TamilNet

15,000 Tamils attend historic uprising in Jaffna, reject Unitary Constitution, ITAK draws flak

[Sat, 24 Sep 2016, 16:10 GMT]

Ezhuka Thamizh (Let Tamil rise up), the biggest uprising to take place in the country of Eezham Tamils after the Pongku Thamizh uprisings during the times of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), declared on Saturday that the ‘consultations’ staged by Colombo for the new constitution completely failed to include the genuine political aspirations of the Tamil people. The Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) with a hijacked leadership and the powers operating it, received a serious message from the people at the grassroots, regardless of the organisers of the event, that the people on the ground are fully prepared to replace the ITAK hierarchy once a good leadership takes shape to lead the nation of Eehzam Tamils in the next phase of their struggle. It is now time for NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran to prove the case, commented Tamil political observers in Jaffna.

Full story >>

Tamil POWs denounce Colombo's latest announcement, continue fast

[Fri, 23 Sep 2016, 23:35 GMT]

Tamil Prisoners of War waging a continuous hunger strike at Anuradhapura prison told TamilNet on Friday that the latest announcement of Colombo's Ministry of Prison Reforms of sending 23 of the detained Tamil prisoners under the notorious ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ to the so-called ‘military rehabilitation’ before their release was a deceptive move. Most of those in the announced list were mentioned together with one case per person. But, most of the detainees were facing three to four cases in different courts and relieving them of one case with the outcome of ‘military rehabilitation’ will not deliver freedom to them from the other cases, they said. In addition, the announcement also contained names of those already released and subjected to military rehabilitation, which exposed the level of ignorance on the part of Colombo in addressing their PTA cases, the Tamil prisoners said. Full story >>

Sinhala colonists step up assaults on Tamil cattle herders in Batticaloa

[Wed, 21 Sep 2016, 18:56 GMT]

Three Sinhalese colonists severely assaulted a 44-year-old Tamil cattle farmer, who was taking care of his cattle Monday evening at Mayilaththa-madu in Maathava'nai pastureland situated in Koa'ra'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division of Batticaloa district. The wounded cattle herder, a father of three, was admitted to Chanthi-ve'li and transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital on Tuesday with badly injured legs. The incident took place around 3:30 p.m. on Monday. This is the second assault on Tamil cattle herders in the area, Tamil farmers said. Full story >>

2ND LEAD (Adds voice)

Tamil POWs relaunch hunger-strike, urge cases to be heard at Jaffna, Vavuniyaa

[Mon, 19 Sep 2016, 23:02 GMT]

Tamil political prisoners languishing in the prisons of genocidal Colombo have decided to launch a continuous hunger-strike campaign starting from Wednesday. The Tamil prisoners are demanding immediate action from the Colombo government and its international ‘partners’ on their release. “At least transfer our cases to the High Courts in Vavuniyaa and Jaffna from the clutches of Anuradhapura Special Courts,” a spokesperson of the political prisoners jailed in Anuradhapura prison said while talking to TamilNet over the phone and reading a statement on behalf of the detained prisoners. Full story >>

SL Intelligence sabotages NPC-organised medical inspections on ex-LTTE members

[Sat, 17 Sep 2016, 22:18 GMT]

SL Military Intelligence operatives, clad in civil clothes, have been deployed inside the premises of the hospitals in the five districts of Northern Province. The occupying Sinhala military has increased its surveillance on former LTTE members, who were coming for medical inspections, especially after allegations of suspicious injections or unauthorised medicine given to them under the genocidal custody of the SL military during the so-called ‘military rehabilitation’. The medical authorities in North have made arrangements for the former LTTE members to start medical inspections according to a publicly announced schedule in each district. This has made it more easier for the SL military to identify and harass those who appear for medical inspections, the sources further said. Full story >>

2ND LEAD (Adds photos)

Maharaja TV promotes genocidal military culture through ‘welfare’ projects in North-East

[Thu, 15 Sep 2016, 22:06 GMT]

Shakti TV promoting genocidal SL military

MTV Channel Private Ltd, the largest private media operator in the island, is actively promoting the military of genocidal Sri Lanka through it in ‘community welfare projects’ in the occupied Tamil homeland. The Shakthi media, operated by the MTV Channel, has been waging a propaganda campaign of ‘caring for people’ through its TV and FM channels and has launched a ‘secretariat’ to manage the controversial ‘project’, media sources said. The move is perhaps not controversial to the corporate outfit with a shady history of seeking political and commercial influence in the South in the past, but it is highly controversial to the occupied Eezham Tamils in the sense that the people, who are deprived of their sovereignty are being told to look upon the genocidal military as an authority running civil affairs in the occupied North and East, commented Tamil political observers in Batticaloa. Full story >>

Sirisena's Forest Department escalates appropriations of lands from Tamils in Vanni

[Tue, 13 Sep 2016, 17:19 GMT]

Occupying Colombo's Forest Department, deploying Sinhala civil servants from South as the officers in charge of the forest affairs in Vanni, has been increasingly harassing the resettled Eezham Tamils in Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts under the rule of SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, Tamil civil sources in Mullaiththeevu told TamilNet on Tuesday. Eezham Tamils who have been engaged in agriculture before the times of war and during the times of war and have commenced agriculture in their deed-lands have been instructed by the SL Forest Department officers not to enter their agricultural lands at Thuvaarang-ku'lam and Mooppan-ku'lam in Maanthai East. The Divisional Secretary, when contacted by TamilNet, also confirmed the take-over of lands that were even verified by the Divisional Secretary as agricultural lands belonging to people from Chiraaddik-ku'lam. Full story >>

Lawyers demand UN action into allegations of Colombo deploying chemical substances on POWs

