SLA fears big fish in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 16:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka army soldiers in Munai, near Pt. Pedro in Jaffna, insisted that a fisherman cut open a large hammerhead shark he had caught Monday to check whether explosives were hidden inside the fish. Fishermen in Munai said that the SLA has ordered that all big fish brought to the shore by them have to be cut open and checked for hidden bombs and explosive devises from Monday.


Full story >>

Hartal in the East to protest arrests

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 14:06 GMT]
A complete hartal (general shutdown) was observed in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts Monday to protest the continuing arbitrary arrests of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres and the killing on July 11 of Mr. Velupillai Paraneetharan (18), a civilian, in Puttur, sources said.
Full story >>

SLN lays condition for beaching crafts in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2003, 16:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Saturday directed the fishermen in Pallappai and Katkovalam in Vadamarachi division in Jaffna district to beach their fishing crafts within six hundred meter area from their positions on the shore enabling them to see fishing boats with their naked eye, fisheries co-operative officials said.


Full story >>

Bishop protests SLA closure of Madhu Shrine access road

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 July 2003, 12:40 GMT]
In a meeting at the Mannar Secretariat Friday on issues related to forthcoming festivals at Madhu shrine, Mannar district Bishop Rev.Rayappu Joseph said that the continued closure of the road to Madhu shrine by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is a human rights violation, reports in Jaffna daily Uthayan said.


Full story >>

Civilians foil SLA's attempt to arrest LTTE cadres in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 18:31 GMT]
Tamil Civilians in the Kidachoori area of Vavuniya on Thursday foiled attempts by Sri Lanka Army personnel in civvies to arrest four Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres and take them to the SLA camp, saying one of the cadres was carrying a communication set, sources in Vavuniya said.
Full story >>

HSZ blocks progress of Hartley and Methodist schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 18:06 GMT]
School development society officials in Jaffna complained Thursday that the progress of Hartley College and the Methodist Girls High School, premier educational institutions in the Northen Province and located in Point Pedro in the Vadamaradchi division, has been set back as these institutions come under a high security zone imposed by the Sri Lankan security forces.
Full story >>

SLA Informant shot dead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 18:02 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen Thursday evening 6.30 p.m. shot dead Fowzie, said to be an informant to the Sri Lanka security forces, at third mile post in Uppuveli area, suburb of north of Trincomalee, police said. Fowzie escaped a preveious attempt on his life, police said.
Full story >>

School reopened in Omanthai HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 11:15 GMT]
"For the many children who were displaced, denied of basic education and forced to eke a living selling nuts along A9, this event marks an important turning point in their lives," said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Vavuniya district Political Head, Sengathir, speaking at the opening ceremony of Omanthai Mahavidyalayam in the High Security Zone (HSZ), sources attending the function said.
Full story >>

SLA increases motorbike patrols in Vadamarachchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 10:49 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has increased its field motorbike group patrols in Vadamarachchi division from Thursday, escalating tension and fear among the residents of the area, civil sources said.
Full story >>

Retrieving Kannapuram from the jungle’s grip

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Kannapuram was one of the most prosperous and rich agricultural villages on Sri Lanka’s east coast before it was ransacked and destroyed by the Sri Lanka army (SLA) thirteen years ago. Hundreds of refugees who are returning today to reclaim their homes and paddy fields from the stubborn clutches of the island’s tropical forests face an uncertain future - a military camp is firmly entrenched in the midst of the village and no funds have been granted so far by Colombo to help them resettle.
Full story >>

SLN search damages fishing boats, SLA constructs new camp

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 15:53 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday searched all fishing boats beached in the coastal villages of Supparmadam and Inbaruty in the Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district, and several boats were damaged during the search operation, fishermen complained to their Fisheries Co-operative Society, sources said.
Full story >>

Amnesty concerned over safety of sexually tortured woman

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 02:57 GMT]
Amnesty International Tuesday expressed concern for safety of a woman who is being held in the remand prison in Kandy, the island’s hill capital that she and her family may face reprisals after six Sri Lankan Policemen, including an officer were charged with sexually torturing her in custody.
Full story >>

SLA calls off search operation due to SLMM intervention

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 15:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Tuesday morning called off its cordon and search operation conducted outside the political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Vadamaradchi division, after the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission monitors in the Jaffna district intervened, sources said.
Full story >>

SLA shifting FDLs inside No-man's zone - Theepan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 13:19 GMT]
Col.Theepan, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Commander of Northern Region has complained to the Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has shifted their Forward Defence positions inside the no-man's zone in Muhamalai, Kilali and NagarKovil areas, tamil daily Uthayan reported.


Full story >>

SLA, police arrest eight LTTE cadres in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 17:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday around 10 p.m. stopped and searched a LTTE vehicle at the Kallady Bridge in Batticaloa and arrested eight LTTE cadres including four women cadres in the vehicle as they were in possession oftheir personal weapons, security sources said. The LTTE vehicle was taken Kattankudy police station.
Full story >>

LTTE to commemorate anniversary of Lt. Seelan’s death

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 16:14 GMT]
The twentieth anniversary of the death of Lieutenant Seelan (Charles Antony), a senior attack commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, will be observed Tuesday (July 15) in the Northeast province on a grand scale, sources said.
Full story >>

SLMM head begins three-day visit to the Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 15:23 GMT]
The Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, Monday began a three-day visit to the Vanni, where he is to meet the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and discuss problems in implementing the ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, sources said.
Full story >>

Resettlement to begin in Meeravodai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 July 2003, 12:07 GMT]
The Batticaloa branch of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) has begun to resettle internally displaced Tamils from the village of Meeravodai inValaichenai district, Batticaloa under the North East Community Restoration and Development Project (NECORD), sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

Cordon and search operations by SLA violate CFA - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 July 2003, 10:47 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday lodged a protest with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) conducting cordon and search operation in civilian areas. "The SLA's action violates the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE," said LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Thilak in a protest note to the SLMM in east port town, sources said.


Full story >>

Names of Tigers killed in Sri Lanka Navy attack released

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 July 2003, 12:30 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Saturday announced the names of 11 officers who were killed at mid sea when Sri Lanka Navy attacked their oil tanker vessel last month. The Liberation Tigers charged that the attack was unprovoked. They said the SLN’s action was illegal because their merchant vessel was sailing in international waters off the island’s northeast coast.
Full story >>