Sri Lanka must be investigated for crime of genocide: London conference

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2012, 18:09 GMT]
The global conference organized by British Tamils’ Forum (BTF) and All Party Parliamentary Groups for Tamils (APPGT), involving participation of civil society activists and politicians from the island and Tamil Nadu, diaspora groups, and British parliamentarians, on Wednesday called for an independent international investigation on the complete conduct of the Sri Lankan state against the Tamil nation, specifically calling for an investigation on the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the GoSL on the Tamil people. The proposed resolution also urged the global civil society and leaders of the IC to stop decimation of the Tamil nation by the Sri Lankan state.
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Sinhala academic condemns ICE’s manipulations of Eezham Tamils at Italy conference

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2012, 01:39 GMT]
“Today there is a psychological and political warfare waged against the Tamil Diaspora not only to forget the past but also to abhor the whole project of a Tamil state. Domination under the Sinhala dominated unitary state has been justified as a rational and realistic choice,” Sinhala academic Dr. Jude Lal Fernando said at a conference held in Lecce, Italy last Friday. Criticizing the West for tilting the parity of status against the LTTE, he added that “what has been committed is genocide with full international endorsement. It is approved simply to protect the unitary state of the Sinhalese.” The conference titled “We demand our land” was also addressed by TNPF leaders Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and S. Kajendran, besides Italian EU politician Adriana Poli Bortone, and human rights activist Klodiana Cuka and lawyer Italo Porcaro.
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SL military threatens IDP camp inmates to accept ‘alternative resettlement’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 September 2012, 19:33 GMT]
Following Friday’s demonstration at Mullaiththeevu for resettlement of the people of Keappaa-pulavu back in their own village, the SL military on Saturday embarked upon threatening the villagers now in the IDP camp at Cheddiku’lam to immediately vacate it, move temporarily to a school building at Vattaappazhai and accept the SL government offer of another place for resettlement. When the people insisted that they want their village and cultivation lands back, the Sinhala military commander started shouting in his language that either willing or not, all people would be removed from the camp before Monday. Speaking to TamilNet on Saturday, the TNPF leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam blamed the International Community for the current plight of Eezham Tamils.
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SL forces attack, throw dirt at people demanding resettlement in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 September 2012, 11:22 GMT]
When people of Mullaiththeevu for the first time in last three years gathered in hundreds in front of the district secretariat on Friday, to demand resettlement in their village at Keappaa-pulavu in the district, the occupying Sinhala military deployed in large numbers responded with intimidation of taking videos of the demonstrators and by arranging a gang to throw human excretion at them. After throwing dirt the gang escaped by getting into a nearby SL police station. Later, a motorbike gang followed the vehicle in which Mr S. Kajendran was returning from the demonstration to attack it near Mu’l’liyava’lai. Another gang, in the very presence of SL military, attacked the vehicle in which Dr. Wikramabahu Karunaratne and Mr Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam were returning via Paranthan road. A vehicle of media persons was also attacked.
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Don't expect justice by changing regimes that do not recognise Tamils as Nation: Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 August 2012, 21:16 GMT]
Parity of status to Tamils as a nation is the only way to restore justice in the island. It is meaningless to expect that ‘internal justice’ would come from any regime in Colombo, said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a former parliamentarian and the leader of the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) addressing the participants of a protest organised by the party on Wednesday to condemn the slaying of the Tamil political prisoner Delruxon Mariyathas and Nimalarooban. Wednesday's protest gains significance as the SL military and police that attempted to curb the protest in front of Jaffna were not able to suppress it through their ‘friendly magistrate’ as they managed to do earlier in curbing a protest at the same site by the TNPF.
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TNPF launches Tamil bimonthly

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 August 2012, 20:41 GMT]
The Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam launched a bimonthly party paper named Nam Theasam (Our Nation) Sunday at the office of the TNPF in Jaffna. University Student representatives, civil society representatives, journalists, and representatives of the newspapers published in Jaffna took part in the event. "The path chosen by the TNPF is a people-oriented approach to politics, contrary to politics that centers around elections and positions," says the lead article, quoting Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam from a recent interview.
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Tamil politicians urge global action in releasing POWs, political prisoners

