Peace process depends on ceasefire implementation - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 10:49 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers called Saturday for the full implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA), saying "such actions will bring normalcy in the lives of our people, and help in taking forward the peace process towards a satisfactory conclusion." Addressing the opening session of the Norwegian facilitated negotiations in Geneva, LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said: "the best we can hope for from the current talks is therefore, the strengthening of the CFA agreement that has the potential to lead to a permanent, just peace in this island."
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Karuna ‘abducted hundreds of children’ – The Times

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 15:48 GMT]
The Karuna Group has abducted between 300 and 900 children — some as young as 12 — since March, The Times newspaper reported this week, quoting international and local aid workers in Sri Lanka. The paramilitary group’s “escalating activity has emerged as a key factor behind the upsurge in violence that has killed more than 2,000 people this year and left a 2002 ceasefire agreement in tatters,” the British newspaper said.
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TNA appeals to UN: "GoSL uses Humanitarian crisis as tool of war"

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 06:36 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) consisting 22 out of the 23 Tamil members elected to Sri Lankan Parliament from the NorthEast, in an appeal to the United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights and Refugees, said that the Government of Sri Lanka was using the humanitarian crisis as a tool of war. Detailing the humanitarian situation prevailing in all the districts of NorthEast, the TNA charged that the GoSL was engaged in a policy to drive the Tamil civilian population out of the Trincomalee District. The TNA's appeal to UN comes a day before the talks in Geneva.
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3 paramilitary cadres killed, 8 wounded in Chenkalady

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 October 2006, 07:00 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre of Karuna group, who joined the group recently, shot and lobbed grenade at his fellow cadres, killing three and critically wounding eight around 1:00 a.m. Thursday, Eravur Police said. The paramilitary cadres were at sleep inside the Chenkalady Pillayar temple, close to the Black Bridge camp of the Sri Lanka Army, located 15 km northwest of Batticaloa town.
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FMM condemns burning of 10,000 copies of Virakesari

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 October 2006, 09:39 GMT]
The Free Media Movement (FMM)- Sri Lanka condemned the burning 10,000 copies of the Tamil daily Virakesari, and Metro News near Kiran Regional Secretariat 22nd Monday around 3:50 a.m. by paramilitary cadres alleged to be belonging Karuna group, in a statement released Wednesday in Colombo, political sources in Colombo said. Earlier in August, paramilitaries collaborating with the SLA threatened the owner of Surena Travels not to deliver to Muruges and Son Stores, Sudaroli and Thinakural news papers.


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NorthEast shuts down against de-merger

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 October 2006, 07:38 GMT]
The entire districts of NorthEast Wednesday came to a standstill following a shut down protest expressing Tamil opposition to Colombo's move to de-merge the NorthEast. Very few vehicles plied the streets, shops remained closed, businesses and private institutions remained closed and the Tamil towns in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna were deserted, despite the threats by the SLA and paramilitaries.
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Two civilians injured in Valaichenai shootings

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 15:45 GMT]
Unidentified persons waiting in ambush opened fire seriously injuring a youth riding his bicycle for work, at Kinnaiady in Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa Tuesday around 6:40 a.m, Valaichenai police said. In a separate incident, a woman, 30, was caught in the cross fire between two rival groups and was seriously injured around 11:00 a.m, at Vinayagapuram in the same police division.
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Jaffna faces humanitarian catastrophe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 12:24 GMT]
Closure of A9, the only trunk road to Jaffna from rest of Sri Lanka, more than 10 weeks ago, has halted the flow of essential food provisions, and medical supplies to Jaffna Peninsula, and if urgent steps are not taken, the residents will face severe humanitarian crisis, civil society leaders in Jaffna warned Monday. Jaffna residents face malnutrition and imminent starvation; and shortage of medical supplies and doctors, have wreaked havoc with the peninsula's fragile health care system, hospital and Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) sources said.
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Paramilitary cadres burn Tamil dailies in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 October 2006, 10:58 GMT]
Fifteen paramilitary cadres alleged to be belonging to Karuna group, stopped a private bus and a van transporting Tamil dailies Virakesari and Metro News from Colombo to Batticaloa and Amparai, near the Kiran Regional Secretariat, and set fire to the news papers in a compound opposite the Secretariat Monday around 3:50 a.m., civil sources from Kiran said.
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Nimalarajan remembered by Jaffna Journalists

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 00:05 GMT]
North Lanka Journalist Association (NLJA) assisted by Jaffna journalists observed 6th death anniversary of Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, BBC correspondent and a senior journalist, Thursday, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) are widely believed to have been responsible for the 19 October 2000 killing.
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Security tightened in Jaffna, trader shot dead

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 October 2006, 22:03 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in Jaffna Peninsula introduced tight security measures Friday after 9 persons including 3 Policemen and 3 cadres of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) were killed Thursday, civil society sources said.


