Eezham Tamils in Canada to form country council

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 June 2010, 14:40 GMT]
Followed by Norway, Switzerland, Italy and France, Eezham Tamils in Canada are going to elect representatives on Sunday for their Country Council named National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT). The NCCT will be a grass-root organisation composed of democratically elected Canadian Tamils focused on strengthening the Tamil community within the Canada. The bicameral national assembly of 27 Council Members consists of 22 elected members on 3-year-term and 5 elected members by Tamil organisations on 1-year-term. In addition, 6 regional councils in areas where a high population of Tamils live, will constitute the grass-root bodies of the NCCT.
Full story >>

‘Biggest betrayal and greatest tamasha’

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 June 2010, 11:53 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who presided over 'Victory Day' celebrations in Colombo on Friday, marking one-year of the victory by the Sri Lankan forces in their war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, described the attempts to bring disrepute to the armed forces by saying that they shot at ‘terrorist leaders who came carrying white flags,’ as biggest betrayal. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces, came with the greatest tamasha of his career so far by saying that his troops went to battle carrying a gun in one hand and the Declaration of Human Rights in the other. The Sri Lankan President also came with a warning aiming at diaspora Tamils: “What those from abroad who seek to strengthen separatism are really doing is, to once again corral the people of the north into camps.”
Full story >>

TGTE announces 11 committees, urges focus on Genocide investigation

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 June 2010, 10:10 GMT]
The Interim Executive Committee of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) on Thursday said it did not expect a change in the world scene turning in Tamils favour in the immediate future, but added that the TGTE was determined to seize every opportunity to advance the struggle, and was formulating the tactics in accordance with that belief. "We are drawing up our plans of action on the one hand to cultivate relationships with governments, and on the other hand to garner support among the people in our new home countries. With this in mind, convenors have been appointed to the various committees and planning work has been initiated," the statement of the TGTE said, announcing 11 committees and the names of representatives coordinating the committees.
Full story >>

MIA: I speak for my people

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 June 2010, 01:13 GMT]
Calling the Jaffna born music phenom, Maya Arulpragasam (popularly known as MIA), "the most provocative pop star of her age," the British Guardian, writing about the singer's popularity before the release of her third album "Born Free" in July, said that "she speaks out in support of Tamil citizens," and that "[h]er assertions that the Sri Lankan government is guilty of the genocide of local Tamils have not been going down well. She's even been accused of supporting the LTTE..." Earlier this month story of her confrontation with New York Times for misrepresenting MIA's quotes was a popular story on major news media and noted websites that cover music.
Full story >>

India was not happy about Norwegian peace: Prof Shanmugaratnam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 2010, 10:40 GMT]
India was not happy about Norway being given a role in peace brokering in Sri Lanka. Japan was keen to be the broker, but India was more against Japan than Norway, said Dr. N. Shanmugaratnam, Professor of Development Studies and Head of Research of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, while addressing a session on the failed peace process and Norway’s role in Sri Lanka, at a conference held in Nansen Peace Centre in Norway last Friday. The Norwegian Tamil academic also said that in his view the key challenges to the peace process were internal than international and the internal has always been decisive. Post mortem of the peace process has become a hot topic in Norwegian circles nowadays since the failed envoys of Sri Lankan process have embarked upon fresh peace initiatives elsewhere.
Full story >>

Political transformation should start in Tamil Nadu: Prof Ramasamy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 June 2010, 22:45 GMT]
Political transformation of the Tamil mind at the global level starting with Tamil Nadu is a fundamental prerequisite for the achievement of Eelam, said Prof. P. Ramasamy, Deputy Chief Minister of the Penang State of Malaysia in an interview to TamilNet. Tamil Nadu should go beyond DMK or AIADMK to handle the global plight of Tamils. Tamil groups in Sri Lanka have no vision or capacity and some are goaded by India. Some in the West don’t understand the historical and contemporary trajectory of the national liberation of Eezham Tamils. Discussing Tamil question with the Sinhala State is counter-productive at this stage, he further said, adding that he is presently working on exposing the misdeeds of India and the DMK and will push for international investigation of Sri Lanka’s war crimes and India’s strong role in them.
Full story >>

