Final nail on APRC's coffin

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 May 2010, 15:46 GMT]
Professor Tissa Vitarane's omission from the ministerial list "reinforces the contention that the APRC [All Party Representative Committee] was set up for the sole purpose of placating the international community and India in particular," said Dr. Paikiyasothi Saravanamuttu, director of Colombo-based think-thank, in the Saturday edition of Daily Mirror, adding that the APRC was "never meant by the regime to be anything else." Saravanamuttu was one of the few who were unique in articulating publicly that APRC was constituted for mere presence than for action.
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Sivaram showed how Sri Lankan state was dependent on oppression of Tamils: Prof. Whitaker

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 17:10 GMT]
Sivaram’s biographer and close friend Professor Mark P. Whitaker said Thursday that Sivaram’s ability as a professional journalist to show convincingly how the Sri Lankan state was dependent upon its oppression of Tamil people, was one of the key reasons why he was targeted and killed exactly five years ago. Professor of Anthropology of the University of South Carolina , Mark P. Whitaker made these observations when delivering a speech at an event in London to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of Sri Lanka ’s top journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, well-known by his pseudonym as Taraki.
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Jaffna Mayor accused of abuse of authority

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) opposition and public organizations including Jaffna Traders Union (JTU) have raised strong protests against ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam for abuse of authority, particularly in erecting a Buddha statue on Jaffna Main Street and in attempts to hand over the Jaffna Public Library canteen to Sinhalese caretakers from South, sources in Jaffna said. The Thursday meeting of JMC had to be called off as arguments against the erection of Buddha statue ended in chaos, the sources added.
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International war corporatism continues silencing Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2010, 12:30 GMT]
Diaspora Tamils wonder at the arrests, crackdowns and deportations of Eezham Tamil activists taking place in an orchestrated way in the West as well as in the East by governments conniving with the war-crimes-accused defence establishment of Colombo. The targets are those who are firm in their views on the national cause and those who work with the grass root. The timing is diaspora organising its polity. Whether the orchestration is pre-emption, expecting resurgence of the struggle as the IC knows no solutions to the crisis in the island, or whether it foretells something unpleasant that is going to be imposed on Tamils through a deal of Colombo with New Delhi and the West, are questions asked in the diaspora. How the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam is going to be structured and how Tamil Nadu is going to play its role gains new significance in the unfolding situation.
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Jaffna Mayor allows star hotel in historical sacred site in Nalloor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 06:07 GMT]
Amidst strong protests raised by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Saiva and cultural organizations in Jaffna peninsula against the proposed construction of a star hotel in the land where the palace of last Tamil King of Jaffna Kingdom Sangkilian had stood and in the sacred vicinity of historically famous Nalloor Kanthasuvami temple, ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Jaffna Mayor, Ms. Yogewary Patkunam has decided to permit construction of the said star hotel, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, UPFA Minister Douglas Devananda, in a recent press meet in Colombo had said that he had advised the Mayor on this issue and that he has taken action to stop the hotel being built on the sacred site, the sources added.
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Jaffna MP accuses EPDP of illegal sand excavation in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 05:38 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian, E. Saravanbhavan publicly raised accusation against Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent party of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for having appropriated exclusive rights to excavate sand for building construction in Ma’nattkaadu in Vadamaraadchi East using illegal means making millions of rupees, in a press report, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, EPDP Minister Dougals Devananda, in response to Saravanabhavan’s accusation, said that the EPDP firm engaged in sand excavation is registered in Sri Lanka parliament and the increase in the demand for sand is due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) permitting only a limited number of lorries to transport sand from Ma’nattkaadu SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), in a media report, the sources added.
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New parliament to debate extension motion of Emergency on May 4

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 April 2010, 08:57 GMT]
The newly formed United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to table a motion seeking the extension of the State of Emergency for another month when the parliament meets on May 4. Mr. D. M. Jayaratne, the new Prime Minister, will move the motion as his first official duty amid reports in political circles that the new government is contemplating to relax the imposition of emergency regulations in some areas, parliamentary sources said.
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Journalist Roopan’s remains cremated in Araali

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2010, 17:51 GMT]
Hundreds of people and media persons paid their last respects to the remains of Selvaratnam Roopan also known as ‘Sakthi Thasan’ and the sub-editor of Yarl Thinakural who passed away Sunday evening at Jaffna Teaching hospital at the age of thirty-two. The remains were taken in procession by the mourners to Poonaavoadai Hindu crematorium grounds in Vaddukkoadai. Vice-chancellor emeritus of Jaffna University, Prof. Pon. Balsuntharampillai, was among the many hundreds who paid their last respects to Roopan’s remains.
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Journalist Roopan passes away in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 April 2010, 17:42 GMT]
Selvaratnam Roopan, sub-editor of Tamil daily ‘Yarl Thinakural’ and a journalist who dedicated his entire life to his vocation and in creating political awareness and responsibility among the residents of Jaffna peninsula, passed away Sunday evening at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, due to undiagnosed illness. 32-year-old Roopan had been in the forefront in rescuing thousands of people caught in the clashes in Ma’ndaitheevu in the islets of Jaffna in 2006 and in admitting the injured among them in the hospitals in Jaffna. Roopan rendered great service by writing articles in Yarl Thinakural creating political awareness among the people of Jaffna peninsula under his pseudonym ‘Sakthi Thaasan’. Media organizations including North Ceylon Journalists Association have issued messages of condolence on the premature death of Roopan.
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Thirty nine deputy ministers take oaths

