| 30 families wiped out in massive attack Wednesday, shelling continues |
| [ Thursday, 19 February 2009, 06:34.54 PM GMT +05:30 ] |
 Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fired 32 bombs, both cluster and bunker busters and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired more than 200 artillery shells, wiping out more than 30 families along the Iranaippaalai Ananthanpuram Road where humanitarian institutions including orphanages, houses of displaced and elders were located, TamilNet correspondent in Vanni reported on Thursday. More than 180 huts were destroyed in the massive bombardment. Meanwhile, 24 civilians were killed in Puthukkudiyiruppu in SLA artillery barrage in the early hours of Thursday. 10 more civilians were killed in Iranaippaalai, Aananthapuram and Valaignarmadam villages. |
70 civilians were wounded on Thursday. There are more than 350 wounded patients at Maaththalan hospital. Most of the patients are being treated under the trees in the vicinity of the makeshift hospital. An ICRC official who came to Vanni with inadequate humanitarian supplies on Wednesday was invited to the makeshift hospital and made to witness the plight of the wounded, a doctor at the hospital said.
On Thursday, 3 members of a single family were killed in Valaignarmadam, which comes under the new security zone.
The artillery attack was reported from 2:00 a.m. in the morning.
A deputy planning director attached to the Mullaiththeevu District Secretariat, 43-year-old Sriskandarajah Shanthi, has lost her left leg in the Sri Lankan attack.
Most of the slain civilians have been buried by the relatives without any inspection or registration.
Also, dead bodies that were brought to hospital in Maaththa'lan were buried, including the bodies that were not identified, as there was no proper mortuary facilities for the preservation of the dead for identification.
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| Court overturns Immigration and Refugee Board ruling allowing Tamil free |
| [ Sunday, 07 February 2010, 02:11.59 AM ] |
 The Federal Court of Canada has rebuked the Immigration and Refugee Board for putting the rights of a foreign national being investigated for possible links to a terrorist group above the protection of Canadians. [More] |
| Sri Lanka given 6 months to reverse EU GSP+ suspension |
| [ Saturday, 06 February 2010, 05:57.53 AM ] |
 Ambassadors of the nations of European Union, based on EU Commissions negative assessment of Sri Lanka's human rights record, have decided to suspend the preferential trade status known as GSP+ (Generalised System of Preferences Plus) to Sri Lanka. However, when the European finance ministers announce this decision at a meeting in Brussels on February 16, the announcement will trigger suspension only after 6 months from that date, providing "Colombo a fair opportunity to get the decision reversed," European media reported. [More] |
| Gotabhaya outbursts against UN, International investigations |
[ Friday, 05 February 2010, 06:17.34 AM ] [ ] |
 Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan defence secretary and the brother of the SL president, in an exclusive interview to the BBC on Tuesday, opposed any international investigation on war crimes during the final stage of the war. [More] |
| Kilinochchi to Murikandi: no human beings, ghost buildings, stray cattle |
| [ Thursday, 04 February 2010, 07:25.21 PM ] [] |
 A video footage taken a few days back, while travelling between Kilinochchi and Murikandi, shows the real situation in the heartland of Vanni in Tamil Eelam. The tract bustling with contended people two years back is virtually a no-man zone with ghost buildings and stray cattle today. [More] |
| SLA demolishes Liberation Tigers’ Heroes’ Resting Homes in Jaffna |
[ Thursday, 04 February 2010, 07:21.40 PM ] [ ] |
 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Jaffna peninsula is actively engaged in demolishing the Heroes’ Resting Homes (HRH) of fallen Liberation Tigers in Uduppidi, Kodikaamam, Koappaay and Vealanai in the islets of Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. [More] |
| All the chairmen of government corporations asked to resign |
| [ Thursday, 04 February 2010, 01:34.09 AM ] |
 Governmrent has requested 168 chairmen of the statutory boards and government corporations to tender their resignation with immediate effect on a voluntary basis. A circular to this effect was sent yesterday to all chairmen. [More] |
| End indefinite detention of Tamil Tiger suspects – HRW |
| [ Wednesday, 03 February 2010, 12:51.24 AM ] |
 The Sri Lankan government should end its indefinite arbitrary detention of more than 11,000 people held in so-called rehabilitation centers and release those not being prosecuted, Washington-based Human Rights Watch said in a report released yesterday. [More] |
| India has confirmation of Prabhakaran’s death - Chidambaram |
| [ Tuesday, 02 February 2010, 01:53.07 AM ] |
 India has got official confirmation that Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, wanted for the 1991 killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, is dead, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday. [More] |
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The UN secretary general could set up an expert panel to look into alleged violations by the Sri Lankan army after a report found video, first on Channel 4 News, "appears to be authentic". Jonathan Miller reports. [