[Sun, 11 Sep 2016, 23:46 GMT]

“Accusation by former LTTE cadres that they were administered with poisonous and chemical substances during rehabilitation period resulting in their being afflicted with serious physical disabilities have raised concerns as regards the accountability and justice process,” said K.S. Ratnavale and V. Puvitharan, the conveners of Tamil Lawyers Forum in an open appeal issued on Sunday to the UN Human Rights Council demanding international action. “The very nature of poisonous substance makes it difficult for medical personnel to identify or detect such substance on the mere examination of victims. It behoves the scientists with medical background and expertise and not merely medical doctors to identify the effects of injestion of external substances in the body,” the appeal coming from the TFL said. Full story >>

2ND LEAD (Adds video)

Mobilisation towards ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ uprising in Jaffna gains momentum

[Thu, 22 Sep 2016, 22:26 GMT]

Grassroots organisations, academics and students of University of Jaffna, business community, religious leaders involved in civil activism and various political parties voicing for the rights of Eezham Tamils are extending their support to the public rally named ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ (Let Tamil rise up) to take place in Jaffna on Saturday. Despite the deviatory sections of the TNA hierarchy, led by M.A. Sumanthiran and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, have been fully busy with causing obstacles to the move taken forward by the Tamil People’s Council (TPC), the mobilisation has gained support from the people on the ground, activists close to the organisers said. Full story >>

‘Reconciliation prospects’ look as grim as ever: Rev Fr Mangalarajah

[Tue, 20 Sep 2016, 22:55 GMT]

Colombo government is keeping the people in the North and East under heavily militarised conditions and is not even prepared to let the people remember their war-dead freely, which is essential for any meaningful reconciliation, said Rev. Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the president of the Justice & Peace Commission in Jaffna, in a video interview to TamilNet on Tuesday. Now, People on the ground have realised that Colombo is not even prepared to involve foreign experts in the local investigations. The people are also dissatisfied with the Tamil leaders who are collaborating with the government and asking the people to have patience, he said. “The United Nations should realise that the SL Government is well-known for extending promises just to backtrack on them later.” Full story >>

Colombo deploys discrimination in housing assistance to Peasaalai war-affected families

[Sun, 18 Sep 2016, 19:42 GMT]

Fishing families from Peasaalai in Mannaar with widows, war-dead family members and those who displaced several times to Tamil Nadu and resettled back without any assistance so far, continue to be discriminated based on their past association with the Tamil struggle, informed civil sources in Mannaar said. Colombo's ministries and its local agent Divisional Secretary Mr Subramaniam Vasanthakumar have been blamed of being selective and practicing discrimination, according to the complaints coming from the affected people themselves. Full story >>

Catholic Peace Mission in Jaffna challenges Colombo’s propaganda on ‘reconciliation’

[Fri, 16 Sep 2016, 23:16 GMT]

While the President of genocidal Sri Lanka has brushed away the objective criticisms on the utter failure of one-way-determined ‘Sinhala-Only Reconciliation’ as mere propaganda coming from ‘fundamentalist media’ in the North-East, Rev. Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the president of the Justice & Peace Commission in Jaffna, has issued a report exposing some of the fundamental failures of this ‘one-way’ determined campaign of ‘reconciliation’ and the so-called ‘good governance’. Lands of the people not returned, political prisoners not released, lack of accountability for missing persons, serious apprehensions regarding the OMP, the PTA still being enforced, denial of memorial rights, lack of official arrangements to look after the victims of war, poisonous injections causing concern, failed local investigations and unabated erecting Buddha statues are pointed out in the report. Full story >>

Sinhala colonists advance 3 km further into Batticaloa, erect 2nd Buddhist temple in 1 year

[Wed, 14 Sep 2016, 23:42 GMT]

Sinhala colonists from Polonna'ruwa, the home district of SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, have advanced 3 km further into the pasturelands in Koara'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division of Batticaloa district in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils within the last 12 months, Tamil cattle farmers from Chiththaa'ndi told TamilNet on Wednesday. A second Buddhist temple is being hurriedly put up by the Sinhala colonists at Maathava'nai , the Tamil cattle herders said. A Sinhala squad, led by a Buddhist monk, assaulted the Tamil farmers who went close to the Buddhist temple searching for missing cattle a few days ago. The Sinhala monk seized their mobile phone SIM cards. The cattle herders said the second Buddhist temple is located 3 km east of the Buddhist temple constructed almost a year ago. The area was part of the de-facto Tamil State defended by the Tamil Tigers until 2007. Full story >>

Colombo's desecration of Tamil Heroes Cemetery comes to light as SLA vacates Kanakapuram

[Mon, 12 Sep 2016, 07:12 GMT]

The occupying SL military destroyed Tamil War Heroes Cemetery (Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam) at Kanakapuram in Ki’linochchi in January 2009, desecrating the buried bodies of Tamil fighters in an inhumane manner and bulldozing all the tombstones. Hundreds of destroyed tombstones were used as stones for SL military driveways in the occupied Ki’linochchi. In 2013, as the people started to resettle, the elected Divisional Council of Karaichchi division resolved to transform the destroyed Heroes Cemetery into a park as the 10-acres land was originally a property of the civic body. Within a few days of the declaration, the SL military fenced off the lands to block the move and deployed the area for military use. Last week, the SL military finally vacated from the grounds and reporters were able to witness the extent of desecration and destruction caused by the SL military. Full story >>

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety

-Benjamin Franklin

[20.02.16]
The Tamil Genocide by Sri LankaThe second edition with over 150 new pages traces the ongoing engagement in the Sri Lankan conflict of Professor Francis A. Boyle, an eminent American expert in international law, from the conflict’s last years to the present pursuit of UN recognition of the Tamil genocide and call for reparations. It is the first book to develop an authoritative case for genocide against the Government of Sri Lanka under international law. The book is available from Clarity Press, Amazon in soft cover or in Kindle version.