Obama's Genocide Expert meets Mahinda Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 June 2010, 13:58 GMT]
Samantha Power, Director of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the National Security Council in the Obama administration, David Pressman, Director for war crimes atrocities and civilian protection of the US National Security Council, and Ms. Patricia A Butenis Ambassador of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka met with Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday, reports from Colombo said. “The meeting was cordial and friendly and both sides discussed matters of mutual interest,” Daily mirror said quoting statement from Sri Lanka President’s office.
Full story >>

Genocidal Colombo gets unlimited chances from US, India

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2010, 23:38 GMT]
"The US and India have a very similar view of the situation in Sri Lanka and the steps that need to be taken,” said US Asst Secretary of State Robert Blake Monday to rediff.com, acknowledging, "We have worked very closely throughout the last several years on the situation in Sri Lanka, and again we have a real convergence of view on how that situation has evolved." Commenting, Tamil circles said the US policy compelled by the geopolitics of the Afghan war is tagged with New Delhi’s perception of the crisis in the island and unless the diaspora and the people of Tamil Nadu are not vigilant Colombo is likely to be encouraged with chances after chances to blunt the national struggle of Eezham Tamils and to complete the genocide. Tamil circles anticipate a long orchestrated plan soon unfolding to hoodwink their national cause as well as to make them economic slaves in their own land.
Full story >>

Don’t trade Tamils’ political aspirations for mere concessions: Tamil academics

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2010, 15:30 GMT]
The Tamil parliamentarians, during this period after war, should not give up the political aspirations of Tamils merely for concessions but should act independently to win the lost rights of Tamils, said a resolution passed in a meeting held Sunday in Colpetty in Colombo, arranged by Tamil academics, sources in Colombo said. Many who participated in the discussion expressed their discontent over the current political activities of the Tamil MPs and emphasized the need for them to observe the calculated moves of the government to settle Sinhalese in the North and East and to engage themselves to counter them. It was stressed that the Tamil parliamentarians should demand a just and honorable solution for the ethnic issue.
Full story >>

Japanese envoy Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2010, 13:54 GMT]
Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy appointed by Japan during the Norwegian facilitated negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is to commence a five day visit to the island of Sri Lanka on Tuesday June 15. Japan was the largest donor besides Europe and the United States, before Rajapaksa government turned towards China, India and Iran in its war against Tamils. Japan, together with the USA, the EU and Norway constituted the Tokyo Co-Chairs, which formally represented the role of the 'International Community' in the disastrous peace process that altered the balance of power in favour of Colombo, enabling the Sri Lankan state to wage a genocidal war on Tamils.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka one country, unitary state: Namal Rajapaksa, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 16:38 GMT]
“Sri Lanka is one country and a unitary state,” Namal Rajapakse, MP and son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa said speaking at the event where Minister Douglas Devananda officially inaugurated a boat service Sunday around 11:00 a.m at Ma’n’niththalai jetty in Poonakarai, sources in Jaffna said. “Douglas is a model person to the Tamils of the country as he sets an example by cooperating with the government in the development of the whole country,” he added. Meanwhile, civil society circles in Jaffna said that Namal Rajapaksa had praised Douglas Devananda in an effort to pacify him as Namal Rajapaksa had brought five of his own boats to be engaged in the boat service between Kurunakar and Poonakari in the project which was initiated by minister Douglas Devananda.
Full story >>

JVP delegation to visit Vanni, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 13:55 GMT]
The parliamentary group delegation of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is scheduled to undertake a three day-tour to Vanni and Jaffna from June 14 Monday. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasingha will be leading the delegation, according to DNA parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to media Sunday.
Full story >>

IUSU denied access to meet counterpart of Jaffna University

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 04:39 GMT]
The Vice-chancellor of Jaffna University did not permit Saturday more than seventy representatives of Inter University Students’ Union (IUSU) from South who had come to Jaffna to give the war affected Vanni students in Jaffna University things they had collected, to enter the university premise, sources in Jaffna said. The IUSU representatives led by Uthila Premaratne were stopped at the entrance as Jaffna University VC directed the security guards to close the main gate. Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) representatives were told curtly by the VC that Jaffna University was not a place for their political activities, the sources added.
Full story >>

