யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

Sri Lanka troops responsible for killing 17 aid workers: AFP/File Photo: Flowers and candles are offered for the 17 slain workers from the French charity Action... COLOMBO (AFP) - Nordic truce monitors in Sri Lanka have said that government forces were responsible for the killing earlier this month of 17 local employees of the French charity Action Against Hunger. The Swedish-led monitors of a 2002 ceasefire also said in a statement Wednesday that Sri Lankan troops blocked their access to the northeast town of Muttur in a bid to conceal the mass killing. "The killing of the 17 civilian aid workers in Muttur on the 4th of August 2006 is …

13 Sri Lanka s Tamil Tiger rebels arrested in Indonesia: report The Indonesian police claimed Wednesday it has arrested 13 suspected members of Sri Lanka's separatist group Tamil Tiger during a recent raid in the southern Java coast. The raid targeted a group of 20 men who stayed at a small hotel in Pandeglang regency, Banten province, about 100 km southwest of Jakarta, reported the national Antara news agency. A police spokesman was quoted as saying seven members of the group escaped the raid but search is underway. "Most of them are young people with muscular bodies and crew cut hair," said Banten police spokesman Sen. Commr. Sudar…

Rajapakse seeking UK's help to secure India's support - Norwegian radio 2ND LEAD Rajapakse seeking UK's help to secure India's support - Norwegian radio [TamilNet, August 30, 2006 09:07 GMT] Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's meeting Wednesday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair is "presumably an attempt to secure India's support in favour of Sri Lanka's policy" on the ethnic question Norwegian state radio reported, citing Oslo's Special Envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer. Jon Hanssen-Bauer Contrary to the Norwegian conflict-resolution approach, the Sri Lanka government's policy seeks to internationally isolate the Liberation Tigers of Tamil E…

UNICEF says the Karuna group is conscripting children, with 30 cases verified in one week in June alone. "What we have seen is recruitment by a new faction, the Karuna faction, with fairly significant numbers recruited between the months of April and June," said JoAnna VanGerpen, the UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka. "It was off in July but now we're hearing new reports again of recruitment. This is a very unfortunate development." Ross from Human Rights Watch says it is very worrying that the government apparently is complicit in the Karuna group's conscripting of children. "The fact that abductions appear to be taking place in Batticaloa area by th…

Rajapakse invites UNP as Norway, India meet Wickremesinghe Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday invited the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to join his government, press reports said Sunday. In a letter to the UNP leadership, President Rajapakse had called on the opposition to join his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led government so as to resolve the ‘crisis’ in Sri Lanka, The Sunday Leader broadsheet said. Days after two up-country Tamil parties joined the government, President Rajapakse is also courting the main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the paper added. The President’s letter had been sent Friday to UNP Depu…

Urgent Appeal from Jaffna nandmana@sltnet.lk to ajeevan An independent group of Catholic Priest (who wish to remain anonymous) who are working with the people in dire need on a humanitarian basis regardless of the curfew imposed would like to disseminate the following information and would like to place an urgent appeal to the international community especially the European Union, Co-Chairs, and Peace envoys of Norway and Japan. This urgent appeal comes to the conscience of the world from the war-torn Jaffna city. The present critical situation started on the 11th Friday at 06.45 p.m. Within the last six days the situation deteriorated drastically and …

Pakistan ‘guiding’ Sri Lanka’s war A group of Pakistan Air Force officers stationed in Colombo have been guiding the Sri Lankan military in carrying out air-mounted operations against the LTTE, a former counter-terrorism chief of India’s External intelligence says. The Pakistani officers have also been involved in drawing up plans for a decapitation airstrike with bunker-buster bombs to kill LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan, B. Raman says. The appointment of recently retired Deputy Chief of the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) as Islamabad’s representative to Sri Lanka is a deepening of Pakistan’s support, he says, adding the move is a concern for India’s national security…

Kfir bombers over Vanni, SLA fires MBRL rockets Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets, for the fourth day, flew over Vanni from 8:10 a.m. Friday. A reconnaissance aircraft was observed from 7:55 a.m. and continued to fly also after the Kfir jets had left the Vanni airspace. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) began firing Mulit-Barrel Rocket Launcher shells towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territory from 8:20 a.m. The MBRL, artilery fire and explosions were continuing in the Northern front. http://www.goodsrilanka.com/index.php?suba...t_from=&ucat=1&

