The remaining United Nations (UN) staff leave the Wanni following a government statement that it could not guarantee the safety of aid workers because of increased fighting.
Timeline of events under "Aid workers" issue
Sri Lankan rights group University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) finds state security forces responsible for murder of 17 Action Contre La Faim (ACF) aid workers.
Civil rights groups accuse Sri Lanka's Jaffna Military commander of instructing the NGOs and civil society representatives not to refer to human rights issues and to "restrict themselves to issues of humanitarian assistance" before meeting the United Nations Under Secretary General, Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes.
Two Red Cross volunteers are found dead in the outskirts of Colombo after attending a workshop. The Sri Lanka Red Cross later calls for a probe into the murders.
Without the presence of the ICRC, the military announce the closure of checkpoints at Omanthai and Uyilankulam, stopping aid workers and ceasefire monitors from traveling between LTTE held and Government areas.
The International Commission of Jurists state that the investigation by the Government into the killing of the 17 ACF workers was seriously flawed, accusing the Government of a lack of impartiality, transparency and effectiveness in its investigation.
17 aid workers belonging to the French agency ‘Action Against Hunger’ (ACF) are killed in Muttur. Allegations are made against the returning Sri Lankan troops.
