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30-04-2006 Party leaders support President, reject terrorism All political parties representing parliament declared their unstinted support to President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday at the All Party Conference in the President's resolve to overcome terrorism and usher peace through negotiations. All political parties leaders placed their signatures to a joint statement at the conclusion of the conference for the first time endorsing the stand taken by the President to restore normalcy and the country and usher peace through a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis. The party leaders unreservedly rejected acts of terrorism, the brutal murders and other forms of violence used as means to instill fear in the people, and thereby achieve political goals and objectives.[More] 30-04-2006 LTTE must denounce violence and suicide attacks - EU
Following are excerpts of the interview. Q: What are the observations of the European Union (EU) on the present situation in Sri Lanka? A: I wish to refrain from making any comments on the present situation in Sri Lanka. Co-Chairs and EU unreservedly condemn the attack on Lt. General Sarath Fonseka. We express our condolences to the families of those who were killed in that attack. In our statements, we clearly urged the LTTE to denounce violence and suicide attacks. We understand that the Government had bombed certain clear targets in limited operations. We heard that the situation is now quiet. We do not know whether Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the Red Cross have access to these areas. We feel that both sides should work towards peace.[More] 27-04-2006 Suicide bomber blows up Sri Lanka's peace process By M.R. Narayan Swamy, Indo-Asian News Service Less than 24 hours after India urged Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tiger guerrillas to strictly adhere to the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire, a woman suicide bomber almost killed the island's army chief in a meticulous operation that was capable of being carried out only by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The fireball of red and orange that left Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka battling for life also killed several people, including the woman strapped with explosives and pretending to be pregnant. But the biggest casualty of the Tuesday strike was the Norway-brokered peace process.[More] 27-04-2006 Sri Lanka cease air and artillery strikes on rebels Munza Mushtaq in Colombo, April, 27, 2006, 3.00 p.m.. Air and artillery
strikes launched by Sri Lankan security forces on Tuesday has ceased
'atleast for the time being' with the situation in Trincomalee reportedly
being calm today. The attacks reportedly resulted in some 15 dead and
about 5000 civilians fleeing their homes in fear of being struck. SLMM head Ulf Henricsson who rushed to trouble prone Trincomalee yesterday visited Sampoor and was scheduled to go to Muttur today. He is expected to return to Colombo after which he is likely to meet with members of the Government peace Secretariat and also travel to Killinochchi later to meet with top Tiger rebels. Source-Lanka Acadamic 27-04-2006 US to lead global campaign against Tigers WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday vowed to organise an international pressure campaign against the LTTE in the aftermath of Tuesday's suicide bombing in Colombo. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the State Department was in touch in Washington and abroad with other countries "to bring to bear whatever pressure we can on the Tigers to abandon this course of action" and to look for ways to support the Government of Sri Lanka. Boucher called the bombing, which targeted the Army Chief, a terrible terrorist attack and said it was "regrettable the Tigers decided to restart the war instead of restarting the peace process".[More] 27-04-2006 Coastal
security groups put on high alert The officials said that police would monitor petrol bunks, explosives dealers and LTTE sympathisers. Additional armed personnel would be deployed at the Check posts. The Coastguard and fishermen have been asked to inform police about movement of refugees in the mid-sea, and if possible hand them over to the police. Intelligence Bureau officials, Military intelligence and the state intelligence have been put on high alert and directed to monitor the situation and developments in Sri Lanka on an hourly basis.[More] 27-04-2006 Lanka burning... again? April 26,
2006 26-04-2006 President vows to stand against teerrorism
I address you today at a time, at a tragic time when a suicide bomb attack has been made targeting the Commander of the Army. That the LTTE has unilaterally broken all the efforts towards peace that our government launched amidst considerable obstacles has now been accepted by the entire international community, and all peoples who favour peace. Considering this acceptance as fact, I wish to first emphasize that our government is ready to face any challenge. During the last presidential election campaign and subsequently too, I have repeatedly said that the biggest challenge before me is that of finding a sustainable solution to the yet unresolved issue of the North East, and by this see the achievement of an honourable peace in our motherland.[More] 26-04-2006 Annan condemns Lanka bombing as inexcusable United Nations, Apr 26 (UNI) UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has strongly condemned the suicide bombing at a military installation in Sri Lanka. The bombing killed several army officials and civilians and seriously wounded the Sri Lankan army chief. The UN chief called on the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatists to resume peace talks immediately. In a statement issued here yesterday Mr Annan said ''no cause can justify such acts of violence.'' He also expressed condolences to the families of the bereaved and the government. ''The Secretary-General is disturbed by the rapidly escalating violence on the island, as seen in a vicious cycle of attacks and retaliations that appears to seriously endanger the fragile peace process,'' the statement said adding that ''he would like to again stress that a return to civil war will not resolve outstanding differences between the parties. He calls on the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to summon the political will to resume their dialogue under the facilitation of the Norwegian government.'' -Source-UNI 26-04-2006 What ails Jaffna University? By K. Pandiyan The Tamil community cherishes education (kalvi) and knowledge more than wealth (selvam) or valour (veeram). Education has been the bedrock of the Tamil society in Sri Lanka from time immemorial and the University of Jaffna is the highest seat of learning in the traditional habitat of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, namely the North-East Province. However,the past two decades of internal strife has devalued education in the Tamil heartland dealt a severe blow to the core of the Tamil psyche.[More] 26-04-2006 LTTE Bus Hijack Drama In Jaffna LTTE staged bus highjack drama causing death to one innocent civilian while LTTE suspects escaped the scene. LTTE disguised as passengers taking the bus driver as hostage in Sarasalai, Jaffna last Monday evening reportedly ordered drive towards a security checkpoint, according to sources from Jaffna. When the bus slowed
down at one guard point on the way LTTE suspects inside the bus have
suddenly begun to open fire indiscriminately on the SLA troops serving
the roadblock. Meanwhile, pro LTTE Tamilnet.com claimed that SLA fired at the bus for no reason. However, civilian sources contradict the LTTE version of the story. Meanwhile, one hand grenade and 39 empty cases of 7.62 mm spent bullets from the location afterwards, accord to police. Source-The Independent 25-04-2006 Bomb attack on Sri Lanka army HQ At least five people have
been killed in a suicide bomb attack on the headquarters of the Sri
Lankan army in the capital Colombo, officials say. "A suicide
bomb went off near the army hospital aimed at the army commander's vehicle,"
an army spokesman was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying[More] 25-04-2006 Give national interest top priority
Addressing the media heads at Temple Trees last evening, in a bid to keep the nation's watch dogs informed of the government's stance on the Peace Process, amidst fears of the LTTE's alleged efforts to keep away from the Geneva 2 talks, the President assured that the Government would take whatever efforts needed to get the LTTE back to the negotiating table.[More] 25-04-2006 Sri
