Kerry calls Sushma Swaraj, countering ‘extremism’ on the agenda

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2014, 14:18 GMT]
John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, called the recently appointed Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to discuss strategic ties, besides inviting her to the US. Further, Kerry conveyed his desire “to continue broadening and deepening our bilateral ties, including our robust economic and defense relationship, and working together on global challenges like climate change and countering violent extremism," Times of India reported on Friday quoting US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. While one set of analysts predict a strengthening of Indo-US ties under the BJP rule, others however suggest that the possibility of the centrist Modi government aspiring to be a regional hegemon cannot be ruled out.
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Polarization widens between New Delhi and Tamil Nadu following Rajapaksa visit

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 May 2014, 23:24 GMT]
Protests have proliferated in Tamil Nadu state against what activists have termed as “New Delhi’s unwavering courting of genocidal Sri Lanka”, at the very inception of the new BJP government. The decision to invite the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Indian Prime Minister is interpreted as New Delhi’s disrespect to the democratic mandate expressed in Tamil Nadu State Assembly resolutions calling for sanctions on Sri Lanka and for a referendum to be conducted among the Eezham Tamil nation.
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Papal visit to ‘bless’ genocidal Sri Lanka next year

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 May 2014, 14:36 GMT]
While the new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting Rajapaksa to his swearing-in on Monday has enraged Tamils, Pope Francis on the same day has announced to media about his visit to Sri Lanka, the very State of which is accused of genocide, on-going genocide, and has been rejected by Eezham Tamils since 1972. The Papal visit would give recognition to the genocidal State, blunting the calls for genocide investigation, and for that matter any international investigation at all against the State and the Rajapaksa regime, Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island commented.
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Tamils protest against New Delhi’s invitation to Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2014, 23:41 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Tamils took to the streets protesting against New Delhi inviting the president of genocidal Sri Lanka to the swearing in ceremony on Monday. The General Secretary of MDMK Vaiko led a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi condemning the invitation extended to the genocide accused SL president, whose presence was ‘polluting the sanctity’ of Modi’s swearing in ceremony. Protesters across Tamil Nadu burnt the effigies of SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The entire Tamil Nadu was on protest as the Chief Minister and key leaders of political parties have strongly opposed the invitation extended to the SL president.
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Tamil Nadu students rally against BJP invitation to Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2014, 23:38 GMT]
Shedding differences among different formations of activists in Tamil Nadu, the student groups came together on Saturday to protest against the newly elected BJP government inviting the president of genocidal Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to the swearing in ceremony of the Prime Minister Elect Narendra Modi, amidst strong opposition from the Tamil Nadu State Government and the opposition against the invitation. The latest justification given by BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman has irked the entire Tamil Nadu, the protesting students who courted arrest told TamilNet. In fact the first protest against the newly elected BJP government in India has emanated from Tamil Nadu, the students added. The organisers also said that a protest was planned by several social organizations on the 26th of May in Chennai as well as other places against BJP inviting Rajapaksa.
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Wigneswaran declines Rajapaksa's offer to accompany him to New Delhi

