SL Police releases statue desecration suspect following political influence

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2012, 07:03 GMT]
A suspect arrested by the Sri Lankan police in connection with the desecration of Swami Vivekananda in Batticaloa was released on bail due to the intervention of MLAM Hisbullah, a deputy minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa led government. The statue of 19th century Vedantic spiritual leader of Hinduism, situated in the border of Tamil dominated Aaraiyampathi and Muslim dominated Kaaththaankudi, was desecrated by a motorbike squad Tuesday last week. The SL Police arrested a man, an eyewitness, following the incident and released him. Later, Vahawan alias Vadi, a Muslim person who owns a hardware store in Kaaththaankudi, was arrested by the SL Police in Kaaththaankudi.
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‘Structural genocide will be complete in Mullaiththeevu in 2 years if TNA fails to act’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 January 2012, 14:01 GMT]
Uprooted Tamils from the strategic Ma'nalaa'ru region in Vanni, bordering the Mullaiththeevu and Trincomalee districts, have complained that 1,500 acres of their fertile lands northwest of Kokku'laay lagoon, have not been handed over to them. The agricultural lands that belong to the Tamil civilians of Kokku'laay, Kokkuth-thoduvaay and Karainaadduk-kea’ni villages still remain occupied by the Sri Lankan military since December 1984 when the SLA forcibly expelled the Tamils from these villages. TNA parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah and S. Sritharan visited the uprooted villagers on a fact finding mission on Friday. The occupation of the fertile lands, lying between the Kokku'laay lagoon in the east and Kent and Dollar Farms in the southwest, is one of the major threats of the territorial integrity of the Tamil country.
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Executive overreach to provide immunity to Universal crimes questioned

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 January 2012, 03:34 GMT]
Bruce Fein, attorney for the three Tamil plaintiffs who have charged Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse of war-crimes in the District Court of District of Columbia, in response to the "suggestion" of immunity for Rajapakse by the US Justice Department, told TamilNet, that he has asked the court to allow the plaintiffs to file a Memorandum in Opposition, and added "among other deficiencies in the US Government's legal analysis, we underscored the counter-constitutional proposition asserted by the Executive Branch that it was crowned with judicial power to order the dismissal of lawsuits based on its understanding of the law which federal judges were precluded from second-guessing. Such a putative power in the Executive Branch would blatantly flout the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution."
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EPC needs land powers to preserve traditional Tamil homeland: R. Thurairatnam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2012, 13:06 GMT]
Land powers should be provided to Eastern Provincial Council in order to safeguard the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people from being plundered by the Colombo government under the pretext of setting up army cantonments and implementing tourist and various corporate projects, councilor of the EPC from Batticaloa district R.Thurairatnam, has said. Two third of the so-called state lands in the eastern province come under the centralized authority of the Colombo. The existing powers on lands are not enough no stop plundering lands in the Eastern province by the central authority, Mr. Thurairatnam, said bringing a motion introduced by him in the council meeting on the land issue.
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US "suggests" immunity to Rajapakse from suit

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2012, 02:28 GMT]
In a clear articulation of US State Department's continuing support of Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse, the US Justice Department, based on a directive from legal adviser Harold Koh, has suggested to the District Court of District of Columbia that Rajapakse has immunity from the suit filed by three Tamil plaintiffs for alleged complicity in war-crimes. The US State department asserts that "the Executive Branch retains the authority to refrain from making a similar immunity determination in future cases, considering, for example, international norms and the implications of the litigation for the Nation's foreign relations," indicating that US would positively exercise its discretion in this case to intervene to prevent continuation of the suit.
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UK disappointed with LLRC’s recommendations on accountability