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2012, 13:52 GMT]
Addressing a press conference in Vavuniyaa on Tuesday, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called for immediate release of all political prisoners who are held without any charges in the Sri Lankan prisons. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, representing the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) said that the International Community, especially the countries that backed the internal LLRC mechanism of Colombo in the resolution passed at the UN Human Rights Council's Sessions in Geneva earlier this year, are primarily responsible for the fate of the Tamil Prisoners of War and political prisoners. Those who attended the funeral of Nimalarooban, braving the threats posed by the Sri Lankan military and intelligence operatives, told TamilNet that the victim had sustained fatal injuries on his head.
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Nelliyadi protest urges coherence in Tamil politics

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 July 2012, 16:51 GMT]
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the leader of Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF), addressing the peaceful protest on Wednesday at Nelliyadi, which was organised against the slaying of Nimalarooban in Sri Lanka’s prison, urged the people to see things in the context of Sri Lankan government’s systematic annihilation of the existence of Tamils as a Nation in the island. “Until we fail to establish the recognition of the Tamil nationhood and its distinct sovereignty, we will be failing in our political work,” he said. In the meantime, TNA MP S. Sritharan, addressing the protesters at Nelliyadi said Tamils are not a defeated Nation. “What has happened to our youth in 2012 in Vavuniyaa is nothing different than what had happened to our youth at Welikade prison in 1983,” he said adding that until the injustice continues, the struggle for liberation would continue.
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‘Crude oil attacks’ target TNPF organisers of civil protests: Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 July 2012, 07:42 GMT]
The house of Rajappu Edward Anandarajah, the president of All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) and the vice president of the Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF), situated in Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi has also been attacked almost simultaneously as a squad targeted the house of Kandeepan Thangarajah, the central committee member of the TNPF in the early hours of Tuesday. Both the attacks on key members of the party in Vadamaraadchi, have come a day before the TNPF is scheduled to hold a peaceful protest at Nelliyadi on Wednesday against the recent slaying of Tamil prisoner Nimalaroopan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the leader of the TNPF, told reporters in Jaffna.
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LLRC-based resolution extremely disappointing: Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 March 2012, 11:37 GMT]
The US-tabled resolution at UNHRC, based on the fundamentally flawed LLRC recommendations, is extremely disappointing and counter-productive, said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, leader of Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), in a press meet held at the party office in Jaffna on Saturday. The resolution envisages an accused in the violation of international humanitarian law to become the investigator of the crime. If the LLRC findings are going to be the ‘starting point’ for any future prospects, chances of progress are difficult. Rather than keeping the expectations of the grieved party at the bare minimum, the resolution should begin with the UNSG panel report. What need investigation are the genocide of 60 years culminating into the war and the on-going structural genocide. Justice could come only from independent international investigation, he said.
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TNPF slams LLRC report

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 December 2011, 05:00 GMT]
In a press briefing held in Jaffna following the public release of the LLRC report, the by the Tamil National People Front (TNPF) said it totally rejects the report and added that the report is a deliberate attempt to whitewash the egregious crimes committed against the Tamil people. "The report places the blame on the LTTE and other tamil groups. We can no longer remain patient. There is urgent need for the International Community to conduct an independent investigation. What happened is genocide. While the war ended two and a half years ago, structural genocide against Tamil people is continuing, and International community should not hesitate to raise its voices," Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, vice president of TNPF told the media.
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No bartering of war-crimes accountability for political concessions: TNPF