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2014, 13:11 GMT]
In a letter to SL Minister for External Affairs, G.L.Peiris, the Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council (NPC) CV Wigneswaran on Friday declined to accept an invitation to him to accompany the SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi to the swearing in of Indian Prime Minister Elect Narendra Modi. "Primarily, because acceptance would indicate that there exists a strong co-operative spirit prevailing between the Centre and the Province, when in fact, the Peoples of the North are engulfed in a climate of fear on account of the continued presence of the Military while the activities of the Northern Provincial Council have been stultified," Mr Wigneswaran said in his reply faxed to SL Minister G.L. Peiris.
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Jayalalithaa to boycott PM swearing-in over ‘ill-advised’ invitation to Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2014, 07:15 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalithaa will boycott the swearing-in event of India’s new Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on 26 May, over the issue of invitation to Mahinda Rajapaksa, latest news reports said on Friday, citing AIADMK party sources. Earlier, Ms. Jayalalithaa described the invitation to genocide-accused Rajapaksa as “ill-advised” and as “rubbing salt into the wounds.” Modi’s camouflage in inviting SAARC heads of governments is impelled by his priority to Pakistan and Muslim factor, and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s immediate response to come shows the US advice behind the move, political analysts said, adding that the USA and India long sidelining and sabotaging the Tamil question is the boon for genocidal Colombo and the Rajapaksas.
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Jaffna University, NPC brave threats to observe Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2014, 20:06 GMT]
While the Sri Lankan military was recklessly determined to suppress the Tamil students, academics, religious dignitaries, democratically elected political representatives and the common public against observing the 5th Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance, the University students and academics at Jaffna University emotionally commemorated the supreme sacrifice by the thousands of Eezham Tamils who faced the genocidal onslaught in the final days of Vanni war. Also the elected Northern Provincial Council (NPC) members on Thursday marked their observance by lighting candles at the NPC Secretariat where councillors Mr Shivajilingam and Ms Ananthi Sasitharan were blocked by the occupying SL police, who also desecrated the tribute site at the gate.
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New Delhi has to be told whether it wants Tamil Nadu or genocidal Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 May 2014, 23:02 GMT]
New Delhi’s prime minister designate Narendra Modi can’t have an excuse in inviting genocidal Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa to the inauguration of his government, citing his invitation to all SAARC heads of governments. None of the States in India has ever indicted the head of government of a neighbouring country, as the Tamil Nadu State Assembly has unanimously resolved against Rajapaksa’s genocide of Eezham Tamils. The Rajapaksa case is a unique case India has never seen before, and that too considerably involving the previous Congress government at New Delhi. Tamil Nadu, having a duty in showing a protest in no uncertain terms to New Delhi that whether it wants its southern State or a genocidal State in the neighbourhood, need not care Mr. Modi’s self-invited diplomatic compulsions.
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Girl slain with Isaipiriya in SL military captivity identified

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2014, 04:56 GMT]
A girl seen held captive together with LTTE journalist Shoba (Isaippiriyaa) by the genocidal military of Sri Lanka and later seen slain, has been identified as 19-year-old Ushalini Gunalingam from Yoakapuram, Mallaavi in Vanni, news sources in Ki’linochchi told TamilNet Monday. The girl was not a LTTE fighter, although she had been recruited by the movement in 2008 for a few months, according to the relatives of the victim.
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SL military ridicules Mu’l’ivaaykkaal observance even in temples

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2014, 23:13 GMT]
The military intelligence operatives of the occupying Sri Lanka Army deployed local goons to confront the elected Tamil representatives of the Tamil National Alliance and Tamil National Peoples Front from observing rituals at temples and churches in the North and East commemorating Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance Day on Sunday. As a way of ridiculing, Sinhala soldiers entered into Nalloor Kanthasaami temple and ‘competed’ with Tamil representatives in making ‘ritual offerings’ at the temple. The Bishop of Jaffna was under pressure to stop lighting commemoration lamps at the churches. SL soldiers were deployed in front of temples and churches. However, Eezham Tamils in the North and East observed Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance at their houses and businesses in an emotional manner, passing a strong message to the world.
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Ananthi goes for traditional medium of remembering the dead on Mu'l'livaaykkaal Day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2014, 08:38 GMT]
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member Ananthi Sasistharan has been protesting in front of a Sri Lankan military barrier on Mu’l’ivaaykkaal Remembrance Day demanding access to Keerimalai Nakuleasvaram temple at Keerimalai for the families to perform rituals to the dead family members. The SL military has been blocking all the avenues to the ritual site rejecting the Tamil families from conducting the ritual during Mu’l’livaaykaal remembrance. Keerimalai is situated in Valikaamam North which has been subjected to militarisation and Sinhalicisation by the occupying SL military.
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Genocidal Sri Lanka celebrates ‘Vesak’ suppressing Mu’l’livaaykkal Remembrance

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 May 2014, 21:01 GMT]
The occupying Sinhala forces of the Sri Lankan State this year celebrated Buddhist Vesak in a massive scale in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils as never before. The commander of the occupying SL military in Jaffna organised a two day military event in Jaffna. New Delhi's Consul General in Jaffna Mr V Mahalingam and his officials were invited to an event held at the Open Air Theatre in front of the Jaffna Public Library together with SL State employees from the Northern Provincial Council and the University of Jaffna. Diaspora operatives collaborating with SL military were also seated as special guests at the event.
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Tamil councillor marks Remembrance Day at Mu’l’livaaykkaal West