THE BOMBING OF TAMIL SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SRI LANKA By Dr.Brian Senewiratne,Physician, Brisbane Wednesday, 23 August 2006 Summary On Monday 14 August 2006, the Sri Lankan Air Force bombed a well-known orphanage in the Tamil North (Mullaitivu). There were some 400 schoolgirls who had gathered for instructions in First Aid and skills training. 51 children and 4 staff were killed on the spot and more than 129 injured, some critically. The Sri Lankan Government claims that what was bombed was a training facility for the Tamil Tigers. UNICEF (which has offices nearby) and the Swedish–led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) visited the scene soon after.…

CENTRE FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION 8, Grousseault Road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Breaking news Shocking, Terrifying and Disheartening !! The Diocese of Jaffna is mourning over the disappearance of Rev. Fr. Thiruchchelvan Nihal Jim Brown a Catholic priest, born on June 4, 1972 and was ordained in 2003. Rev. Fr. T. N. Jim Brown was assigned as a parish priest of Allaipitty in the month of July. Allaipitty is known all over the world after the massacre of 9 people on May 13, 2006. On August 12 nearly 24 people were killed by the multi barrel artillery attack of the security forces when LTTE ran over the SLN and infiltrated Alla…

Dear friends, All these times the Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates whom are living all around the world have been being contributed enormously towards the Indian Tamil film industry to sustain in their difficult time and also to grow in crores worth of payments are being earned by those top actors. Even though none of the top actors, except a very few, have never given a single thought or voiced against Sri Lankan government's genocide and atrocities to the innocent Tamils who are living in Tamil Eelam. In this circumstances if we all expatriates get together and boycott the film called Sivaji acted by Rajni Kanth directed by Shanker and produced by AVM Sar…

விடுதலைப் புலிகளை முற்றாக நீக்குவதற்கு இன்னும் சிறிது காலமே தேவை: சரத் பொன்சேகா [புதன்கிழமை, 23 ஓகஸ்ட் 2006, 01:47 ஈழம்] [காவலூர் கவிதன்] தமிழர்களைப் பாதுகாப்பதற்காகவே சிறீலங்கா படைகள் வடக்கு கிழக்கில் நிலைகொண்டுள்ளன. கடந்த இரண்டு தசாப்த போரில், விடுதலைப் புலிகளே தமிழ்மக்களைக் கொன்றனர், படையினரல்ல என்று சிறீலங்கா இராணுவத் தளபதி சரத் பொன்சேகா பத்திரிகைப் பேட்டியொன்றில் தெரிவித்தார். அவர் மேலும் கூறுகையில்: நான் இப்போது மீண்டும் பழைய உடல்நிலையில் மிக சுறுசுறுப்பாக உள்ளேன். ஒரு விடயம் மிக முக்கியமானது, அதாவது சிறீலங்கா படைகளுக்கு தமிழ் மக்கள் மீது எந்தக் கோபமோ வெறுப்போ கிடையாது. அவர்களைப் பாதுகாப்பதுதான் படைகளின் பிரதான செயற்பாடாக உள்ளது. விடுதலைப் பு…

http://www.senzavoce.ch/PDF/listofdeaths.p...20jeyaratnam%22

Mannar Tamil girls arrested in Negombo Ten Tamil girls who are residents of Mannar district working in a garment factory located in Negombo in the Western Province were arrested by Peliyagoda Police Wednesday. They had been residing in a house when they were taken into custody by the police on suspicion. The father of a girl now in custody of the Peliyagoda police Saturday lodged a complaint with the Regional Office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regarding the arrest of ten Mannar girls. HRCSL officials in Mannar immediately contacted the Peliyagoda police and inquired about the arrest. Peliyagoda Police told Mannar HRCSL officials that th…

Amid continuing heavy fighting in the northern Jaffna peninsula, hundreds of wounded Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been brought to hospitals in and around Colombo, with hundreds more awaiting transfer from Anuradhapura, medical sources in the capital said Saturday. While the government officially says 106 soldiers have been killed in a week of fighting, defence sources in Colombo said Friday the bodies of more than 400 soldiers had been brought to the south. They said the majority of the casualties have been borne by the SLA’s elite 53 Division. 365 wounded SLA soldiers helicoptered out of Jaffna during the past week have been distributed amongst Ragama…

141 Tamil civilians killed in the week of 8-15 August In one of the worst weeks of killings since the CFA was signed (8 August to 15 August), 141 civilians were killed by Sri Lankan armed forces aerial bombing and shelling. This number includes.  50 civilians killed by aerial bombing in Kathiraveli, Trincomalee on 10 August  7 civilians killed by shelling in Muhamalai, Jaffna on 11 August  15 civilians killed in St Philip Neri church by shelling on 13 August in Allaipiddy, Jaffna  55 civilians killed by aerial bombing in Vallipunam school camp, Mullaitivu on 14 August The previous week, 17 aid workers from Action Against Hunger wer…

