Claymore attack on SLA vehicle in Jaffna, Seven dead

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 04:29 GMT]
Six Sri Lanka Army soldiers and an SLA official were killed in a Claymore mine attack on a SLA tractor in Irupalai, 5 km North east of Jaffna town Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., police said. The explosion took place 200 meters west of Irupalai junction on Jaffna - Point Pedro road. SLA soldiers at the site opened fire following the attack and cordoned off the site, civilian sources said. Traffic remains blocked and the civilians were seen moving from the area.
Full story >>

Colombo cancels Muhamalai meet

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2005, 14:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) representatives who were present at Muhamalai Monday evening that the Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat in Colombo had declined permission to the SLA Jaffna Commander, Maj. Gen. Sunil Tennakoon, to attend the proposed meeting with the LTTE, sources at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi told TamilNet.
Full story >>

SLA fires tear gas at student protest in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Hundreds of students of Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Point Pedro setup road blocks and protested against the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) attempt to construct a new checkpoint on College Road leading to both schools, Monday at 8 a.m., sources said. SLA soldiers fired warning shots into the air and tear gas to disperse the protesting students.
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA to discuss Jaffna situation

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2005, 04:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander of Jaffna area Major General Sunil Tennakon, and the Jaffna District Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr. C. Ilamparuthi will meet Monday evening in the presence of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Jaffna district, informed sources in Colombo said. The meeting is expected to take place in the no man zone at Muhamalai Monday evening at 4:00 p.m., sources added.
Full story >>

Recognize Tamil need for Self-Government- Boston Globe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 December 2005, 15:18 GMT]
Pointing out Pirapaharan's Heroes Day message that he will intensify struggle for self-determination if no "political framework that will satisfy the political aspirations of Tamils" was forthcoming, the Boston Globe in an editorial appearing on 4 December issue, opined that this "either-or threat, seen alongside Rajapakse's own hard-line stance, presages an imminent renewal of civil war," and said, "India and the United States should bring international pressure to bear on the island's belligerents to sustain the current ceasefire and craft a political resolution that recognizes the Tamil need for self-government."
Full story >>

Firefight near Neervely SLA camp, one soldier killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 December 2005, 14:29 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier seriously wounded when unknown gunmen attacked Neervely Jaffna SLA camp at 6.10 p.m. Sunday succumbed to his wounds, military sources in Colombo said. SLA soldiers returned fire and the firefight lasted more than five minutes, sources in Neerveli said. The SLA camp is located near the Kopay junction on Point-Pedro Jaffna A9 highway. Sri Lanka Army deployed soldiers along the coastal suburbs of Jaffna town, Ariyalai and Navanthurai, Jaffna police said adding that a curfew might be imposed in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Six SLA soldiers killed, four wounded in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 December 2005, 08:49 GMT]
Six Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed and four wounded when a claymore mine hit their tractor Sunday at 12:52 p.m. 200 meters south of Kondavil Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna. Wounded soldiers were rushed to Palaly Military hospital, civilian sources said. SLA soldiers cordoned off the site, blocked all the traffic and started to attack the civilians in the area, sources added. Tension prevails in the area.
Full story >>

SLA soldier killed in Chavakacheri, civilians attacked in reprisal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 December 2005, 16:10 GMT]
One Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was killed when a tractor carrying SLA soldiers came under gunfire from unknown gunmen near Chavakacheri Hindu College Saturday evening, sources in Jaffna said. Three SLA soldiers were injured in three other grenade attacks in Meesalai located 3 km from Chavakachcheri. The injured soldiers were first taken to Puttur SLA camp by road and from there they were airlifted to Palaly military hospital. SLA troopers stationed along the A9 highway between Meesalai and Chavakacheri attacked civilan travellers with gun butts. Smashed motorbikes were seen on both sides along the highway, travellers who escaped from the site told TamilNet.
Full story >>

Two SLA troopers injured in Point Pedro grenade attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 December 2005, 14:44 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers providing security to the Sri Lanka Telecom's Transmission tower based in Malusanthi in Vadamaradchy were seriously injured when unknown assailants riding in a motorbike hurled a grenade at the sentry at 6.10 p.m. Saturday, sources said. The injured soldiers have been taken to Palaly military hospital for treatment. Malusanthi is a town located 3 km southwest of Point Pedro town and lies between Manthikai hospital and Nelliady on the Point Pedro Jaffna road.
Full story >>

