Maaviddapuram temple Thirukkaarthikai festival celebrated

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 04:41 GMT]
More than 2000 Saiva devotees participated Sunday in the Thirukkaarthikai festival in the historic Maaviddapuram Kanthasuvaami Koayil located in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north on the 20th day of the 25-day annual festival. More devotees attended the Sunday festival to perform religious rites compared to the last two years, temple authorities said.
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Civilian shot, succumbs to injuries at Jaffna hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2008, 19:51 GMT]
A 48-year-old male, father of five, who sustained serious injuries Sunday after being targeted by armed intruders inside his house in Adampan West near Thellippazhai in Jaffna district, succumbed to his injuries Monday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital. His house is located in an area bordering the Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone in Valikaamam North.
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Protection seekers in Jaffna face uncertain future

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 July 2008, 00:21 GMT]
Nearly three hundreds civilians who sought protection with Jaffna Human Rights Commision (JHRC) and kept in protective custody within Jaffna prison premises are facing danger of being removed against their wishes as a result of the activities of a local judge, sources in Jaffna said. Continued threats from in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Intelligence and paramilitary operatives forced many civilians to surrender to the HRC from various parts of the peninsula during the past two years. The SLA has earlier forced protection seekers at Jaffna prison to sign a letter, stating that they were LTTE members, before accommodating them to the centre at Thellippazhai.
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Thousands pay their last respects to Thangamma Appakkuddi

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2008, 15:08 GMT]
More than five thousand people gathered together at Thellippazhai Monday to pay their last respects to the mortal remains of Thangamma Appakuddi, the veteran religious and cultural personality of Eezham Tamils, in the homage paying event held around 12:00 p.m. in the Common Hall outside Thellippazhai Thurkkai Amman Koayil, presided by Aa’ruthirumurkan. Most of the schools in the peninsula were closed before lunch interval while all schools, shops, private and public institutions in Valikaamam north were closed before noon enabling all to attend the funeral.
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Thangamma Appakkuddi passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 18:32 GMT]
Veteran religious and cultural personality of Eezham Tamils, Thangamma Appakkuddi, passed away on Sunday noon, at the age of 84, after bedridden for a few weeks in a stage of coma at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Apart from her religious leadership, Ms. Thangamma Appakkuddi, was a philanthropist and a social worker, caring for the much needed requirements of women and children in a war-torn society. She was an institution by herself. The funeral rites are scheduled to take place on Monday 2:00 p.m. at Kadduppeddi crematorium in her native village, Thellippazhai.
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Protection-seeker shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 June 2008, 06:25 GMT]
Armed men stopped a prison vehicle Friday morning, identified a youth who had been placed under humanitarian protective custody, and opened fire, killing two victims, near Punnaalaikkadduvan High Security Zone area while they were being transported with other prisoners to Point Pedro courts, according to initial reports. One of the victims, S. Leptinraj, was alleged to be involved in the killing of Ms. Maheswary Velayutham, Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) Key advisor, on May 13 in Kareveddi in Vadmaraadchi. Mr. Leptinraj and his sister had sought protection one week after their parents and a brother were abducted and a cousin shot and killed in Karaveddi.
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Civilian reported missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2008, 19:26 GMT]
A 30-year-old man placed in protective custody in Jaffna prison last year due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated paramilitaries is reported missing since 25 May after having gone home for personal reasons, according to complaint lodged by his father with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Monday. The youth was last seen near SLA High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippazhai.
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Jaffna journalists donate books to persons in protective custody

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2008, 17:16 GMT]
North Ceylon Journalists Association (NCJA) officially handed over a batch of books to Government Agent (GA) Jaffna Friday to be distributed among persons placed in protective custody due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said. The persons in custody are held in Jaffna Prison, Kurunakar Rehabilitation Centre, and Thellippa’lai SLA Rehabilitation Camp.
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Justice Ministry Secretary visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 14:23 GMT]
Secretary to Sri Lanka Ministry of Justice and the Director for Rehabilitation, from Colombo arrived at Palaali Military Airport Wednesday morning and returned in the evening, sources in Jaffna said. The Secretary inspected Jaffna Prison where nearly 300 hundred persons are placed in protest custody due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, and also other places related to the welfare of the inmates. Although the Director was expected to inspect the proposed Rehabilitation Centre at Kaarainakar held in Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) control, the plan was cancelled due to undisclosed reasons.
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Torture victims in Jaffna peninsula lack adequate treatment

