SLN, EPDP intimidate LLRC witnesses in Jaffna islets

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2010, 10:57 GMT]
Members of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Intelligence Unit and of the Eealam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Sunday intimidated many potential witnesses who were planning to appear before the Lesson Learnt & Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) during its sessions in the SLN controlled islets of Jaffna, persons present at the sessions said. Some government officials too are alleged to have assisted the intimidators. A press reporter who had filmed a man intimidating one of complainants had threatened the reporter with death and when this was brought to the attention of the head of LLRC with the assistance of the officials of American and Norway officials present at the site, the man was arrested by the police who recorded his statement and let him free, the sources added.
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Thanthai Chelva memorial monument site in Jaffna vandalized

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2010, 12:29 GMT]
The unruly Sinhala tourists who stormed into Jaffna Public Library Saturday are suspected to have vandalized the premises of Thanthai Chelva (Late Mr. S. J. V. Chelvanayagam) memorial monument located next to Jaffna Public Library, according to Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) circles in Jaffna. The plantain and coconut trees in the premises were found cut down and the flower plants in the premises trampled and damaged in acts of vandalism, they said. They alleged that on earlier instances the decorative palms in the premises had been plundered by Sri Lanka Armed Forces men and that some of them are now found planted in front of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) base in the islets of Jaffna.
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2 fishermen arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 October 2010, 05:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) occupying the islets of Jaffna arrested two fishermen on the seas of Ma’ndaitheevu in the islets of Jaffna Saturday for possessing an explosive device, sources in Jaffna said. The device is said to be a part of one of the unexploded shells found during war. The fishermen intended to use it in catching fish. SLN handed the fishermen to Jaffna police station where they are detained.
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Human corpse washed ashore in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 October 2010, 10:45 GMT]
Oorkaavattu’rai police recovered a highly decomposed human body which had been washed ashore Wednesday night near the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) base in Ma’ndaitheevu in the islets of Jaffna. The body is so decomposed that it is unable to determine its gender, the police said. The islets of Jaffna are under the total control of SLN. Police handed over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary where it remains unclaimed by anyone, hospital sources said.
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Vadamaraadchi fishermen complain of intrusion by Sinhala fishermen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 October 2010, 05:29 GMT]
Fishermen in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupied areas in Vadamaraadchi East in Jaffna peninsula accused the SLA officials for bringing in Sinhala fishermen from South who catch sea cucumber and conch shells in great quantities in the seas of Kudaththanai and Ma’natkaadu where local fishermen are not permitted to fish freely by the SLA. The Sinhala fishermen, numbering from 600 to 800 occupy the houses of local people who are not allowed to resettle in their houses by the SLA authorities, Vadamaraadchi Fishermen Society representatives said.
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Sri Lankan police fail to protect harassed female ex-combatant

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2010, 09:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka police in Veala’nai in the islets of Jaffna have ignored the complaints made by a former underage female member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on attempts made by a gang of ten men on 09 October to abduct and sexually abuse her in her relative’s house in Veala’nai. IOM and UNICEF officials who had facilitated her release from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention camp and placed her in the custody of her relatives too have not taken steps to protect her from being intimidated by her tormentors even in Jaffna Teaching Hospital where she is admitted for treatment, the girl said. The family members who had given her refuge had been attacked by the gang and injured when they tried to protect the girl.
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USTR explores investment possibilities in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 October 2010, 06:52 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ambassador to United States, Jaliya Wicramasuriya brought a team of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asian Development Tuesday to Jaffna to explore into the possibility of trade investments in Jaffna peninsula. The USTR team met the representatives of Jaffna Traders Association and Sri Lanka National Chamber of Commerce in Jaffna Public Library Tuesday. Northern Province Governor Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda and Jaffna Mayor were some of the persons who were present in the meeting. US is also trying to initiate its trade activities in Jaffna peninsula which is already teeming with show rooms displaying Indian products while imported Chinese goods are available in large quantities in Jaffna peninsula and Vanni, Jaffna Traders Association circles said.
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Resettled families in Jaffna peninsula abandoned by SL government

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2010, 05:56 GMT]
Non-government Organizations in Jaffna peninsula accuse Sri Lanka government to have abandoned most of the uprooted families resettled in Jaffna peninsula without providing them adequate assistance for rehabilitation. 82,000 uprooted persons had been resettled in Jaffna peninsula so far, according to Jaffna Secretariat statistics. Meanwhile, nearly 100,000 persons uprooted from Valikaamam North High Security Zone of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) twenty years ago continue to stay with their relatives, friends and in camps not allowed by SLA to resettle in their own properties.
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Jaffna peninsula fishermen exploited by SL government men

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 September 2010, 02:26 GMT]
Some influential Sri Lanka government politicians and Sinhala traders from South are exploiting the fishermen of Jaffna peninsula not allowing them to take their catches South for sale, Fisheries Societies in Jaffna peninsula accuse. Fish now being caught in large quantity exceed local consumption and the fishermen are forced to dry them as the export to South is a monopoly of SL government politicians like SL Minister Douglas Devananda and his supporters, they said.
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SL government allocates land for star hotel in Jaffna to private company

