Anuradhapura Magistrate orders remand for 11 Tamil civilians

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 November 2007, 19:24 GMT]
Eleven Tamil civilians including a woman arrested soon after the aerial and land attack of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Anuradhapura airbase are being held in remand in Anuradhapura prison under heavy security. They are residents of Moothoor, Palaiyootu, Gandhi Nagar, Trincomalee and Vavuniya in the northeast provinces.
Full story >>

2 PLOTE members shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 October 2007, 08:14 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead two members of Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and wounded a youth at Murkanoor area in Ellappamaruthangkulam, a village located six km south east of Vavuniyaa town Tuesday around 10:15 p.m., Police said.
Full story >>

Rights group launches campaign against attacks on Journalists in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 October 2007, 08:03 GMT]
Expressing concern on the level of prevailing impunity of the killings of media personnel in Sri Lanka, the Asian Human Rights Commission, citing 11 cases where 12 Tamil media personnel were killed since 31 May 2004 till 29 April 2007, on Tuesday urged the public to write letters to the concerned Sri Lankan authorities demanding impartial investigation in order to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice. "Not a single person has been brought before the court," in the 11 cases, the AHRC noted and urged the public to forward a copy of their appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
Full story >>

Mine blast kills 6 SLA troopers in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 October 2007, 08:28 GMT]
Six Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and four wounded in a mine blast at Kalmadu in Vavuniyaa Friday around 12:30 p.m., initial reports from Vavuniyaa said. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense officials told media said the explosion was "accidental".
Full story >>

Tigers claim Anuradhapura air base attack success, say 8 aircrafts destroyed

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 October 2007, 05:55 GMT]
Twenty-one elite Black Tiger commandos penetrated into the heart of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) air base in Anuradhapura at 3:20 a.m. Monday, destroyed and set ablaze eight aircrafts, including helicopter gunships, reconnaissance aircraft and a training aircraft, in a raid code named "Operation Ellaa'lan," Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. Air Tiger aircrafts joined the attack at 4:30 a.m., providing support in the destruction of the SLAF base, and safely returned to their bases in Vanni, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan spokesman Keheliya Rambukwela said 3 helicopters were damaged, 13 airmen were killed and 18 wounded.
Full story >>

Tigers launch air, ground attack on Anuradhapura air base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2007, 23:47 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) launched an air and ground attack on Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) air base at Saliyapura in Anuradhapura in the early hours of Monday, Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. Meanwhile, military sources in Colombo said two Russian built MI-24 helicopter gunships have been destroyed in the attack launched between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. A pilot, his co-pilot and two engineers who took off from the air base, were killed when their Bell 212 helicopter crashed at Doramadalawa, 13 km east of Anuradhapura, in Mihintale area. An indefinite curfew has been clamped in Anuradhapura. Residents have been asked to stay indoors.
Full story >>

Artillery shelling shuts down A9 entry point

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2007, 18:41 GMT]
The entry, exit point between Sri Lanka Army controlled areas and Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Vanni, has been closed Thursday as the parties exchanged artillery fire, sources in Vavuniyaa said. All traffic through the gateway including ambulances carrying patients in critical condition was blocked as shells exploded close to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) office in the no-man's land, sources in Vanni said.
Full story >>

GS shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2007, 17:54 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a village officer (Grama Sevakar), P. Kumarasamy, 57, at his residence located on Goodset Road in Thoa'nikkal in Vavuniyaa at 7:55 p.m. Thursday.
Full story >>

Witness safety stalls Allaippiddi massacre case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2007, 03:18 GMT]
The main witness to the Allaippiddi massacre, where 13 civilians were allegedly killed by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers in May 2006, informed Additional Magistrate of Kayts, T. Vignarajah, that he has sought safety in Vanni fearing for his life from Sri Lankan forces and that he will be unable to travel to Kayts to attend any court proceedings, legal sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

"Separation inevitable if power continues to polarize with ethnic hegemony" - Mano Ganesan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 October 2007, 13:07 GMT]
Mano Ganesan MP, the leader of the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) and the convener of the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC), engaged in monitoring abductions, addressing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, at the UN office in Colombo, on Thursday, said that the Tamils would be forced to seek separation as the only alternative if the Sri Lankan government failed to satisfy the "Sri Lankan dream," which he described as a dreamland with political power sharing between all the ethnic communities, where there are no places for war, abductions, extra judicial killings and where there is no room for polarization of political power with ethnic hegemony.
Full story >>

