ITAK hierarchy receives flak for disregard of political prisoners

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 November 2017, 22:25 GMT]
Jaffna University students on Friday condemned ITAK leaders, particularly M.A. Sumanthiran and Mavai Senathirajah for evading a crucial meeting at Jaffna University in which they were supposed to articulate and take a common responsibility of taking forward the struggle on behalf of the political prisoners before the students urged the hunger-striking political prisoners to abandon their fast unto death. Each of the three hunger-strikers have gone down in weight by 12 to 17 kg and their pulse was slow, the blood pressure has fallen and their body parts could be permanently impaired as their hunger-strike reached 37th day. Heated arguments ensued between the student leaders and NPC Councillor M.K. Shivajilingam who has been trying to negotiate and advance an appeal process in the Court of Appeal in Colombo instead of making it a political struggle with principled demands.
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Colombo fails to arrest STF commandos who shot and killed Tamil youth in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2017, 23:45 GMT]
A five-member squad of the so-called Special Task Force is believed to be behind the highhanded crime of firing at two unarmed Tamil fishermen and causing death to one of them in Ariyaalai East, a suburb of Jaffna city on 22 October. Despite the discovery of a handgun and vehicles suspected to be used by the killers from a STF camp in the same area, none of the STF commandos have been detained or arrested by the SL Police investigators conducting preliminary investigations so far. The STF, organised under the SL Police department, as a full-fledged military force, which is being operated by the intelligence wing of the occupying Sinhala military in North. Colombo has been replacing key officers of the SL Police in North with former STF commandos who have been promoted to higher ranks.
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Student leaders vow to step up protests in support of hunger-striking political prisoners

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2017, 23:11 GMT]
The president of Jaffna University Student Union K. Krishnameenan and Secretary K. Jackson have sent an urgent appeal to SL President Maithiripala Sirisena through various offices in Colombo and Jaffna on Wednesday urging immediate response in resolving the demands of the three hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners at Anuradhapura prison. 14 days have elapsed since the student leaders met the SL President in Colombo on 19 October. Mr Sirisena had promised swift action either before the student leaders returned to Jaffna the next day or at latest on 25th of October after having consulted with SL Attorney General and SL Justice Minister who were out of the island at that time. But, nothing has happened since then. As such the student leaders are planning to step up the protest to next level, they told media on Wednesday.
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Agaliya, Agala-vatta

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 November 2017, 18:30 GMT]
The ditch/ narrow valley

The residential place in the ditch/ narrow valley
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CBK's so-called reconciliation faces acid test from North

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 October 2017, 16:21 GMT]
“There are 150000 soldiers in the Northern Province. It is amusing that the Attorney General wants to protect three State Witnesses by transferring the case from Vavuniya to Anuradhapura,” said Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister and former Supreme Court Judge C.V. Wigneswaran in a letter addressed to former SL President Chandrika Kumaratunga Bandaranaike (CBK), who is the Chairperson of Colombo's so-called ‘Office for National Unity and Reconciliation’ urging the latter to intervene and transfer the cases of fasting Tamil political prisoners back to Vavuniyaa or to Jaffna High Court. “Your intervention, Madam Chandrika, at this point of time would ensure understanding and good will among our people if you choose to be empathetic,” Justice Wigneswaran wrote in his letter to CBK.
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Jaffna University at standstill as hunger-striking political prisoner rushed to hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 October 2017, 23:04 GMT]
One of the three hunger-striking political prisoners, Rasathurai Thiruvarul (6th Division, Vela’nai West, Jaffna), was admitted to hospital on Monday as his health condition seriously deteriorated, family members said. In the meantime, Non-Academic staff and the University Teachers Union joined hands with Jaffna University Student Union in imposing total boycott of all activities at the campuses in Jaffna starting from Monday. The students have been boycotting classes since October 20. The protesters, blocking the two entrances of the Jaffna University amidst pouring rains, said their protest would continue until the SL Government heeds to the demands of the Tamil political prisoners.
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Vaṭali-yaṭaippu, Teṉṉam-piḷḷai-yaṭaippu, Pūtaṉ-aṭaippu, Paḷḷaṉ-aṭaippu, Nuṇacai-yaṭaippu, K

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 October 2017, 18:30 GMT]
The enclosure of young palmyra palms

The enclosure of young coconut palms

The enclosure of land owned by a person named Pūtaṉ; or the land left in the custody of a person named Pūtaṉ

The enclosure of land owned by a man of Paḷḷar community; or the land left in the custody of a man of Paḷḷar community

The land attached to the place called Nuṇacai

The land leased out to service families attached to a feudal lord or temple; or (The place/ living quarters) of the service families attached to a feudal lord or temple
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NPC Chief Minister addresses question on future road map for Tamil struggle

