SLA soldiers enter university premises, open fire, arrest lecturer, student

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 07:30 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers who entered the premises of the University of Jaffna Tuesday noon opened fire in the air, charged tear gas and attacked the students. The soldiers arrested Mr. Manickavasagar Ilampirayan, the lecturer of physical education and a student, Mr. Gowri Senthooran, university staff said. Hundreds of students who gathered in front the university building have launched a protest setting up road-blocks. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials have rushed to the site to diffuse tension. The University administration has condemned the conduct of the SLA soldiers, who entered the university premises on Tuesday for the first time since 1995.
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New military top brass responsible for Jaffna attack - Vice Chancellor

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Professor C. Mohanadas charged the newly sworn-in top brass of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for unleashing troopers on a peaceful demonstration. "This is a worst form of politically motivated military tactic," he said addressing a press meet held at the Jaffna Campus Student Union offices at 5 p.m. Monday. Professor Mohanadas condemned the attacks by the SLA on peaceful demonstrators including the attack on him Monday morning at Parameswara junction in Jaffna.
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FMM condemns SLA attack on Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:14 GMT]
"Free Media Movement deplores and condemns assault on journalists covering a peaceful demonstration in Jaffna by government security forces today. Three journalists- Thinakural staff reporter Mr. T. Sabeswaran, Thinakaran (Lake House) reporter Wintson Jeyan and Namathu Eelanadu reporter Mr. J. Jerad – were beaten and their cameras were damaged," said FMM in a press release issued in Colombo Monday.
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No peace talks until SLA atrocities on Tamil civilians cease-TNA MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian speaking during the budget debate in parliament Monday warned the Government not to think of peace negotiations until the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stops attacks on Tamil civilians in Jaffna district. SLA soldiers are seen in front of every house in Jaffna district and people are living under fear. Under these circumstances no meaningful peace negotiations could be held, said Mr. Senathirajah.
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SL troops open fire on demonstration in Jaffna, Lecturer shot, VC attacked

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 06:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers opened fire at a peaceful demonstration march by Jaffna University students and staff, wounding at least seven demonstrators including Prof. N. Perinpanathan, a Senior Lecturer, and a student leader of the medical faculty T. Kandeepan. Professor C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, Prof. R. Sivchandran, Dean of Arts, and S. Kajendran, Jaffna MP were severely beaten by the soliders. The demonstration march from Jaffna University towards the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) did not proceed beyond Parameswara Junction where the troopers began firing at the demontrators around 11:00 a.m. Monday. Tension prevails in the area.
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International political advocacy indispensable to maturing Tamil struggle- Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 00:03 GMT]
“Congressional meetings gave me hope that a conducive atmosphere is emerging in the supreme legislative body of the US with regards to the Tamil struggle. It is critical that we maintain sustained efforts to reinforce relationships with congresspersons interested in our struggle, and address human rights issues raised by UN agencies and watchdogs. With the maturing phase of our struggle, focussed political action in major world capitals has become an urgent priority,” said Pathmini Sithamparanathan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna, when she talked to TamilNet in Washington D.C concluding her two-week speaking tour in US Saturday.
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PAFFREL against early elections

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 17:10 GMT]
Amidst reports that the Sri Lanka government is considering to have parliamentary election or local government elections in March next year, the People's Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), a leading election monitoring organization, has urged President Mahinda Rajapakse to defer elections by another three months from March until the irregularities in the 2004 voters' register are rectified, sources said.


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Jaffna Campus area tense, SLA attack injures worker

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 14:14 GMT]
Rasaratnam Puhalasri (33) from Navaly South, an employee at an ice cream parlor at the Parameswara juntion was severly injured when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops attacked civilians around the Jaffna campus areas following altercation between Jaffna campus students at the International Tamileelam Student Union offices near Parameswara junction at 5.30 p.m. Sunday. Residents said that troopers forced entry into Student Union offices to prevent a group of campus students from travelling to Punguduthivu, triggering confrontation.
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SLA attacks Irupalai auto-rickshaw drivers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 13:04 GMT]
Drivers of auto-rickshaws at Irupalai junction located on Jaffna-Point Pedro road Irupalai, 5 km North east of Jaffna town, were attacked again Sunday morning by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, in retaliation for complaining to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Saturday afternoon when SLA soldiers had attacked them and forced them away from the junction threatening them not to return.
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Norway best venue for truce talks - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 December 2005, 09:57 GMT]
Reiterating that they wished to engage in talks on the effective implementation of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement with Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers suggested Saturday that Norway would be the ideal venue to host such talks as Oslo was not only the facilitator of the peace process, but leading the monitoring mission supervising the truce. “Based on a mutual consent, a suitable venue for peace negotiations could be selected following the successful conclusion of the CFA talks,” he said pointing out that Norway has earlier extended invitation to the parties to hold talks on the implementation of the CFA.
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New SLA sentries in Mannar town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 December 2005, 02:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has established several new sentries in Mannar town and its suburbs, and has blocked the road leading to the office of the Superintendent of Police from use by the public as a part of strengthening the security of the district, sources said.