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 August 2010, 08:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka government has allocated land in Chiruththeevu in the islets of Jaffna occupied by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to a private company to build a five star hotel, sources in Jaffna said. SLN continues to refuse permission to local fishermen to fish in Chiruththeevu area which includes Ma'ndaitheevu, Poonakari and Jaffna lagoon.
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Gangs of thieves from South invade Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 August 2010, 15:45 GMT]
Jaffna district Superintendent of Police (SP), Neville Pathmadeva, said that gangs of thieves and robbers had infiltrated into Jaffna peninsula from the Southern parts of Sri Lanka with the motive of stealing and robing during the Hindu temple annual festival season which has begun in Jaffna peninsula according to information received by him, in a press meet he held in Jaffna town Sunday. Meanwhile, local NGOs circles said that deserters from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) are the key persons in these gangs who befriend the SLA soldiers located in Jaffna peninsula to get information and particulars from them to rob houses in the peninsula.
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SLA refuses to open key roads in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 05:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Jaffna peninsula continues to refuse to open the key roads which it had closed for public use despite repeated requests by governemnt departments, NGOs and public organizations, sources in Jaffna said. The same situation prevails in allowing uprooted families to settle in their properties appropriated by SLA as High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North. It is alleged that the conflict of interests in these two matters between Northern Province Governor, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandarasiri and SLA Jaffna Commander, Major. Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe is the cause of the issues.
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Intestines of nurse killed in Veala’nai exhumed, sent to Colombo JMO

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 2010, 14:57 GMT]
The intestines of the family consultant nurse Saravanai Tharsika alleged killed by Sinhala doctor Priyantha Senivaratne in Veala’nai hospital, removed after post mortem examination in Jaffna Teaching Hospital and buried in Koddadi cemetery before her body was handed over to her family, were exhumed Friday in the presence of Oorkaavattu’rai magistrate and Jaffna Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) and sent to Colombo JMO on request, sources in Jaffna said.
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Body of nurse killed in Veala’nai exhumed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 19:07 GMT]
The body of the family consultant nurse Saravanai Tharsika allegedly killed by Sinhala doctor Priyantha Seniviratne in Veala’nai government hospital in the islets of Jaffna 10 July and buried in Kaithadi Hindu crematorium grounds was exhumed Wednesday in the presence of Oorkaavattu’rai magistrate under the direction of Judicial Medical Officer, sources in Jaffna said.
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Male corpse washed ashore in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2010, 06:03 GMT]
Fishermen in Nedunththeevu (Delft) in the islets of Jaffna going fishing Friday morning found a naked male body washed ashore and informed Nedunththeevu police. The body covered with injuries is suspected to be one of the Tamil Nadu fishermen killed by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on Indian seas some days ago, police sources said. Some corpses had also been washed ashore in Mannaar area few days ago.
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Court orders exhumation of the body of nurse killed in Veala’nai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 July 2010, 15:51 GMT]
Oorkaavattu’rai magistrate Tuesday ordered the body of the family consultant nurse Saravanai Tharsika allegedly killed by Sinhala doctor Priyantha Seniviratne in Veala’nai government hospital in the islets of Jaffna 10 July to be exhumed and sent to Colombo Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) for fresh medical examination as the victim’s mother had said that she suspects her daughter was sexually abused before being killed, in a petition filed Monday, sources in Jaffna said. Arrangements are being made to exhume the body 28 July buried in Kaithadi Hindu crematorium grounds. Tharsika’s mother had said in her petition that she does not have faith in the medical examination being conducted in Jaffna. Meanwhile, it is claimed that the suspect Sinhala doctor was attacked by Tamil inmates in Jaffna prison when he was detained in the prison 13 July, the sources added.
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Death threats to family of nurse killed in Veala’nai government hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 2010, 16:16 GMT]
The mother of Sravanai Tharsika, the family consultant nurse allegedly killed by a Sinhala doctor in the islets of Jaffna, complained in Oorkaavattu’rai magistrate court Monday that unidentified persons on motor cycles had come to her house several times and threatened her and her family with death if they pursue in any way with the case of Tharsika’s killing, sources in Oorkaavattu’rai said. Tharsika’s mother also filed a petition through a lawyer Monday to Oorkaavttu’rai court seeking exhumation and fresh medical examination of her daughter’s remains as she believes Tharsika was sexually abused before being killed. She had added in the petition that she does not believe the medical examination report of Tharsika’s body submitted and requested the fresh medical examination report to be submitted in the court, the sources added.
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Plans afoot to transfer Sinhala doctor suspect out of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 July 2010, 16:25 GMT]
Intention of taking the Sinhala doctor suspected in the killing of Tharsika in Veala’nai government hospital out of Jaffna peninsula came to light when Oorkaavattu’rai police requested permission from Magistrates court to transfer the case to Anuradapura court Thursday claiming safety of the suspect, legal sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Jaffna prison authorities and Oorkaavattu’rai police Thursday submitted contradicting reports in Oorkaavattu’rai court on why the suspect was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) Wednesday night. Prison authorities’ report said that the suspect was suffering from chest pain while the police report said that the suspect had sustained physical injuries in the prison.
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Attempts to safeguard Sinhala doctor suspected in murder exposed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2010, 18:56 GMT]
The Sinhala doctor arrested by police Tuesday suspected of involvement in the killing of Tharsika from Charava'nai, a family consultant nurse Saturday in Veala’nai government hospital in the islets of Jaffna, was produced in Oorkaavattu’rai magistrate court Wednesday. Magistrate Vasanthasenan directed the police to place him in Jaffna Remand prison until 21 July. The police, instead of taking the suspect to the prison, admitted him to the Intensive Care Unit in Jaffna Teaching Hospital Wednesday night claiming that he had been injured in the attack by Veal’nai residents Saturday. This turn of events reveals the attempts taken by influential politicians and top government officials to safeguard the Sinhala doctor, legal society sources in Jaffna said.
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