Stranded Mu'l'lik-ku'lam villagers seek attention towards their grievances

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 May 2017, 23:37 GMT]
More than 100 families of uprooted Tamils from the coastal village of Mu'l'lik-ku'lam in the Musali division of Mannaar district, say they are stranded at the church and the school for one month since 29 April. They are still not allowed to inspect their properties that remain occupied by the SL Navy. The uprooted people say they have been deceived by the SL Establishment. “None of our lands have been released,” says 28-year-old fisherman Theepak Revel in an interview to TamilNet this week. “We have been completely deceived. We are living as displaced people in our own village. There is no freedom of movement,” he said. 56-year-old Christophu Mariyathas said there was no information from the SL Navy about releasing their lands houses.
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Rigid military ‘pass system’ continues to restrict freedom of movement in Paduvaankarai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 May 2017, 23:30 GMT]
Nine years have elapsed since the end of war in East. Still, the occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka is controlling freedom of movement in the interior north-western hinterland of Batticaloa district, which is known as Paduvaan-karai. The SL Army personnel manning a check post at Kiraan Bridge are refusing entry to civilian vehicles at random. The Community Based Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations visiting the area are being redirected to Welikanda military base (Polonnaruwa district) with the instruction to secure permission to their entry into Paduvaan-karai in Batticaloa with a pass document. Around 5,000 Tamil families live in the area which comes under Koa'ra'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division.
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Islamophobic monks from Myanmar visit genocidal Buddhist project in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 May 2017, 23:40 GMT]
A section of Theravada Buddhist monks from Myanmar (Burma), who are opposed to Rohingya people in their country, were seen as part of a delegation comprising South-East Asian and Chinese monks visiting Nayinaa-theevu islet off Jaffna on Saturday. The genocidal ‘Sri Lanka’ Navy is now engaged in Sinhala-Buddhicisation of the islet and is pushing for the controversial move of constructing a 67-feet Buddha statue, completely disregarding the objections from the people of Jaffna peninsula, their democratic civic bodies and even the sections of officials employed in the civil service of Colombo government. The Sinhala-Buddhicisation project should also be seen as a systematically conceived military cum demographic security threat against Tamil Nadu, India and the entire region in the long run, political observers in Jaffna said.
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Sirisena diverts water away from Tamil farmers to Sinhala projects in East

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 May 2017, 18:19 GMT]
Eezham Tamil agricultural farmers, who are dependent on irrigation from Vaakaneari tank in Koa'ra'laip-pattu South DS division, complain that the water intended to the tank is being diverted to Sinhala military run farms West of Vadamunai and by re-channelling the water from Vaakaneari tank to Sinhala-owned tourism industry in Paasik-kudaa. In the meantime, more than 1,200 Eezham Tamil fishing families, who are dependent on fresh water fishing in the tank, have also been severely affected by the diversion of the water. The SL President and Mahaweli minister Maithiripala Sirisena is directly responsible for the diversion of the water. The Tamil farmers and fishermen have condemned Maithiripala Sirisena for re-channelling the water away from tanks used by Tamils in Batticaloa to his Sinhala electorate of Polonnaruwa.
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SL military disregards civic ban, continues construction of Buddhist vihara in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 May 2017, 23:45 GMT]
The occupying Colombo recently launched the construction of a Buddhist vihara at Naavatkuzhi, which is being Sinhalicised through militarisation and housing schemes for Sinhala colonists. During the Vesak in May 2017, ceremonial construction of a big Vihara establishment was begun. On Tuesday, Chaavakachcheari Divisional Council came with an interim order instructing those engaged in the construction of Buddhist vihara to halt all construction activities as permission to construct the Buddhist Establishment has not been properly obtained from the local body. However, SL Army personnel continued the construction work disregarding the instructions from the civic body, sources in Naavatkuzhi said.
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Tamil POWs reject SL deceptive offers to testify against inmates in exchange of amnesty

