Eastern University shuts down in protest against forced disappearance of VC

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 December 2006, 13:39 GMT]
Students and academic staff of the Eastern University in Vantharumoolai, 17km north of Batticaloa, have shut down the University in protest against the reported forced disappearance of their Vice Chancellor in High Security area in Colombo, Friday. Vice Chancellor Professor S. Raveendranath, a founder member of the EUSL, was forced to submit resignation of his post in October to the University Grant Commission (UGC), to secure the release the Dean of the Arts Faculty, Bala Sugumar, who was abducted by the paramilitary demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor. The resignation, pending approval by the UGC, had forced the VC to function from Colombo till he was reported disappeared.


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3 Karuna paramilitary cadres shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 December 2006, 07:42 GMT]
Unidentified armed men using pistols shot dead on the spot Monday around 8:30 a.m three cadres of Karuna paramilitary group standing along the Main Road near Chenkalady market in the Earvur police division in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said. One civilian, standing by and seriously injured in the shooting was first rushed to Chenkalady hospital and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching hospital for further treatment.


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Jaffna security arrangements add to Islets residents woes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 16:48 GMT]
Recent relocation of Jaffna bus terminal to Pannai by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and overflow of traffic along outer peripheral roads due to reconfiguration of traffic flow including prohibition of parking, have created additional burdens to families from the islets entering and leaving Jaffna town, civil society leaders said. Restrictions of intra-islet travel, and of transport in interior land routes have added further hardships for the people in these areas.
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Red Cross hands over bodies of six LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 11:15 GMT]
Batticaloa district ICRC handed over to M. Mathy, Karadiyanaru LTTE head of political wing, Friday around 11:00 a.m, bodies of six Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres killed in an ambush by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and its paramilitary troopers Wednesday at Miyankulam. The LTTE cadres, injured in an earlier battle, were being taken for treatment across the Colombo-Batticaloa road at Miyankulam, when they were ambushed, Batticaloa sources said. Miyankulam lies on the border between LTTE held area in Vaharai and SLA held areas.


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Eastern University Vice Chancellor reported missing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 05:41 GMT]
S. Raveendranath, the Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL), who was forced to resign his post recently following threats from paramilitary Karuna Group that abducted a Deen of the EUSL demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor, was reported missing since 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dehiwale Police in Colombo said. The VC was reported missing in High Security area in the Bauddhaloka mawatta.
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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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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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Paramilitary penetration into Pendugalchenai beaten back- LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 December 2006, 13:29 GMT]
Attempt by a group of 25 members of paramilitary cadres and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to penetrate into Liberation Tigers controlled area of Pendukalchenai to launch attacks around 7:30 a.m. Sunday was foiled when the LTTE counter attacked killing two and injuring ten paramilitaries, S. Seeralan, head of LTTE Batticaloa political wing said. Two cadres of LTTE were also killed in the counter attack.
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Two paramilitaries injured in Kallaru

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 December 2006, 21:11 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and injured two cadres of Karuna paramilitary group on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm on Kallaru main road near Sinnapillayar temple in Kallaru in Batticaloa district..
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Avoid criticism, pay ransom, paramilitaries tell Tamil dailies

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 December 2006, 12:34 GMT]
Following a 7th December press release by the Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) that "pro-government militia led by Tamil warlord Karuna" has issued death threats to distributors preventing the circulation of the papers in Batticaloa, paramilitary TMVP office in Colombo placed conditions as they attempted to negotiate with the management of Colombo Tamil dailies of allowing circulation of papers in Batticaloa SLA controlled areas, Tamil media sources in Colombo said.
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Four youths abducted in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 December 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Unidentified armed men abducted four youths at gun point Monday around 11:00 p.m from Santhiveli, Palayadi Thona area in Batticaloa district while they were sleeping at their houses, according to a complaint made Thursday by the relatives of the abducted at Earavur police station, Eravur police said.


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Re-opening of landroutes, non-negotiable humanitarian priority - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 December 2006, 10:15 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head, S. P. Thamilchelvan, Friday told media after meeting Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer in Kilinochchi, that the re-opening of A9 and A15 landroutes constituted basic humanitarian priorities for the survival of the civilian population. "It is critical that the International Community addresses the issue of Colombo's cooperation in re-opening of A9 and A15 landroutes ensuring the Tamil people their top-most basic humanitarian need," Mr. Thamilchelvan said. Tamil people are at the verge of losing hopes in Norwegian facilitators, the SLMM and the International Community for failing to condemn Colombo for refusing to re-open the landroutes, he said.
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UN: Karuna denies child recruitment, commits to collaborate with UNICEF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 December 2006, 17:45 GMT]
Vinyagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna), who leads the paramilitary Karuna Group operated by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), has contacted the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, on Monday, regarding the listing of his group to the UN Security Council, according to a press release issued by the UN office in Colombo. The move, comes following a report by Allan Rock, the Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative, who accused the Sri Lankan military for recruiting children to the ranks of the paramilitary group, in November when he concluded a 10-day mission to Sri Lanka. Tamil Tigers in October outlawed the recruitment of under-17s.
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Four partly burnt bodies recovered in Habarana

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 December 2006, 12:49 GMT]
Kekirawa police recovered four dead bodies partially burnt in a paddy filed at Ganewella area in Kekirawa police division in Habarana Tuesday around 5:00 a.m. The bodies have been transferred to Polanaruwa hospital.
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SLA trooper seriously injured in sniper fire in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 December 2006, 10:42 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Army (SLA) trooper was seriously injured in a sniper attack made Sunday around 9:05 a.m on the Vavunativu SLA sentry post in Batticaloa, Vavunativu SLA sources said. The injured trooper, air lifted to Polanaruwa hospital, is in a critical situation.


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Garage owner shot dead in Chavakacheri

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 December 2006, 14:09 GMT]
Owner of a vehicle repair facility in Dutch Road, Chavakacheri in Thenmaradchy district was shot dead by two gunmen riding in a motorbike at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, sources said. The body has been transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for postmortem examinations.
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Two Allaipiddy refugee brothers shot dead, sister seriously injured

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 November 2006, 17:01 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a 'white van' Sunday around midnight to a house on Navalar street in Navanthurai, Jaffna, sprayed bullets killing two brothers on the spot while seriously injuring the twin sister of one of the brothers, all siblings displaced from Allaipiddy, Jaffna police said. The seriously injured sister was rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital.
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Include abducted workers in CoI's list, TRO appeals to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2006, 04:23 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) appealed to Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, to include the case of the seven abducted TRO workers missing since 29 and 30 January, to be included in the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), in a press release issued from TRO's Colombo office Friday.
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Two Karuna group cadres shot, injured in internal gunfight

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 November 2006, 18:17 GMT]
Two cadres of Karuna paramilitary group were seriously injured in an internal fight ending in an exchange of gunfire Thursday around 3:30 p.m at Vinayagapuram in Valaichenai, Valaichenai police said. Some cadres of Kauna paramilitary group have been hiding due to differences of opinion within the group, and their opponents who had come in search of them started the firefight, the police added.
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Sri Lanka rejects Co-Chairs’ condemnation, continues attacks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2006, 12:25 GMT]
Unfazed by strong condemnation by international donors of rights abuses and truce violations by its military, Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday continued air strikes and bombardment against the Liberation Tigers. Saying the donors had been “mislead” by international truce monitors and a UN envoy, government defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella insisted that national security took precedence over the ceasefire and that the international community recognised this.
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