"Accusations, not negotiations" in Geneva - Nadesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 22:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s delegation to the Geneva talks had no understanding of negotiation and set about hurling accusations at the Liberation Tigers rather than contributing to a constructive discussion that could lead to a resolution of the prevailing problems, Thamileelam Police Chief B. Nadesan said Tuesday in an extensive interview with TamilNet. He also discussed the multi-functionary expansion of the Thamileelam Police, including the use of DNA forensics. The Tamil Eelam Police Chief also said that the detention of three Sri Lankan police had been deliberately portrayed as arbitrary arrests by the LTTE but was based on specific intelligence on the individuals.
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Seven more youths abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 11:20 GMT]
Five Tamil youths, aged between 15 and 20 were arrested by Sinhala speaking persons and paramilitary cadres in military fatigue Monday around 3:00 p.m. inside the LTTE controlled Murithanai in Vaharai, residents said. All five youths were laborers, villagers said. Murithanai is 5 km west of Valaichenai where two youths were abducted by paramilitary cadres on Monday. Further 2 youths were kidnapped in Urani in Batticaloa around 6:00 p.m. Monday. Nine youths were reported missing in Batticaloa on Monday.
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Trinco Inner Wheel Club assists widows

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 09:43 GMT]
Trincomalee Inner Wheel Club has provided livelihood assistance to nine widows in the suburbs of Trincomalee town. Of them four lost their husbands in violence and others due to natural causes. Last year a group of widows in Muttur and Mallikaitivu received the assistance under this project, sources said. The Medical Institute of Tamils located in South Thames Region in London funded this project for the third year.
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Paramilitary cadres abduct two 15-years-old boys in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 13:43 GMT]
Paramilitary cadres, riding in a white van on Kalkudah road in Valaichenai, abducted two 15-years-old boys around 5:30 p.m. Monday. The van, without a number plate, rushed towards Valaichenai fisheries harbour camp of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) with the abducted boys, eyewitnesses alleged. The incident took place in front of the office of ZOA, a Christian International NGO, located close to the Valaichenai Bus stand.
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SLA bans drying fish in Northern shores

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 13:00 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Armed forces (SLA) prohibited fishermen from Kudathanai, Manatkadu regions in Vadamaradchi east Monday from drying their catch of seasonal sprats on the shores . The affected fishermen have lodged complaints with Jaffna Fisheries Union Consortium, said Fisheries Union officials.
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SLA rebuilding FDL posts in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 08:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is reconstructing previously abandoned positions in the Valikkandy area, a border village between Vadamaradchy North and Vadamaradchy east in Jaffna district. SLA soldiers are using large amounts of sleepers brought from Palaly military base for construction of the sentry posts and positions. The rebuilding of Valikkandy checkposts is part of an effort in strengthening the forward defense positions of the SLA in Jaffna district, SLA sources said.
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EPDP, Karuna Group and PLOTE amongst paramilitaries - US State Dept

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 01:32 GMT]
Commenting, amongst other abuses, on the numerous killings in Sri Lanka’s northeast last year, the US State Department’s 2006 annual human rights report blamed “paramilitary forces” as well as the Liberation Tigers for “politically motivated killings” and singled out three paramilitary groups – the Karuna Group, EPDP and PLOTE – for criticism. The State Department said many of those killed by the LTTE were members of the anti-LTTE paramilitary groups and informants for the security forces.
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Jaffna University reopens

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 00:15 GMT]
Lectures at Jaffna Campus are to resume 15th Wednesday according to press release issued by Jaffna University Students Union Sunday. Though complete normalcy is yet to prevail, arrrangements have been made for all students to pursue learning again, said University sources. The University was suspended on the 19th December after attacks by Sri Lanka Armed (SLA) forces on University students' protest demonstration and the ensuing violent incidents.


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Sea Tigers launch Deep-Sea Ops training to Auxiliary Flotilla

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 March 2006, 12:33 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Special Commander of Sea Tigers, Col. Soosai, on Friday launched Deep-Sea Operations training for selected naval auxiliarists from the recently trained flotillas of Thamileelam Naval Auxiliary Force, Sea Tiger sources in Mullaithivu said. The auxiliary naval flotilla, named after Lt. Col. Oscar of the Sea Tigers, is the first auxiliary flotilla to be trained in assisting the Tigers in offensive operations in the sea, sources added.
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Manalkadu refugee families lack basic facilities