Lanka: Government Must Respond to Anti-Tamil Violence (New York, April 25, 2006) - The Sri Lankan government has failed to respond adequately to recent attacks by armed groups on ethnic Tamils and their homes and businesses in Sri Lanka's eastern Trincomalee district, Human Rights Watch said today. Police and other
security forces reportedly stood by as Tamils were attacked on April
12 after an alleged Tamil Tiger bomb at a Trincomalee market killed
five persons. Witnesses said that within 15 minutes approximately 100-150
ethnic Sinhalese men armed with clubs and long knives attacked Tamil
businesses and homes in Trincomalee town and district. Sri Lankan human
rights organizations reported that attacks from April 12 to 16 left
at least 20 civilians dead (including seven women), among them Tamils,
Muslims and Sinhalese. Some 75 persons needed hospital attention for
injuries.[More] 25-04-2006 RCMP
raids Toronto Tamil offices. Surya Bhattacharya and Michelle Shephard- Staff Reports Royal Canadian mounted Police officers raided the Scarborough and toronto offices of the World amil Movement yesterday, sealing off the building with yellow Police tape and carting off boxes of documets.[More] 24-04-2006 If violence not stopped, EU will ban LTTE, British govt warns Sunday, April 23, 2006, 11:42 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka. Apr 23, Colombo: The British government has warned London-based LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham that the LTTE would be proscribed in the European Union if the 'atrocities' committed in Sri Lanka are not stopped. An official at the department in charge of Commonwealth matters in the UK Foreign Ministry contacted Balasingham over telephone and informed him of this warning. It is also learnt that the British Foreign Ministry has expressed its displeasure over the decision by the LTTE to postpone the second round of talks in Geneva, forwarding ‘unjustifiable excuses’. Currently a travel ban on the Tigers has been implemented in the EU, consisting of 25 countries. Low rate crdit card loan for Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus Car Sri Lankan Daily News and Reports 24-04-2006 Sri Lanka fears more ethnic clashes after killings By Peter Apps COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops combed the area around a village in the island's northeast on Monday as the suspected Tamil rebel killing of six Sinhalese farmers raised fears of more ethnic riots. Some 100 people have died in just over two weeks after a series of suspected Tamil Tiger ambushes on the military were followed by attacks on Tamil civilians. In theory, both sides say they are still working toward talks that were scheduled for last week in Switzerland, but are now indefinitely postponed, however diplomats say the peace process seems totally deadlocked and some fear a return to the island's two-decade civil war.[More] 24-04-2006 India 'deeply concerned' over Sri Lanka violence By Indo Asian News Service New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) India Monday said it was 'deeply concerned' over escalating violence in Sri Lanka and urged both the government and Tamil Tigers to strictly adhere to the ceasefire agreement. 'The government of India is deeply concerned that the recent escalation in violence in the eastern part of Sri Lanka which has resulted in the ceasefire coming under serious strain,' an external affairs ministry statement said. It said the Sri Lankan government had conveyed to New Delhi 'its policy of restraint and its intention to restore normalcy in the affected areas. 'We welcome this and call upon the parties concerned to scrupulously adhere to the letter and spirit of the ceasefire agreement,' the statement said, referring to Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 'We take this opportunity to express our conviction that violence is not the answer to any problem and that political dialogue is the only way to resolve outstanding issues. We hope that the parties make every effort with a view to commencing talks at the earliest and taking the stalled peace process forward.' The Indian statement follows a dramatic spurt in violence in Sri Lanka's northeast where mounting violence has killed a large number of security forces, LTTE and anti-LTTE Tamil activists as well as civilians. 23-04-2006 S.Lanka rebels kill 6 Sinhalese civilians -army COLOMBO, April 23 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels kidnapped and killed six ethnic Sinhalese farmers, police and the army said on Sunday, raising fears of communal violence that could lead to renewed civil war. The murders took place in the northeastern district of Trincomalee, where Sinhalese residents attacked Tamil villages last week in anger over claymore mine attacks the army blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)[More]
EU to ban LTTE? by Ranga Jayasuriya and Jayantha Sri Nissanka The European Union (EU) is contemplating a ban on the LTTE in view of the escalating violence in the North-East, a diplomat said. "A ban was on the cards for sometime and the EU is evaluating the events taking place" said the diplomat who requested anonymity. "The recent conduct of the LTTE is a minus point, if, they ever wish to remain legal (in the Europe)," he said. The EU slapped a travel ban on the LTTE last year after the assassination of the Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and said it was actually considering the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. [More] 23-04-2006 Five killed in fresh Sri Lanka violence COLOMBO (AFP) - At least two soldiers and three suspected Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in fresh violence in Sri Lanka, officials said, as Scandinavian peace brokers scrambled to save a fragile ceasefire. Police opened fire and killed two suspected Tamil Tiger rebels who lobbed a grenade at a checkpoint in the eastern Trincomalee district early Sunday, a police official said on Sunday.[More] 23-03-2006 Prabhakaran's war of attrition By Dayan Jayatilleka How many of those who should, actually recall the founding year of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam? Not many, I suspect. It was 1976. Its precursor the Tamil New Tigers was formed in 1972, but the LTTE, the Liberation Tigers, Viduthalai Puligal, was born in 1976. That makes this year, 2006, the 30th anniversary of the LTTE. If anyone thinks that Mr Prabhakaran is going to let that go uncelebrated by some major, if not historic exercise, he or she does not understand such struggles and movements. This would be the year that Prabhakaran launches his Final War; one that has already been advertised among the Tamil Diaspora. In a sense that Final War is already underway, but has not been recognised as such because it is in its first phase or 'movement': an undeclared, one-sided, War of Attrition, the bleeding to death of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces by a thousand ambushes, almost daily attacks. It is Death by a Thousand Cuts.[More] 23-03-2006 Film
review: Talk about a revolutionary No More Tears Sister Sharika Thiranagama, playing Rajani In No More Tears Sister, Sri Lanka's violent ethnic struggles are very much at the foreground of Rajani Thiranagama's life story. The outspoken Tamil revolutionary and renowned human rights activist was slained 15 years ago at the age of 35 because she refused keep quiet. No More Tears Sister captures the passionate reality of revolutionary struggle for Thiranagama, from her idealistic middle-class upbringing in Jaffna, through the development of her strong belief in the equality of all Sri Lankans regardless of their ethnicity, and to her early struggle for Tamil rights and her eventual opposition to armed struggle.[More] 22-04-2006 What Happened in Canada April 20, 2006 at 9:07 pm · Filed under News Analysis by Bheeshmar - Thinakkural - Colombo The Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day of the Neo Conservative government that came into power on the 6th April banned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the 8th instant on grounds of terrorism. [More] 22-04-2006 Bauer keeps talks hopes alive Extends mission seeking breakthrough Rashomi SILVA COLOMBO: Norway is to take a yet another initiative to salvage the truce talks between the Government and the LTTE, with the special envoy staying on in Colombo for a few more days. According to Government Peace Secretariat sources, special envoy Hanssen Bauer was advised by his predecessor, International Development Minister Erik Solheim to delay his departure by a few more days till the LTTE comes into some agreement after their pre-talks meetings. The LTTE on Thursday indicated that it was seeking an indefinite postponement of the talks. [More] 22-04-2006 Call For Immediate Action on Trincomalee Situation (MOJU)A fact-finding team of civil society representatives traveled to Trincomalee on 16th and 17th of April 2006 in the wake of reports of civil unrest in the District.The findings of this mission have left us gravely concerned by the events that have unfolded in Trincomalee over the past week; events which have left over 20 civilians dead, over 30 shops and 100 homes destroyed by fire and over 3000 persons displaced and seeking refuge in schools and places of worship. On 12th April, a bomb exploded in the vegetable market in Trincomalee town, leaving five persons, including one child, dead. Within 15 minutes of the explosion, a gang of armed Sinhala persons began a rampage through the business area of the town, setting Tamil shops on fire, and looting goods. According to bystanders, though the gang never consisted of more than 100 at any given time, there was no reasonable attempt made by the security forces to prevent the violence.