Sinhala hoodlum attack Up-Country Tamils after SL defeat in Cricket final

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 April 2011, 16:39 GMT]
Sinhala hoodlum including some Muslims were on the rampage in the several parts of the upcountry attacking Up-Country Tamils of Tamil Nadu origin following the defeat of the Sri Lanka to India in the World Cup final that was held in Mumbai in India last Saturday. The unruly mob had entered line rooms of upcountry Tamil families and damaged the household properties and causing cut injuries to three Tamil youths, according to Mr.Arumugan Thondaman, leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by Mahinda Rajapaksa. About 25 upcountry Tamil youths had been admitted in Dikkoya hospital with cut injuries caused by sharp weapons.
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Book on India’s war crimes against Eezham Tamils released in New Delhi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2011, 20:33 GMT]
A new book on the war crimes committed by the ‘Indian Peace Keeping Force’ (IPKF) against Eezham Tamil civilians during 1987-1989 has been released at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus in New Delhi, Friday. The book, “In the Name of Peace: IPKF Massacres of Tamils in Sri Lanka” was documented by the Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) and was published by the Delhi Tamil Students Union. The book release organized by The Coordinating Committee for Oppressed Nationalities was followed by the screening of a documentary film, “Mullaiththeevu Saga” by Someetharan on the genocide of Eezham Tamils. Observers said that opinion prevailed among the panellists and audience favoured the Eezham Tamil right to secede.
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Rae criticizes Conservative ad

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2011, 05:28 GMT]
Pointing out that "[t]he Tamil community is a source of pride to Canada – its members continue to make a huge contribution to our country [Canada]," Bob Rae, former Ontario Premier and a prominent Canadian politician, said the Conservative advertisement on human smuggling using the picture of the MV Sun Sea is "based on fear, and is directly prejudicial to a fair determination of refugee claims."
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US initiated ‘contact groups’ to militarily weaken Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2011, 12:04 GMT]
Two international ‘contact groups', one each to check LTTE fund-raising and arms purchases were initiated by the U.S, in the first half of 2006, says The Hindu article Friday, based on the US cables accessed by The Hindu through Wikileaks. A cable sent in August 2006 from the US Embassy in New Delhi discloses the composition of the contact groups for the first time: representatives of Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, The Hindu feature further said.
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Kadaiya-moaddai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2011, 00:52 GMT]
The pond of Kadaiyar community
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NCCT demands apology over Canadian ad labelling refugees as criminals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2011, 03:19 GMT]
The National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) called on Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, to withdraw a Conservative party election advertisement that calls Tamil refugees as "criminals", demanded an apology to Tamil Canadians, media in Toronto reported. The ad features a photo of the MV Sun Sea which arrived off the shores of British Colombia in August last year with 491 Tamil refugees fleeing war and persecution from Sri Lanka-a country where the President, his brothers, and several Army Commanders have allegedly committed war crimes. The ad calls the Tamils aboard "criminals" who trying to abuse Canadian generosity.
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Rejecting nationhood of Eezham Tamils is tactical blunder of India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 04:22 GMT]
Students of international politics know well that India materialised an independent Bangladesh in 1971, but within a few years the USA turned it against India. Even to this day India is struggling hard to make the odds even. The same story is being re-enacted in Sri Lanka, but in a different way. India in strategic complicity decided Colombo winning a war through genocide of Tamils, but the US responsible of equal complicity and now articulating a deceptive ‘reconciliation’ paradigm, aims to emerge as the ‘ultimate saviour’ by hoodwinking Eezham Tamils through sections in the diaspora on one hand and by negotiating survival of state and regime of genocidal Colombo on the other. Failure to recognize the Eezham Tamil nation at this stage will be India’s Achilles Heel internally and externally, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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SLA-tortured teacher dies in Jaffna hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2011, 11:25 GMT]
28-year-old Sampanthan Sakthitharan a male teacher at Chaavakachcheari Hindu College, who was severely tortured by the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna at Thirunelveali on 15 March and dumped on the side of the road three hours later fought for his life at Jafna Teaching Hospital for 10 days with serious injuries in his head and finally succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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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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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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London women urge immediate IC move to rehabilitate Eezham widows