Two attacks in Jaffna, civilian wounded in SLA gunfire

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 December 2005, 11:55 GMT]
A civilian traveller was seriously wounded when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers opened fire following a grenade attack on their checkpost in Kantharmadam, close to Parameswara Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Normalcy was reported in many areas of Jaffna, except in Neerveli, where the funeral of the farmers shot and killed on Thursday took place Saturday.
Full story >>

Grenade attacks escalate, Jaffna tense

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 15:55 GMT]
At least seven grenade attacks were reported Friday in Jaffna. The attacks on Sri Lanka Army (SLA)positions escalated amid total shutdown in several SLA controlled areas of the Jaffna peninsula following the Neerveli kilings on Thursday. A handbill issued in the name of "Roaring People's Force" warned that reprisal attacks on SLA soldiers and intelligence operatives will escalate if attacks against Tamil activists and civilians continued.
Full story >>

EPDP vehicle hits civilian auto-rickshaw in Jaffna, five wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 15:28 GMT]
Five civilians including women were severely wounded when a speeding pickup-vehicle belonging to the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) collided with an auto-trishaw at 5:20 p.m. Friday at Pannai bridge which links Jaffna mainland with islets. Tension escalated when villagers shouting against the EPDP cadres were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen escorting the EPDP vehicle, civilian sources in Navanthurai said.
Full story >>

Withdraw troops, lift embargo, demands Trinco Civil group

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 12:17 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Consortium (TDTPC) Thursday requested Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to remove all temporary camps and checkpoints of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) now located in the Trincomalee town following the erection of Buddha statue in the bus stand vicinity on May 15 midnight this year, sources said. The Civil group also demanded that the embargo on essential food and other items to Muttur east be lifted.
Full story >>

Four SLA soldiers injured in grenade attacks in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 11:37 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured in two separate grenade attacks on a SLA camp in the northern town of Chavakachcheri, Friday afternoon. The SLA soldiers have set up road blocks in the area and are conducting a house-to-house search, sources said.
Full story >>

Two farmers shot dead, one wounded in Neerveli, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 December 2005, 16:03 GMT]
Unidentified assailants shot and killed two farmers at a tea shop close to Athiyar Hindu College in Neerveli at 8 p.m. Thursday. A youth who was standing inside the tea shop was seriously wounded and was rushed to Jaffna Hospital, civilian sources said. Tension prevails in the area. The Tamil National Vigilance Association has called for a hartal in Jaffna on Friday to protest against the killings.
Full story >>

Indian Commander visits Vavuniya SLA frontlines

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 December 2005, 12:26 GMT]
General Officer Commander-in-Chief of Southern Command Lt. Gen. B.S. Thakker Thursday visited the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) front lines in Vavuniya and discussed with SLA Commanders matters related to security, sources in Vavuniya said.
Full story >>

ICJ raises concern over ASIO raids in Melbourne

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 03:16 GMT]
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), an international non-governmental organization devoted to the promotion of the understanding and observance of the rule of law, expressed concern over the raids by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) on the homes of Sri Lankan Tamils and said Sunday that "counter-terrorism laws may ensnare innocent charitable donors in their net, and may be used by foreign governments to pursue their own political agendas," in a media release issued in Sydney.
Full story >>

LTTE to intensify struggle for self-determination if reasonable political solution is not offered soon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 November 2005, 12:04 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in his annual Heroes’ Day statement made an urgent appeal to the new Sri Lanka Government of Mr Mahinda Rajapakse to offer a reasonable political solution to the ethnic conflict without further delay. The Tamil Tiger leader cautioned the government that his liberation organisation would intensify the struggle for self-determination and political independence if the new regime adopts a hard-line position and fails to resolve the problems of his people.
Full story >>

VVT celebrates Pirapaharan's birthday with parade

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Festive atmosphere prevailed in Jaffna district Saturday as residents across the district celebrated the fifty first birthday of Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources from Jaffna said. In Valvettiturai (VVT), his birthplace, school music bands led a parade where villagers and students took his photograph from the Nediyakadu Pillayar temple along VVT hospital to Alady where Pirapaharan's house is located. More than 500 uniform clad members of the recently passed out Auxilliary force also participated in the parade.
Full story >>

Sovereignty fears

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 01:33 GMT]
The definition "supreme authority within a territory," captures the essential notion of sovereignty used to describe political authority of modern nation states. The origins of Sri Lanka’s long festering conflict lie in its unitary constitution which vests the exercise of sovereignty solely in the hands of Sinhala Buddhists. But Colombo wields no sovereign authority over nearly seventy percent of the island’s NorthEast. Radical Sinhala groups view the denial of their state’s sovereignty in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers with extreme chagrin. Over the years, other events too have challenged Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.
Full story >>