[More] 22-04-2006 LTTE has no reason to avoid talks Hindustan Times INDIA : If Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer manages to shepherd the sulking Tigers to the negotiating table, Sri Lanka may be saved what looks like an encore of its 20-year civil war, The Hindustan Times said yesterday in an editorial. The editorial said: "Hanssen-Bauer's discussions with the Sri Lankan Government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leaders yesterday followed the rebels' threat to reject the next round of peace talks in Geneva indefinitely. There's been increasing violence in the island nation since the Government and the LTTE met for the first time in three years in Geneva last February and agreed to strengthen the fragile four-year-old ceasefire.[More] 22-04-2006 Massive arms haul unearthed in Jaffna MADUVIL: A record-breaking recovery of large amount of lethal arms ammunition and mines were made in the Maduvil, Jaffna on a combined search operation carried out by troops and policemen yesterday, the Army Media Unit said. "Troops on Thursday night unearthed 12 deadly LTTE claymore mines, a haul of arms, ammunition and explosives from the compound of a house abandoned by an LTTE Mahaveerar family in Maduvil area after civilians gave information to that effect.[More] 20-04-2006 Tigers put off truce talks amid fresh violence COLOMBO (AFP) - Tamil Tiger rebels announced that they were indefinitely postponing peace talks aimed at saving a truce with Colombo as four more people were killed in fresh violence in Sri Lanka. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer that talks scheduled for April 24 in Switzerland cannot take place until the situation on the island improves. "Until a stable and conducive environment is created, we will not be able to attend the talks," the group's political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan said on the LTTE's Nitharsanam website.[More] 20-04-2006 India worried over Sri Lanka turmoil By M.R. Narayan Swmay, Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) India is seriously concerned over the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka where rapidly rising killings and counter-killings have the potential to suddenly blow up. Even if Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) do meet in Geneva, the understanding here is that there is an urgent need for both sides to rebuild mutual trust. But increasingly even that appears near impossible. New Delhi feels that even if the LTTE acted hastily by refusing to let its eastern commanders travel by a ship from the island's east to the north citing security concerns, Colombo could have been more accommodating. The government first refused to let the LTTE commanders fly in Sri Lankan military helicopters although this had been the custom. When the LTTE vowed to sail in its own Sea Tigers vessels, Colombo warned of serious consequences. Eventually, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) stepped in and arranged a civilian vessel to sail from the east to the north where an LTTE leaders' meeting had been called ahead of the Geneva talks scheduled for this month. But the Tigers called off the travel plans at the eleventh hour, accusing the navy of posing dangers to them. In the impasse, the talks got postponed from April 19-21 to April 24-25. Now there is no certainty even about the latter dates. What is worrying New Delhi is the seeming loss of mutual trust between the government and the Tigers, leading to frictions and statements of one-upmanship, all of which can collectively deal body blows to the fragile peace process. Even as the international community is breathing down hard on the LTTE, with Canada joining countries that have banned the Tigers, the Sri Lankan government seems to be lacking focused plans aimed at resolving the conflict. India has emphasized three points to the Sri Lankan leadership: -A flawed ceasefire is better than no ceasefire. -Do not lose sight of the larger picture of maintaining Sri Lanka's unity, but do not bicker over relatively petty issues; and -Try building a southern consensus to push the peace process forward. But Sinhalese hardliners, both within the ruling coalition and outside, are continuing to go hammer and tongs against peace facilitator Norway and also the shortcomings in the ceasefire agreement. Reports reaching here show that President Mahindra Rajapakse's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the opposition United National Party (UNP) are displaying no urgency to build a "southern consensus" over the peace process. At the same time, the LTTE is in no hurry to go to Geneva, saying the government has not fulfilled the promises it made in the first round of the meeting in the Swiss city in February. These include curbing the activities of an anti-LTTE Tamil group led by its former regional commander Karuna. Colombo denies any links with Karuna. On the other hand, the LTTE has been accused of killing troops despite a pledge in February not to do so. The Tigers of course deny the charge. In turn the LTTE says that security forces and the Karuna group are killing its members and supporters at will. Amid all this mess, the Indian government is seriously worried. Source--Indo-Asian News Service
19-04-2006 SLDF Condemns the LTTE’s Undeclared War and Calls on the Government to Protect Human Rights and Progress Towards a Permanent Political Solution The Sri Lanka Democracy
Forum (SLDF) unequivocally condemns the resumption of an “undeclared
war” by the LTTE. The continuous provocation and slaughter of members
of the armed forces by the LTTE when a ceasefire is being observed,
has also led to the death of many civilians and places the entire civilian
population at great risk. SLDF calls on the international 18-04-2006 Sri Lanka Tigers add new conditions for talks COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said on Tuesday they will not attend a new round of scheduled peace talks in Geneva unless violence against ethnic Tamils stops, effectively adding new conditions for their participation. The rebels pulled out of the talks -- already postponed once and now due to take place next week -- at the weekend in a dispute over the transport of their eastern commanders to a meeting of the rebel leadership. The government has agreed that the commanders can be transported to the rebels' northern stronghold by a private helicopter, but the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) now also want what they call a "conducive environment".[More] 18-04-2006 Tigers use canadian charities as 'fronts' Montreal Tamil office raided; files, CDs, flag seized A "secret" RCMP intelligence report says the Tamil Tigers terrorist group has been using Canadian non-profit cultural organizations to raise money and spread propaganda. The report, which says the Tamil Tigers "maintain ties" with several such groups in Canada, follows revelations police have raided the Montreal office of the World Tamil Movement as part of a terror financing investigation. An Integrated National Security Enforcement Team composed of RCMP, Montreal police and Quebec provincial police spent more than 12 hours at the group's office last Wednesday and Thursday, searching for evidence related to Tamil Tigers fundraising. There were no arrests. "They took some files, and they took some CDs and audios and some DVDs, and our flag, our LTTE flag," said Manivannan Karunananthaswamy, a former World Tamil Movement leader who was present during the police operation.[More] 18-04-2006 Frustrated West seeks halt to Sri Lanka violence
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) With the situation in Sri Lanka sliding from bad to worse, the West is hoping to urgently reach out to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran to halt the spiralling violence.
Frustration has clearly set in among the co-chairs to the peace process - the US, the European Union, Japan and Norway - and other actors keen to see peace in Sri Lanka.
The situation looks bleak for the moment in the island, where attacks and counter-attacks have become routine in the northeast even as the scheduled peace talks in Geneva next week appear to have got indefinitely postponed.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has launched a virtual war across the northeast, meticulously targeting soldiers and sailors with claymore mines that are directional bombs normally the size of shoeboxes.
Although the LTTE is not taking responsibility for the killings - in the same manner like in December-January when too it masterminded similar attacks - there is no doubt among Western countries that the Tigers are the culprits.
These countries also do not discount LTTE allegations that sections of the military and anti-LTTE Tamil groups linked to Colombo are taking part in targeted killings.
"The whole thing is extremely frustrating," a Western diplomat told IANS on telephone from Colombo. "The peace process is simply drifting and very violently at that."
The co-chairs are talking to one another every day, at different places and levels, and there is a feeling that Norway should urgently meet or get in touch directly with the two key men: Prabhakaran and Rajapakse.
Although the West is determined to play it even handed and feels both Colombo and the LTTE should show flexibility, the anger and frustration is now directed more against the Tigers.
"The international community believes the Tigers are behind the majority of the attacks on security forces," said Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), the Nordic body overseeing the wobbly 2002 ceasefire agreement between the LTTE and Colombo.
"Over 70 people have died in attacks and violence in the last three weeks or so," Olafsdottir told IANS. "This puts into question whether there is still a ceasefire."
In December and January, a similar bloodbath ahead of the first round of Geneva talks saw scores of killings, including of about 90 security personnel.
Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim flew to Sri Lanka then and met both the LTTE chief and Sri Lankan leaders, ensuring the Geneva meeting in February.
For most killings the blame was put on the LTTE. But after Solheim's visit, the Tigers began to suffer casualties at the hands of gunmen opposed to them. Again the LTTE has gone on the offensive.
The dominant diplomatic assessment in Colombo is that while the Tigers could escalate the violence, the government needs to quickly come up with a strategy to achieve durable peace.
"The LTTE is showing brinkmanship. They are pushing, pushing and pushing," the diplomat said. "Unfortunately, the government is not showing enough flexibility. It is also turning a blind eye to armed (Tamil) groups."
The second round of the Geneva peace talks was postponed from April 19-21 to April 24-25. The LTTE then said it would not go to Geneva because its commanders from the east were not permitted to sail to the north in line with conditions agreed to by the SLMM. One diplomat dubbed the LTTE argument "unconvincing".
The West also believes that India can do its bit by stepping up pressure on Sri Lanka's two main Sinhala political parties to join ranks to come up with a broad consensus on according autonomy to the Tamil-majority northeast.
At the same time, some in the Western community believe that mere talks, where recriminations and finger pointing related to the past take the priority, cannot work any more.
Another diplomat argued: "It is time both sides seriously discussed possible solutions to the conflict. You can't keep raking up the past. They have to stop suspecting each other over everything. What is happening is ridiculous."
The SLMM was still trying to see whether the Geneva meet can be held, Olafsdottir said, adding ominously: "If the Geneva meeting doesn't take place, we fear things will escalate and we will see more violence than we are experiencing now.
"I think there is still hope. If we get Geneva going there is hope, but if not we fear the worst. It may not lead to full-scale war but we can expect a lot of the same violence. The real losers are the people of Sri Lanka."
--Indo-Asian News Service
17-04-2006 UNICEF asks Tamil Tiger rebels to release
underage combatants after new evidence Associated Press, Mon April 17, 2006 04:24 EDT . BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
- Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) The United Nations'
children's agency Monday urged ethnic Tamil separatists to immediately
release all underage recruits after evidence surfaced that a 17-year-old
rebel was killed in the ongoing violence that has gripped northeast
Sri Lanka - . The rebels began fighting in 1983, claiming discrimination
against Sri Lanka - 's 3.2 million ethnic Tamil minority by the Sinhalese
majority of 14 million. The rebels want to create a separate homeland for the country's ethnic
Tamil minority.
16-04-2006 Srilanka - Who cares for Kadirgamar? When the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, an outspoken critic of LTTE, was assassinated on Aug 12, 2005, it was ascribed to the LTTE almost near unanimously. This surmise was based upon LTTE's past record of killings.In the case of Kathirgamar, this suspicion is well founded because LTTE's had always called him a 'Traitor' who had forsaken his Tamil roots and 'defected' to the ranks of Sinhala chauvinists. (More) 14-04-2006 Tamil Tigers' foreign setback By Ethirijan Anbarasan Canada's move is a diplomatic problem for the rebels Sri Lankan officials and Tamil Tiger rebels are expected to meet in Geneva later this month for a second round of talks on their ceasefire agreement.(More) 14-04-2006 Two Tamil men fatally shot in northern Sri Lanka city of Jaffna(AP) 13 April 2006 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Gunmen fatally shot two Tamil men in northern Sri Lanka, police said on Thursday, as the government eased a curfew in an eastern town hit this week by fatal bombings and ethnic violence.