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SLA cordons off, searches Ariyalai village

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 12:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off and conducted a house to house search Mulli, a village in Ariyalai in Nalllur Pradeshya Sabha Friday morning. Villagers who assumed the presence of SLA troopers as part of intensified patrol of the area were alarmed when troops entered houses and demanded national identity cards from villagers, residents said.
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Jaffna Group warns of attacks if SLA harassment is not stopped

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 14:24 GMT]
If the increasing incidents of rounding up of civilians, and cordon and search of Tamil areas by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers continue, campaign of attacks against SLA will intensify in Jaffna, warned an organization of Tamil youths called "Roaring Tamil Force," in a memorandum submitted to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices in Jaffna Thursday. Twenty-five youths identifying themselves as belonging to the Group delivered the memorandum at the Temple Road offices of the SLMM, sources said.
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SLA soldiers search Jaffna press, threaten workers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 05:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army cordoned off the offices of the popular Tamil daily Namathu Eelanaadu located in Navalar road Jaffna Thursday 6.30 a.m. and searched the editorial, administrative and press sections of the paper's offices thoroughly for nearly half an hour, workers at the premises said. SLA soldiers questioned several workers at the daily and demanded to see workers' national identity cards. Civil groups expressed alarm at this ominous development to suppress press freedom in Jaffna district.
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Norwegian FM to meet Samaraweera in Hong Kong

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 15:45 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is scheduled to meet with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in Hong Kong on Thursday where he is expected to convey the response from Norway to the Government of Sri Lanka on the Norwegian facilitation of the peace process in Sri Lanka. Norway is expected to press for acceptance of certain terms from both parties regarding the talks, the Norwegian news agency, NTB reported Wednesday.
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SLAF Helicopter comes under fire in Arugambay

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 13:56 GMT]
An MI-17 Military helicopter of the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLAF) came under gunfire and made an emergency landing in Kumana, Amparai district, around 3.15 p.m. Wednesday, Sri Lanka Air Force spokesman Ajantha de Silva told media in Colombo. The incident took place 10 air-miles off Arugambay. The gunfire did not cause any damage except puncturing a few holes in the frame and the helicopter took off after a brief inspection, SLAF sources said.
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Jaffna tense as SLA cordon, searches continue

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:14 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off and searched several villages in Jaffna district including Kachchai area in Thenmaradchy, Ariyalai in Jaffna, Myilankadu in Valikamam North, Erlalai North and Mandan in Vadamaradchy area, Wednesday morning as the troops continued their security operations for a second day, sources in Jaffna said. Early reports said seven youths have been detained for futher questioning by the SLA in Mandan area. However, the SLA has not officially released any information on the detention.
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Mortar fire on Meeravodai SLA camp - Police

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 14:41 GMT]
Four rounds of 81 mm Mortar fire was reported close to Meeravodai Sri Lanka Army camp located 2 km west of Valaichenai in Batticaloa district around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Police said. Miravodai is located 4 km north of Kiran where two Tamils were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen Monday night.
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India cannot be a card in Colombo’s oppressive politics game - Vaiko

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 12:59 GMT]
Indian Defence Minister Mr Pranab Muhkerjee assured the Tamil Nadu Politician Mr. Vaiko Monday that he will investigate the press reports on the reconstruction efforts of Palaly airstrip in the main Sri Lankan military base in Jaffna. “Earlier Indian political leaders had acted with great care, and had declined to enter into a defence treaty or airbase reconstruction projects when I have brought the Tamil concerns to the Indian leadership’s notice,” Vaiko said.
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Vavuniya abduction discussed in LTTE, SLMM meet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 11:53 GMT]
Members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) met with representatives of the Liberation Tigers in the Puliyankulam office of the LTTE 5 p.m. Monday and again at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The discussions centered on the disappearance of Sinnathamby Ganeshalingam alias Farook, a senior cader of PLOTE on Monday 1.30 p.m. Vavuniya. Vavuniya district Political Head of the LTTE, Gnanam, said that he had told the SLMM that LTTE has no involvement in the reported abduction.
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