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 May 2017, 17:29 GMT]
Sinhala police and prison officials of occupying Colombo are trying to deceive some of the Tamil political prisoners to testify against the inmates, say Tamil prisoners in Colombo Magazine prison. The cases of almost all of the so-called ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ (PTA) detainees are based on forced confessions obtained under torture by the so-called ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division’ (TID) or the SL Police. As the judges of the courts situated in the North-East would dismiss the use of such confessions as evidence, SL Attorney General’s Office in Colombo has been transferring the cases away from the courts in North-East to special courts in the South.
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SL Forest Department suspected of shooting to kill Muslim villager in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 May 2017, 23:39 GMT]
A 30-year-old Tamil-speaking Muslim farmer from Musali in Mannaar was admitted to Mannaar General Hospital with two serious gunshot wounds on Sunday night. The victim, identified as Meera Sahib Harees hails from Paalaik-kuzhi in Musali division. The father of four had gone searching for his cow in the nearby jungle area Sunday noon and was found unconscious and bleeding with two gunshot injuries around 5:30 p.m. in the same day. The jungle area is frequented by armed Sinhala guards from SL Forest Department who have been hostile to the Tamil-speaking Muslim villagers from Ma'richchuk-kaddi for a long time now. Paalaik-kuzhi is located near Ma'richchuk-kaddi.
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Western funding deployed to suppress voices of Tamil women in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 May 2017, 16:59 GMT]
An Oadda-maavadi based NGO outfit, known as ‘Eastern Social Development Foundation’ (ESDF) is actively engaged by the occupying Colombo to contain the protests from female-led Tamil families in Batticaloa, Tamil activists in Batticaloa say. The families of persons subjected to enforced disappearance at the hands of SL military and its paramilitary groups are being selectively targeted. The ESDF is deploying funds from USA and UN agencies, Tamil activists in Batticaloa alleged. However, an informed source close to Buhary Mohammed, the founder and CEO of the outfit, said that the funds were in fact flowing from UK-based Commonwealth Foundation, Luxembourg based Government agency and PADEM and a Luxembourg-based NGO which is funded by France.
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Resettled Tamils complain increased harassments by SL military at Kudumpi-malai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 May 2017, 22:09 GMT]
The deployment of Sinhala military belonging to 232 Brigade Headquarters of the occupying Sinhala military at Kudumpi-malai (which is also known as Thoppik-kal and Baron’s Cap) in the interior of the northwestern hinterland of Batticaloa is not only a demographic and structural threat, but also a cultural threat, complain Tamil villagers. More than 500 Eezham Tamil families were living there during the times of the LTTE. Only 120 families have managed to resettle there amidst the deprived infrastructure and basic facilities to them. Their temples are still under SL military occupation. Tamil Heroes Cemetery, which was the largest one in the district, has been fully bulldozed and a Sinhala military base is built there. Monuments of SL military’s genocidal victory are showcased to the Sinhala visitors, who are promoted to tour the area as visitors to ‘Thoppigala Heritage Park’.
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Remembrance Day echoes strengthened resolve against military occupation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 May 2017, 19:39 GMT]
There will come a day when the Tamil-speaking people who are now waging continuous protests for securing their lands from the occupying military and the people who have been seeking answers on the whereabouts of their kith and kin in the hands of the military to start waging a struggle demanding the SL Army, Navy and Air Force to go home, said Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, the chief minister of Northern Provincial Council, in his memorial address on the occasion of 8th year remembrance held at Mu’l’livaaykkaal on Thursday. Hundreds of people, including the ones who had lost their loved ones in the genocidal onslaught, were paying tribute at the emotional event, side by side along with their politicians, who were standing among the crowd as everyone else.
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Occupying Colombo blocks memorial event at Mu'l'livaaykkaal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 May 2017, 23:10 GMT]
The judiciary of occupying Colombo has blocked a peaceful memorial event, which was being organized by St. Paul’s Church at Mu’l’livaaykkaal East. The SL Police subjected the priest of the church, Fr. Elil Rajendram, who is also a civil activist, to prolonged interrogation on Tuesday night at the instigation of the military intelligence of the SL military. The Jesuit priest has been targeted for his long involvement in the criticism of local investigations, informed civil sources told TamilNet. The memorial event to be held on 18 May was only targeting to have 800 memorial stones engraved with the names of Tamil civilians who perished in the genocidal onslaught. The interim order issued by the SL court in Mullaiththeevu said the move could be seen as harming ‘integrity’, ‘national security’ and ‘peace’ of the ‘country’.
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Eezham Tamils mark Genocide Remembrance braving veiled threats from Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 May 2017, 23:39 GMT]
Northern Provincial Councillors, including Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, Tamil Peoples’ Council (TPC), Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF), Tamil civil society, political parties of former Tamil militants including the EPRLF, TELO and PLOTE and TNA parliamentarians from Vanni electorate, have vowed their commitment to mark Mu'l'ilvaaykkaal Remembrance as Tamil Genocide Remembrance calling for the public to attend various events scheduled at Mu'l'livaaykaal on Thursday. The Catholic community associated with St. Paul’s Church in Mu'l'livaaykkaal have organised 800 stones to be engraved with the names of those who perished in the genocidal onslaught and called for a memorial monument at Mu'l'livaaykkaal where a statue was erected last year.
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SL Prime Minister twists figures on Tamil prisoners