Hair-dresser father, son shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2007, 11:19 GMT]
A father and son, both hair-dressers were shot dead in Vavuniyaa by unknown gunmen in two separate incidents 15 minutes apart, the first killing occurring at 12:00 noon Wednesday, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>

FMM condemns expulsion of British media team

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 October 2007, 09:21 GMT]
"Jaffna is one of the most dangerous places in the world today for media and journalism," said Free Media Movement (FMM), a Colombo based media watchdog, stating it was appalled by the gross violation of journalists' rights by the military command in Jaffna in expelling three journalists last week. The journalists from the British Quicksilver Media were traveling in Sri Lanka to produce a documentary for Channel 4 television in UK.
Full story >>

Sri Lankan minister contradicts diplomatic immunity of SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2007, 08:20 GMT]
Sri Lankan Defense spokesman and a Cabinet Minister, Keheliya Rambukwelle, at the weekly press briefing in Colombo on Friday warned the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that their officials and vehicles would be checked at any checkpoints when they travel North. The Sri Lankan minister, by his statement on Friday, has contradicted the diplomatic immunity, provided to the SLMM according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a well-placed diplomat in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Colombo court releases 9 Jaffna youths

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2007, 00:33 GMT]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Tuesday ordered the release of nine Tamil youths, detained in Boosa camp after being arrested during cordon and search operations in Colombo, legal sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Colombo court releases 9 Jaffna youths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2007, 12:24 GMT]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Tuesday ordered the release of nine Tamil youths, residents of Jaffna district, kept in detention in Boosa detention camp. Some of them were arrested in Colombo and its suburbs during cordon and search operation.
Full story >>

SLA blocks SLMM officials at Oamanthai border

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2007, 06:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Northern Region officials scheduled to meet Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Ki'linochchi Thursday noon were blocked from crossing the Oamanthai entry point by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) due to new instructions from Colombo, General Secretary of Liberation Tigers Peace Secretariat, S. Puleedevan, told TamilNet. By refusing entry to the SLMM, Colombo was trying to block the information flow between the SLMM and the LTTE, he charged. Meanwhile, SLMM sources said the monitors had returned after being informed of new routines that involved going through a body check, inspection of vehicles and early enlistment of travelers.
Full story >>

Allaippiddi massacre witnesses fear travel to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 October 2007, 14:55 GMT]
Witnesses to identify Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel alleged to have massacred 13 civilians at Allaipiddy last year did not appear at Kayts Court Tuesday for fear of their lives, Attorney-at-law, S. Remedias, appearing on their behalf, informed Additional Magistrate R. T. Vignarajah at the inquiry into Allaipiddy massacre case. The witnesses, presently living in Ki'linochchi in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled area, fear to travel through Vavuniyaa and then sail from Trincomalee to Jaffna as they are afforded security only in Jaffna peninsula, the lawyer told the courts.
Full story >>

2 SLAF troops injured in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 October 2007, 16:30 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Monday morning at Chaa'lampaiku'lam area along Vavuniyaa-Mannar road seriously injuring two Sri Lanka Air Force troops in a Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier, on their way to Vavuniyaa from SLAF Poovaransangku'lam base. A civilian riding bicycle along the road sustained injuries.
Full story >>

Thousands mourn slain priest in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 September 2007, 20:51 GMT]
Mannaar city stood at standstill and people flocked to the entrance of the city Thursday at 1:10 p.m. while the remains of Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, the Mannar district coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), killed allegedly by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU), reached the city. The reamins were escorted by Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph from Vavuniyaa to Bishop's House in Mannaar as thousands mourned along the way from Murungkan to Mannar. The priest was killed Wednesday when he was taking humanitarian supplies to displaced children in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas of Mannar district.
Full story >>

Artillery duel in Mannaar, hospitals on red alert

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 September 2007, 07:10 GMT]
Heavy artillery streaked from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled Mannaar into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled Maanthai West Monday morning, following a SLA ground operation in Mannaar Vavuniyaa border Sunday evening. The artillery barrage by SLA began to shake the city at 5:30 a.m. The SLA has notified the two hospitals, Mannaar general hospital and Murungkan district hospital, to be put on high alert. Telephone links to LTTE controlled Maanthai West have been cut off.
Full story >>