Jaffna MPCS employees agitate against political interference

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2010, 05:09 GMT]
The General Manager of Jaffna Multi Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS) resigned his post Monday due to pressure by Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda and his supporters, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka government has scrapped the democratically elected Board of Directors of MPC societies appointing its own persons as directors who are alleged of corruption, Jaffna MPCS members said. A case against the former President of Jaffna MPCS, Kiritharan, appointed by Douglas Devananda, for misappropriating millions of rupees is pending in Jaffna High Court in which Douglas Devananda is also involved, the members said. Jaffna MPCS handles various services to people of Jaffna peninsula including the distribution of relief dry food rations.
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'Colombo teaches lessons of political culture for South Asia'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 September 2010, 14:22 GMT]
The 18th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Sri Lankan parliament Wednesday with a majority of 144 votes. The Amendment, which has been passed in a rush by the government without pubic debate enables Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest presidential election for any number of terms besides bestowing additional powers in the appointments of key government posts. What is happening to state and democracy in the island of Sri Lanka is a warning to people who are deceived in the ‘democratic’ practices of dynasties and families in the rest of South Asia, political observers said. Sometimes back, a key diplomat of a leading power, looking after South Asia, tolerantly sounded that family rule in the island is typical of contemporary political culture in the region.
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Opposition groups declare September 8 Black Day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 September 2010, 05:04 GMT]
Opposition parties’ Movement Against 18th Amendment stated that 8 September, the day Sri Lanka government tables the constitutional amendment bill in Parliament, has been declared a Black Day and that a protest demostration will be held at the Borella Ayurveda Junction in Colombo on the same day. The convener of the Movement described the amendment as “undemocratic” leading to dictatorship and said it should be defeated.
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No-confidence motion against SL Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 September 2010, 05:02 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Friday handed over a No-confidence motion to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa against Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris charging him for the failure in handling international affairs.
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UNP appeals to all political forces to preserve Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 August 2010, 01:36 GMT]
"The time is opportune for all Sri Lanka’s political forces opposed to the tyrannical course the present regime has set for this country to come together to preserve the future of this nation," according to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya's statement to media.
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95 persons disappeared in Batticaloa district after SLA occupation

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 2010, 09:07 GMT]
Ninety-five persons including two women have disappeared without trace in Batticaloa district since Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation of the district, according to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, P. Selvarasa. The youths who had left the Liberation Tigers and married leading a normal life and persons who had been supporters of the LTTE had been arrested or abducted by SLA Intelligence Wing with the assistance of Tamil paramilitary group of Pillayan and Karuna. These persons are among those gone missing. The abductors arriving in white vans during nights had taken away the persons who had disappeared since then, the MP said.
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‘Development’ conquistadors have no appetite for psychological need of Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 2010, 07:07 GMT]
Psychotherapy provides meaning for the enormous suffering people have undergone to hope for the future and to hope for trust in the world, says Daya Somasundaram of the University of Jaffna, one of the very few psychiatrics serving the war affected Eezham Tamils in the island. Considering the long history in the island, the meaning comes only when Eezham Tamils get their land and affairs into their hands and when their nation is recognised. But the ‘development’ conquistadors of the West and India show no appetite for basic psychology needed for regeneration in the context of the island, commented Tamil circles, citing Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao who is scheduled to visit the island saying that conflict in the island had ended and India has to go beyond rehabilitation to look at development, without any reference to the crux of the matter.
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Colombo says cannot interfere with Fonseka Court's decision

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 2010, 01:46 GMT]
Chief Government Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, said in Sri Lanka parliament that the government is ‘helpless’ and cannot reverse the military court ruling made against former army Commander General Sarath Fonseka. "The Court arrived at the verdict applying laws of State to the conduct of General Fonseak, and Sri Lanka Government or the legislative body, the parliament cannot do anything about it," Sinhala dailies Lakbima and Dinamina said quoting Minister Gunawardena.
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Senior envoy of Indian government to visit Sri Lanka in September

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 2010, 21:10 GMT]
Indian Foreign Minister Nirupama Rao who was in Chennai Wednesday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at his residence in Gopalapuram. Speaking to the media after meeting the CM she said that a senior officer of the Central government will be visiting Sri Lanka as a special envoy in September and that he will meet the Tamils affected by the war and learn about the resettlement of the displaced Tamils and explore ways to provide livelihoods for them, sources in Chennai said.
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Wickremesinghe, Premadasa hold discussion to give new life to UNP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 2010, 14:24 GMT]
Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) held one to one talks Tuesday evening with Sajith Premadasa, UNP parliamentarian, to solve constitutional reforms of the party and to give new life to the party in the coming elections. They were later joined by another UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake. The talks are likely to continue Wednesday, party sources said.
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UNP to assist JVP led alliance against UPFA government