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 October 2017, 23:15 GMT]
The Chief Minister of Northern province Justice CV Wigneswaran has cast his thoughts over what he regards as significant in consolidating the future road map of Tamils in the island. Tamil leadership should realise the futility of collaborationist politics and focus on a rights oriented struggle with a positive outlook, he said. Describing the strengths, he emphasized the cooperation with Tamil diaspora, support of Tamil Nadu, stepping up global pressure on the SL Establishment, increased solidarity with Sinhalese who understand the concerns of Tamils, and the last but not the least, the edification of Sinhala masses on the real share, history and the ownership stake of Tamils to the traditional homeland in the North-East. He was also seeking attitudinal change among the upper echelons of the Tamil society.
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All three districts in East placed under Sinhala Government Agents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2017, 20:45 GMT]
The unitary state of genocidal Sri Lanka is planning to install a Sinhala person as the SL Government Agent (District Secretary) of Batticaloa district, concerned Tamil civil officials in Batticaloa said. The latest move comes as the Tamil GA, Ms P.S.M. Charles, was promoted as the Director General of SL Customs Department after serving as the GA of the district for five years. Her tenure was marred with indirect Sinhala rule. Now, the Sinhala GA of Trincomalee district, N.A.A Pushpakumara, who operates against Tamil-speaking people in the district, has taken her place temporarily until a permanent GA is installed. Both the Government Agents of Trincomalee and Ampaa'rai districts are Sinhalese collaborating with the occupying operating with the agenda of demographic changes.
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Taṉip-paṉai, Paṉai-muṉai, Paṉai-niṉṟāṉ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2017, 18:30 GMT]
(The locality of) the single or lonely palmyra palm

The point or promontory found with palmyra palms/ Point Palmyra

The place where palmyra palms stand
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Occupying SL Navy wants surveying of Mu’l’livaaykkaal lands amidst public protests

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2017, 20:25 GMT]
The occupying SL Navy in Mullaiththeevu district is exerting pressure on the officials of the SL Survey Department to survey the lands near Vadduvaakal in Mullaiththeevu for permanent seizure for military use. The latest move comes in the wake of a two-hour protest staged by the landowners on Thursday blocked the survey department officials from proceeding with their work. 671 acres of residential, coastal and agricultural lands in Mu'l'livaaykkaal East, containing crucial evidences and traces of genocidal onslaught against Eezham Tamils, are now being ‘officially’ appropriated by Colombo citing ‘public purpose’ for the expansion of SL naval base SLNS Gotabaya. Most of the lands belong to private owners. Around 100 acres of lands are intended for the creation of a fisheries campus, civil officials in the district said.
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SL military intelligence behind systematic increase of crimes in North

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 October 2017, 23:33 GMT]
The intelligence wing of the occupying Sinhala military is said to be behind the systematic and rapid increase of thefts, sexual harassments and narcotic spread in the Mullaiththeevu district within the last 2 months, civil sources in the district told TamilNet on Thursday as Councillor Thurairasa Ravikaran moved an awareness motion at the Northern Provincial Council at an NPC session. In a move to arrest the situation, Tamil youth and concerned grassroots activists have set up ‘vigilance committees’ and put up civil sentries at several places. However, they are unable to curb the culprits. Now, the Sinhala military intelligence is hatching plans to suppress the activities of the civil mobilisation including the vigilance committees. The occupation by Sinhala military stands at one soldier per two civilians in the district.
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SL Court in Anuradhapura humiliates hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 October 2017, 22:08 GMT]
The three hunger-strikers, waging fast-unto-death for the last 30 days demanding their cases not to be transferred to SL Court in Anuradhapura were on Tuesday forcefully taken to Anuradhapura Special Court, where the Judge told them their fast-unto-death or any protest being waged by Tamils would not work. “You have to either face case here or lodge an appeal against it,” the judge told the hunger-strikers, according to the families of the three hunger strikers told TamilNet on Wednesday. In the meantime, SL President Maithiripala Sirisena has again dodged responding to the request of the families of the Tamil political prisoners and is on a travel outside the island. SL Presidential Secretary Austin Fernando has told NPC Opposition Leader S. Thavarasa that Mr Sirisena would not be interfering in the matters of SL Attorney General.
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Landowners fear military repercussion, reluctant to dismantle Buddha structures

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2017, 21:39 GMT]
The occupying army of genocidal Sri Lanka has left behind temple-structures, which were used by the Sinhala soldiers to house Buddha statues, intact even though it dismantled all other structures from the private property at 5th Mile Post in Ma'nmunaip-pattu (Aaraip-pattai) Division in Batticaloa. The owners of properties at the 5th Mile Post and the nearby rice mill say they were reluctant to dismantle the structures fearing reprisals from the SL military and Police. The removal of such structures are interpreted as hostile acts by the SL military regardless of their private ownership, civil sources said citing request from landowners to dismantle the structures. The SLA has relocated from the private property to Thaazhangkudaa in the same division last week.
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Tamil political prisoners incarcerated in Colombo go on hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 October 2017, 23:26 GMT]
While the health condition of three Tamil prisoners who are waging fast-unto-death for the past 29 days in Anuradhapura prison has been deteriorating day by day, Tamil prisoners incarcerated in the high security Magazine prison in Colombo announced on Monday evening that they are launching a hunger strike on Tuesday demanding a principled decision on the release all 132 Tamil political prisoners detained and jailed in various prisons across the island. In the meantime, SL President Maithiriapala Sirisena, sitting on a time frame until Wednesday on making a decision on the demands from the hunger strikers in Anuradhapura. The SL prison authorities, fearing that the worsening condition of hunger strikers could spark off vigorous protests in the North, are treating the prisoners at prison ward without admitting them to the civil hospital in Anuradhapura to avoid media focus.
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Colombo seizes more lands for Sinhala colonisation in Trincomalee through engineering Tamil-Muslim divide in East

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 October 2017, 21:55 GMT]
The authorities of occupying Colombo are seizing the lands of uprooted Tamils in Uppaa'ru, a GS area in Ki'n'niyaa division located between the East port city of Trincomalee and Moothoor division. There were at least 60 Tamil families and 8 Tamil-speaking Muslim families living in Uppaa'ru village before their displacement during the times of war. The occupying Sri Lanka Army was behind driving the people out from their villages in the late 1990s during the regime of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. The SL military was sustaining around 10 Sinhala colonisers in a nearby locality known as Gengasasara-thoaddam. Now, setting encroaching Muslims against uprooted Tamils, the SL authorities are trying to ‘legally’ seize the lands that belonged to Tamils.
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Unitary constitution imposing choice irrelevant to fundamentals needs rejection by Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2017, 21:46 GMT]
Imposing conditions on Eezham Tamils to denounce their sovereignty is denial of their right to self-determination. The Eezham Tamils are a distinct nation with sovereignty-based claim to exercise their right to Self-Determination. A framework for political solution should therefore recognise the nationhood of Eezham Tamils, their geographically contiguous homeland and their inalienable right of self-determination. The interim report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly [of genocidal Sri Lanka] has not only denied the right of self-determination, but it also attempts to force upon Tamils the unitary system with a ‘Sri Lankan’ identity, both of which have been historically and democratically denounced by Tamils. Therefore Eezham Tamils should not hesitate to reject it, says Jaffna-based Tamil political analyst S.A. Jothilingam in an exclusive interview to TamilNet.
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Jaffna University students boycott classes against manipulative justice of genocidal Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2017, 07:02 GMT]
The students at the University of Jaffna on Friday launched a university-wide boycott of classes until further notice as student leaders are scheduled to discuss future course of protest action in support of the fast-unto-death being waged by the Tamil Prisoners of War languishing in the jails of genocidal Sri Lanka. The boycott on Friday was led by Tamil students and the students from other provinces, numbering around 41% of the total students, have also joined the protest heeding the request from the Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU). The protest comes after the leaders of the JUSU met SL President Maithiripala Sirisena on Thursday demanding the SL president to address the demands of Tamil political prisoners who are on a fast-unto-death campaign for the last 25 days.
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Sirisena disappoints student leaders, Cooray humiliates families of hunger-striking prisoners

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2017, 17:11 GMT]
The Leader of Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) K. Krishnameenan and Secretary K. Jackson on Thursday evening said their negotiations with SL President Maithiripala Sirisena earlier on the day have failed to produce a favourable timeframe for meeting the demands of the hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners. Since the JUSU was behind postponing a fast-unto-death campaign announced unilaterally by the Arts Faculty Student Union earlier in the week and as the health of the three political prisoners on 25th day of the fast-unto-death in Anuradhapura prison would become life-threatening within the next five days, the JUSU leaders said Thursday evening that they now have no other option than stepping up the protest after consulting with fellow students.
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Eastern Provincial Land authority discriminates Tamils

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2017, 23:45 GMT]
The Department of Land Administration in the Eastern Province is ethnically biased against the Tamil-speaking people of the district, Tamil civil officials at the District Secretariat said. Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians such as K Thuraratnasingham are very well aware of the ethnic discrimination, but they have been unable to bring any change due to the collaborationist agenda of Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, the officials said. The discrimination has escalated in recent times and the Sinhala officials are systematically ignoring the requests coming from the Divisional Secretaries of the Tamil-speaking divisions in the district. Requests for convening Land Kachcheri are also being neglected to escape resolving the burning issues of uprooted Tamil people.
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