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 October 2011, 16:02 GMT]
Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF), a post-war Tamil political formation in the island of Sri Lanka, in a press conference held Sunday morning 11:00 am at a Colombo residence, congratulated TNA leadership on the forthcoming visit to the USA, and said that the visit is a significant historic first where the US-State Department has extended invitation to a non-State Tamil political party, adding that the visit has potential for improving the political status of the Tamil people who have suffered within a majoritarian democracy for several decades. While pointing out that the TNA is carrying a tremendous burden on its shoulders to articulate clearly the aspirations of Tamils, TNPF cautioned that TNA, under no circumstance, should barter away Sri Lanka's accountability for war crimes for ‘political concessions.’
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New Delhi meet of Tamil parties ends without consensus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2011, 18:55 GMT]
The two-days meet of Eezham Tamil political parties held in New Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday on the initiative of Congress Party parliamentarian Sudharshana Natchiappan ended without consensus, participants told TamilNet. The main issue was that those who didn’t want to disappoint the Congress agenda didn’t want to resolve on the status of Eezham Tamils as a nation and that the nation has the right to self determination in the island. Instead, some of them wanted to concentrate on measures of protection and on accepting whatever that is given. The TNA wanted to avoid specific wordings and demands on issues of fundamental nature in order to stage-manage a New Delhi sponsored consensus of Tamil political parties.
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TNPF boycotts local elections protesting militarisation of electoral politics

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2011, 23:09 GMT]
Abductions, killings, militarisation of civil affairs and the Sri Lankan state involving its military arm into the electoral politics, have rendered democratic participation in local elections in the Tamil homeland meaningless, said Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) in a statement issued Wednesday announcing that the front had decided to avoid participation in the local elections.
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Veteran Tamil scholar, politician Kaa. Po. Ratnam passes away

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 2010, 08:55 GMT]
Pandithar Kaarthigesar Ponnambalam Ratnam, a veteran Tamil scholar and a former parliamentarian who represented the electorates of Ki’linochchi and Kayts (Oorkaavaththu’rai) in Jaffna district on the tickets of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and later on Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) since 1965 to 1983 passed away peacefully in his Colombo residence at the age of 96 Monday evening. His funeral is to take place Wednesday evening in Kanatte cemetery in Colombo.
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TNPF opposes new local government elections bill

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 October 2010, 05:15 GMT]
Former Jaffna district parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said that Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) would oppose the proposed new local government elections bill by Sri Lanka government in a press briefing held at the party office in Jaffna Sunday. Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which had also expressed its strong opposition to the said bill will file a petition against it Monday in the High Court, according to the announcement made by TNA Jaffna parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah.
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Man sentenced to death in Jaffna High Court

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 17:00 GMT]
Jaffna High Court Judge S. Paramarajah Wednesday sentenced to death a man accused of abducting, robbing jewelry from and killing a young woman from Meesaalai in Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi, after nearly a period of eleven years since the case was first filed against him, sources in Jaffna said. The accused, held in Kandy Bogampara prison, was brought to Jaffna to face the trial.
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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.
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Confederation of nations, manifesto option of TNPF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 March 2010, 02:03 GMT]
The election manifesto of the Tamil National Peoples' Front (TNPF) comes out with an option for confederation of Tamil and Sinhala nations in the island, said former MP Selvarajah Kajendren to Tamil media on Wednesday. While stressing on Tamil homeland, nationalism, self-determination and nation of identifiable sovereignty as political aspirations, the other distinguishing features of the election manifesto of the TNPF were demand to repeal the 6th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, inclusion of the diaspora in the political processes of Eezham Tamils and an outlook to involve the international community in providing security and support to the political struggle of Tamils. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress led by Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, which came out of the TNA alliance recently is the major constituent of TNPF.
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GTF resolution inspires Tamil polity

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 March 2010, 05:13 GMT]
Whereas the Tamils democratically gave the mandate for the independence of their own country Tamil Eelam by endorsing the Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976, in the 1977 general elections, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) calls upon the international community, governments, leaders and the UN to conduct a UN monitored referendum in the North-East region of Sri Lanka and among the displaced Tamils living in other countries, to determine if they wish independence or to be part of a united Sri Lanka, says a crucial part of the GTF resolution passed unanimously in London last week. The GTF resolution, not voluntarily surrendering the cause of Eezham Tamils but leaving it to the democratic choice of the concerned people, should inspire polity in the name of Tamil nationalism in the island and in the diaspora, Tamil circles commented.
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