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 21:02 GMT]
Representatives of women’s groups in London, who met on Thursday at Kingston to observe International Women’s Day centenary, appealed for immediate international community move to rehabilitate an estimated 89,000 Eezham Tamil war widows. The gathering organized by Tamil Women Development Forum and Elders Empowerment Programme was participated by representatives of various communities in London and was attended by the Mayor and council officials of Kingston. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Annabelle Sartoris, a university researcher, said that Sri Lanka breaches UN resolution 1325 in protecting the rights of Eezham Tamil women.
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‘Trawler diplomacy’ escalates as elections near in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 18:35 GMT]
Three fishermen from Valveddiththu'rai were 'abducted' Tuesday in the seas off Jaffna by Indian Fishermen and were handed over to Indian Police in Koadikkarai (Point Calimere), fishermen society sources in Jaffna said. The incident was reported as talks were taking place in Colombo between the delegations of fishermen from the North and the fishermen from India. Political observers said that the establishments in New Delhi, Chennai and Colombo, in strategic partnership, are effectively deploying a 'trawler diplomacy' to set the Eezham Tamils against Tamils of Tamil Nadu in order to achieve a set of agenda ranging from blunting the national question of Eezham Tamils and setting space for corporate exploitation of the traditional waters of Tamils to tackling electoral questions in the state assembly elections in Tamil Nadu next month.
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China urged to play constructive role in the island: Prof Sitrampalam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2011, 05:21 GMT]
As a super power having influence on the Sri Lankan state, Eezham Tamils urge China to play a constructive role in the island of Sri Lanka, says Dr. S.K. Sitrampalam, the vice president of Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Katchi (ITAK), the main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The retired senior professor of Archaeology of the University of Jaffna recently visited China following an official invitation to the ITAK to take part in an organised trip extended to delegations from selected political parties from South Asia to have an exposure of how the Chinese government deals with its internal and external affairs.
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Jaffna university alumni association formed in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2011, 07:07 GMT]
Perceiving the need for a non-political, civil society organisation, the old students of the University of Jaffna, on Saturday, formed an alumni association in London. Around 45 graduates attended the inaugural step initiated by the first batch of the students of the University. An ad hoc committee of 15 members was formed with Mr. K. Sivaraja, Mr. S. Jeyaraja and Mr. K. Sivanandan as president, vice-president and secretary respectively. The gathering decided to make the association global and to hold the first general meeting in September. UK based lawyer Mr. Srikanthalingam has been assigned with the task of drafting a constitution. The association is open to all old students of the university from any part of the island, the organizers said.
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Amid Sinhala colonization, Dinamina claims SLA vacates Jaffna Town HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2011, 12:50 GMT]
State run daily Dinamina claimed Friday that Sri Lanka military has vacated high security zones in Jaffna town after nearly twenty years of occupation. The announcement came after handing over of Subash Hotel, and the reopening of Jaffna's Victoria Road which links Jaffna-Palaly main road and the Clock Tower road, according to the daily. Large parts of Jaffna Peninsula still remains as prohibited zone for resettlement of evicted Tamil civilians, with Colombo selling large parcels of land to Sinhala businessmen for economic profiteering, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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SL colonial governor hands over 200 acres in Vaddakkachchi to Sinhala trader

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2011, 09:23 GMT]
Colonial governor of Sri Lanka Maj. Gen. Chandrasri, occupying the country of Eezham Tamils, ordered this week for the appropriation of 200 acres of land at Vaddakkachchi in the Ki’linochchi district for the benefit of a Sinhala trader from the South. This land is a part of a 1000-acre farm that was given to the displaced people in 1995. Occupying Sri Lanka now refuses to resettle people in the farm. The Sinhala trader personally went to the site to choose the part he needed and Chandrasri ordered officials that whatever was chosen by the trader should be given to him.
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SL Army appropriates heritage institution in Jaffna for ‘cadet’ training

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2011, 09:13 GMT]
The building of Arya-Dravida Bhasha Abhivrtti Sangam, a heritage institution that was started in Jaffna in the early 20th century was appropriated a few days ago by the occupying SL military to conduct ‘cadet’ training for school students of Jaffna. T. Sadasiva Aiyar, an education officer of the colonial times, started this heritage institution that was conducting Pandit and Bala Pandit courses and examinations. The institution later became a constituent body of the Ceylon government’s education office in the north and thus was inherited by colonial Sri Lanka occupying the country of Eezham Tamils. The occupying SL military now pressed the SL education officials in Jaffna to hand over the building located at Koddadi in the heart of Jaffna city to the military.
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Nu'naavil

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2011, 05:57 GMT]
The pond of Nu’naa trees
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UK MP group calls for international inquiry into Sri Lanka's war-crimes

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2011, 01:01 GMT]
Lee Scott MP, Ilford North, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT), in a statement issued today, said "[n]othing but an independent international enquiry to alleged war crimes will satisfy the international community; Sri Lanka must be ready to face economic sanctions if it fails to meet internationally accepted standards," and added "the Tamil people have been waiting far too long for justice. The situation has worsened not only for Tamil people, but also Sinhala academics, journalists, and human rights activists under President Rajapaksa’s rule in Sri Lanka...it is important that Britain act now...."
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In eastern Tamil areas 80% public servants Sinhalese, says rights group

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2011, 05:27 GMT]
Problems faced by Tamil people cannot be solved by deploying 80% of public servants from Sinhala community in government departments located in areas where one hundred percent of the population is Tamils, said Mr.M.M. Zarook, Kalmunai Regional Coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) while addressing a public awareness discussion on Human Rights (HR) held at Vellaave'li DS division.
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