Oil, canal and security cause call for retrieval of Kachcha-theevu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 June 2011, 16:34 GMT]
The Tamil Nadu State Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to legally associate the Tamil Nadu government with a case already pending in the Supreme Court of India on Kachchatheevu. The petition in the Supreme Court filed in 2008, by AIADMK General Secretary and present Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha, seeks the Supreme Court to declare India’s ceding of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka as unconstitutional. According to the CM and some Indian policy planning writers, the ceding of the islet under the 1974 and 1976 bilateral agreements affected fishing rights of the Tamil Nadu fishermen and resulted in the killing of hundreds of them by the Sri Lanka Navy. But oil in the Palk Bay, a canal project and security fears of India count more than the interests of the fishermen, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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Eezham liberation is geopolitical priority for Tamil Nadu: Thirumurukan

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2011, 00:40 GMT]
If the people of Tamil Nadu are vigilant enough of the nature and aims of the geopolitical forces operate in the region, then they will realise that call for independence of Eezham Tamils should get priority over war crimes investigation and indictment of Mahinda Rajapaksa, said Mr. Thirumurukan Gandhi of the May 17 Movement of Tamil Nadu, while discussing the UN report in Chennai last month. The whole world, except Tamil Nadu, knows that the power to change the paradigm lies in Tamil Nadu, he further said. Thirumurukan’s analysis coming from grassroot thinking in Tamil Nadu was refreshing, while ‘analysis groups’ in Chennai and some international organizations backed by establishments aiming to capitalize the war crimes to their interests truncate the ultimate justice of liberation to the affected, said political observers in the island and in the diaspora.
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330,000 voters ‘missing’ in Jaffna, Ki'linochchi electoral list after 2009 war of genocide

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2011, 12:21 GMT]
In 2009, the number of registered voters in Jaffna electoral district that comprises of the administrative districts of Jaffna and Ki'linochchi was 816,005. This figure has dropped to 481,791 entries in the register of the electoral district of Jaffna. On Thursday, Assistant Commissioner of Elections (ACE) of Jaffna Electoral District S. Karunanithi confirmed that the SL Election Department has removed 331,214 names from the list. “Most of them have fled the country,” was the official explanation by the ACE. The untold story is that the figure also includes the victims of genocide in Vanni from the Ki'linochchi district. Meanwhile, the date for local elections for 16 Piratheasa Chapais (PS) and three Urban Councils is fixed by the department to take place on July 23, the day when Tamils remember the victims of state-sponsored anti-Tamil pogrom in 1983.
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Tamil independence, a universal issue going beyond state reformation in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2011, 09:36 GMT]
India could do much better by acknowledging the right to independence of Eezham Tamils, by working for international consensus towards it, by structuring an IC-facilitated transition arrangement for it, and by creating an environment for the diaspora to freely interact through Palaali and Trincomalee, for India’s own reconciliation with Tamils and for relieving the island from endangering the entire region, rather than covertly waging ‘counterinsurgency’ and psy-op wars with people of Tamil Nadu and the diaspora through intelligence operatives to save establishments indicted, writes TamilNet commentator in Colombo. The Frankenstein Monster in Colombo is now difficult for its creators and the UN to handle, but Sinhalese alone may able to bring it down and strike true reconciliation if there is an IC decision that Tamil Eelam is inevitable. That is the only way out now, he further said.
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Tamil youth reported missing after SLA-arrest in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 May 2011, 17:06 GMT]
19-year-old Diluxon Anandarajah, taken away by the Sri Lanka Army intellligence from his house located in Zone-A of “Swiss” village at Kokkuvil in Batticaloa on 15 May has been reported missing, according to a complaint lodged by his mother with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. According to the complaint, SLA intelligence officer Suresh had taken away her son for ‘investigation’.
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Colombo alleged of engineering paramilitary clash in East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 15:21 GMT]
A special team of Sri Lanka Army personnel Tuesday afternoon conducted a search at the Batticaloa residence of Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan alias Pilliayan. Mr. Chandrakanthan was not at his residence at the time of search operation. TMVP sources said the reason for the operation was not revealed by the army personnel. The search of Chandrakanthan's residence, located along Lake View, is being viewed as the climax of the internecine fighting between the two paramilitary groups, which are operated by the Rajapaksa regime in Colombo. Informed sources in Colombo said that the Sri Lanka Army intelligence unit has been actively engaged in causing deep division between the two paramilitary groups.
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Daily Mirror editorial: “TNA kindles violence”