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 03:02 GMT]
Medical specialists and representatives related to the treatment of victims of torture in Jaffna peninsula who convened Friday at Thellippa’lai hospital, decided to request the medical authorities and International organizations for help in providing adequate psychological cure and follow-up treatment that are lacking in Jaffna peninsula. Security forces and Police are alleged to subject victims after arrest or abductions to severe torture before release, health officers said.
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Youth reported missing in Thellippa'lai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2008, 00:56 GMT]
A Tamil youth from Thellippa'lai residing in the High Security Zone (HSZ) near the Forward Defence Lines (FDL) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been reported missing since Monday morning, the victim’s father stated in a complaint lodged with office of Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC), sources said.
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Jaffna census details released

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 01:21 GMT]
608,916 civilians belonging to 180,216 families reside in areas under the administration of 15 District Secretary (DS) areas in Jaffna peninsula, a report released Wednesday by Jaffna secretariat said.
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SLA delays WB official access to school in Thellippazhai HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 15:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops deployed at the entrance to the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippazhai initially refused to allow the World Bank (WB) resident representative for Sri Lanka and Education Directors to enter Thellippazhai Union College located in the HSZ Tuesday. They were let in only after the World Bank representative said that he may have to refer the matter to the Secretary of Defence, sources in Jaffna said. The team of officials, after attending a meeting Tuesday on alleged malpractices in the free meal scheme of World Bank at the Jaffna Secretariat, were on their way to inspect the site of the scheme in Union College.
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7 more inmates surrender to SLA in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 18:52 GMT]
Seven men held in protective custody in Jaffna prison have surrendered to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and been placed in the newly opened SLA Rehabilitation Centre at Thellippa’alai, a SLA media report issued Friday said. 47 persons had earlier been placed in the Rehabilitation Centre,
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2 civilians seek protection with HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2008, 04:20 GMT]
Two civilians from Puththoor Navakkiri and Chaavakachcheari areas sought protection Monday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats by Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, 44 persons placed in protective custody of Jaffna Prison have been taken to the SLA Special Rehabilitation Centre in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippa’lai, the sources added.
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Jaffna SLA commander calls upon LTTE cadres to surrender

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2008, 04:34 GMT]
Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, the Head of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the North in a media communiqué released Tuesday night called upon the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres operating in the peninsula to surrender themselves at the military bases in the peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
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Trader, son seek protection with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 14:10 GMT]
A trader and his 20-year-old son from Thenmaraadchi sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Tuesday due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries. Number of people seeking HRC protection from Thenmaraadchi area has risen sharply in the recent past, HRC sources said.
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Extortion by SLA suspected in release of Jaffna youths- MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 00:27 GMT]
Family members of 44 youths who were recently allowed to leave Jaffna prison have complained to a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian that they had paid sums of up to Rs.70,000 to brokers acting as intermediaries between the relatives and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel in Jaffna, to obtain the youths' release. Meanwhile, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, claimed that the youths had confessed to being members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and had accepted to undergo rehabilitation at the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Thellippa’lai, under SLA supervision.
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Keerimalai Nakuleasvara temple festival begins Friday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 05:27 GMT]
The annual festival of the historical Keerimalai Nakuleasvara Saiva temple located in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) will begin on Friday and continue until 7 March, and the SLA command in Jaffna will allow devotees to go through its check posts in Cheanthaangku’lam and Thellippazhai SLA Front Defence Line (FDL) area in Valikaamam north, the chief priest of the temple, Rajaraja Sri K. Nakuleaswara Kurukkal said.
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4 Thenmaraadchi civilians seek protection, IDP reported missing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 February 2008, 16:31 GMT]
Three persons from the same family and a driver from Thenmaraadchi sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries. Meanwhile, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) from Thellippazhai Cheeriyam Pu'liyadi IDP refugee camp is feared to have disappeared after entering the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) check point in Thellippa'lai, according to a complaint made with HRC Jaffna Wednesday.
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