Resettled people in Vanni suffer increasing SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2010, 04:30 GMT]
Disappearances, sexual abuse and extortion by occupying Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Vanni where people have been allowed to resettle have increased and the victims are helpless as there are no authorities to complain against the violence except to the SLA in Vanni, a government officer in Vanni said. Meanwhile, SLA earmarks properties with ‘Reserved for SLA’ notice boards and the owners of the marked properties have to pay large sums of money to claim their properties back, a worker of an NGO in Vanni said.
Full story >>

China, India, USA work to increase influence in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2010, 14:17 GMT]
China, India and the United States of America are gradually strengthening their presence in Jaffna. India and China have openly sought to influence the 'post-war development’, which is unilaterally undertaken under the supervision of Basil Rajapaksa, the brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Tamil circles in Jaffna commenting on the corporate race by the powers said articulate sections of Tamils in Tamil Nadu and in the diaspora should come out with appropriate responses that the powers should respect the rights of the people of the land in deciding their own development.
Full story >>

Tamil Commemorative stamp released in US

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2010, 02:08 GMT]
Tamils for Obama, a US-based Tamil activist organization, is releasing a first-class postage stamp ($0.44) for use with letters posted within the United States. "U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recently decided to allow American citizens to design and market their own postage stamps. We decided make use of this opportunity to show respect to the Tamils who have suffered destruction to life and property in Sri Lanka," spokesperson for the organization told TamilNet.
Full story >>

India compels CEPA on Sri Lanka: Dr. Wickrembahu Karunaratne

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2010, 08:15 GMT]
India is compelling Sri Lanka to sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for the favour of supplying weapons in the war against the Liberation Tigers, Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, the leader of the New Left Front (NLF), said in a press meet held in Colombo Wednesday morning. He further said that India which had been instrumental in the mass killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka is employing schemes like CEPA to bring Sri Lanka under its control. He warned that all trade ventures including small industries in Sri Lanka will become Indian if the CEPA is signed.
Full story >>

Tamil Nadu delegation not satisfied after meeting Rajapaksa in New Delhi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 16:49 GMT]
A delegation of 21 MPs from Tamil Nadu led by T.R. Baalu failed to secure concrete assurances on political settlement, release of Prisoners of War or resettlement of Tamils after meeting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in New Delhi on Wednesday. In a televised comment in Sun News, Mr. T.R. Balu said that there was some progress, but added he was not satisfied with the output of the meeting. The Sri Lankan delegation headed by Mr. Rajapaksa and the Indian delegation led by Dr. Manmohan Singh inked seven agreements, which included bilateral counter-insurgency and corporate deals. In the meantime, fifteen Tamil Nadu fishermen from Rameswaram were admitted to hospital after they were stripped off their clothes, tortured with ice on their heads and were forced to eat salt and raw fish by the Sri Lanka Navy on Tuesday off Kachchatheevu in Palk Strait, media reports in Tamil Nadu said.
Full story >>

US ambassador to Sri Lanka visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 15:36 GMT]
Ms. Patricia A. Butenis, Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives arrived in Jaffna Wednesday on a two-day visit where she first went to the ‘Periya Pa’l’livaasal’ (Big Mosque) of the Muslim community in Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the Intelligence wing men of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were active in covering all her visits collecting particulars of the places she went, persons she met and also the subjects she discussed, the sources added.
Full story >>

Exert pressure on Colombo to declare detained LTTE members as political prisoners: CPI politician

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 02:50 GMT]
Thousands of former LTTE members, who were captured by the Sri Lanka Army in May last year are still perishing in Colombo’s detention camps in unknown locations. “Many of the families of these young Tamils do not even know the whereabouts of their loved ones. The Sri Lankan state is treating them like criminals. Rajapaksa is not recognising these young Tamils as Prisoners of War. But, he should at least be pressurised by the global community to declare those detained as political prisoners,” said C. Mahendran, the deputy state secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Mahendran was addressing fellow activists of Ilangkai Thamizhar Paathukaappu Iyakkam, while they were held under collective custody by Tamil Nadu police, after a protest on Tuesday against Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi.
Full story >>