[11.11.15]
South Africa to Singapore: global Tamils grasping geopolitics to act: The South African conference held in Durban has come out with many demands that are dear to the heart of Tamils, such as demilitarisation, stopping Sinhala colonisation, repeal of the 6th Amendment to facilitate free negotiation etc. But the slip was still showing when the conference avoided the term genocide. What was more ironical that betrayed the deception was the slogan of the conference organizers that called the country they want to salvage as ‘Sri Lanka’, boldly written in Tamil.
Related Story >>

[04.11.15]
Tamil leadership need not shy away or react to unfair challenge coming from Sumanthiran: Eezham Tamil polity seeking pardon from Tamil-speaking Muslims should be unassuming, but it should come in an enlightening way to the edification of the Colombo-centric agenda or the powers-guided agenda, pursued in the past as well as in the present. Otherwise, it may only amount to conferring impunity to the State in Colombo and its abettors.
Related Story >>

[06.05.15]
Retired land commissioner of Eastern Province on Structural Genocide against Eezham Tamils: The systematic seizure of traditional lands belonging to the Tamil speaking people of the North-East have been widespread under the guise of archaeological, forest and wild-life conservations and subsequently carried out through the acts of demarcating these lands under the purview of the state apparatuses such as the Archaeological Department, Forest Department and the Wild-life Conservation Department, says retired Land Commissioner of the Eastern Province Karthirgamathamby Kurunathan, in an in-depth video interview to TamilNet.
Related Story >>

[05.05.15]
TNPF rejects ‘domestic investigations’ upheld by USA: The fact that the United States and the US Secretary of State John Kerry would consider the post January 08th 2015 situation in Sri Lanka, with the new government favourable, is understandable. But, for him to suggest that there is a favourable condition for the Tamils, is stretching too far, said Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, responding to a question from TamilNet.
Related Story >>

[02.05.15]
Sivaram, Wigneswaran saw futility in convincing Sinhala polity: senior editor: The failure of Sivaram and his transfer into a staunch Tamil nationalist is analogical to the political course and current stand of the NPC Chief Minister, Mr C.V. Wigneswaran, said veteran Tamil journalist and editor, Mr. V. Thevaraj, addressing the 10th assassination anniversary meet of Sivaram held in Batticaloa on Wednesday.
Related Story >>

[02.05.15]
New generation of organic intellectuals needed to continue Sivaram’s work: Informed by Tamil literature as much by Tamil history, Marxism as much as Poststructuralism, Thucydides as much as contemporary COIN theorists, Sivaram worked for the Eelam Tamil cause as a leading politico-military analyst and as a true “organic intellectual,” writes RM Karthick.
Related Story >>

[02.05.15]
Sivaram commemorated in Tamil Nadu on 10th anniversary of his assassination: Journalist Revati Laul, who served as special correspondent at Tehelka and NDTV, journalist Priyamvatha Panchapagesan, an associate editor with News X, journalist Radhika Sudhakar, writer Aazhi Senthil Nathan and activists Thirumurugan Gandhi, coordinator of May 17 movement and Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan, the founder of I'laignar Iyakkam were among the speakers at the memorial event held in Chennai on the 10 anniversary of Sivaram's assassination.
Related Story >>

[29.04.15]
Constitutionally recognise Tamil homeland to prove bona fides, exiled poet tells Colombo: “Would the Sinhala rulers of Sri Lanka ever be prepared to constitutionally recognise the joint North-East as the homeland of Tamils,” questioned exiled Eezham Tamil poet Kasi Anandan on Wednesday, speaking from Chennai, in an Internet-based video address on the occasion of a memorial event held in Batticaloa on the 10th anniversary of the assassinated TamilNet Senior Editor and popular columnist Sivaram Dharmeratnam (Taraki).
Related Story >>

[24.04.15]
Break vicious circle of political obfuscation: Sivaram in 2003: Educating the masses on the designs of Powers and politically mobilising the people for the struggle was the central theme of the piece late Senior Editor of TamilNet Sivaram Dharmeratnam wrote to Northeastern Herald on May 02, 2003, two years before he was assassinated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence.
Related Story >>

[24.04.15]
Task of real Tamil political leadership: Sivaram in 2003: Sivaram Dharmeratnam alias Taraki, the late senior editor of TamilNet, wrote an article in January 2003, explaining the deadlock of the Sri Lankan unitary constitution which cannot provide for a solution within its framework. The international backers were also aware that a federal solution to the ethnic conflict was practically, legally and politically impossible with the Sri Lankan Constitution, he wrote.
Related Story >>

[13.03.15]
New Delhi should stop looking at Eezham Tamils through Colombo: Whether China or the USA, or both – whatever may be the ultimate foreign policy concern of India, the times are such that New Delhi should learn to approach Eezham Tamils as a nation of its own right.
Related Story >>

[10.03.15]
Ki Pi Aravinthan's 2008 interview to TamilNet serialized: TamilNet serializes this week a 2008 interview with veteran former Tamil militant, poet and writer Ki Pi Aravinthan (Christopher Francis alias Sunthar), who passed away on Sunday in Paris at the age of 62.
Related Story >>

[14.02.15]
Palaka'ni: NPC resolution gives hopes on Tamil political unity The recent resolution presented and unanimously adopted in the Northern Provincial Council on historic and recent genocide against Tamils in the island, has rung alarm bells at necessary diplomatic quarters, say Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF) and TNA Councillor M.K. Shivajilingam (TELO). In a Palaka'ni interview to TamilNet this week, Mr Shivajilingam said there were attempts afoot to influence certain Tamil diaspora activists to issue sophisticated statements urging the UN Rights Chief to postpone the OISL report.
Related Story >>