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 May 2011, 10:51 GMT]
“A senile TNA member’s descendants are in the West. With one foot in the West and one in the grave this member thrive on the sufferings of the innocent Tamil civilians. And he likes kindling violence. And obviously TNA welcomed the findings of the Experts’ Panel,” was the editorial opinion of a “noteworthy” newspaper, Daily Mirror, published in Colombo on Monday. The editorial titled “Irresponsible politics,” by the pro-opposition newspaper, projecting itself belonging to a ‘liberal world’, show only the basic feelings of Sinhala polity, whether ruling or opposition, when it comes to delivery of justice to Tamils within Sri Lankan State that is upheld by powers in the island, commented Tamil political circles in the island, adding that the editorial in fact was a response to the stand of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha.
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Paramilitary confrontations trigger SLA operations in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 May 2011, 05:59 GMT]
The occupying SL Military has stepped up cordon and search operations and check points in Batticaloa district following the slaying two persons associated with Karuna and Pillaiyan paramilitary groups in the district. All the travellers are stopped at newly set up check point at 5th Mile Post along Kalmunai-Batticaloa Road and are being interrogated by SL intelligence personnel.
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Tamil Nadu needs to play cohesive international role

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2011, 00:56 GMT]
Given her background and qualities, Ms. Jayalalitha has a chance of becoming an all India leader of international reputation, provided she fills in the vacuum created by the failure of New Delhi led by Sonia Congress and plays the card of the national question of Eezham Tamils and the geopolitical importance of Tamil Nadu, at an international trend-setting level, commented an Eezham Tamil diaspora studies academic in Europe. Meanwhile, Mr. Karunanidhi and his political family of long Tamil national heritage, now being in the opposition and free from bondage to New Delhi, have a more articulating but cohesive and historic role to play in setting the record right for their coming back, and all new front aspirants have to concentrate on genuine and progressive civil society movements, the academic further said.
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Congress-DMK coalition routed out in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 May 2011, 11:35 GMT]
Leading in 193 constituencies of the 234-seat house, the AIADMK coalition led by J. Jayalalitha sweeps through the Tamil Nadu State Assembly elections in which an unprecedented 80 percent of the voters cast their votes. The DMK-Congress alliance trails behind with a lead only in 39 electorates. Ms. Jayalalitha’s party, leading in more than 130 seats, could comfortably form a government even without the participation of any alliance parties. Jayalalitha, who is generally considered to be honest to her words taking a positive stand towards the struggle of Eezham Tamils in recent times, and Mr. Karunanidhi being in the opposition are helpful for the cause of Eezham Tamils provided the civil society in Tamil Nadu is assertive and vigilant, political observers in Tamil Nadu said.
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Muralitharan's paramilitary coordinator shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2011, 22:28 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen, who came in a motorbike, shot and killed 38-year-old Rasamanikkam Mathiyalakan, a SLFP coordinator and an assistant to the paramilitary leader cum SL deputy minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna, Wednesday around 2:00 p.m. The killing took place at Mathiyalakan's residence located along Kalladiththeru Lagoon. Mr. Mathiyalakan was earlier an operative of the EPDP and later was associated with the Sri Lanka Army intelligence unit.
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UN war crimes report to be produced in White Flag case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 12:21 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Wednesday issued notices on two more witnesses cited by the defense to be present at the next date of trial in the controversial white flag case in which the former army commander Sarath Fonseka has been indicted by the Attorney General, legal sources in Colombo said. Fonseka was charged for causing disrepute to the government by giving an interview to a English weekly alleging that the Defense Secretary Gotabahaya Rajapakse had ordered the army to shoot all LTTE cadres, who come to surrender holding white flags at the last leg of the Vanni war, dead.
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Police sentry in East University to continue says SL Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 April 2011, 11:51 GMT]
Sri Lankan Minister of Higher Education S.B.Dissanayake has said that the SL police sentry located in the premises of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) at Vanthaa'rumoolai in Batticaloa district would not be removed for any reason and the security of EUSL would be handed over to one of the three ‘security establishments’ of the government, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) or to the Special Task Force (SLF) if necessity arises.
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India must act over Sri Lanka’s war crimes - AIADMK