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 May 2017, 20:49 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, the prime minister of genocidal Sri Lanka is twisting the figures of Tamil prisoners, who are languishing in the prisons in the North and South, say Tamil rights activists who are voicing for the release of Tamil political prisoners. TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, who raised the issue of political prisoners with SL Prime Minister in the beginning of 2017 had gone on record quoting Mr Wickramasinge as coming with the figure of 213, including 49 ‘convicted’ prisoners. Now, the SL PM has again reduced the figure to 98, Tamil rights activists said observing latest information coming from the TNA parliamentarian. The rights activists have condemned the SL Prime Minister and the SL State for giving contradictory figures and for refusing to recognise the Tamil Prisoners of War at least as political prisoners.
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No action from Sirisena on withdrawing Sinhala colonists from pasturelands of Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 May 2017, 21:22 GMT]
Tamil dairy farmers from interior Batticaloa, particularly those from Mayilaththa-madu and Maathava’nai in Kora’laip-pattu South (Kiraan) division, have been repeatedly complaining about large-scale Sinhala colonization taking place in the pasturelands of the country of Eezham Tamils since their area was seized by occupying Colombo from the protection of LTTE in 2007. After years of continuous agitation, the intrusion was halted to some extent a year ago. But, SL President Sirisena’s settler colonist goons continue to sustain their properties and huts in the pasturelands, Tamil farmers complain. According to court orders the illegal settlements including the huts should have been removed and activities such as agriculture in pasturelands should not take place. But, nothing has been removed so far, the Tamil farmers say.
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Mu'l'lik-ku'lam people deceived again, SL Navy wants 8 more months to release houses

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 May 2017, 22:13 GMT]
The people uprooted from Mu'l'lik-ku'lam 10 years ago were waging a continuous protest for 38 days until 29 April when they received an assurance from SL Navy commander on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the occupying SL military Mr Maithiripala Sirisena that 100 acres of their lands would be released within 3 days. But, on Tuesday, 10 days after the assurance, the families who entered the military zone and camped inside buildings of a church and school were told only 77 acres would be released and that too after they document papers for their lands. The SL Navy wants 8 more months release the remaining 33 acres, Divisional Secretary S. Vasanthakumar told the people who were awaiting the release of their lands.
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Uprooted Mu’l’lik-ku’lam families face harassment from SL officials in military zone

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2017, 23:42 GMT]
Around 140 uprooted Tamil families from Mu'l'lik-ku'lam in Musali division of Mannaar, waged 38-days of continuous protest demanding resettlement in their own village, which has been transformed the so-called ‘North Western Naval Area’ command Headquarters of the SL Navy that has occupied the village. The uprooted people concluded their protest on 29 April after SL Navy commander met them on the instructions from SL President Maithiripala Sirisena and assured them release of their lands within 3 days. But, more than 10 days have elapsed and the prospects for all of their lands getting released look bleak. The administrative officials are now tightening the rope by questioning the uprooted people to pay back the money spent by Colombo for the housing scheme provided for them at alternative lands earlier.
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SL Forest Department schemes seizure of lands released by occupying military in Champoor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 May 2017, 16:04 GMT]
The Forest Department of genocidal Sri Lanka is pushing ahead its plan of grabbing 50 acres of agricultural lands used by resettled Eezham Tamils in Champoor in Moothoor East. The SL Forest Department targets more than 50 acres of upper-lying agricultural lands that are located 2 km east of Kaa’li-amman temple. The resettled people, who have cleared the lands for cultivating cassava, peanuts, maize, chili pepper and tomato and made arrangements to channel water from a small tank in the area, complain that the SL Forest Department officials visited the area claiming that the area comes under their domain.
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Northern fisheries federation issues ultimatum to Colombo before Narendra Modi’s Vesak-visit

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 May 2017, 23:00 GMT]
Just ahead of Indian PM Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the island on International Vesak Day, the SL regime in Colombo has started to exert pressure on Tamil-speaking fishermen associations in the North to collaborate with Colombo’s ‘friendly gesture’ towards New Delhi through to back the move of releasing a section of trawlers that had been seized from intruding Indian fishermen in the past. In the meantime, the Federation of Fishing Associations in North has warned Colombo against releasing the Indian trawlers without their consent and reminded Colombo about the 6 demands that have been put forward by the associations one month ago in a direct meeting with SL Fisheries Minister. The leader of the federation was reluctant to reveal all the 6 demands, but reminded the SL State that the federation would be forced to initiate next phase of the struggle, unless Colombo failed to act.
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Sinhala colonists in Kokku’laay violate interim order from Mullaiththeevu courts

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 May 2017, 23:04 GMT]
The encroaching Sinhala fishermen along the disputed coastal strip of Kokku’laay in Mullaiththeevu were engaged in fishing disregarding the interim order of the courts on Monday. The intruding Sinhala fishermen assisted by the occupying SL Navy in civil were covering their faces and heads from identification. Following complaints from the native fishermen, Village (GS) officers and the officials from the Divisional Secretariat of Karai-thu’raip-pattu rushed to the locality to witness the conduct of the occupying Sinhala fishermen.
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