[13.02.15]
Opinion: Understanding accountability: international investigation on outlook crime: NPC Chief Minister Justice CV Wigneswaran observed that such an investigation would make Sinhala people to see the truth and would help getting justice. Equally important or more important is an international investigation on the adamant ‘outlook crime’ of certain powers that fundamentally contributed to the genocide, especially in the recent decades.
Related Story >>

[12.02.15]
Wigneswaran exposes US delay tactics at Geneva: “In my recent conversation with Ms Biswal, I understood that the USA wants to be in favour of the present Sri Lanka government, as this government is favourable to the USA,” Wigneswaran said. “When Ms Biswal asked what could be the appropriate time for the release of the Geneva report and when I replied that it should be in March, she didn’t accept it,” the NPC-CM said.
Related Story >>

[11.02.15]
Key to struggle is to change outlook of powers: Gajendrakumar: The outlook of Powers with regards Tamil national question in the island doesn’t come from lack of knowledge, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said in a Palaka'ni interview last week, naming US-dominated West, India and China as actors primarily involved. The change in their outlook to accommodate Tamil interests is certainly not going to be through education, it is something that has to come through a struggle, he said.
Related Story >>

[10.02.15]
Wigneswaran calls for international investigation on genocide: In a key development, the Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council (NPC), Justice CV Wigneswaran, on Tuesday called for real international investigations on genocide against Tamils committed by the successive governments since Ceylon's independence from the British in 1948.
Related Story >>

