NCET urges Obama to explore policy reciprocal to US-Tamil interests

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 December 2009, 01:49 GMT]
US president Barak Obama visiting Oslo to receive Nobel Peace Prize Thursday was urged by the Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) that the USA should explore possibilities of recharting a policy pragmatic to both the national question of Tamils and the US interests in the island of Sri Lanka. In a letter addressed to the President and made open to media, NCET expressed its deep concern about Monday’s recommendations of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs seeking to strengthen Colombo and sidelining political solution to Tamils. Hundreds of Eezham Tamils in Oslo, joining many other organisations of international politics making demands to Obama, also took part in a vigil Thursday evening, marching from the city centre towards the Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament.
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Another SLA soldier found dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 December 2009, 07:42 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, who was on night duty guarding the Peoples Bank branch located along Stanley Road in Jaffna was found shot dead in the vicinity of the bank during the early hours of Thursday, Police said. The SLA has beefed up security following the report of another mysterious death among the SLA soldiers in Jaffna for the second day.
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SLA soldier shoots himself to death in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 December 2009, 16:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna said that one of their soldiers shot himself to death Wednesday around 1:20 a.m in a police station located near Post Box Junction along Palaali Road in Jaffna.
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US Senate Committee evaluation pushes aside political solution to Tamils

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 December 2009, 07:32 GMT]
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recommending Monday on ‘recharting’ US strategy on Sri Lanka, said the US should focus on economy and security of the island instead of humanitarian considerations, IDPs and civil society; should also invest in Sinhalese parts of the country instead of just focussing on North and East; should resume training of Sri Lankan military officials to ensure human rights in future operations as well as to build critical relationships and implied that US should not emphasise on political reform as a condition to assistance, bringing rift in US- Sri Lanka relations making the latter to align with countries of alternative model of development. While the report based on evaluation by two staffers, one of whom a US Sinhalese, is viewed by Tamil circles as an open insult to their struggle, it is also seen as an election ‘manifesto’ to woo Sinhalese votes.
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SL Armed Forces personnel in Jaffna show keen interest in postal voting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 December 2009, 02:11 GMT]
The personnel of Sri Lanka armed forces stationed in Jaffna and Vanni show keen interest in postal voting in the forthcoming presidential election, Jaffna Election Department sources said. 7 January had been fixed as the last day for postal voting but it had been extended to 19 January.
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Robert Blake arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 December 2009, 11:43 GMT]
Robert Blake, the United States Under-Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs arrived in Colombo for the first time after his assumption of the new post.
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Hindu temple of ritual significance destroyed in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 December 2009, 09:22 GMT]
A Siva temple located at an ancient Hindu site called Akaththiyar Thaapanam, at Kangku-veali in the Moothoor division of the Trincomalee district, where Hindus gather especially to perform the Aadi Amaavaasai ritual for ancestors, was destroyed without any traces coinciding the Heroes’ Day on 27 November. The location of the temple is under the control of Sri Lanka Army stationed at a nearby Sinhala village, Neelaappola. The Sinhala villagers of Neelaappola protected the Tamil villagers of Kangku-veali from displacement in 2006. The Tamil villagers who were shocked and wept to see the temple razed to the ground now, suspect ‘outsiders’ and are scared whether this is a prelude to wipe out their traditional village as well.
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1,27,905 IDPs still held in Vavuniyaa camps

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 December 2009, 03:31 GMT]
While Sri Lanka government claims that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) held in Vavuniyaa Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention centres can move freely, 1,27,905 of them are still being held in the camps, according to information given by Northern Province governor, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, in a special press meet held by him Monday in Jaffna Secretariat.
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Death threats to journalists in Jaffna, a 'defence matter' – NP Governor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 December 2009, 02:49 GMT]
The Governor of Northern Province, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, said that the issue of death threats being issued to journalists at a time when the government claims that normalcy reigns in Jaffna is a matter of defence and hence out of his area of power, in response to questions raised by journalists, in a special press meet held by the governor Monday in Jaffna Secretariat.
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Indian parliament expunges remarks on genocide in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 December 2009, 08:13 GMT]
When Communist Party of India (CPI) member D. Raja in his speech Friday in Rajya Sabha pointed out what happened in the island of Sri Lanka was full-scale war and genocide against Tamils with the assistance of Government of India, the Chair ordered to expunge the word genocide from parliamentary records. The verbatim but lengthy debate Friday questioned the government on IDPs, Kachchatheevu, Tamil Nadu fishermen, and about sending a parliamentary delegation to meet Tamil IDPs. But when it came to the core issue of political solution, the debate had nothing new to offer as from Indian foreign minister S M Krishna to main opposition BJP’s Vekaiah Naidu were still harping on treating the Eezham Tamils not as a nation but as a ‘minority’ and perceiving solutions based on obsolete 13th Amendment. Even Raja was using the word ‘national linguistic minority’.
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Colombo's aid program for refugees “flawed”: The Times