The victim was identified as Pancharatnam Kuripakaran, 35, a Tamil businessman, the police officer said. The second victim was slain late Wednesday night. Selvaratnam Wijekumar, 25, also a businessman, was shot by two men in the separate attack, the officer said. The motive behind the killings was not immediately known. Meanwhile, soldiers patrolled the eastern city of Trincomalee after fatal bombings Wednesday and subsequent ethnic clashes killed 16 people. A curfew in that city was relaxed Thursday to allow residents to get provisions, and there was no report of further violence, Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told a news conference in Colombo. Source -http://www.khaleejtimes.com/index00.asp
13-04-2006 Manmohan talks to Rajapaksa on SL situation PK Balachandran Colombo, April 12, 2006|23:12 IST According to the Sri Lankan government website, Singh expressed "deep concern" over the present situation in the island. Singh "condemned the recent violence and killings and expressed condolences to the bereaved," the website said. Singh further said that India would extend cooperation to the peace initiatives made by President Rajapaksa.(More) 12-04-2006 US condemns LTTE 'terrorist
attacks' By Indo Asian News Service Colombo, April 12 (IANS) The US has strongly condemned 'the recent terrorist attacks' by Tamil Tiger guerrillas that have left at least 17 soldiers and two policemen dead in five days. 'The US condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent terrorist attacks carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against the armed forces of Sri Lanka,' an embassy statement here said.(More) 12-04-2006 Explosion hits Sri Lanka 's
restive northeastern Trincomalee town, says military Suspected rebels have launched two other deadly attacks in Trincomalee this week. A mine blast struck a truck carrying policemen in the
town on Wednesday, killing at least two officers and wounding two others.
On Tuesday, at least 11 Sri Lankan military personnel were killed in
an attack also blamed on the rebels. Source- Lanka Academic 10-04-2006 Claymore mine blast kills soldiers, civilians in northern Sri Lanka Shimali Senanayake At least five soldiers and two humanitarian workers were killed on Monday in a Claymore mine blast by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Jaffna, the military said. The fragmentation mine exploded on the main A-9 highway in Mirusuvil, Jaffna, as a Sri Lanka army cab and a local non-governmental organization vehicle crossed paths, said Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, military spokesman. The blast was the second in just two days in Jaffna, home to most of Sri Lanka's 3.2 million Tamil-minority. On Saturday, suspected Tamil Tigers exploded a similar mine and opened fire at troops in two separate incidents in Sri Lanka's north and east. A truck with 12 soldiers on board, carrying food rations was caught in the explosion that injured a soldier and a bystander. One soldier and a Tamil rebel were killed when troops and Tigers exchanged fire in a separate incident in eastern Trincomalee, also on Saturday. Violence in Sri Lanka's volatile north and east has spiked since Vanniasingham Vigneswaran, the leader of a pro-rebel citizens group called District Tamil People's Forum in Trincomalee, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen on Friday. European cease-fire monitors have warned the violence could tilt the island toward war and mar crucial talks set for April 19 to save an increasingly fragile cease-fire. Monday's explosion took place hours after Sri Lanka's main international donors met the rebels' political head S. P. Thamislevan in the northern rebel-held capital Kilinochchi to urge the Tigers to desist from violence and to also secure their commitment to next week's talks in Switzerland. Source-Lanka Acadamic 09-04-2006 Tigers kill soldier in the North by Ranga Jayasuriya A soldier was killed and another wounded yesterday afternoon when the LTTE attacked an army post in Kattaparichchan, Selvanagar using mortar and Rocket Propelled Grenades. Security sources said the Tigers fired mortars during the attack which lasted nearly 20 minutes before they retreated in the face of retaliatory attacks by the troops. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir said the truce monitors has been informed of the incident, and they were yet to visit the scene of the incident. In another incident, a soldier and a civilian were injured in a claymore mine explosion in Neerveli, Jaffna. The attack on the army post in Selvanagar came hours after the LTTE accused the security forces of shelling LTTE forward defence line in Ganeshpuram, Kattaparichchan yesterday early morning. Source-Sunday Observer 08-04-2006 Tamil
Tigers outlawed The designation was to be finalized yesterday, a day after Cabinet met to accept a recommendation from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. An official announcement was scheduled for Monday. The Tigers are the 39th terrorist group to be outlawed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the first added to the list by the new Conservative government. The move was spearheaded by Stockwell Day, the Minister of Public Safety, who in opposition repeatedly condemned the Liberals for not outlawing the Tigers.[More] 08-04-2006 Prod Sri Lanka, LTTE to work for peace: scholar By Indo Asian News Service New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) An Indian scholar has urged the international community to push both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger guerrillas to reach a negotiated settlement of the dragging ethnic conflict. Nevertheless, nothing is likely to work in the island nation unless the two sides 'decide to move forward keeping in mind the interest of the people', said N. Manoharan of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (ICPS) here. In an assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka in 2005 and the prospects for this year, Manoharan said in a paper at an ICPS conference Friday that 'serious efforts (would) have to be made towards restarting the peace process'.[More] 08-04-2006 LTTE's
Diaspora Resources Procuring adequate finances lies at the heart of this process of consolidation, and fundraising remains the LTTE's lifeline. A range of front organizations, both in Sri Lanka and among the Lankan Tamil Diaspora, play a crucial role in keeping this lifeline intact.[More] 07-04-2006 GOVERNMENT
CONDEMNS VIGNESWARAN'S KILLING Colombo, April 7: The Government has vehemently condemned the brutal killing of Vanniasingham Vigneswaran, the President of the Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum, today in Trincomalee. On the instruction of the President, Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando, accompanied by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID), had flown to Trincomalee to visit the scene of the incident. The IGP said a special police team would inquire the eye witnesses. The team also would investigate the motive behind the killing. The President has also ordered the IGP to expedite the investigations soon and bring the culprits to book irrespective of their status. While the Government condoling with the bereaved family, it said that it was deeply concerned about politically motivated killings at a time when the Geneva talks are to begin in a few days. According to the Police, Vigneswaran an employee of Bank of Ceylon, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who arrived in a motor cycle when he was entering into the bank. Source-Official News Website of Sri Lanka LTTE front threaten Jaffna Academics with death. Several professors told to leave Jaffna. K.S. Rajkumar, April 06, 2006. Increasing numbers of parents and students of the University of Jaffna are getting frustrated with the disturbing developments at the University after the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor Prof Ratnajeevan Hoole.
Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole was nominated to be the Vice-Chancellor for the Jaffna University based on a majority vote by the University Senate. Soon after the University Grants Commission made the announcement, LTTE front groups in Jaffna began an orchestrated campaign against Prof. Hoole and warned him against taking up the position. The LTTE web site Nitharsanam operating from Norway, issued a chilling warning to Professor Hoole that he will 'receive the ultimate punishment' if he were ever to take up his new position. Several reports quoted Prof. Hoole stating that he received death threats over the phone. In statements issued to the press the 'Jaffna University Students Union' stated that the students will 'never accept Ratnajeevan Hoole as the vice-chancellor'. Furthermore it went on to state that 'He is a traitor for the Tamil cause and should not set foot in our soil'.[More] 07-04-2006 UTHR (J) says LTTE staged TRO abduction drama April 5, 2006 at 4:46 am · Filed under transCurrents by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) has alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization has faked the alleged abduction of seven Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) personnel at Welikande on the Batticaloa - Polonnaruwa border in two separate incidents on Jan 29th and 30th of this year. The UTHR (J) in the special report No 20 released on April 2nd titled “Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Challenges to Human Rights Advocacy” has cited sources close to family members of one abducted person saying that the LTTE has told them not to worry as the missing persons were safe with the LTTE. The UTHR report refers to the TRO abduction incident in the following manner - ” An example of the resulting anarchy is the alleged abduction of 10 TROworkers in the Batticaloa District about the end of January (first two and then reportedly another released). The facts around these abductions remained murky and appeared on the surface a complex plot involving several actors, with the connivance of the state security apparatus at local level.”[More] 06-04-2006 Jaffna residents remember Nallur massacre. K.S. Rajkumar, April 05, 2006.
06-04-2006 Ten Tigers killed: Three Karuna cadres wounded Clashes between Wanni Tigers and Karuna faction in Batticaloa yesterday killed nearly 10 LTTE cadres and wounded three Karuna members. Eastern sources told the Daily Mirror yesterday that clashes which started at Kadjuwatte spread upto Pannichchankeri Bridge in Batticaloa. Source-Daily Mirror 05-04-2006 India calls for 'southern consensus' in Sri Lanka By M.R. Narayan Swamy, New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) India Tuesday appealed for "consensus" among Sri Lanka's two main political parties to take the country's wobbling peace process forward. The idea emerged as Sri Lanka's former prime minister and present opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and held detailed discussions with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan. The subject of what is known as "southern consensus" - a meeting of the minds among the predominantly Sinhalese parties - in Sri Lanka figured prominently in Wickremesinghe's talks with Indian leaders, Indian and Sri Lankan sources told IANS. "The idea has taken a new life since the extremists in Sri Lankan politics got mauled in the recent local bodies elections," an aide to Wickremesinghe said, as the United National Party (UNP) leader rounded off a hectic two-day trip.[More] 05-04-2006 Federal system will will ensure unity in diversity Satchi Sithananthan, Subidcham A federal system of decentralization has many dimensions; it need not essentially be on ethnic lines only. A federal system encourages active community partnership more intensely at the grass roots than a unitary system. This is necessary for Sri Lanka hitherto dominated by the urban elite of Colombo. If there have been active political institutions at the grass roots in Sri Lanka from the dawn of independence, then the unitary system will have some credibility. This has not happened and Sri Lanka is much poorer for it. The elite-controlled unitary system was exploited to such an extent that the country has paid a terrible price. Junius Jayawardene was able to turn it into a vehicle of presidential dictatorship during his regime. Two constituional reforms weakened the position of the minority Tamils, the second of which was directed by the Minister of Constituional Affairs of that time who was a Trotskyite himself.[More] 04-04-2006 'Persons with ambitions but no abilities, stirring Jaffna University crisis' Ananth Palakidnar
Q: How do you see the crisis situation at the University of Jaffna over your appointment as Vice Chancellor ? A: It is a severe crisis without any basis. I was appointed by the Council legally. However, a small group of people instigated by some who aspired to be Vice Chancellor are behind this issue. Q: What made you to go for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna ? A: I have a higher doctorate in addition to my doctorate. I have wider experience working in several countries-Singapore, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Canada and several years in the US, with twenty years altogether abroad serving in various capacities. [More] 03-04-2006 Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Challenges to Human Rights Advocacy UTHR(J) Special Report No: 20 Geneva talks: Thin Pledges, and the Need for Independent Measures Although the country was saved from imminent war by the international community forcing the LTTE to talk to the Government, the LTTE once again succeeded in confining the agenda to issues that it saw as obstacles to its monopoly on power. The outcome brought mixed relief to the country. Most believed that keeping the LTTE talking was the only immediate way to avoid a catastrophe, but few thought talks would do anything but postpone the next crisis. At another time, the location Geneva, and the catch-phrase ‘peace talks’, would naturally have created high expectations. But this time around Sri Lankans had few illusions. They welcomed the talks simply as a reprieve from violence after several frightening months. And most felt quite sure that when talks no longer yielded sufficient gains, the LTTE would use violence to ratchet up the pressure again. [Full Story]
03-04-2006 We are the real winner, claims JVP By Shamindra Ferdinando The JVP Sunday declared that it was the real winner at Thursday's local government polls, a claim vehemently disputed by both the ruling coalition and UNP. The decision making politburo said the JVP contested the March 30 poll on its own and succeeded in polling 822,804 votes (12 percent), beating the previous best 815,353 (9.1 percent) registered at the 2001 parliamentary elections. UPFA and UNP sources said that polls results stunned the JVP."They expected control of several bodies," a UNP MP said. "They were rejected," he said claiming that the result proved that there were only two major parties and the JVP would never be a real challenge. He expressed the belief the President Mahinda Rajapakse would seek the support of the UNP to press ahead with the Norwegian-led peace process. The JVP said that the UPFA polled 3,376,966 (48.64 percent) while the UNP secured 2,413,736 (34.77 percent). The JVP claimed that the SLFP and the UNP received the support of other parties, particularly the SLMC, which backed the ruling coalition.[More] 02-04-2006 Lubanga,Taylor and Prabha: Child recruitment before world court