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The Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) with a hijacked leadership and the powers operating it, received a serious message from the people at the grassroots, regardless of the organisers of the event, that the people on the ground are fully prepared to replace the ITAK hierarchy once a good leadership takes shape to lead the nation of Eehzam Tamils in the next phase of their struggle. It is now time for NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran to prove the case, commented Tamil political observers in Jaffna. Full story >> Latest Reports: Sep 24 16:10 15,000 Tamils attend historic uprising in Jaffna, .. Sep 23 23:35 Tamil POWs denounce Colombo's latest announcement,.. Sep 22 22:26 Mobilisation towards ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ uprising in .. Sep 21 18:56 Sinhala colonists step up assaults on Tamil cattle.. Sep 20 22:55 ‘Reconciliation prospects’ look as grim as ever: R.. Sep 19 23:02 Tamil POWs relaunch hunger-strike, urge cases to b.. Sep 18 19:42 Colombo deploys discrimination in housing assistan.. Sep 17 22:18 SL Intelligence sabotages NPC-organised medical in.. Sep 16 23:16 Catholic Peace Mission in Jaffna challenges Colomb.. Sep 15 22:06 Maharaja TV promotes genocidal military culture th.. Sep 14 23:42 Sinhala colonists advance 3 km further into Battic.. Sep 13 17:19 Sirisena's Forest Department escalates appropriati.. Sep 12 07:12 Colombo's desecration of Tamil Heroes Cemetery com.. Sep 11 23:46 Lawyers demand UN action into allegations of Colom.. << Flashback More Reports >> Tamil POWs denounce Colombo's latest announcement, continue fast [Fri, 23 Sep 2016, 23:35 GMT] Tamil Prisoners of War waging a continuous hunger strike at Anuradhapura prison told TamilNet on Friday that the latest announcement of Colombo's Ministry of Prison Reforms of sending 23 of the detained Tamil prisoners under the notorious ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ to the so-called ‘military rehabilitation’ before their release was a deceptive move. Most of those in the announced list were mentioned together with one case per person. But, most of the detainees were facing three to four cases in different courts and relieving them of one case with the outcome of ‘military rehabilitation’ will not deliver freedom to them from the other cases, they said. In addition, the announcement also contained names of those already released and subjected to military rehabilitation, which exposed the level of ignorance on the part of Colombo in addressing their PTA cases, the Tamil prisoners said. Full story >> Sinhala colonists step up assaults on Tamil cattle herders in Batticaloa [Wed, 21 Sep 2016, 18:56 GMT] Three Sinhalese colonists severely assaulted a 44-year-old Tamil cattle farmer, who was taking care of his cattle Monday evening at Mayilaththa-madu in Maathava'nai pastureland situated in Koa'ra'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division of Batticaloa district. The wounded cattle herder, a father of three, was admitted to Chanthi-ve'li and transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital on Tuesday with badly injured legs. The incident took place around 3:30 p.m. on Monday. This is the second assault on Tamil cattle herders in the area, Tamil farmers said. Full story >> 2ND LEAD (Adds voice) Tamil POWs relaunch hunger-strike, urge cases to be heard at Jaffna, Vavuniyaa [Mon, 19 Sep 2016, 23:02 GMT] Tamil political prisoners languishing in the prisons of genocidal Colombo have decided to launch a continuous hunger-strike campaign starting from Wednesday. The Tamil prisoners are demanding immediate action from the Colombo government and its international ‘partners’ on their release. “At least transfer our cases to the High Courts in Vavuniyaa and Jaffna from the clutches of Anuradhapura Special Courts,” a spokesperson of the political prisoners jailed in Anuradhapura prison said while talking to TamilNet over the phone and reading a statement on behalf of the detained prisoners. Full story >> SL Intelligence sabotages NPC-organised medical inspections on ex-LTTE members [Sat, 17 Sep 2016, 22:18 GMT] SL Military Intelligence operatives, clad in civil clothes, have been deployed inside the premises of the hospitals in the five districts of Northern Province. The occupying Sinhala military has increased its surveillance on former LTTE members, who were coming for medical inspections, especially after allegations of suspicious injections or unauthorised medicine given to them under the genocidal custody of the SL military during the so-called ‘military rehabilitation’. The medical authorities in North have made arrangements for the former LTTE members to start medical inspections according to a publicly announced schedule in each district. This has made it more easier for the SL military to identify and harass those who appear for medical inspections, the sources further said. Full story >> 2ND LEAD (Adds photos) Maharaja TV promotes genocidal military culture through ‘welfare’ projects in North-East [Thu, 15 Sep 2016, 22:06 GMT] MTV Channel Private Ltd, the largest private media operator in the island, is actively promoting the military of genocidal Sri Lanka through it in ‘community welfare projects’ in the occupied Tamil homeland. The Shakthi media, operated by the MTV Channel, has been waging a propaganda campaign of ‘caring for people’ through its TV and FM channels and has launched a ‘secretariat’ to manage the controversial ‘project’, media sources said. The move is perhaps not controversial to the corporate outfit with a shady history of seeking political and commercial influence in the South in the past, but it is highly controversial to the occupied Eezham Tamils in the sense that the people, who are deprived of their sovereignty are being told to look upon the genocidal military as an authority running civil affairs in the occupied North and East, commented Tamil political observers in Batticaloa. Full story >> Sirisena's Forest Department escalates appropriations of lands from Tamils in Vanni [Tue, 13 Sep 2016, 17:19 GMT] Occupying Colombo's Forest Department, deploying Sinhala civil servants from South as the officers in charge of the forest affairs in Vanni, has been increasingly harassing the resettled Eezham Tamils in Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts under the rule of SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, Tamil civil sources in Mullaiththeevu told TamilNet on Tuesday. Eezham Tamils who have been engaged in agriculture before the times of war and during the times of war and have commenced agriculture in their deed-lands have been instructed by the SL Forest Department officers not to enter their agricultural lands at Thuvaarang-ku'lam and Mooppan-ku'lam in Maanthai East. The Divisional Secretary, when contacted by TamilNet, also confirmed the take-over of lands that were even verified by the Divisional Secretary as agricultural lands belonging to people from Chiraaddik-ku'lam. Full