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 December 2009, 01:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan government bodies are incapable of administrating aid programs required to assist the thousands of refugees temporarily released from military camps, further compounding their suffering by refusing regional access to aid groups and organisations “far better skilled at delivering resettlement aid than local authorities” The Times has reported. Many refugees, including children and the disabled, who are without homes and entirely dependent upon aid programs after months of imprisonment have not been able to obtain basic essential items days after the Government claimed to have released thousands of civilians in custody.
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Sinhala Buddhists, Christians clash over attacks on Vihare, Church in Ja-Ela

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 December 2009, 13:38 GMT]
Police riot squads, Special Task Force (STF), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Sunday were called to prevent clashes between two groups representing Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhala Christians following two separate attacks on a Buddhist Vihare and a Catholic church in Ja-Ela area by unidentified persons, Police spokesman I . M. Karunaratne said.
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Tamils flee from East by sea, SL Police says

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 December 2009, 03:12 GMT]
The killing of a youth and injury to another in a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shooting Friday evening at Kiraan beach in Vaazhaichcheanai, Batticaloa, happened when a group of Tamil youth tried to flee the country by sea, Sri Lankan Police said Saturday. Food, medical items, gas cylinders and life jackets were recovered from the spot, according to the police, who alleged that a group of people were trying to flee the country by boat.
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Civilian killed in army fire at Vaazhaichcheanai beach

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 2009, 23:47 GMT]
One person was killed and another was injured when soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) of Kumburumoolai camp fired at a group of persons in an attempt to flee in boats Friday night from Vaazhaichcheanai sea beach. SLA soldiers rushed to the Vaazhaichcheanai beach on receipt of information that a group of people suspected to be asylum seekers assembled there Friday evening.
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Holding transnational government above collaboration politics

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 2009, 23:35 GMT]
For the first time in the history of Eezham Tamils they have moved to evolve an international polity for themselves, independent of armed struggle, through the concept of transnational governance. The space available today, especially in the diaspora, has to be made the best use of in forging an innovatively democratic structure that should be contributing not only to the cause of Eezham Tamils, but also challenging and shaping a global system that is inadequate in handling a crisis like that of Eezham Tamils. Conceiving the transnational government as a 'post-defeat' organ for collaboration will be the greatest ever tragedy in the polity of Eezham Tamils.
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Civilians held for more than a year in SLA Thellippazhai Rehabilitation Centre

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 December 2009, 13:59 GMT]
One hundred and thirteen civilians, claimed to have surrendered themselves as Liberation Tigers, are being held for more than a year in Thellippazhai Special Rehabilitation Centre of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna peninsula, according to Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) sources. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka government refuses to reveal the number of inmates continued to be detained in Kaithadi SLA detention camp which has been converted into a Rehabilitation Centre, Jaffna Secretariat (JS) sources said.
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St. John’s Ambulance activities in Jaffna lag behind for want of funds

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 December 2009, 13:54 GMT]
“The Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Jaffna Peninsula are unable to carry on their projects in assisting the residents of Jaffna peninsula as the financial help from International countries has dwindled,” St. John’s Ambulance (SLA) Chief Commander Dr. Weerasooriya, said in a press meet held Thursday in Jaffna. However, SJA services continue despite government pressure in places including Hambantota, he added.
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Global meet urged to discuss environmental genocide by Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 December 2009, 13:18 GMT]
Decades-long massive military operations and occupation of Tamil Eelam by Sri Lankan forces have caused grave environmental destruction to the north and east of the island. Recovery is difficult as the Tamil homeland is in the dry and arid part of the island, depending on scanty and truant northeast monsoon, writes environmentalist and freelance journalist T. Thipaakaran. It may take more than 150 years for the plundered timber trees to grow again, he says. Tamil academic circles viewing the situation as 'ethnically motivated environmental rape taking place with international abetment,' urge the Denmark meet to discuss the challenge of curbing such crimes of ‘state sovereignty’ and to explore ways of entrusting in such situations the control of land to the sons and daughters of the soil, who only could take a genuine interest in the recovery and protection of their environment.
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Indonesian commandos attempt raid on refugee boat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 December 2009, 11:19 GMT]
Politicians and human rights groups have slammed Indonesia after claims that several high speed navy ships surrounded a boat carrying 250 Tamils docked at the Indonesian port of Merak and tried to storm the boat in an attempt to end a tense standoff that has lasted almost 8 weeks.
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Facing offensive presidential election with self-respect

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 December 2009, 23:04 GMT]
The Tamil parties thinking of fielding a common candidate should rise above outside diktats, should do justice to the Tamil cause at this formative stage of new Tamil polity and should come out with an election agenda that doesn’t harm the cause of Tamils in the long run. Any mistake made now will be irreversible, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
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