"Tamil propagandists" part cause of anti-trade US legislation, says SL Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2011, 00:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Ambassador to US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, said that Leahy Amendment, a U.S. law barring support to foreign military units believed to have committed gross rights violations, and recently passed US Senate resolution, S. Res. 84, which calls for "independent international accountability mechanism to look into reports of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations," in Sri Lanka are obstacles to US investment and US businesses engaging with local partners in Sri Lanka, Associated Press reported Thursday. Wickramasuriya played down the impact of the Senate resolution, which he saw driven by ethnic Tamil propagandists based overseas and rights groups, AP added.
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Sections in TGTE plan 'expelling' Democrats

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2011, 00:44 GMT]
International Association of Tamil Journalists based in London in a news release on Sunday said that it had taken an initiative to sort out contradictory news appearing on the affairs of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) and to bring out a dialogue among the members of TGTE. Accordingly, it was agreed upon in a meeting held on 12 March for three committees to discuss the matter, the news release said. In the meantime, a press release signed by Mr. V. Rudrakumaran on Thursday said that if any member declared elected fails to sworn in before Friday, accepting a constitution he claims ratified by the assembly, then it would be considered that such member relieves himself or herself and the TGTE have to move on for the ‘next step’.
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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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Batticaloa development not transparent, benefits no residents, says Council member

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 11:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka government has been planning development projects in the Batticaloa district to boost the image of Mahinda Chinthanaya and also to help its financial resources, but not to benefit the district residents, according to Mr.R. Thurairatnam, Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) member. Mr.Thurairatnam is also the leader of the Padmanaba wing of the EPRLF and representd Batticaloa district in the EPC.
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Appeal Court reserves order on Jaffna local poll nomination rejection

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 11:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal Wednesday reserved its order for May 5 in regard to nineteen Writ Applications by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) against rejection of its nomination lists by the Returning Officers of the districts of Jaffna and Killinochchi to the elections to the nineteen local bodies. Elections to the 19 local bodies in the two districts were postponed by the Commissioner of Elections till the determination of the writ applications.
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Poverty driving children to work in hotels, houses in East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 11:21 GMT]
Due to extreme poverty, over 3,250 children are working in houses and eating houses in the eastern province without attending schools. These children come from families affected by military conflict and natural disaster, according Provincial Education Minister Mr.Wimalaweera Dissanayake.
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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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TNA MP accuses Pillaiyaan of issueing death threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 01:41 GMT]
Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian C. Yogeswaran has lodged a complaint with the Kaththangkudy Police that he had repeatedly received death threats from the Chief Minister of Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilliayan, according to electronic media reports in Colombo Tuesday.
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Sri Lanka's CID to probe funding sources of local Rights Group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2011, 10:54 GMT]
National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo-based "advocacy and education organization" in media release issued Tuesday said its Executive Director was called to the Head Quarters of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka Police and was informed that the CID will carry out "an investigation regarding the organization's [NPC's] sources of funding, its partners and the activities it was carrying out." The media release added that NPC's "Governing Council is distressed that the current CID investigation would intimidate our staff members and their families, and also gives a negative message to the wider society of official intolerance towards liberal and democratic values."
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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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Elections to 98 local bodies expected in May: SL Elections Secretariat

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2011, 02:50 GMT]
Elections to 64 local bodies postponed due to legal issues and 34 local bodies postponed due to the ongoing Cricket World Cup are expected to be held in May this year, Sri Lanka’s Elections Secretariat sources said without specifying a date. Preliminary steps are being taken to hold elections to local bodies in Jaffna and Ki'linochchi district which were postponed following the rejection of nomination papers submitted by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) by the Jaffna District Returning Officer.
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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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ITAK wins 12 local body elections in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2011, 12:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), contesting under the symbol of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK), captured the administration of twelve local authorities including two Urban Councils (UC) and Predesiya Sabas (PS) in the North and East in the elections held Thursday. The TNA failed to capture power of the Moothoor PS in Trincomalee district but was able secure three seats out of 11. Elections to local bodies in Jaffna district and to some in the districts of Trincomalee, Ampaarai and Mullaithivu were not held Thursday.
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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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SL Policeman, claiming EPDP, threatens Tamil daily in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2011, 07:17 GMT]
A Sri Lankan police constable, claiming to be a EPDP man, entered the building of Uthayan daily in Jaffna Wednesday afternoon and warned the daily over an item it had carried in its Tidbits column involving a school principal recently. The SL Police constable, Ratnathas Pradeepan from Achchuveali, intimidated the press workers threatening to set fire with a cigarette lighter he was holding, the paper said. Publishing a photograph of PC Pradeepn, the paper also said that he was “selected” for SL Police when the police recruited 500 personnel for training.
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Tight security at SL local elections

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2011, 02:19 GMT]
More than 50,000 police officers and 30,000 military personal have been deployed to maintain security at the 7402 polling centers and 52 counting centers in the Thursday's local council elections. 333 special teams have been setup for election duty, Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya was quoted saying in the Lakbima newspaper.
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