Statement by Minister MacKay on Escalation of Hostilities in Sri Lanka August 15, 2006 No. 94 The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, issued the following statement regarding the escalation of hostilities in Sri Lanka: "Canada is concerned by the escalation of hostilities in Sri Lanka between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to negotiations. "Canada believes that there can be no military solution to this lengthy conflict. Peace can only be achieved when all parties desist from violence…

US to provide USD 50 000 water, sanitation assistance to Trinco victims [TamilNet, August 18, 2006 14:42 GMT] United States Embassy in Colombo in a press release issued on Friday said the US released Rs. 5,000,000 to provide water and sanitation services to immediate assistance to people affected by recent fighting in Trincomalee district. "We are providing this assistance to help the displaced from all communities in Sri Lanka," USAID Mission Director Dr. Carol Becker said. "We repeat that there is no possible military solution to this conflict. We urge both sides to cease hostilities immediately to alleviate a yet larger humanitarian crisis." Full text of the…

21 bodies recovered in Kilali [TamilNet, August 18, 2006 13:46 GMT] Kodikamam Police Friday recovered bodies of 16 men and 5 women in Kilali area where heavy fighting was reported recently. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was making arrangements to bury the bodies as the bodies were in highly decomposed state. Chavakacheri Magistrate A. Premsankar was visiting the area Friday with the Police officials. The bodies were being photographed for identity and buried under the Emergency Regulations, according to the police. Bodies of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, recovered from the area, have already been taken to Palaly military hospital. Sri Lank…

Writing our concerns to the International Community is the need of the hour, please please write to them in your own words (few lines) and call the international community, when possible, to act on it. Surely, you can hope our plights get to them, but first we have to tell them, not one or two people write to them, we all have to do it constantly and persistently to expose the true nature of Sri Lanka. eden@mol.com.mk, ediamantepower@yahoo.com , egannon@verizon.net, Mercodonia On Line http://www.mol.com.mk/ elies7@voila.fr Voila News http://www.voila.fr/ bptio@BalkanPeaceTeam.org Balkan Peace Team (PBT) cesd@cesd.org Centre…

BREAKING NEWS Pandemonium at Colombo peace rally [TamilNet, August 17, 2006 12:18 GMT] There was pandemonium in the peace rally organized by the National Anti-War Front (NAWF) held Thursday evening at Viharamahadevi Park when a group of members of the National Bhikku Front (NBF) arrived at the site carrying a banner asking the organizers of the NAWF to proceed to Killinochchi to preach peace, sources said. NBF activists thereafter climbed the stage and started shouting at the organizers of the peace rally. Mr.Mervyn Silva, Deputy Minister was on his feet when pandemonium reigned. At that time about two hundred personalities including parliamentarians, ministe…

By Peter Apps COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers launched a new attack overnight on the northern Jaffna peninsula, the army said on Thursday, as a U.S. envoy visited the island but the worst fighting since a 2002 truce showed no sign of abating. The military said it had few details but that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had launched a new offensive around Kilali, at the western end of the peninsula's front line. Since the Tigers launched attacks toward Jaffna last week, telephone communication with the area has been virtually cut off. "There is an attack in Jaffna, that is all we can say," said an army spokesman. An aid worker report…

Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer at his office in the Foreign Ministry in Oslo, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. Norway's peace envoy to Sri Lanka on Wednesday urged Tamil Tiger rebels to stop using child soldiers and said international patience with the conflict was running thin. 'There are persons under 18 years of age among the Tamil Tigers, that is true,' Jon Hanssen-Bauer told The Associated Press in an interview. (AP Photo) http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/0...2af5bca9ce76e7a

16 August 2006 21:04 Sri Lankan army warns children can be targets By Justin Huggler, Asia Correspondent Published: 16 August 2006 The Sri Lankan government has defied growing condemnation and declared that it considered children and young people killed in an air strike to be combatants and legitimate targets. "If the children are terrorists, what can we do?" said a military spokesman, Brigadier Athula Jayawardana. The government claimed that children killed and injured in the bombing on Monday were child soldiers conscripted by the Tamil Tiger rebels. The United Nations children's organisation, Unicef, condemned the air strike as "shocki…

Sri Lankan government orders closure of schools one week ahead [TamilNet, August 14, 2006 18:46 GMT] Sri Lanka's Education Ministry Monday ordered that all schools in the island should be closed from Tuesday till August 27. The reason given by the ministry for the closure is in connection with the South Asian Games which is to commence on August 18 in Colombo. Schools are to be reopened for the third term on August 28, according to the new directive, Education Ministry sources said. According to the school academic calendar, all schools should close on August 22 for the second term and recommence on September 04 for the third term. The closure of school…