anuradhapura hospital.
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5 SLA troopers killed in Claymore attack in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 07:22 GMT]
Five army troopers inculding an officer were killed and the remaining four soldiers were wounded when unidentified attackers triggered a Claymore mine at their truck around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Soldiers manning a nearby checkpost entered the Thandikulam Farm School and shot at the hostel students inside the school premises following the Claymore attack, civilian sources said. 4 students were killed and 8 wounded and rushed to Vavuniya hospital.
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Abducted youth escapes, surrenders to HRC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 00:04 GMT]
A youth abducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at gun point from his house at Sebastian lane in Kondavil East Jaffna on 11 November, surrendered Friday at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Right Commission (HRC), officials at the HRC said. The youth said he had escaped from SLA's vehicle and went under ground for a week before surrendering. Jaffna Magistrated directed the police to place the youth in protective custody at Jaffna prisons, legal sources said.


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Tamil parliamentarian in Colombo faces death threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 12:46 GMT]
Mano Ganesan, Western Province People's Front parliamentarian and an active member of the Civil Monitoring Committee on Abductions, Extrajudicial and Arbitrary Killings, Thursday said that he has been facing threat to his life. Mr. Mano Ganesan, is one of organisors of the monitoring committee, with the slain Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadaraja Raviraj.
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Sri Lanka expands military in ‘marked shift’

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 11:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka is preparing for a major onslaught against the Liberation Tigers, raising defence spending by 45% to $1.29 bln and calling on the international community to help fight terrorism, reports said Friday. Sri Lanka’s military chief, Air Chief Marshal G.D. Perera, told top defense and military officials from 23 countries that his government needs "a lot of assistance" in handling the “terrorist issue.” Sri Lanka’s defence spokesman and cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella said: "Right now the requirement of strengthening the air force, navy and defence sector becomes very paramount. National security comes first."
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White van squad abducts Jaffna deminer

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 November 2006, 00:38 GMT]
An employee from 'Halo Trust', an International Non Governmental Organization (INGO) involved in the de-mining in Jaffna district, was forcibly abducted by unidentified gunmen from his home at Old Park road, Chundikkuli in Jaffna town, around 11:00 pm Wednesday, relatives said in a complaint registered at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna branch.
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One civilian dead, five injured in Jaffna claymore blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 18:42 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Thursday around 12:00 noon killing one civilian and seriously injuring five others at Sathirachanthy near K.K.S Road-Powerhouse road junction in the heart of Jaffna town, Jaffna sources said. The dead man succumbed to his wounds while being rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital, hospital sources said.
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