Human Rights Commission officials visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Five commissioners of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) led by its Chairperson Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy Monday visited Jaffna and held discussions with the Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Sunil Tennekon, representatives of the Jaffna District Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations (JDCNO), Civil Groups and Jaffna Bishop Rt.Rev Dr Thomas Soundaranayagam regarding several problems confronting the people of the district from high security zone to accidents involving army vehicles.
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Thousands march in Pottuvil against buffer zone

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:16 GMT]
Around ten thousand protesters from all three communities from Pottuvil to Panama, jointly marched Monday morning from 8.00 AM to 12.00 AM demanding the removal of the 200 meter buffer zone. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the different restrictions, 38 meter buffer zone in Hambantota in the South as opposed to the 200 meter buffer zone imposed in NorthEast. The protest march organised by Pottuvil All Community Forum was backed up by a widely observed hartal. All shops in Pottuvil remained closed. Residents setup road blocks and burnt tires across major roads. Security was beefed up in Pottuvil by the Police, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Special Task Force (STF) soldiers.
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Karuna Group cadre shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 09:01 GMT]
Paramilitary Karuna Group cadre, Mr. Karuwathamby Packiyarajah (48), was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen Sunday night. Valaichenai Police recovered the dead body Monday morning in Aalankulam in Valaichchenai. The assailants had used a T-56 assault rifle to gun down the paramilitary cadre, according to the Police.
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SLA troopers attempt to enter LTTE office in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 June 2005, 18:32 GMT]
Around hundred Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers together with paramilitary cadres from Razeek Group entered the premises of the LTTE administrative office at Thamaraikerni in Batticaloa town Saturday night around 11.30 PM. However, LTTE officials did not allow the soldiers to enter the office building till the arrival of truce monitors, Deputy Head of Batticaloa-Amparai Political Wing of the LTTE, Mr. Daya Mohan, told TamilNet. The sudden siege by the SLA soldiers with the presence of paramilitary cadres, "in contradiction to the terms of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) was aimed at provoking the Tigers", he charged.
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Army sentry burnt down in Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 June 2005, 03:57 GMT]
Unidentified group of youths Friday night around 7.30 p.m. set fire to a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry located in Mirusuvil-Puttur junction in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district, Chavakachcheri Police said.
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Two Tamil youths shot by Sri Lankan Air Force in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 12:46 GMT]
Two Tamil youths, identified as Mr.Ravi and Mr.Sathyaseelan, have been admitted to Trincomalee General Hospital with serious gunshot injuries after being fired on by Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) personnel at Mitsubishi Cement Factory in Chinabay, 10 km off Trincomalee town, sources said.
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Profile of a shadow war veteran

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 01:02 GMT]
The veteran intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nizam Muthaliff, was a central figure in the atrocity-punctuated paramilitary aspects of the counter-insurgency campaign against the LTTE in the early nineties then had a critical role in the deep penetration attacks on LTTE commanders and officials, the Tamil Guardian reported Wednesday.
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Colombo holds key to restore normalcy, says LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 14:51 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka has a moral responsibility to demonstrate its serious commitment to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and its will to maintain the integrity of the CFA by delivering on it in terms of its obligation to restore normalcy, Mr. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Head of Political Division, told Swiss Ambassador Mr.Bernadino Reggazzoni on Thursday in a meeting in Kilinochchi. LTTE's Political Head expressed fear over the state of the CFA in the context of "fanatical elements" trying to cash in on a volatile situation in Trincomalee and Vavuniya, the LTTE Peace Secretariat website reported.


