Security forces cordon, search Potpathi Road area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has cordoned the area surrounding the road leading to Potpathi Road Jaffna from Kondavil on Palaly Road and are conducting house to house searches early morning Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA arrested a youth who was involved in brokering motor bike sales. Youth is still in custody, according to reports.
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"STF, SL Ministers complicit in paramilitary operations, Karuna in India"

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 17:12 GMT]
The two paramilitary cadres who surrendered to the Tigers in Amparai disclosed that Karuna operates from India and that Pillayan was leading the Karuna group operating in the east. They also revealed that Sri Lankan Government Ministers A L M Athaullah, Douglas Devananda and Maithripala Sirisena are complicit in helping paramilitaries operating in the east, during a press conference held at Thenakam guest house in LTTE controlled Karadiyanaru Monday. The cadres also said that the paramilitaries were involved in violence against Muslims to create dissension between Tamil and Muslim communities.
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Senior PLOTE cadre abducted in Vavuniya, 3 arrested

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 09:28 GMT]
A senior cadre of PLOTE, operating with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vavuniya, was reported missing Monday noon. Unidentified persons riding in a van allegedly abducted the senior cadre, a central committee member of PLOTE, police said. Meanwhile, three men riding in a van were arrested by the Police around 1:30 p.m. at Kidacheri in Vavuniya. The police alleged that the arrested persons were involved in the abduction of the PLOTE operative.
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Claymore attack on unmanned SLA post in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 06:12 GMT]
A claymore mine went off Monday morning around 7:00 a.m. at an unmanned SLA post on Vavuniya - Mannar road at Varikuddiyoor, 12 km northwest of Vavuniya town, poice said. Additional troopers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Special Task Force (STF) and policemen were deployed and the security was beefed up in Vavuniya on Monday.
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Claymore attack in East, 2 SLA soldiers wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 04:50 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were seriously injured when unidentified attackers detonated a claymore mine at a foot patrol of twelve SLA soldiers in Vantharumoolai, 17 km northwest of Batticaloa town. The attack took place Monday morning around 7:30 a.m. near the Eastern University building on Batticaloa - Valaichenai main road, police said.
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Policeman killed, LTTE cadre abducted from Vavuniya Hospital

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2005, 10:20 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed an armed policeman, Mahes Ranasinghe, inside the Vavuniya Hospital premises and abucted Ms Gunaratnam Puveneswari who was undergoing treatment at the hospital under police custody. The incident took place around 2:45 p.m. Sunday at ward no 1. Mr Ranasinghe was killed at the entrance to the ward while four unarmed policemen were guarding the patient inside the ward, police said. Puvaneswari, who took cyanide when Sri Lanka Navy arrested her with four others on board a boat in Mannar sea last Tuesday, was taken away by the men who entered the ward.
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Exert pressure to curb military violence, IFT urges International Community

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 14:53 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of more than 150 expatriate Tamil organizations, in a media statement released on Friday appealed to the International Community to exert its influence on the Government of Sri Lanka to help bring normalcy in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the Northeast.
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CFA has to be revived says Lankan Chief of Defence

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Chief of Defence Staff, Daya Sandagiri, during a press meet in Colombo Friday ruled out Sri Lanka armed forces going to war but said that they will be prepared to meet any military situation that may arise. He said that the military leadership has submitted a report to SL President Mahinda Rajapakse concluding that the Cease Fire Agreement has to be revived and that Mr Rajapakse will make the final decision on this matter.
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CFA, Muslim Tamil amity, key to peace - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 11:31 GMT]
Pointing out that the recent escalation of violence is due to military aggression and sabotage activities of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) supported paramilitaries, LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan stressed the urgent need for effective implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and the critical need to maintain Muslim, Tamil amity to maintain peace, when he addressed the media following a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar Friday morning. The meeting that began at 9:30 a.m. lasted for one and a half hours at the LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.
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Student protests escalate in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 December 2005, 18:30 GMT]
University students protest at Kaladdy in Jaffna turned violent when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers fired at the air and tried to disperse the protestors. The Scandinavian ceasefire monitors who tried to calm the situation had to withdraw from the site at 12:30 p.m. as they were unable to persuade SLA commanders and student leaders to come to an understanding to defuse the situation, sources said.