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Three EPDP cadres shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 08:31 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead three cadres of Eelam People's Democratic Front (EPDP), including the group's principal organizer for the Jaffna islets, at 11:30 a.m. in the central part of Jaffna town Thursday, sources from Jaffna said. One EPDP cadre was injured in the attack. EPDP is a paramilitary group operating with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). A youth was killed and the owner of a clothing store was injured when Sri Lanka Police opened fire after the killings.
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Media delegation briefed on the woes of Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 11:25 GMT]
The delegates of International media, who arrived in Colombo on Monday on a fact finding mission, to assess the climate of press freedom in Sri Lanka, held a meeting with the representatives from Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF) and Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU ) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), sources in Colombo said.
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Karuna group member shot dead in Akaraipattu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 11:22 GMT]
An unknown armed youth riding a motorbike shot dead a member of the Karuna paramilitary group Tuesday around 10:30 a.m at Akaraipattu in Amparai district, said Akkaraipattu police. Akkaraipattu district Magistrate Mr. T. L. A. Manab visited the scene to conduct inquest into death, and ordered the police to hand over the dead body to the relatives after post-mortem examinations.


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International Community should ensure SLMM access to FDLs - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 10:19 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan accused Colombo for being the "aggressor" despite the International Community's efforts and the LTTE leadership's assurances in ceasing violence to create conducive environment for talks. Colombo has denied access to truce monitors to the Northern Front where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been seen readying for a frontal assault, he told TamilNet after meeting the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar in Kilinochchi Tuesday.
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20 youths abducted in 2 days in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 05:22 GMT]
More than 20 Tamil youths were reported abducted in Akkaraippattu and Thirukkovil area in Amparai district by unidentified armed gang traveling in white vans on Sunday and Monday, civil society sources said. Relatives of abducted filed four complaints, two in Akkaraippattu and two in Thirukkovil, sources added.
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Co-Chairs' ambassadors meet Sri Lanka's President

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 October 2006, 09:31 GMT]
Co-Chairs' ambassadors in Colombo Monday morning met with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and expressed their concern about the continuous hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) troops and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) even after both parties agreed to resume peace talks during the later part of October. The meeting comes following an urgent LTTE warning to the truce monitors Saturday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was readying for an offensive in the Northern Front.
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Paramilitary cadre injured in sniper attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 October 2006, 16:56 GMT]
A member of the Razik paramilitary group was injured in a sniper attack by unknown gunmen Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at the Vavunativu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in Batticaloa, said civil society sources.
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Dead body of Mankerni SLA Major located in Panichchankerni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 October 2006, 15:47 GMT]
LTTE Trincomalee Political Head Sunday said the Tigers in Vaharai located 3 more bodies, 2 Sri Lankan troopers and a paramilitary cadre, in LTTE controlled Panichchankerni. A Sri Lanka Army Major who led the crack forces and paramilitaries into Tiger territory, identified as Major W.S.A Wijetunge, was among the dead. Nine bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers were dug up, in addition to the 2 bodies recovered later, and handed over to the ICRC by the Tigers in the presence of Trincomalee District SLMM in Vaharai Sunday. Earlier, Sri Lanka had declined to receive the bodies.
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12 SLA soldiers missing in "Mankerni fighting" - SL Defense Ministry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2006, 16:26 GMT]
Twelve soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been reported missing in the fight with the LTTE in Mankerni area, private electronic media reported Saturday evening quoting defence ministry sources. The announcement comes after a Sri Lankan soldier, who was captured alive in LTTE controlled Panichchankerni in a Sri Lankan offensive towards LTTE controlled Vaharai.
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