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Sri Lanka under pressure over aid fiasco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 14:44 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Wednesday denied claims that her government was mishandling billions of dollars donated by the international community to help Sri Lanka recover from December's devastating tsunami, press reports said. Meanwhile Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar denied that unwieldy bureaucracy and a lack of professionalism was to blame for the delays in post tsunami relief.
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Minibus carrying students escapes landmine blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 12:18 GMT]
A minibus carrying more than 70 students travelling to participate in Tamileelam Students Uprising Day in Kaludavalai from LTTE controlled Pankudaveli in Batticaloa narrowly escaped a Claymore landmine attack at 8.30 AM on Thursday. The incident took place 100 meters from a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint at Koduvamadu in Chenkallady-Badulla Road.
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TELO's Vavuniya TV retransmission station attacked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 01:07 GMT]
Sun Television retransmission station in Vairavarpuliyankulam in Vavuniya district operated by cadres of Tami Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) was attacked with hand grenades by unidentified attackers at 1.45 AM Thursday morning, causing damages worth Rs 1 million to equipment.
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SLA, Police agree to remove Buddha statue in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:31 GMT]
After a visit to the Omanthai Pillaiyar Temple grounds Wednesday by Vanni district parliamentarians Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Mr.Sivasakthi Ananthan and Mr.Sivanathan Kishore and LTTE Vavuniya district deputy political head Mr.Dharmendra accompanied by Vavuniya Police Officer in charge Mr. Abeyasinghe Bandara, TNA parliamentarian Adaikalanathan said that the Police and the Army have agreed to remove the Buddha statue from the Hindu temple grounds, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Funeral of Major Muthalif held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 June 2005, 11:15 GMT]
Funeral of high ranking Military Intellligence Commanding Officer Major Mutalif (39), who was assassinated Monday by unidentified gunmen was held Wednesday morning at Dehiwela Mohideen burial grounds with full military honors, sources in Colombo said.
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USAID helps rebuild Jaffna psychiatric ward

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 June 2005, 10:56 GMT]
US Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided a grant of US$225,000 to rehabilitate a new psychiatric wing at the Tellipalai Hospital in Jaffna, a press release issued by the US Embassy in Colombo said. USAID is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States.
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Economic embargo imposed in Batticaloa, Vaharai residents protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 17:14 GMT]
Large number of residents of Vaharai division in the Batticaloa district Tuesday morning staged a peaceful protest march demanding the withdrawal of economic embargo imposed recently by the Sri Lankan military, sources said. Last several days soldiers manning checkpoints in Batticaloa have been blocking civilians from transporting cement, building materials, fuel and other essential materials to the villages of Panichchankerni, Paalchenai, Kathiraveli, Kandalady, Uriyankattu and Mankerni which are located in LTTE controlled Vaharai division.
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Buddha statue installed in Omanthai Pillayar temple grounds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Omanthai camp has erected a three foot statue of Buddha in the grounds of Omanthai Pillayar temple in Vavuniya last March, according to local residents. The custodian priest of the Pillaiyar temple fled the area after the soldiers harassed him to hand over the land deeds, residents further said. All residents living close to the temple have been forcibly photographed by the SLA and have been warned against tampering with the statue. Residents say that no one goes near the statue out of fear of the soldiers.


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Bindunuwewa massacre will not be the last - AHRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Condemning the Sri Lankan state’s failure punish those responsible for the 2000 massacre of Tamils held at the Bindunuwewa detention facility, the Asian Human Rights Commission Tuesday said “Sri Lankan system of justice is guilty of ensuring immunity for offenders.” As a consequence, the Hong Kong based group warned: “this massacre was not the first of its kind, and will certainly not be the last.”
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UNP in major drive for activists - paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 02:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), which is gradually building up its campaign for the next presidential election, has launched a major campaign to mobilize a 150,000 strong activist force to bolster its vote base, Sunday Times reported this week.
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Coercive Airpower in the Eelam Conflict- Taraki

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 00:11 GMT]
The article on the use of airpower in Eelam conflict written by late Dharmeratnam Sivaram that appeared in the 19 May 1991 issue of the Island gains added significance in view of recent controversy over Liberation Tigers’ alleged possession of Czech made Zlin type Z-143 aircraft. Full text of the article is reproduced in this feature.


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Journalists wear blackband, remember slain colleague

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 14:01 GMT]
More one hundred media personnel, covering their mouths with black bands and carrying August flowers in their hands, gathered Sunday in front of the Parliament building at 3.00 PM despite heavy showers to show their respect to murdered military analyst and popular journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram who was killed a month ago, sources said.
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