story >> Lawyers demand UN action into allegations of Colombo deploying chemical substances on POWs [Sun, 11 Sep 2016, 23:46 GMT] “Accusation by former LTTE cadres that they were administered with poisonous and chemical substances during rehabilitation period resulting in their being afflicted with serious physical disabilities have raised concerns as regards the accountability and justice process,” said K.S. Ratnavale and V. Puvitharan, the conveners of Tamil Lawyers Forum in an open appeal issued on Sunday to the UN Human Rights Council demanding international action. “The very nature of poisonous substance makes it difficult for medical personnel to identify or detect such substance on the mere examination of victims. It behoves the scientists with medical background and expertise and not merely medical doctors to identify the effects of injestion of external substances in the body,” the appeal coming from the TFL said. Full story >> 2ND LEAD (Adds video) Mobilisation towards ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ uprising in Jaffna gains momentum [Thu, 22 Sep 2016, 22:26 GMT] Grassroots organisations, academics and students of University of Jaffna, business community, religious leaders involved in civil activism and various political parties voicing for the rights of Eezham Tamils are extending their support to the public rally named ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ (Let Tamil rise up) to take place in Jaffna on Saturday. Despite the deviatory sections of the TNA hierarchy, led by M.A. Sumanthiran and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, have been fully busy with causing obstacles to the move taken forward by the Tamil People’s Council (TPC), the mobilisation has gained support from the people on the ground, activists close to the organisers said. Full story >> ‘Reconciliation prospects’ look as grim as ever: Rev Fr Mangalarajah [Tue, 20 Sep 2016, 22:55 GMT] Colombo government is keeping the people in the North and East under heavily militarised conditions and is not even prepared to let the people remember their war-dead freely, which is essential for any meaningful reconciliation, said Rev. Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the president of the Justice & Peace Commission in Jaffna, in a video interview to TamilNet on Tuesday. Now, People on the ground have realised that Colombo is not even prepared to involve foreign experts in the local investigations. The people are also dissatisfied with the Tamil leaders who are collaborating with the government and asking the people to have patience, he said. “The United Nations should realise that the SL Government is well-known for extending promises just to backtrack on them later.” Full story >> Colombo deploys discrimination in housing assistance to Peasaalai war-affected families [Sun, 18 Sep 2016, 19:42 GMT] Fishing families from Peasaalai in Mannaar with widows, war-dead family members and those who displaced several times to Tamil Nadu and resettled back without any assistance so far, continue to be discriminated based on their past association with the Tamil struggle, informed civil sources in Mannaar said. Colombo's ministries and its local agent Divisional Secretary Mr Subramaniam Vasanthakumar have been blamed of being selective and practicing discrimination, according to the complaints coming from the affected people themselves. Full story >> Catholic Peace Mission in Jaffna challenges Colombo’s propaganda on ‘reconciliation’ [Fri, 16 Sep 2016, 23:16 GMT] While the President of genocidal Sri Lanka has brushed away the objective criticisms on the utter failure of one-way-determined ‘Sinhala-Only Reconciliation’ as mere propaganda coming from ‘fundamentalist media’ in the North-East, Rev. Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the president of the Justice & Peace Commission in Jaffna, has issued a report exposing some of the fundamental failures of this ‘one-way’ determined campaign of ‘reconciliation’ and the so-called ‘good governance’. Lands of the people not returned, political prisoners not released, lack of accountability for missing persons, serious apprehensions regarding the OMP, the PTA still being enforced, denial of memorial rights, lack of official arrangements to look after the victims of war, poisonous injections causing concern, failed local investigations and unabated erecting Buddha statues are pointed out in the report. Full story >> Sinhala colonists advance 3 km further into Batticaloa, erect 2nd Buddhist temple in 1 year [Wed, 14 Sep 2016, 23:42 GMT] Sinhala colonists from Polonna'ruwa, the home district of SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, have advanced 3 km further into the pasturelands in Koara'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division of Batticaloa district in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils within the last 12 months, Tamil cattle farmers from Chiththaa'ndi told TamilNet on Wednesday. A second Buddhist temple is being hurriedly put up by the Sinhala colonists at Maathava'nai , the Tamil cattle herders said. A Sinhala squad, led by a Buddhist monk, assaulted the Tamil farmers who went close to the Buddhist temple searching for missing cattle a few days ago. The Sinhala monk seized their mobile phone SIM cards. The cattle herders said the second Buddhist temple is located 3 km east of the Buddhist temple constructed almost a year ago. The area was part of the de-facto Tamil State defended by the Tamil Tigers until 2007. Full story >> Colombo's desecration of Tamil Heroes Cemetery comes to light as SLA vacates Kanakapuram [Mon, 12 Sep 2016, 07:12 GMT] The occupying SL military destroyed Tamil War Heroes Cemetery (Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam) at Kanakapuram in Ki’linochchi in January 2009, desecrating the buried bodies of Tamil fighters in an inhumane manner and bulldozing all the tombstones. Hundreds of destroyed tombstones were used as stones for SL military driveways in the occupied Ki’linochchi. In 2013, as the people started to resettle, the elected Divisional Council of Karaichchi division resolved to transform the destroyed Heroes Cemetery into a park as the 10-acres land was originally a property of the civic body. Within a few days of the declaration, the SL military fenced off the lands to block the move and deployed the area for military use. Last week, the SL military finally vacated from the grounds and reporters were able to witness the extent of desecration and destruction caused by the SL military. Full story >> Top Flashback: 2015: 2015 Sep 26 01:21 Australia concerned about ‘domestic violence’, ... 2014: 2014 Sep 26 15:41 Tamil Nadu condemns Rajapaksa's presence at UN 2014 Sep 26 06:25 OHCHR fails to recognise de-Tamilisation in ‘Sr... 2013: 2013 Sep 26 15:26 Chidambaram harps on PC while Colombo’s SC rule... 2013 Sep 26 14:03 Ex Indian health minister tells UN to investiga... 2013 Sep 26 13:14 New Delhi mission in Jaffna launches war crimes... 