Two injured in Kaithady attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 18:56 GMT]
Two persons believed to be members of the Intelligence Wing of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacked by unknown assailants were rescued from an isolated area about five hundred meters from Nunavil Junction in Chavakachcheri with serious knife inflicted wounds, around 7pm Friday, security sources in Jaffna said. The injured were admitted to the Palay Army Hospital.
Full story >>

SLA, LTTE meet in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 16:05 GMT]
Delegations of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday held discussions in the presence of the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde, exploring ways to curb violence in Vavuniya. The Parties agreed to strengthen the dialogue prevent future incidents and to facilitate confidence-building between the parties, according to the joint statement released after the meeting.


Full story >>

Tamils protest holding Governor's Conference during Heroes' week

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 01:30 GMT]
Tamil residents of Trincomalee expressed anger and resentment that the Sixth conference of provincial governors in Sri Lanka is to be held in Trincomalee from November 26 to November 28 to collide with arrangements to celebrate the Heroes Day during the same period, civil sources said. Representations made to the northeast provincial council authorities to postpone the conference have been ignored, Tamil sources in Trincomalee complain.
Full story >>

ENDLF Rangappa gunned down in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 18:04 GMT]
A senior member of the ENDLF, a Sri Lankan paramilitary group based in India, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen in Dematagoda, an outer suburb of Colombo, Thursday evening, Police said. The slain man was identified as Mr. Sonnyboy Occerz alias 'Rangappa'. Police said that little is known about his activities in Sri Lanka. 'Rangappa' is from the small Dutch Burgher community in Batticaloa town.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka army fires into crowd in Vavuniya, six injured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 14:16 GMT]
Six civilians were injured when Sri Lanka army opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd of people at Veppankulam Junction in Vavuniya town Thursday around 5.15 p.m. A civilian was seriously injured in the shooting. SLA troops fired directly into the crowds that were in front of the Pillaiyar temple where earlier in the morning the Thamil Eelam flag had been hoisted, according to the injured civilians. SLA troops pulled down the flagpole, tore up the flag and assaulted people who were in the area.
Full story >>

Mannar situation calamitous- Thamilchelvan tells SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 13:02 GMT]
Head of Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, in an urgent message to Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Maj. Gen (retd) Trond Furuhovde described the situation in Mannar as "calamitous" that will lead to public unrest which is "totally undesirable" during the period of ceasefire and martyrs' day celebrations.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka Parliament adjourned after Tamil MPs protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 12:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Parliament was adjourned Thursday after Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs sat in the well of the house in protest against military attacks on civilians in Mannar. The protesting TNA Parliamentarians refused to allow sittings to proceed until their demand that the Sri Lanka army should be withdrawn to barracks in the affected areas was met. The Tamil MPs rejected an explanation by Minister for Trade and Commerce, Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopillai that the military had no hand in the Mannar troubles.
Full story >>

Fourteen injured as troops attack civilians, MP in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 10:24 GMT]
Fourteen civilians were seriously injured when Sri Lanka army troops indiscriminately attacked hundreds of people in Mannar town Thursday. Tamil National Alliance MP for Mannar, Mr. Vino Noharathalingam and the parish priest for Thalvupaadu were also attacked in the rampage. Hundreds of SLA troops, firing in the air, ran amok in the town centre with iron bars and clubs, pulling down Heroes’ Day decorations and assaulting civilians. They attacked and damaged the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Mannar town.
Full story >>

“Budget ignores collective will of Tamil Nation”-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 05:27 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader speaking during the Budget debate in Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday morning, said that it is outrageous that the Finance Minister did not even consult the legitimate representatives of Tamil Nation. "The right to internal self-determination has been consistently denied to the Tamil people. This budget is yet another manifestation of that denial...Nothing can be more humiliating to the Tamil psyche than the non-recognition of their collective will. This situation if continued can have serious repercussions," he said.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka torture victim slain before court appearance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 18:37 GMT]
G.M Perera, who was tortured in 2002 by Wattala police officers, died at the General Hospital in Colombo Wednesday from critical gunshot wounds he suffered Sunday from an unknown assailant, sources from Colombo said. Mr Perera was to appear in Negombo High Court on 2 December related to the criminal case against the seven police officers.
Full story >>