NEW YORK - The arrest last week of a notorious African warlord on charges of using child soldiers in the current insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could well be a forewarning to the LTTE. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague decided to arrest Thomas Lubanga, a founder and leader of the rebel movement Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC), on charges of conscripting children. Lubanga, the first to be indicted by the ICC purely for the recruitment of child soldiers, is apparently a virtual blood brother of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Perhaps not in the same class for ruthlessness. But under the present circumstances, however, a replay of the DRC arrest is not possible in Sri Lanka for the simple reason that the government has not signed or ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC. The government
is also unlikely to even indirectly initiate any action against the
LTTE fearing it could destabilize the ongoing peace talks in Geneva. 02-04-2006 Work towards peace, consensus, India urges Ranil Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be urged to work for a 'southern consensus' to give a push to the island's peace process when he meets Indian leaders at the invitation of the Indian External Affairs Ministry this week, according to an IANS report by Indo Sri Lankan affairs analyst Narayan Swamy. Wickremesinghe has been urged to work towards a consensus and in the backdrop of talk of a 'national government', according to the report. Meanwhile, there is no significance in Wickremesinghe's visit to India at the time President Rajapakse visited Pakistan, this newspaper learns. The two visits have been entirely put down to coincidence.[More] 01-04-2006 Thumbs-up for UPFA policies
The Chinthana, obviously, has captured the imagination of the people, as perhaps no other development ideology of recent times, and this accounts for the UPFA's massive electoral success. If examined closely, it could be seen that Mahinda Chinthana espouses people - centred development. In the Lankan context, this visualizes an enhancement of the political and economic power of our villages, wherein the majority of Lankans move, live and have their being. In other words, Mahinda Chinthana holds out the promise of reversing the process described in the somewhat threadbare but yet relevant 'Kolombata Kiri apate Kekiri' slogan. Rather than have 'Kiri' or the 'milk' of the development exercise for only our urban areas and the metropolis, the ideology of the Mahinda Rajapakse administration aims at ensuring that both, the towns and villages, partake of the 'Kiri'. In other words, balanced rather than lop-sided development.[More] 01-04-2006 LTTE has no rights at sea: Haukland By Shakuntala Perera The outgoing Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Chief, Hagrup Haukland yesterday said the LTTE had absolutely no right to the sea. He said LTTE threats of serious consequences ofits sea movement was restricted could be mere rhetoric, but even rhetoric has a way of turning dangerous and blowing up beyond control. In an exclusive interview with the ‘Daily Mirror’ just days before leaving the country, Mr. Haukland said: “The waters around the entire island are controlled by the Sri Lanka Navy. The Sea Tigers have no right to the sea, but the LTTE has never accepted it. According to internationally accepted standards we can’t have another naval force at sea and that is a problem we are facing now. But I don’t want to go into details because it is dangerous and can escalate”. He said he was concerned about recent LTTE threats of serious consequences if the Navy was to prevent its movements in the sea. On Thursday LTTE Trincomalee leader, Elilan informed the SLMM that any attempt to restrict LTTE sea movement would pose serious consequences to the Navy.[More] 31-03-2006 Moderate turnout at LG polls Manjula FERNANDO COLOMBO: Yesterday's mini poll recorded a voter turnout of around 55 per cent, making it one of the lowest attended elections in Sri Lanka in recent times. The polls monitors and the Police Election Secretariat rated the yesterday's poll was free of major incidents. As announced by the Elections Department last evening, the overall voter turnout at the poll was less than 55 per cent. In contrast, more than 72 per cent of registered voters turned up at polling booths for the November 2005 Presidential Election. Yesterday's election was held to select 3,624 members for 266 local bodies in 19 districts. Despite the overall slow turnout some districts in the central province recorded a high percentage of balloting with over 65 per cent in Nuwara Eliya. Ampara district recorded a 60 per cent turn out. Colombo district recorded a turnout of around 55 per cent, though the election was not held in the most populous Colombo Municipal Council area. There were over 25,000 candidates in the fray, including 5,272 candidates from independent groups. All the main parties including the UPFA, UNP, JVP and JHU contested the polls. They contested for 12 Municipal Councils, 34 Urban Councils and 220 pradeshiya sabhas. A total of 11,033,363 voters, including 199,615 postal voters, were eligible to participate in the poll. Postal voting was conducted on March 20 and 21. The election was held from 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. at 8,829 centres islandwide excluding some areas in the North and East. The elections to 22 local bodies including Colombo and Gampaha Municipal Councils were withheld due to pending court cases, some against the rejection of nomination papers of political parties by the returning officers. Over 100,000 police offices were deployed to provide security in and around all polling stations. The Police Elections Secretariat in Colombo coordinated the security arrangements. The counting of postal votes began around 7.00 p.m. and the others at around 8.00 p.m. The complete electoral results will be announced today via radio and television. Preference votes will be announced over the next two days. The newly elected local councils will begin functioning next month. Source-Daily News 31-03-2006 The Lorenzo Natali Prize and the Sri Lanka’s little soldiers by Namini Wijedasa Two weeks ago, I won the European Commission’s Lorenzo Natali Prize for Journalism, awarded to print and online writers for outstanding reporting on human rights and democracy. It hadn’t been an easy race to finish. Among those who competed were journalists from top international publications like The Guardian, United Kingdom, and The Hindu, India. Their entries covered high-profile topics of fundamental, domestic and global importance. For instance, a contender from Lebanon wrote on the fate of Lebanese prisoners in Syrian jails. An Argentine investigative reporter exposed how Doe Run – a prominent North American company that deals in lead and metals – was poisoning the blood of children in an underprivileged Peruvian village. A South African journalist delved into Nigeria’s oil wars, a story that is still stealing world headlines. The UK reporter traced the personal histories of Chechen gunmen who, in 2004, had staged a school hostage in Beslan leaving 331 people (mostly children) dead.[More] Tamil Canadians and the Human Rights Watch Report by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The largest concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils outside Sri Lanka is in Canada. More than 250,000 Tamils live in Canada now. Of these more than 200,000 Tamils are in the Greater Toronto area. Toronto is the largest “Sri Lankan Tamil” City in the Global Tamil Diaspora. The Tamil population here is larger than those in North - Eastern cities and towns like Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Trincomalee etc.(More) 25-03-2006 Sri Lanka sailors feared dead in rebel sea blast - Navy COLOMBO
(Reuters) - Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels