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Clause 1.8 key to saving truce - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 December 2005, 15:34 GMT]
Arguing that “a period of mutual de-escalation and confidence building is a sine quo non if a meaningful peace process is to resume,” the Tamil Guardian newspaper said this week “[this] must begin with an end to the Army’s covert onslaught,” in reference to the ongoing shadow war by Army-backed paramilitaries against LTTE members and supporters. Despite the recent sharp rise in violence, fears of an imminent war are overstated, the Diaspora newspaper argued, noting that this is not the first time incidents involving heavy loss of life have occurred since the February 2002 ceasefire.
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SLA blocks Mannar traders from entering LTTE area

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 18:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Uyilankulam camp Wednesday refused entry into the LTTE held Wanni region for about six hundred traders of Nanattan division in the government controlled Mannar district to go to Killinochchi to attend a conference. SLA soldiers manning the checkpoint had told traders that they could not allow such large gathering to enter LTTE area, traders' association sources said.
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SLMM head meets Elilan in Sampoor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 18:20 GMT]
Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Wednesday 2 p.m. held a two hour discussion with Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), at the LTTE political secretariat located in Sampoor in LTTE held Muttur east.


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Grenade explosion in Vavuniya, civilian killed, seven wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 10:56 GMT]
A civilian was killed and seven persons, including a Sri Lanka Army soldier, were wounded near Vavuniya bus stand around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday in a grenade explosion that took place on the pavement, Vavuniya Police said.
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Reopen channels for direct dialogue at local level - SLMM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 07:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on Tuesday urged the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to reopen the channels for direct dialogue at the local level to diffuse the situation in the NorthEast. The attacks that have taken place over the last few days must stop immediately if the peace process is to move forward, the SLMM statement said. Colombo, on Monday, declined permission to the Jaffna commander of the Sri Lanka Army to proceed with the SLMM facilitated meeting in Muhamalai no man zone with the LTTE's political head in Jaffna.
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SL Military commanders visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 02:24 GMT]
Cheif of Defence Staff Admiral Daya Sandagiri, the newly appointed Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the SL Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda and Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal G D Perera visited Palaly Military base Tuesday evening and discussed security situation in Jaffna, sources in Colombo said. Lt Gen Fonseka's Jaffna visit is the first major visit the General has undertaken after he was appointed to the top military job.
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Student protests to widen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 December 2005, 01:57 GMT]
Jaffna Student Consortium said Tuesday evening that they have decided to expand the protests across Jaffna district schools Wednesday since the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has not met the demands by the protesting Hartley College students and has continued to use force to suppress student actions the last two days, sources in Jaffna said.
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Sinhala-Only for President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 22:22 GMT]
President Mahinda Rajapakse declared last week that as a matter of policy he will address all important events in Sinhala, the Sunday Times reported this week. He pointed out that “Sinhala was his Mother tongue” the paper said.
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SLN arrests five LTTE cadres in Mannar Sea, one takes cyanide

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 16:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLAN) Tuesday evening around 4.30 p.m.arrested five LTTE cadres including two women traveling in fibre glass boat in Pallimunai sea area in Mannar district. One political cadre, Miss Gunaratnam Puvaneswary alias Uthaya, (20), took cyanide and was immediately taken to Mannar hospital. She was later taken to Vavuniya hospital in critical condition, Mannar Police said.


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Student protests continue, Vadamaradchy tense

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 12:30 GMT]
Tension griped Vadamaradchy area as students protests condemning attacks against the students by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) yesterday, and calling for removal of checkpoints near the High Security Zone (HSZ) encompassing Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School, continued for a second day Tuesday, sources in Point Pedro said.
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