Troubles erupt over flag in Mannar town

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Mannar town was tense Wednesday afternoon amidst a stand off between Sri Lankan security forces and hundreds of civilians over the removal of a Thamil Eelam national flag hoisted at a sports festival to mark 'Great Heroes' Week. Crowds burnt tires in the town and demanded that the flag be handed back to organisers of the sports festival on the Mannar general play ground. Trouble erupted after some Sri Lanka army soldiers removed and took away the flag, Mannar Police said. Sri Lanka army deployed more troops and armoured vehicles in Mannar town following the fracas.
Full story >>

Tigers dismiss Batticaloa attack reports as SLA psy ops

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 04:39 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers dismissed reports in the Sri Lankan state controlled media that more than thirty LTTE fighters were killed in a landmine attack in the Batticaloa district's interior. "This is clearly another psy-ops gimmick by the Sri Lankan armed forces to disrupt the Great Heroes' Week in Batticaloa", an LTTE spokesman told journalists Monday night. Meanwhile, residents of Batticaloa town said Sri Lanka army troopers had dropped hundreds of handbills in the name of the paramilitary Karuna Group in the early hours of the morning Tuesday.
Full story >>

Pakistan, Sri Lanka discuss defence

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 18:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka and Pakistan agreed to further strengthen their traditional cooperation in defence during high level talks between visiting Pak premier and President Kumaratunga on Sunday. Both sides agreed to review the defence credit line of US $ 20 million ''with a view to its operationalization.'' President Kumaratunga accepted an invitation by Pakistan to visit the country early next year, according to a press note by the Sri Lankan govt.
Full story >>

Police search slain journalist's home in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 16:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police backed by army troops Monday searched the home of slain journalist Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan's home in Batticaloa town. Mr. Nadesan, a well regarded senior Tamil journalist, was murdered by gunmen suspected to be assassins from a paramilitary working with the Sri Lanka army on 31 May this year. His wife Ms. Gowry and children were at home when the Police searched the slain journalist's house. "The children and I are scared and worried. Why are they doing this to us?", lamented Ms. Gowri Nadesan.
Full story >>

Maj. Gen. Tennekoon says no to scrapping fishing pass

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 11:34 GMT]
Maj. Gen. Sunil Tennekoon, Sri Lankan security forces commander for Jaffna, Sunday refused a request by the people of Manalkaadu, a village on the peninsula's southeast coast, to permit them to fish in the sea without the mandatory pass system. Maj. Gen. Tennekoon met residents of Manalkaadu at St. Anthony's Church in the village to discuss difficulties they face. Villagers told them that their biggest problem is the Sri Lanka army's pass system for fishing in the seas off the Manakkadu coast.
Full story >>

ISGA must be basis for talks- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 00:31 GMT]
Speaking at a seminar on "Power Sharing for a lasting peace" held at the Social and Economic Development Center (SEDEC) in Colombo Saturday, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said, "Tamil people believe that an interim administration is an essential prerequisite to embarking on talks for a solution to the conflict...and they will not allow the LTTE to give up the right to secession before the parties reach agreements on the outstanding core issues."
Full story >>

Trincomalee town, suburbs' security strengthened

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 2004, 15:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Police have deployed more soldiers in strategic points in the Trincomalee town and several parts of the district under their control following several violent incidents that had taken place during the weekend, security sources said.
Full story >>

Muddy SLA detour jams traffic

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 17:44 GMT]
Heavy morning traffic on the A9 highway near Omanthai, the main entry point to the northern Vanni region held by the Liberation Tigers, was blocked for more than five hours Saturday after two vehicles got stuck in a muddy side road made by the Sri Lanka army through a private property. The SLA made the detour road to divert public traffic around its Nochchimoddai camp, which straddles the A9 highway near Omanthai.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka says death penalty for murder, narco trade, rape

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 14:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Saturday said it will mete death penalty for murder, rape and narcotics trafficking. A communique from Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga said necessary amendments would be made to the Sri Lanka's criminal law to give effect to the decision. The reintroduction of capital punishment follows the murder of high court judge Mr. Sarath Ambepitiya by gunmen allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
Full story >>

"SLA responsible for VVT killings" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 10:12 GMT]
Mr.C.Ilamparithi, LTTE Jaffna district political head in a statement issued Saturday said that the Sri Lanka Army should be held responsible for the brutal killing of two innocent Tamil youths in Valvettithurai on Friday evening as this dastardly crime had taken place in an area which is surrounded by several sentries and mini-camps of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
Full story >>