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2010, 17:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Monday declared that it is ready to extend its wholehearted support to an alliance as proposed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to oppose the undemocratic actions of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse. Gayantha Karunaratne, UNP parliamentarian and its spokesman told media Monday that the leadership of the alliance is not important to his party as long as it opposed to the dictatorial actions of the UPFA government.
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UNP asks LLRC to summon Peiris, Moragoda, Karuna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 2010, 08:47 GMT]
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission appointed by the Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been asked by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to summon G.L.Peiris, Milinda Moragoda and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman to get a balanced view of the peace process during the 2002 cease fire period under the then UNP government.
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NP Governor urged to allow Muslims to resettle in Jaffna without restrictions

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 2010, 05:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Deputy minister of resettlement Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna had said during his recent visit to Jaffna that the uprooted Muslims located in other parts of Sri Lanka including Puththa'lam living in houses given to them by Sri Lanka government should hand them back and the relief measures to them will be stopped if they choose to resettle in Jaffna. This has caused anger among the Muslims uprooted due to war and the president of one of their associations took the matter to Northern Province Governor at his Jaffna residence Thursday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Malaysian Tamil leader hard on Sri Lanka’s abetters, urges boycott

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2010, 17:12 GMT]
Malaysian Tamil leader and Deputy Chief Minister of the Penang State Prof P. Ramasamy came hard on some industrial circles of Ceylonese in Malaysia buttressing Colombo in the name of ‘development. Speaking to media Thursday he urged global Tamils to boycott commercial pursuits of Karunanidhi family. Party decisions announced by him urged Malaysian government to take a serious view of the situation in the island and wanted war crimes investigation to cover the roles played by Indian Prime Minister, Home Minister, Congress Party leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. His party plans tabling resolution on war crimes investigation in the Penang State Assembly and internationally working for solutions to the national question of Eezham Tamils.
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UNP MP attacked by Premadasa supporters – state media

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2010, 10:37 GMT]
Two special police units have been dispatched to apprehend the culprits who attacked UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake and a group travelling with him in Beliatte early this week. According to the state owned Dinamina Sinhala daily newspaper, the attack against Ravi Karunanayake and members of the party were initiated by a group close to UNP Hambantota district MP Sajith Premadasa, who is seen as a primary contender for the party’s leadership position against Ranil Wickremesinghe.
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Sri Lanka’s Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission begins sitting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2010, 15:16 GMT]
The Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), consisting of eight members, chaired by the former Attorney General C. R. de Silva, commenced its sittings Wednesday morning at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo 7, according to Commission’s Secretary S. M. Samarakoon. Bernard Goonatillake, former head of Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat that was operational during the period of the conflict,is scheduled to give evidence on the opening day. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is to give evidence before the Commission 17 August. The Commission is to meet from August 11 till the 25th. Sessions on August 14th and 15th are to be held in Vavuniyaa.
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India sending special envoy to assess rehabilitation in North

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 2010, 23:41 GMT]
A special envoy from the Indian government is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka shortly to monitor the progress of the rehabilitation work and resettlement of internally persons in the northern province, the state run Dinamina newspaper said in a front page news article. The visit has been announced subsequent to an appeal made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who wrote to the Indian Premier Manmohan Singh to send a representative from the Indian government to scrutinize the work being carried out in the north and to ascertain whether the work is on schedule.
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UNP to call for implementation of Right to Information Act

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2010, 18:13 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to table a motion calling for the implementation of the Right to Information Act when parliament meets Tuesday August 3 afternoon, according to UNP spokesman parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatileka told a press conference in Colombo Monday afternoon.
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Assert Eezham Tamil identity in international arena: Es Po

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2010, 01:18 GMT]
“The identity of Tamils in the island is not Sri Lankan. For over half a century the Sinhala chauvinists constantly staging devil dance tell that the identity belongs only to the Sinhalese. A Tamil who has ancestry in the island has no choice other than claiming for the identity Eezhath-thamizhan in the international arena. If that identity is not there he has neither face nor name,” says veteran Eezham Tamil creative writer S. Ponnuthurai (Es Po), in writing a forward to a poetry collection a few months ago. Meanwhile, veteran academic Prof K Sivathamby in an interview to Frontline last month regretted that “we did not have a situation in which all our people could join as Sri Lankans”, but added, “ Now we realise... The Sinhalese people also should realise that we are part of the landscape, and Tamils also should realise that this is the only country where the Sinhalese live”.
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Tissamaharama potsherd evidences ordinary early Tamils among population

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 03:18 GMT]
A potsherd inscription in Tamil Brahmi found some times back in an archaeological excavation by a German team at Tissamaharama in the Hambantota district of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka can be interpreted as meaning an equipment to measure, and thus evidences the presence of ordinary Tamil speaking people in the population of that region as early as at 2200 years before present, says archaeologist and epigraphist, Ponnampalam Ragupathy. The identification of the script of the legend as Tamil Brahmi and the decipherment getting the reading Thira’li Mu’ri in Tamil by veteran epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan in an article last month in The Hindu, has stirred interest of the archaeological circles in the island to unearth this old find from obscurity to limelight.
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