SL military conceals mass graves at Vara’ni in Thenmaraadchi

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=37178

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2014, 23:21 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lankan military relocating its 522 Brigade Headquarters, which was the artillery and command base at the Northern front during the war, has been removing the skeletons including the sand from an alleged mass grave site at the locality of the old base in recent weeks, reliable sources in Thenmaraadchi told TamilNet on Monday. After removing all the traces, the bunkers have been filled with sand brought from elsewhere. Despite the claim that it had moved the camp to a new locality, at Aasaippi’l’lai-yeattam at Mirusuvil, the SL military was present at the old site for several weeks to ensure that all traces have been removed, the sources further said. 

The notorius Vara'ni camp was situated at Point Pedro – Kodikaamam Road since 1996 when Jaffna peninsula was captured by the genocidal military of Sri Lanka. 

Terror squad assaults Tamil journalist in Vadamaraadchi, Jaffna

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=37170

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2014, 23:43 GMT]
A squad, believed to be operated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence on Monday evening chased and attacked 29-year-old Sivagnanam Selvatheepan, a leading journalist in Vadamaraadchi. When the journalist attempted to escape from the squad, the attackers chased him on foot and assaulted him causing severe internal injuries to his head. The squad also broke one of his legs. The brutal assault comes just one week after the so-called Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of occupying Colombo had obtained his motorbike registration number, identity card number and cell phone details through Nelliyadi police in Jaffna. 

Journalist Selvasivan Sivagnanam at Manthikai hospital

5 years today - 600 shells fall in No Fire Zone, US calls for halt to shelling, international access

http://www.tamilguardian.com/article.asp?articleid=9905

Tamil Guardian 16 April 2014

16 April 2009 - 600 shells fall in No Fire Zone, US calls to halt shelling and allow international access 

The US department of state, in a press release, called on the government of Sri Lanka to halt shelling of the No Fire Zone, allow international monitors to ensure the safe passage of Tamil civilians and enforce international humanitarian standards within IDP camps.

See full statement here.

The statement came as over 600 shells fell in the No Fire Zone within the space of a day. Sources in the No Fire Zone registered over 1500 shell explosions with roughly 600 occurring within the No Fire Zone.

Tamilnet reported that 130 injured civilians were admitted to the ad-hoc hospital within the No Fire Zone in Puthumathalan.

Canada pulls funding for Commonwealth in flap over Sri Lanka

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-pulls-funding-for-commonwealth-in-flap-over-sri-lanka/article17998194/?click=dlvr.it&cmpid=rss1

OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Apr. 14 2014

Canada is suspending voluntary funding for the Commonwealth Secretariat over alleged human rights abuses by Sri Lanka, the organization’s current chair.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird accused Sri Lanka on Monday of failing to take meaningful action on human rights and political reconciliation. The decision to halt funding for the Commonwealth Secretariat comes five months after Prime Minister Stephen Harper skipped the 2013 Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Colombo because of concerns about Sri Lanka’s human-rights record.

French charity welcomes inquiry into aid worker massacre in Sri Lanka

http://www.trust.org/item/20140331153846-videc/?source=hpeditorial

NEW DELHI, March 31 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - French charity Action Contre La Faim (ACF) has welcomed a United Nations resolution which paves the way for an inquiry into human rights abuses committed during Sri Lanka's civil war, including the massacre of 17 of its aid workers eight years ago.

The ACF workers were murdered outside their office in the town of Muttur in the mainly Tamil north of Sri Lanka in August 2006. The charity said they were lined up and shot at point blank range.

"This is a great victory for the families of our colleagues, a huge relief for everyone working for ACF, and a huge step forward for people who suffered abuse and exactions," Serge Breysse, ACF's advocacy director, said in a statement on Monday.

A Tamil woman cries as she holds up an image of her disappeared family member during Sri Lanks's civil war, August 27, 2013. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte