SLA's failure to honor agreement, leaves thousands stranded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 01:43 GMT]
About five thousand Tamil people who came from LTTE controlled areas through Uyilankulam checkpoint to attend Tamil Resurgence Convention Wednesday were stranded in Mannar town when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) failed to honor the agreement to reopen the checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Wednesday, civil society sources said. During talks held earlier at Thallady main camp SLA agreed to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians' request to keep the checkpoint open through extended hours.
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Heavy SLA presence in Mannar on Resurgence Day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 09:38 GMT]
Citizens of Mannar woke Wednesday morning to witness a heavy SL army presence in the town and in the vicinity of the Tamil Resurgence Convention venue where deliberations were scheduled to commence at 4.30 p.m. Large number of heavy vehicles including armoured cars were seen patrolling the area.
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India to train Sri Lanka Police

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 12:37 GMT]
Government of India is to spend nearly US$450,000 in training up to 400 Sri Lanka police officers in the areas of crime investigation including cyber crimes and bank frauds, a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Information department Tuesday said.
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Woman shot dead in outskirts of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Jeyarasa Leelavathy, 37, from Oddumadam, was shot dead around 6.30 a.m. Tuesday by unidentified gunmen when she was coming out of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp located in the outskirts of Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said.


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SLA extends checkpoint hours to assist Convention attendees

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Thallady main camp in Mannar district Monday agreed to extend Uyilankulam checkpoint opening time by more than 2 hours on September 30 for the people from LTTE controlled area to enter Mannar town through Uyilankulam to attend Tamil Resurgence Convention. The SLA agreed to the request when Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, Mr. Noharathalingam and Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan Monday morning met with Colonel Kariyakarawanse and sought assistance, sources said. The SLA also agreed not to deploy soldiers in the vicinity of the convention.
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Displaced threaten hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 10:54 GMT]
More than one hundred Tamil families evicted from their traditional village Gothandar Nochchikulam Vavuniya six years ago by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have demanded immediate resettlement in their villages and have threatened to go on hunger strike if the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) does not facilitate resettlement in one week. The villagers who met the SLMM in Vavuniya Monday morning pointed out that all 109 families were forcibly evicted and made internally displaced refugees (IDP), by the SLA on 14 November 1999 during a military operation, civil groups said.
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TNA parliamentarian detained at Omanthai SLA checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 19:35 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the check point at Omanthai on A 9 highway Saturday afternoon detained Jaffna bound Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian, for about one and a half hours even after he identified him as a lawmaker. Mr.Eelaventhan told Tamilnet that soldiers had told him that they were checking his documents and other related materials on the orders of the Sri Lanka government.
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Tamil training for Sinhala police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 19:29 GMT]
"Majority of the people in the Trincomalee district are Tamil speaking. The police serving in the district should learn Tamil language to promote better understanding with Tamil speaking people and to discharge their duties effectively," said Mr.Raja Collure, Chairman of the Official Languages Commission of Sri Lanka, when inaugurating the Basic Tamil Language Training Programme for police personnel in the district Saturday.
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SLA's pass system burdens Ariyalai farmers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 00:05 GMT]
Discussions on restarting cultivation in more than one hundred acres of fertile land located inside the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ariyalai Jaffna was held in Ariyalai Sri Parvathy Vithiyalayam Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 514 Brigade offiicers including Captain Ruwan, Jaffna Agricultural Department officials, and Ariyalai Farmers Union officials participated in the discussions presided by Secretary of Nallur Pradeshya Sabha, Mrs S Theivendram.
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Youth shot dead in Batticaloa town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 16:37 GMT]
Two gunmen who came in a motor-bike in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) held Batticaloa town shot and killed 25-year old Mr. Velu Kishorkumar near Anthoniar Road at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Batticaloa Police said.
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LTTE-SLMM hold talks in Pallai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 14:20 GMT]
Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday met with Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the latter's district political office located in Pallai in the LTTE controlled Killinochchi district, sources in Jaffna said. Mr. Ari Pekka Nimella, Jaffna district head of the SLMM also met with Mr.Ilamprithi at the same venue on Saturday, sources said.
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SLA troops, Police round up Eravur village, public market

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 09:08 GMT]
Around five-hundred Sri Lanka Army and police personnel conducted Saturday morning a house to house search operation in Thannamunai village in Eravur, 14 km north of Batticaloa. The armed forces also cordened off the Eravur public market and searched the shops and the market compound, civilian sources said.
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SLA soldiers assault Vadamaradchchi fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 07:57 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army manning coastal checkpoints assaulted a group of fishermen Saturday early morning for returning to the shore after fishing before the stipulated time given by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Fishermen of Vadamaradchchi North have been ordered by the SLA not to return to the shore with their catch before 6.30 a.m., Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Co-operative Societies Federation Secretary Mr.K.Suriyakumaran said.
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Nagarkovil massacre victims remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 20:58 GMT]
The tenth anniversary of the Nagarkovil massacre was held Thursday at third milepost in Point Pedro where the displaced Nagarkovil Maha Vidiyalayam is currently functioning. Twenty six students were killed and 40 students were injured when Sri Lanka Air Force's (SLAF's) two Pucaro fighter planes on 22 September 1995 around 12.30 p.m. bombed the school while the school was in session.
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Democratic Freedom of Expression under threat in Jaffna - Gajendran MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 08:27 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament, Mr Selvarajah Gajendran has raised alarm at the detention of a university student and has protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission at the "intimidating tactics" of the Sri Lankan armed forces in Jaffna. Arrest of a Jaffna University student, Friday morning, at the "Crossings” at Muhamalai, sparked off a protest by student community. Gajendran MP and hundreds of students from the University of Jaffna rushed to the spot, freed the student and protested to the SLMM officials supervising the activities at the check-point.
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Expect a new war – newspaper

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 02:06 GMT]
Political events in Sri Lanka are overtaking the international efforts to create a lasting peace and it is only a matter of time before the island’s ascending Sinhala nationalist forces trigger a new war, the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued in its editorial this week. “If Sri Lanka is so preoccupied by dubious questions of [LTTE gaining] legitimacy that it is prepared to allow the disintegration of the ceasefire, what hope is there for negotiations on a political solution?” the English language Diaspora publication asked.


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SLA blocks cement lorry enter Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 10:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Muhamalai checkpoint refused to allow a lorry belonging to Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) taking cement for its rehabilitation work into Jaffna, Thursday morning, TRO officials said.
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Three SLA soldiers, policeman injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 09:33 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at a Sri Lanka Army and Police joint foot patrol wounding three SLA soldiers and a policeman near Iruthayapuram public market, 2 km north of Batticaloa town, Police said. The incident took place around 12:30 p.m Wednesday. SLA soldiers opened fire for 10 minutes following the attack, civilian sources said.
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Pannai Chest Clinic reopens

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 08:14 GMT]
Pannai Chest clinic destroyed during the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation of Jaffna Fort and later operating under trying conditions in private buildings began functioning in a newly constructed building, Wednesday.
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Debate on extending State of Emergency begins in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 08:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament began a one day debate Wednesday morning on extending the State of Emergency in the island for another month. The Sri Lankan Government declared State of Emergency on August 13 following the killing of its Foreign Minister Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar allegedly by a sniper. The parliament convened later to approve the declaration with the support of the ruling party, JVP, JHU, UNP, CWC and NUA, parliamentary sources said.
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