2012: 2012 Sep 26 02:15 US letter urges soft approach to Rajapakse righ... 2011: 2011 Sep 26 11:44 UK plans bulk deportation of Eezham Tamil asylu... 2010: 2010 Sep 26 09:10 Buddhist prelates to talk to Mahinda Rajapakse ... 2010 Sep 26 08:45 Colombo bans explosives to Batticaloa 2010 Sep 26 07:30 Smuggling ancient religious statues from North ... 2010 Sep 26 03:33 18th Amendment becomes law in Sri Lanka 2010 Sep 26 03:25 SLA replaces STF in Paduvaankarai in Batticaloa... 2010 Sep 26 03:20 20th death anniversary of Chavukkadai massacre ... 2009: 2009 Sep 26 17:34 Tamil Nadu fishermen assaulted, driven naked by... 2009 Sep 26 12:36 SLA shoots 6 including women, children in Chedd... 2008: 2008 Sep 26 20:55 Family man tortured, killed in Jaffna islet of ... 2008 Sep 26 17:48 Kaarainakar, Trincomalee Tamils abducted in Col... 2008 Sep 26 16:35 Tiger artillery fire kills SLA soldier in Jaffna 2008 Sep 26 16:26 Upcountry Tamil reported missing in Colombo 2008 Sep 26 16:24 STF shoots dead Tamil trader in Batticaloa 2008 Sep 26 16:22 Jaffna Prison overcrowded with humanitarian pro... 2008 Sep 26 12:22 LTTE leader pays homage to Thileepan, Sankar 2008 Sep 26 10:57 IDP wounded in Sri Lankan air attack in Visuvamadu 2008 Sep 26 10:32 SLA shells Ki'linochchi suburb, IDP mother injured 2008 Sep 26 06:12 Homeguards shoot dead drunk SLA soldier, SLAF a... 2008 Sep 26 04:17 Family man reported missing in Jaffna 2007: 2007 Sep 26 17:03 Col. Soosai: "Southern polity trapped in family... 2007 Sep 26 12:12 Catholic priest on humanitarian mission killed ... 2007 Sep 26 11:14 Tigers bury decomposed body of SLA soldier 2007 Sep 26 11:07 New Sinhala colony in Raalku'li, villagers comp... 2007 Sep 26 10:50 Sri Lanka rejects rights critics as neocolonial... 2007 Sep 26 03:16 AG directed to expedite inquiry in PTA, ER cases 2007 Sep 26 00:44 5 in Thenmaraadchi seek HRC protection 2006: 2006 Sep 26 23:22 Thileepan, Shankar commemorated in NorthEast 2006 Sep 26 23:12 SLA trooper shot, injured in Thenmaradchchy 2006 Sep 26 18:59 SLN arrests youth with welding sticks in Mannar 2006 Sep 26 18:48 More civilians cross Mannar sea to reach Jaffna 2006 Sep 26 17:50 SLA intensifies artillery, MBRL fire on LTTE te... 2006 Sep 26 16:34 Thileepan Day observed in Jaffna 2006 Sep 26 12:14 Kifir jets attack LTTE held village in Mannar 2006 Sep 26 09:22 Vessel leaves Trinco with Jaffna bound civilians 2006 Sep 26 08:40 USAID to reassess programs in Sri Lanka 2006 Sep 26 07:23 SLAF airman killed in Claymore ambush in Vavuniya 2006 Sep 26 05:53 Muslim trader shot dead in Palaiyootu 2005: 2005 Sep 26 11:58 Thileepan's 18th anniversary celebrated in Batt... 2005 Sep 26 11:47 Thousands attend Kilinochchi, Jaffna Thileepan ... 2005 Sep 26 11:00 Trinco Tamils urged to boycott State banks 2005 Sep 26 10:54 Displaced threaten hunger strike 2005 Sep 26 08:40 Norway grants 23,9 million rupees to Muslim Pea... 2004: 2004 Sep 26 16:13 Batticaloa to be declared backward district in ... 2004 Sep 26 13:55 Barathipuram on road to recovery 2004 Sep 26 13:02 "Learn from the past"- Anuradhapura Bishop 2004 Sep 26 11:41 Northern Muslims support talks based on ISGA 2004 Sep 26 11:34 Ex soldier shot in Eravur 2004 Sep 26 10:57 Muhamalai checkpoints get 24-hour power supply 2004 Sep 26 10:06 Thileepan memorial day observed in Jaffna 2004 Sep 26 02:12 Children, Women's Desk opened in Amparai Police HQ 2003: 2003 Sep 26 22:05 British HC officials meet LTTE in Amparai 2003 Sep 26 20:28 Sri Lankan health workers' strike enters tenth day 2003 Sep 26 16:25 Trincomalee district commemorates Thileepan 2003 Sep 26 11:00 SLMM, LTTE meet in Batticaloa 2003 Sep 26 08:19 Jaffna shuts down as thousands honour martyr 2003 Sep 26 02:15 Parliamentary debate on independent Muslim grou... 2003 Sep 26 02:04 Schools complicate Valaiyiravu SLAF airport exp... 2003 Sep 26 00:44 Edward Said dies 2003 Sep 26 00:11 Hazing, clashes in Jaffna Campus injure freshmen 2002: 2002 Sep 26 20:37 Westborg meets Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi 2002 Sep 26 20:10 Lt.Col Thileepan death anniversary concludes in NE 2002 Sep 26 18:18 Thirty-one petitions against constitutional ame... 2002 Sep 26 18:06 Twenty-two PTA cases withdrawn in four days 2002 Sep 26 11:47 SLA soldiers in LTTE security zone arrested 2001: 2001 Sep 26 19:38 TULF undecided on no-confidence motion 2001 Sep 26 16:43 Thileepan commemorated in areas under SLA 2001 Sep 26 13:09 LTTE condemns assassination of senior leader 2000: 2000 Sep 26 18:04 Claymore kills nine soldiers 2000 Sep 26 14:44 Heavy fighting reported in Eluthumadduval 2000 Sep 26 12:42 Fighting in Nagar Kovil 2000 Sep 26 12:06 PA chief perpetrator of polls violence- watchdog 2000 Sep 26 06:53 SLA offensive near Chavakachcheri 1999: 1999 Sep 26 11:56 Blast kills one 1998: 1998 Sep 26 20:41 PA council-chairman shot dead 1998 Sep 26 20:38 Search operation in Vadamaradchi east 1998 Sep 26 20:36 Youth arrested for purchasing Bananas 1998 Sep 26 17:20 Bishop's plea for Vanni refugees 1998 Sep 26 17:13 MP's Vanni visit obstructed 1998 Sep 26 17:06 Thileepan remembered 1998 Sep 26 17:01 Airforce fire kills Indian fisherman They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety -Benjamin Franklin	Know the Etymology: 28 Place Name of the Day: (28 of 500 revised) Varakā-pola, Koṭikā-pola, Val-pola, Gam-pola The place or country market for jackfruit The place or country market for dried areca nut The jungle place The riverine place Read more >> [20.02.16] The Tamil Genocide by Sri LankaThe second edition with over 150 new pages traces the ongoing engagement in the Sri Lankan conflict of Professor Francis A. Boyle, an eminent American expert in international law, from the conflict’s last years to the present pursuit of UN recognition of the Tamil genocide and call for reparations. It is the first book to develop an authoritative case for genocide against the Government of Sri Lanka under international law. The book is available from Clarity Press, Amazon in soft cover or in Kindle version. [11.11.15] South Africa to Singapore: global Tamils grasping geopolitics to act: The South African conference held in Durban has come out with many demands that are dear to the heart of Tamils, such as demilitarisation, stopping Sinhala colonisation, repeal of the 6th Amendment to facilitate free negotiation etc. But the slip was still showing when the conference avoided the term genocide. What was more ironical that betrayed the deception was the slogan of the conference organizers that called the country they want to salvage as ‘Sri Lanka’, boldly written in Tamil. Related Story >> [04.11.15] Tamil leadership need not shy away or react to unfair challenge coming from Sumanthiran: Eezham Tamil polity seeking pardon from Tamil-speaking Muslims should be unassuming, but it should come in an enlightening way to the edification of the Colombo-centric agenda or the powers-guided agenda, pursued in the past as well as in the present. Otherwise, it may only amount to conferring impunity to the State in Colombo and its abettors. Related Story >> [06.05.15] Retired land