blew up their own trawler and sank an approaching Sri Lankan patrol
boat on Saturday, leaving eight sailors presumed dead just weeks ahead
of crunch peace talks, the Navy said(More) 24-03-2006 LTTE violated CFA 31 times since Geneva talks Uditha Kumarasinghe and Rajmi Manatunga COLOMBO: The LTTE has violated the Ceasefire Agreement on 31 occasions following the February Geneva talks, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said yesterday. The Government has already lodged its complaints with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on the truce violations as well as the recruitment of child soldiers and other human rights violations committed by the LTTE, the Minister told the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday. The Minister said the Government is conducting itself strictly based on the Joint Statement it signed with the LTTE in Geneva. "We hope that the LTTE will also stop recruitment of child soldiers and other human rights violations," the Minister said. He said in a situation where a new approach is charted and necessary atmosphere created to resume peace negotiations, the Government as well as the Security Forces are acting with patience and in a responsible manner. Responding to a question, Minister Yapa said there is no doubt there will be another round of talks. "Therefore as a responsible Government we are patiently watching all these developments. The Government has informed the SLMM about all these CFA violations and the shooting incidents. However, we believe there will be a halt to these violations on the part of the LTTE." The Government views these incidents with serious concern. The Peace Secretariat, Government Peace Mission and facilitators will take these issues at the next round of talks, he said. The Minister said the Government is not ready to comment on various statements made by the LTTE with regard to various issues. The Peace Secretariat, Norwegian Truce Monitors and the Government Peace Mission will definitely take up these issues officially. He reiterated that the Government was working on the basis of the Joint Statement signed between the two parties and was doing its best to implement it. Source-Daily News 23-03-2006 LTTE proxies in armed vehicle robberies remanded BATTICALOA: Policemen swiftly moved in and arrested five LTTE proxies involved in a spate of armed robberies of vehicles while all five of them, disguised as 'military personnel' tried to rob one more vehicle on the highway in the Kattankudy area in Batticaloa. Those five suspects in military type uniforms who were also provided two T-56 weapons, two magazines containing 58 rounds of live ammunition,one pistol, one hand grenade by the LTTE, told the Police during interrogations that the LTTE wanted them to rob vehicles from the Batticaloa area and smuggle them into the un-cleared areas. They further admitted to having robbed one lorry, four vans, one motorcycle and a few more valuables earlier from the Kattandudy area and taken them into un-cleared areas on the orders of the LTTE.[More] 23-03-2006 LTTE gunmen flee after firing on troops JAFFNA: Troops on a duty point in the Manalkadu area about 32 km northeast of Jaffna were compelled to open retaliatory fire last afternoon at about 12.45 p.m. on fleeing LTTE men who have directed fire on the troops from a distant place, the Army said yesterday. The troops retaliated and immediately pursued those gunmen and recovered one T-56 weapon left behind by those fleeing LTTE men. One of the gunmen was arrested after an immediate cordon and search operation launched by the troops. However, LTTE firing failed to hit its target or caused any damages or injuries. The Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission was immediately informed of the latest LTTE firing on the troops.
Jaffna Police are investigating. 22-03-2006 India clawing back to Sri Lanka's North East MR Narayan Swamy (IANS) India is slowly, patiently and with a clear agenda finding its way back into Sri Lanka's North East, after having almost washed its hands off the Tamil scene following Rajiv Gandhi's assassination 15 years ago. In just a year after Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran declared in Trincomalee that the "North East is very close to India's heart", New Delhi is making its presence felt again in a troubled region where it once enjoyed tremendous goodwill. Unlike in the 1980s when it was accused of covertly arming Tamil guerrillas, India is maintaining a safe distance from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which New Delhi outlawed in 1992 on charges of killing Gandhi.[More] Defiant
Jo Becker promises to further investigate LTTE abuses of human rights Here is her exclusive interview with the Asian Tribune. Question:You have been the common target of the LTTE in the past too. Are you surprised by the latest attack launched by the LTTE after you presented the report on LTTE extortion? Jo Becker: I’m not surprised. The LTTE typically denies reports of its abuses and frequently tries to discredit the source of any criticism, whether it is an international human rights organization like Human Rights Watch, or even a UN agency like UNICEF, which has meticulously documented cases of child recruitment by the LTTE. [More] 21-03-2006 Sri Lanka navy denies Tiger rebel claim of attack on villages COLOMBO
(AFP)
- Sri Lanka's navy has denied a charge by Tamil Tigers that it fired
indiscriminately at rebel-held villages in the northeast, saying the
incident was a retaliatory strike "From 11:00 am on Monday, Sri Lanka navy continued its attack with artillery from large naval boats along the coast," the LTTE said in a statement on Tuesday.[More] |
The
twenty five member states of the European Union (EU) will soon evaluate
the situation in the North and East and the escalation of violence to
decide on future action. In an interview with Sunday Observer staffer
Jayantha Sri Nissanka, EU Head of Delegation and Ambassador Julian Wilson
condemned the brutal suicide attack on Army Commander Lt.General Sarath
Fonseka by the LTTE. 
President
Mahinda Rajapakse in a statment to Nation yesterday said he would not
cow down to terrorism.
COLOMBO:
Expressing his regret over the escalation of violence in the North and
East and the killing of innocent civilians and children, President Mahinda
Rajapaksa said he wanted the LTTE to come to the negotiating table to
resolve the issues through discussion. 
.jpg)
Tamil
residents in Jaffna mourned the death of 63 Tamil youths who were detained
and brutally killed by one of their the then area commander of the LTTE.
March 30 th, 1987 was the day when Selvakumar Chellasamy, known as Aruna,
a senior LTTE leader in Jaffna brutally killed 63 Tamil youths held
as prisoners at an LTTE detention center in Jaffna. Most of the youths
killed were EPRLF and TELO members who surrendered to the LTTE following
the LTTE's crackdown on these groups. Among the victims were two Jaffna
businessmen who were detained by the LTTE for ransom. Many Tamils in
Sri Lanka and abroad who lost their loved ones at this tragedy refer
the incident as the 'Kanthan Karunai massacre', named after house where
the murdered prisoners were held. 
INTERVIEW:
Professor. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole has been appointed Vice Chancellor
of the University of Jaffna. However a massive protest surfaced at the
Jaffna University over his assumption of duties as Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Hoole expresses his views to the Daily News on the current crisis
at the Jaffna University in this regard. 
The
remarkable victory scored by the SLFP-led United People's Freedom Alliance
at the just-concluded Local Government polls is proof that, once again,
Mahinda Chinthana has been wholeheartedly endorsed by the people.