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 January 2012, 10:35 GMT]
In an official response to the LLRC report, the Foreign Office Minister of Britain with responsibility for Sri Lanka, Alistair Burt, on Thursday criticized the report for not addressing or only partially answering “many credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including from the UN Panel of Experts report” . Meanwhile Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North and Chairman of the All Party Group for Tamils, welcomed the statement “which recognised the important factor - that is justice for the innocent victims” and stated that he would pursue this until justice is delivered. In the meantime, Tamil political circles in Vanni and Jaffna said they were disappointed by the alleged pro-Sri Lankan line taken by a British Conservative MP, James Wharton, who visited Jaffna and Vanni with Sri Lankan High Commissioner recently.
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TNA parliamentarian condemns desecration of Vivekananda statue in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 January 2012, 06:06 GMT]
Politically motivated mischievous elements should not be allowed to create disharmony between Tamils and Muslims in the East, said Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian P.Ariyanethran in a statement condemning the desecration of the state of a Hindu Swami Vivekananda in Aaraiyampathi - Kaaththaankudi border recently. “Those who want to pursue their political ambition currently in the scene are suspected to be behind such crimes and violence between communities,” the TNA MP said.
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Sustained Sri Lanka boycott campaign draws attention of GAP, WP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 January 2012, 05:26 GMT]
"They were holding up signs that read, “Victoria’s Dirty Little Secret” and “Big GAP in ethics” in front of Banana Republic and the Gap, warning shoppers to check labels, lest they buy clothing made in Sri Lanka, where they say human rights violations are continuing and Tamils are being forced off their land by the government," said an article appearing in Washington Post (WP) Thursday on the boycott Sri Lanka campaign a group of Eezham and Tamil Nadu expatriates have been conducting regularly in Washington suburbs for the last two years. The wind was piercing, but under a banner that read "Stop Tamil Genocide" they had their cause to keep them warm, the paper added.
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JVP student faction seeks Tamil youth for military inspiration: SL Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 January 2012, 02:31 GMT]
Calling themselves as a student group, a group of the factionalised JVP is seeking to exploit former LTTE cadres in its search for military inspiration and the group is targeting to exploit the Tamil students for a military cause, claimed S.B. Dissanayake, the SL minister of Education, who has been visiting the islets of Jaffna and the University of Jaffna with the backing of EPDP paramilitary leader Douglas Devananda, who is also a minister in the cabinet of SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Commenting on the statement by the SL minister, who met some students at the University of Jaffna, student circles in Jaffna said the comment has exposed the level of paranoia prevailing in the Colombo establishment that has used its military to abduct two JVPers who are still missing.
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Jaffna GA wants SL police to investigate bloggers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2012, 23:16 GMT]
SL Police in Jaffna have filed cases, on behalf of Sri Lankan Government Agent in Jaffna against persons whom she alleges as engaging in a systematic campaign against her. The Judge at the District court of Jaffna, M. Ganesarajah, on Monday instructed the SL Police to investigate the background of two Tamil blogging sites that were mentioned by the SL Police. The write-ups and photos that appeared in the websites characterising Imelda Sugumar as being subjected to pressure from the SL military governor of North have no substance, she claims. Independent civil officials said public persons such as Ms. Sugumar should be prepared for facing such criticism in a civic manner and not engage in exercises threatening even the ‘non-existing’ freedom of speech in the peninsula.
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SLN arrests 13 Tamil Nadu fishermen in Trincomalee sea

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2012, 21:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday morning arrested thirteen Tamil Nadu fishermen with their two trawlers in Trincomalee sea, fourteen nautical miles off Pulmoaddai, north of Trincomalee district.
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Motorbike squad destroys Swami Vivekananda statue in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 23:39 GMT]
A group of men who came in motorbikes Tuesday around 00:30 a.m. destroyed the statue of Swami Vivekananda, a well known Vedantic spiritual leader of Hinduism from the 19th century. The statue, located in front of a fuel filling station on Batticaloa Kalmunai Road (A4) and is regarded locally as a border mark of Tamil dominated Aaraiyampathi and Muslim dominated Kaaththaankudi in Batticaloa district. The destruction is viewed as an attempt to create further divisions between Tamils and Muslims in the district. The SL police is allegedly involved in activities creating dissension between Tamils and Muslims by engineering such attacks, informed sources in Kaaththaankudi told TamilNet Tuesday.
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SL paramilitary in Jaffna monopolises cable TV market at gunpoint

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 06:10 GMT]
Hundreds of private cable operators, who have been supplying cable Television covering the villages of Jaffna for years have been harassed and coerced into working under a paramilitary operated cable operator, MBL Cable Network, in Jaffna. Independent operators who were operating their own dishes and distributing television channels to private consumers were told that their business was illegal and they have to buy the channels and lease the network being established by the paramilitary company that had exclusive ‘government permission’. However, those who were in the competing business and argued that there was no such ‘exclusive permission’ obtained by the MBL continued to operate on their own. But, now they are being threatened. Alexkumar Balasundaram, a cable provider who operates from Kokkuvil with 10-year-experience, says he was threatened Saturday at gunpoint.
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Ampaa'rai Tamil driver found dead with cut injuries in Nuwara Eliya