commissioner of Eastern Province on Structural Genocide against Eezham Tamils: The systematic seizure of traditional lands belonging to the Tamil speaking people of the North-East have been widespread under the guise of archaeological, forest and wild-life conservations and subsequently carried out through the acts of demarcating these lands under the purview of the state apparatuses such as the Archaeological Department, Forest Department and the Wild-life Conservation Department, says retired Land Commissioner of the Eastern Province Karthirgamathamby Kurunathan, in an in-depth video interview to TamilNet. Related Story >> [05.05.15] TNPF rejects ‘domestic investigations’ upheld by USA: The fact that the United States and the US Secretary of State John Kerry would consider the post January 08th 2015 situation in Sri Lanka, with the new government favourable, is understandable. But, for him to suggest that there is a favourable condition for the Tamils, is stretching too far, said Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, responding to a question from TamilNet. Related Story >> [02.05.15] Sivaram, Wigneswaran saw futility in convincing Sinhala polity: senior editor: The failure of Sivaram and his transfer into a staunch Tamil nationalist is analogical to the political course and current stand of the NPC Chief Minister, Mr C.V. Wigneswaran, said veteran Tamil journalist and editor, Mr. V. Thevaraj, addressing the 10th assassination anniversary meet of Sivaram held in Batticaloa on Wednesday. Related Story >> [02.05.15] New generation of organic intellectuals needed to continue Sivaram’s work: Informed by Tamil literature as much by Tamil history, Marxism as much as Poststructuralism, Thucydides as much as contemporary COIN theorists, Sivaram worked for the Eelam Tamil cause as a leading politico-military analyst and as a true “organic intellectual,” writes RM Karthick. Related Story >> [02.05.15] Sivaram commemorated in Tamil Nadu on 10th anniversary of his assassination: Journalist Revati Laul, who served as special correspondent at Tehelka and NDTV, journalist Priyamvatha Panchapagesan, an associate editor with News X, journalist Radhika Sudhakar, writer Aazhi Senthil Nathan and activists Thirumurugan Gandhi, coordinator of May 17 movement and Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan, the founder of I'laignar Iyakkam were among the speakers at the memorial event held in Chennai on the 10 anniversary of Sivaram's assassination. Related Story >> [29.04.15] Constitutionally recognise Tamil homeland to prove bona fides, exiled poet tells Colombo: “Would the Sinhala rulers of Sri Lanka ever be prepared to constitutionally recognise the joint North-East as the homeland of Tamils,” questioned exiled Eezham Tamil poet Kasi Anandan on Wednesday, speaking from Chennai, in an Internet-based video address on the occasion of a memorial event held in Batticaloa on the 10th anniversary of the assassinated TamilNet Senior Editor and popular columnist Sivaram Dharmeratnam (Taraki). Related Story >> [24.04.15] Break vicious circle of political obfuscation: Sivaram in 2003: Educating the masses on the designs of Powers and politically mobilising the people for the struggle was the central theme of the piece late Senior Editor of TamilNet Sivaram Dharmeratnam wrote to Northeastern Herald on May 02, 2003, two years before he was assassinated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence. Related Story >> [24.04.15] Task of real Tamil political leadership: Sivaram in 2003: Sivaram Dharmeratnam alias Taraki, the late senior editor of TamilNet, wrote an article in January 2003, explaining the deadlock of the Sri Lankan unitary constitution which cannot provide for a solution within its framework. The international backers were also aware that a federal solution to the ethnic conflict was practically, legally and politically impossible with the Sri Lankan Constitution, he wrote. Related Story >> [13.03.15] New Delhi should stop looking at Eezham Tamils through Colombo: Whether China or the USA, or both – whatever may be the ultimate foreign policy concern of India, the times are such that New Delhi should learn to approach Eezham Tamils as a nation of its own right. Related Story >> [10.03.15] Ki Pi Aravinthan's 2008 interview to TamilNet serialized: TamilNet serializes this week a 2008 interview with veteran former Tamil militant, poet and writer Ki Pi Aravinthan (Christopher Francis alias Sunthar), who passed away on Sunday in Paris at the age of 62. Related Story >> [14.02.15] Palaka'ni: NPC resolution gives hopes on Tamil political unity The recent resolution presented and unanimously adopted in the Northern Provincial Council on historic and recent genocide against Tamils in the island, has rung alarm bells at necessary diplomatic quarters, say Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF) and TNA Councillor M.K. Shivajilingam (TELO). In a Palaka'ni interview to TamilNet this week, Mr Shivajilingam said there were attempts afoot to influence certain Tamil diaspora activists to issue sophisticated statements urging the UN Rights Chief to postpone the OISL report. Related Story >> [13.02.15] Opinion: Understanding accountability: international investigation on outlook crime: NPC Chief Minister Justice CV Wigneswaran observed that such an investigation would make Sinhala people to see the truth and would help getting justice. Equally important or more important is an international investigation on the adamant ‘outlook crime’ of certain powers that fundamentally contributed to the genocide, especially in the recent decades. Related Story >> [12.02.15] Wigneswaran exposes US delay tactics at Geneva: “In my recent conversation with Ms Biswal, I understood that the USA wants to be in favour of the present Sri Lanka government, as this government is favourable to the USA,” Wigneswaran said. “When Ms Biswal asked what could be the appropriate time for the release of the Geneva report and when I replied that it should be in March, she didn’t accept it,” the NPC-CM said. Related Story >> [11.02.15] Key to struggle is to change outlook of powers: Gajendrakumar: The outlook of Powers with regards Tamil national question in the island doesn’t come from lack of knowledge, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said in a Palaka'ni interview last week, naming US-dominated West, India and China as actors primarily involved. The change in their outlook to accommodate Tamil interests is certainly not going to be through education, it is something that has to come through a struggle, he said. Related Story >> [10.02.15] Wigneswaran calls for international investigation on genocide: In a key development, the Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council (NPC), Justice CV Wigneswaran, on Tuesday called for real international investigations on genocide against Tamils committed by the successive governments since Ceylon's independence from the British in 1948. Related Story >>
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