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 March 2006, 03:33 GMT]
More than 350 tsunami affected families living in temporary shelters in Manatkadu, located 5 km east of Point Pedro, are undergoing severe hardships without very basic living facilities, civil society sources said. Only ten latrines have been built for the 350 families and no local or International relief agencies, nor Sri Lanka Government authorities have heeded the desperate appeals to provide additional latrines, sources added.
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Verugal FDL attack by paramilitaries repulsed- LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 15:06 GMT]
Liberation Tigers repulsed an attack on its Forward Defence Lines in Kattumurippu in Verugal area Batticaloa district by paramilitaries and members of Sri Lanka Army Friday night at 9.30 p.m., LTTE's media co-ordinator Thaymaster told TamilNet.
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SLA rejects rent request for HSZ properties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 03:07 GMT]
A meeting held Friday between the representatives of Consortium of Jaffna Welfare Associations and the Sri Lanka Military officials at 51-2 Brigade Headquarters in Jaffna to explore ways to simplify procedures allowing civilian owners of SLA occupied private buildings and houses to collect rents, ended without any agreements, sources attending the meeting said. The meeting was arranged by the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials, sources added.
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Abducted Erlalai youth found with serious cut injuries

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 00:46 GMT]
A Tamil youth who was abducted by three armed men from his home in Erlalai East, Jaffna Thursday at 11 p.m. was found near a cemetary in Chunnakam with serious cut wounds to his body inflicted by a sharp instrument, sources in Jaffna said. Kottiyal Hindu cemetary where the injured youth was found is located in Chunnakam Road, Punnalaikattuvan nearly 3 k.m. south of Erlalai where he was abducted.


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SLA closes Katkovalam fish market

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 12:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has ordered closure of the fish market located close to the shore in the coastal town of Katkovalam located 2 km east of Point Pedro town. The SLA recently has built new sentry points and a mini camp near the fish market and claimed that the market poses security threat to their new positions, Vadamaradchy Fisheries Consortium officials said.
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EU report calls for international body to administer future elections in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 06:44 GMT]
Chief Observer of EU Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) to Sri Lanka, John Cushnahan, commenting on the report of the EU-EOM for the 2005 Sri Lankan Presidential elections, has called for an International Organisation to "administer" and "supervise", on the invitation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) the parties to the peace process, if future elections in LTTE controlled and influenced areas are to be held in accordance with internationally recognised principles. The EU report also stated that the SL Supreme Court Interim order of 9th November introduced "de facto" discriminatory measures against voters in LTTE controlled areas.
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Positive contribution by International players, key to Peace in Sri Lanka - Senewiratne

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 March 2006, 02:45 GMT]
"Marginalising and excluding the Liberation Tigers, a key player to the peace process in the island, will mean the end of the failed state Sri Lanka," a Sinhala expatriate physician supportive of Tamils right to self-determination told a gathering of EU officials at a symposium organised in the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday. "The EU has essentially opted out of making a meaningful contribution to rescue Sri Lanka," he noted. Tamil, Sinhala and European panelists presented their views in the symposium titled "The EU Contribution to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka."
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SLA cordon, search Erlalai, beat bakery owner

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 12:02 GMT]
More than five hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops with a few paramilitary cadres arrived in several heavy military vehicles and eight Buffel armored vehicles, cordoned off, and searched residences in Erlalai South, Kalavodai Amman Temple areas at 3.30 a.m. Wednesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA soldiers, at 6 a.m., entered the house of a 30 year old civilian who owns a bakery, beat him and left after ransacking his business premises, sources added.
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Indian High Commissioner visits eastern province

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 11:31 GMT]
Ms Nirupama Rao, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Tuesday morning visited the South Eastern University, which is located in Oluvil in Amparai district and discussed with the Vice Chancellor and the academic staff regarding its needs and future development. Sri Lankan Minister of Irrigation, Mr.Anwer Ismail, accompanied her. Ms Nirupama Rao arrived in Batticaloa Monday morning on a two-day tour in the eastern province by a special helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
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Jaffna student reported missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 17:20 GMT]
Parents of a seventeen-years-old boy in Jaffna, registered a complaint with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) office Tuesday that their son, Thushyanthan, has been missing for more than four days. HRC officials said there have been a marked increase in disappearances of persons in Jaffna district the last several days after a decline in the three weeks leading up to talks in Geneva.
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LTTE delegation returns from Geneva

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 10:55 GMT]
Members of the Liberation Tigers delegation which took part in the Geneva talks held on 22-23rd February returned to Kilinochchi at 3 p.pm. Tuesday on a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, media sources in Kilinochchi said. Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Head of Tamileelam Police P Nadesan, Col Jeyam and LTTE Peace Secretariat's Ilanthirayan were flown to Kilinochchi while the other members will be taking the land route accompanied by members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources added.
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