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2012, 12:02 GMT]
30 year old Kamalaraj, a resident of Thambiluvil in Thirukoail division in Ampaarai district, was found dead blindfolded and with cut injuries in his neck along a main road Nuwaraeliya area in the central province. He had been a driver by profession in Wellawatte in Colombo district and went on a hire to Kathirkaamam with persons arrived from abroad on January 3 in a van owned by another person.
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Internment continues unchecked in Sri Lanka, as an era ends in US

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 January 2012, 02:54 GMT]
During the final assault in Mu'l'livaaykkaal, Sri Lanka's armed forces herded nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians, including close to 50,000 children and elderly, and LTTE non-combatants, in 21st century version of over-crowded internment camps encircled by barbed wire fences. While GoSL manipulates its demographic politics with the captive internees, in the U.S., an internment era, where 70 years ago more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were interned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (7th Dec 1941), ended with the death this week of the famous internee, Gordon Hirabayashi, who leaves a legacy that still resonates whenever individual citizens force a Government to live up to its highest and best ideals.
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TNA, GTF join ANC centenary celebration, Sri Lanka boycotts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 January 2012, 09:48 GMT]
Delegations from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) are amongst international attendees of the centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday. Sri Lanka has refused to participate at the event in Bloemfontein because of the ANC’s invitation to the GTF, the Sunday Times reports. Dozens of heads of state and representatives of other governments, as well as large numbers of dignitaries from across Africa are joining over 100,000 politicians, members and supporters of the ANC in the historic celebration. In the meantime, a Tamil academic based in Colombo cautioned Eezham Tamils to be aware of the duality of South Africa. While the ruling party has been engaged in a show of solidarity with struggling forces across the world, the South African State has joined hands with anti-people regimes as it did during the 2009 voting at the UNHRC.
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No amnesty for war-criminals, says UN's Navi Pillay

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 January 2012, 04:01 GMT]
Granting amnesty to perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses under Yemen's presidential power transition deal would be against international law, the United Nations human rights chief said on Friday, undermining the peace agreement, Reuters reported. The implications of this to pending litigation of sitting and ex-Presidents in courts around the world are significant according to legal sources in Washington. Professor Francis Boyle commented that while the UN pronouncements were directed towards Yemen, for bringing the culpable Sri Lanka leaders to justice for crimes committed during the Mu'l'livaaykkaal massacre, continued action outside Sri Lanka by Tamil expatriates was crucial.
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Sound of Silent Speech

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2012, 16:57 GMT]
One can speak not only through words but through expressive conduct often called "Symbolic speech" - legally defined as nonverbal gestures and actions intended to communicate a message. In Western liberal democracies, most forms of symbolic speech are constitutionally protected. The Tamil diaspora's recent use of such protected expressive speech to publicize symbols of Colombo oppression as philatelic stamps has infuriated Sri Lanka diplomats, and is posing a long-term threat to Sri Lanka's image abroad. The autocratic suppression of free speech and threat to life have progressively shaped a local compliant media that exercises self-censorship, and have ill-prepared Sri Lanka's diplomats to confront the individual freedom enjoyed by the Tamil diaspora in the West.
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Colombo Tamil group fallen into GoSL net?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2012, 13:33 GMT]
“After the war, with protection of Tamil civilians neutrralized, the Eezham Tamils have become powerless even to conduct their routine day-to-day activities to survive. The occupying Sri Lankan army, the military-led administration of Colombo, and Sri Lankan ministers such as Rishad Bathiutheen, who intervene in the affairs of resettlement, have become the authorities of ‘appeal’ in resettling the Muslims in Jaffna and other places,” says a Colombo-based Tamil academic responding to an appeal that appeared Thursday in the Island paper. The appeal was made by a group of 68 Colombo-based Tamils. The academic describes the move as an attempt to create divisions among the Tamil speaking people and as a move to counter the real civil society in the North and East that has recently spoken up on course correcting the Tamil National Alliance.
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SL military-led administration in North harasses Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2012, 09:48 GMT]
After two years of war and claims that Colombo has resettled civilians in Vanni, remote areas of the mainland still remain prohibited for Tamil journalists. Sri Lankan military intelligence officers and operatives systematically harass the journalists who visit the areas beyond the ‘A9 comfort zone’ of the occupying SL military. Meanwhile, harassment by SL military-led administration has increased in the Jaffna peninsula. On Friday, a 28-year-old reporter in Jaffna, A. Daniel, was taken to SL police station in Jaffna and questioned for 3 hours by the SL police, allegedly for exposing SL military governor not allowing the Jaffna GA for a separate meeting as scheduled with the British Conservative MP James Wharton, who was taken on a guided tour to Jaffna with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London.
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