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 April 2011, 22:29 GMT]
Citing the leaked UN expert panel’s report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes, Tamil Nadu’s main opposition AIADMK party has demanded India take steps to ensure Sri Lanka’s leadership stands international trial. "The UN Panel report is very clear. It lists out the war crimes of the Sri Lankan government," AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa said in a statement Friday reported on by PTI and IANS.
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Pillaiyan, Karuna paramilitary groups clash in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 April 2011, 03:33 GMT]
Cadres of the para military group led by Pilliayan, who is the chief minister of the Eastern Provincial Council, assaulted a former cadre, Seenithamby Pakkiyarajah, 38, severely injuring him Sunday, sources in the east said. Pakkiyarajah was admitted to the Ka'luvaagnchikkudi Government Hospital. Pakkiyarajah had recently joined the para-military group led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan alias Karuna, who is now a Deputy Minister in the Mahinda Rajapakse government. The Ka'luvaagnchikkudi police have so far arrested two suspects in this regard.
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300 Tamils, Muslims appeal to LLRC to locate missing relatives

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 March 2011, 15:16 GMT]
The Lessons and Learnt Reconciliation Commissioner (LLRC) Sunday morning commenced its sittings at the auditorium of the Kalmunai (Tamil) Divisional Secretariat and recorded statements from over three hundred persons including Tamils and Muslims who have lost their children and spouses due to the arrest, abduction and killing by the Intelligence Unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and cadres of para military groups led by Karuna and Pilliayan, sources in Ampaa'rai said.
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Ampaa'rai mother appeals to LLRC to locate son abducted by Karuna men

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2011, 11:08 GMT]
A widowed Tamil mother, Kasipillai Marakathamani, of Vinaayagapuram in Thirukoail Friday appealed to the Lessons and Learnt Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to locate her only son who was forcibly taken over from her house three years ago by cadres of Karuna Para military Group. Since then the son has been missing and his whereabouts are not known. Marakathamani was giving evidence before the LLRC sittings Friday morning in the Ampaa'rai District Secretariat.
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Democratic uprising in Tamil Nadu crucial to changes in the region

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2011, 12:38 GMT]
If the so-called post 9/11 paradigm provided an opportunity for repressive forces to mobilise against various peoples in the world and if that worked against the liberation of Eezham Tamils, the recent uprising of peoples against establishments in North Africa and West Asia is a favourable trend the Eezham Tamils and the Tamils of Tamil Nadu have to carefully comprehend and make use of in bringing out changes in South Asia too. Progressive Sinhalese who see the need to recognise the nation of Eezham Tamils for a true reconciliation in the island should also join in. A democratic uprising in Tamil Nadu is crucial to changes in the entire region and that is a big hope for Eezham Tamils too. Tamil Nadu has the potentiality and the reasons for the uprising, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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TNA MP accuses Pillaiyaan of issueing death threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 01:41 GMT]
Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian C. Yogeswaran has lodged a complaint with the Kaththangkudy Police that he had repeatedly received death threats from the Chief Minister of Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilliayan, according to electronic media reports in Colombo Tuesday.
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UPFA lead candidate attacked in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2011, 11:40 GMT]
Ali Zahir Mowlana, former parliamentarian of the Batticaloa district and currently the lead candidate of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance contesting the Ea'raavoor Urban Council that is scheduled to held on Thursday, was critically injured in an attack that took place Wednesday afternoon at Ea'raavoor, sources in the East said.
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