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2010, 11:09 GMT]
Thirty nine deputy ministers also were sworn in Friday afternoon. They are still not allocated ministries. Among them are Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and M.L.A.M.Hisbullah.
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Sri Lanka’s new Foreign Affairs Minister is G.L.Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2010, 11:04 GMT]
The new Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka is Mr.G.L.Peiris and Basil Rajapakse has been appointed as Economic Development Minister. Traditional Industry and Small Entrepreneur Development Ministry goes to Douglas Devananda. Thirty seven member cabinet took oaths before the President Mahinda Rajapakse Friday afternoon at Presidential Secretariat. The two new faces in the cabinet are Basil Rajapakse and Wimal Weerawanse. Basil Rajapakse is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse. Wimal Weerwanse is the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), a breakway group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). All others served in the outgoing cabinet.
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Chamal Rajapakse new Speaker, Fonseka attends parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2010, 08:18 GMT]
The first session of the seventh parliament elected in the April 8 general election was inaugurated Thursday with all new parliamentarians were sworn in the morning. Eldest brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa was elected new Speaker of the parliament. Former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka was brought to the parliament under tight security from the Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters where he is being detained since his arrest on February 8.
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National list MPs nominated: UPFA-17, UNP-09, DNA-02, and ITAK-01

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2010, 11:46 GMT]
The names of twenty nine national list parliamentarians have been gazetted by the Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections Wednesday. The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has nominated seventeen parliamentarians, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) nine parliamentarians, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) two parliamentarians and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) one parliamentarian from their national lists.
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Senior LTTE cadres held to be produced in High Court for trial

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 16:43 GMT]
Around 2,000 senior cadres and combatants of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eezham (LTTE) held in custody are to be soon produced in High Court for trial with the sole aim to find them guilty of war crimes and subject them to long-term imprisonment, according to legal circles in Colombo. Meanwhile, persons of an organization called Home for Human Rights (HHR) are already at work to exploit the above situation and fleece money from Tamil Diaspora in foreign countries and International Humanitarian Organizations on the pretext of arranging lawyers to appear on behalf of the Tigers during the said trial, human rights activist lawyers in Colombo said.
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Indian aid to resettled Vanni civilians left undistributed along A9 road

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 16:06 GMT]
Materials to construct shelters given as aid by India meant for the resettled families in Vanni have not been fully distributed to them and are left unattended along A9 road due to noncooperation of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Vanni and their refusal to grant permission for distribution, sources close to Ki’linochchi Secretariat said. SLA authorities purposely delay and obstruct distribution of these materials with the aim to give them to Sinhalese families to be colonized in places including Kokkaavil and Maangku’lam in Vanni, according to some Tamil National Alliance (TNA) newly elected representatives. The distribution of the materials had not been carried out by the government officials due to noncooperation by SLA authorities in Vanni.
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TNA welcomes Sri Lanka’s stand on Palestine issue, hopes same to be followed in Tamil traditional homeland

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 April 2010, 09:44 GMT]
“The permanent UN representative of Sri Lanka Bandula Jayasekara’s statement that an atmosphere to bring peace in Palestine could only be created by the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory it occupies is welcomed by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which expects Sri Lanka to follow the same principle in withdrawing its armed forces from the historical and traditional homeland of the Tamils of North and East to create peace in Sri Lanka,” Suresh Premachandran said in a press report on behalf of TNA. “We hope that the Sri Lanka government will not preach one thing in the UN and practice another at home,” the report further said.
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Rajapakse to declare open new parliament on April 22

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapakse is to officially declare open the first session of the seventh parliament Thursday (April 22) morning. The Secretary General of Sri Lanka's parliament, Dhammika Kitulgoda, has notified that the parliament will meet at 8:45 a.m. All newly elected members should be present at 8:30 a.m. The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has already won 117 seats in the 225-member Parliament, while the United National Front (UNF) led by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) obtained 46 seats, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) 12 seats and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) 5 seats. Twenty-nine members would be appointed through the National List on the votes each political party polled island wide.
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India refuses landing to Pirapaharan's mother

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 April 2010, 22:35 GMT]
Mrs. Vallipuram Parvathi, the ailing mother of LTTE leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, was refused landing by Indian immigration officials at Chennai airport Friday night around 11:30 p.m., media sources in Tamil Nadu said. Mrs. Parvathi, travelling from Malaysia, was seeking medical treatment in India. She was sent back to Malaysia in the same flight. Tamil Nadu leaders Nedumaran and Vaiko were at the airport and they were later joined by the members of the VCK party of Thirumavalavan. According to media sources citing immigration officials, Mrs. Parvathi is considered by India as a threat to law and order situation in the country. Members of I'lanthamizhar Iyakkam (Young Tamils Movement) led by Mr. Arunbarathy and Director Ram continued staying at the airport at the time of this report, demanding explanation from responsible officials.
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Media owner's election participation invokes reactions in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 April 2010, 09:06 GMT]
Criticism has emerged from various quarters in Jaffna, including the senior activists of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), against the way the TNA conducted its campaign promoting industrialist Eswarapatham Saravanapavan, a senior UNP member and the general manger of two leading newspapers, Jaffna based Uthayan and Colombo based Chudaro'li. Meanwhile, the chief editor of the newspaper has complained to his management that he is considering to renounce his editorship as criticisms are levelled against him for his stand in the last parliamentary election.
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TNA parliamentary group meeting scheduled in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 April 2010, 07:14 GMT]
The first parliamentary group meeting of the Tamil National Alliance is to be held on Sunday in Trincomalee. Thirteen parliamentarians elected from the five districts in North and East on the Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) ticket and the only national list parliamentarian will attend the first group meeting, Mr. R.Sampanthan, a senior leader of the TNA.
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