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 May 2014, 14:49 GMT]
Elected Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member Thurairasa Ravikaran from Mullaith-theevu on Saturday paid tribute to thousands of Eezham Tamils who perished facing the genocidal war 5 years ago in Vanni. The occupying Sri Lankan military soldiers were quick to discover the event and warned the TNA councillor not to proceed with the tribute. SL military intelligence operatives rushed to the spot with cameras taking video of the participants at Mul’l’ivaaykkaal West. The SL military officers said they had instructions not to allow any remembrance event to take place. However, Mr Ravikaran proceeded with the event stating that no body could stop him from gifting school children education material marking the remembrance of their kith and kin, who lost their lives in the war.
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SL police disrupts elected councillors from conducting Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2014, 17:36 GMT]
The occupying Sinhala policemen of genocidal Sri Lanka on Friday desecrated a Mu’l’livaaykkaal memorial event in a disgusting manner in front of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Secretariat at Kaithadi, by trampling on the floral tribute and memorial lamps that were lit by the elected Tamil councillors of the NPC. The SL policemen blocked the elected representatives from entering the NPC Secretariat. When the Tamil councillors lit memorial lamps and conducted a floral tribute in remembrance of the people and their fighters, who faced the genocidal onslaught in Vanni 5 years ago, Sinhala policemen desecrated the memorial lamps and the flowers with their boots. However, the elected representatives resolved that they would proceed with Mu’l’ivaaykkaal Remembrance from Friday to Sunday throughout the country of Eezham Tamils.
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Conspiring acts of outgoing New Delhi government need investigation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2014, 23:27 GMT]
The outgoing government of the New Delhi Establishment hurriedly coming out with a series of manoeuvrings just before its exit, particularly targeting the affairs of Eezham Tamils, needs a thorough investigation, commented Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island. They were citing the New Delhi government on Wednesday extending the ban on the LTTE and that too for an unusual term of five years; the fishermen talk held on Monday with the ‘supervision’ of the officials of New Delhi and Colombo, directed in such a way to bring in rift between Tamils on either side of the Palk Bay; and New Delhi’s reported compliance in the first week of May with Gotabhaya’s ban list of diaspora Tamil organizations and individuals.
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SL military threatens ex-LTTE members in Paduvaan-karai, Vaakarai in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 May 2014, 22:19 GMT]
The occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka has stepped up cordon and search operations targeting former LTTE members at various parts of Batticaloa district throughout the last 5 days. As Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance is approaching on 17 and 18 May, the SL military soldiers, accompanied by military intelligence operatives summoned former LTTE members to the nearby camps and warned that they would be held personally responsible for any future forms of struggle and threatened them to fill in the forms to enlist for subordinate ‘jobs’ with the SL military. Following the cordon and search operations staged by the SL military, paramilitary operatives have been visiting the houses threatening the ex-LTTE members to join the SL military. The cordon, search operations and the follow-up harassments have been reported in Vaakarai and Paduvaankarai regions of the district.
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SL governor deploys NPC resources to mark military ‘victory’ in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2014, 23:13 GMT]
While denying Eezham Tamils their collective right to commemorate their war-dead and the victims of genocidal onslaught, the colonial governor of the occupying Sri Lankan State in North, Major General (retd) G.A. Chandrasiri has used the funds allocated to Northern Provincial Council (NPC) to conduct a Sri Lankan military ceremony to ‘mark’ the so-called victory of the Sri Lankan State and to honour the soldiers of the occupying military perished in the war. The SL governor also instructed the employees of the NPC, including the secretaries and top officials of the provincial council to accompany him to the military function held at Nanthik-kadal to mark the genocidal victory of the SL military on Monday. Tamil children in Mullaiththeevu were forced to attend the event. The elected Tamil councillors of the NPC have opposed the move.
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Colombo accelerates genocidal land grab after Geneva resolution

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 May 2014, 23:09 GMT]
The occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka is seizing further 186 acres of coastal lands for the militarisation of the resourceful coastal stretch in the Jaffna peninsula, reveal notices issued by the Divisional Secretary of Valikaamam North. In the meantime, informed sources in Colombo told TamilNet on Monday that the SLFP parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksas, who is the son of the SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has also taken over a large area for corporate exploitation between KKS and Keerimalai. All ‘official’ exchanges have taken place secretely in Colombo for the transfer of lands. The gencoidal land grab is accelerated at the strategic coastal locations in North and East as there was no international condemnation on the structural genocide taking place in the North and East of the island.
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Eezham Tamil refugee commits suicide in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 May 2014, 20:56 GMT]
As a direct consequence of the inhumane conditions Eezham Tamil refugees are subjected to in India, an Eezham Tamil Refugee committed suicide on the morning hours of 09th of May inside his cell in the notorious Thiruchchi (Tiruchi) special detention camp, news sources in Tamil Nadu said. The refugee had on the 06th of May been admitted to a hospital and the doctor at the hospital had urged the authorities to allow the victim, identified as Devarooban, to receive treatment as he had been found to have strong suicide tendencies. However, the officials refused and brought him back to the detention. Mr Devarooban had for a number of years been held inside the detention camp without trial or legal assistance.
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SL commander warns students against Mu'l'livaaykkaal remembrance in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 May 2014, 23:33 GMT]
The commander of the occupying Sri Lankan military in Jaffna , Major General Udaya Perera, on Wednesday told Jaffna University students and academics when Ms Vasanthy Arasaratnam, the vice chancellor of the University, took them to a meeting with Major General Udaya Perera at Thal Sevena resort situated in SL military-appropriated Kaangkeasanthu’rai (KKS) of Valikaamam North. No one would be allowed to take part in any collective events of remembrance on Mu’l’livaaykkaal Day, the SL commander told the students and the academics. In the meantime, a section the SL military intelligence operatives have distributed anonymous leaflets with death threats on those who mark Mu’l’livaaykkaal Day.
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SL military wants Jaffna University shut down on Mu’l’livaaykkaal Day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2014, 07:01 GMT]
The Registrar of the University of Jaffna Mr V. Kandeepan, has issued a notice instructing the students at the University hostels to vacate the premises between 16 May and 20 May without citing any reason. All the education activities have also been cancelled for four days, bringing the entire University to a standstill during the Mu’l’livaaykkaal Remembrance this year. The instruction has come from the occupying Sri Lankan military, informed sources told TamilNet. Since 2009, the University student community has been fighting for the collective right of remembering those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle. In the meantime, the Eastern University in Batticaloa is already at a standstill as Tamil students have been protesting against the Vice Chancellor for collaborating with the genocidal regime of Colombo.
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Civic member Shageevan urges course-correction of TNA

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 May 2014, 23:51 GMT]
Eezham Tamils have also been consistent in denouncing a 13th Amendment-based discourse in the past. Also, when Oslo sought to push the Tamil question into an internal formula during the CFA times, the Tamil side confronted the move by producing a blueprint for Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA). Now, especially after facing the genocidal onslaught in 2009, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) should have articulated the position of Eezham Tamils by demanding an international investigation on crimes against humanity and genocide at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Why did the TNA parliamentarians fail articulating the Tamil position in an open and transparent manner at the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva all these years, asked S. Shageevan, the deputy chair of Valikaamam North civic council (Piratheasa Chapai) at a press conference held in Jaffna on Monday.
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Gajendrakumar challenges Sumanthiran on Geneva discourse

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 May 2014, 22:56 GMT]
The biggest betrayal is failing to do the needful at the right time to the Tamil people through demanding the international community to make the right decision. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and its nominated politician M.A. Sumanthiran have failed the Tamil people by reducing their scope of demands to fit the agenda of regime change and sabotaged every attempt by fellow Tamil representatives to advance the limitations, said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the president of the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) at a press conference held in Jaffna on Sunday in response to the accusations levelled against the TNPF by Mr Sumanthiran at an earlier press conference in Jaffna on Friday.
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146,000 acres of lands appropriated through militarisation of Batticaloa in 5 years: Tamil MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2014, 23:42 GMT]
Colombo has established 54 new military camps in Batticaloa district. 650 acres of lands have been appropriated for the occupying SL military, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian P. Ariyanethiran addressing May day rally in Batticaloa. Within the last 5 years alone, 145,885 acres of lands belonging to Tamil workers have been seized, Mr Ariyanethiran further said. The major land appropriation has taken place through the SL ministry of tourism seizing 122,063 acres through gazette notification within the last 5 years, the parliamentarian from Batticaloa said.
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