University students, Shivajilingam brave SL harassment to commemorate fallen Black Tigers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 July 2020, 23:06 GMT]
Reacting to SL military harassment against paying tribute to Tamil war hero Captain Miller and other Black Tigers at Nelliyadi in Vadamaraadchi, Jaffna, Tamil students at the University of Jaffna lit the flame of sacrifice within the university premises at 7:05 pm at the time of the death of Miller on Sunday. The students released the photos to journalists in Jaffna. The reaction came as the occupying SL military and police in Jaffna blocked Tamil political parties and their representatives from paying tribute to the Tamil heroes on Black Tigers Day. Former TNA Parliamentarian M.K. Shivajilingam also braved to mark the day at a public event in Vadamaraadchi on Sunday.
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Ilmenite exploitation targets Vaakarai, civic members on alert

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 December 2018, 22:17 GMT]
Alchemy Heavy Metals Ltd, a Dambulla-based private mining and processing company has recently stepped up an exploitative move to obtain lands for mineral excavation in Vaakarai, which is located in the northern part of the Batticaloa district. The activity of the company, also known as Mirama Minerals, was unusually high during the recent soft coup in Colombo. There were indications of a similar trend in the past in 2010 and 2013, says Koa'ra'lap-pattu North (Vaakarai) Divisional Council Chairman Sivagnanam Konalingam. The democratically elected Divisional Council functioning since June 2018 is now tracing the background of the move to exploit ilmenite mineral, he told TamilNet on Thursday. The council is deploying the Right to Information Act in investigating the matter as the exploitation has been targeting two hotspots, Kathirave'li (40 acres) and Puchchaak-kea'ni (13 acres).
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Role of powers with colonial legacy, abetting contemporary Sinhalicisation, requires scrutiny

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 July 2018, 20:33 GMT]
The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), which comes under the occupying unitary state of genocidal Sri Lanka, is silently transferring 5 acres of lands to the notorious British-trained ‘Special Task Force’ (STF) to expand its commando post into a permanent camp to defend the controversial Sinhala colony at the strategic entrance to Jaffna at Naavat-kuzhi. The colonisation scheme, initiated during the rule of Rajapaksa brothers, received state-patronisation after the regime change backed by the West. The colony is planned to control the arteries of the city and to Sinhalicise Jaffna city itself. The trend is also evidenced in the latest move by the occupying Colombo to station its troops at the Jaffna Fort, which is ‘developed’ with the blessings, funding and research coming from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
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SL Presidential Secretariat joins TID in harassing Tamil activists with interrogations.

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 May 2018, 21:04 GMT]
Occupying Colombo has increased the so-called 'Terrorist' investigation threats against ex-LTTE members in recent days, especially after the people in North-East successfully marked Mu'l'livaaykkaal Tamil Genocide Day on 18 May. One of the ex-LTTE members instructed to appear for clarifications is ITAK executive committee member K. Jeyakumar from Ki'linochchi, who is a close confidante of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan. He has been instructed to present himself at the TID office in Colombo on Monday, sources close to the TNA parliamentarian said.
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TNA Parliamentarian calls for UN plebiscite on independent Tamil State

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 March 2018, 22:25 GMT]
Taking part in a side-event on Tamils Right to Self-Determination, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan on Monday called for a UN referendum among Eezham Tamils to exercise their external Self-Determination. The TNA MP was referring to 1977 democratic mandate for Tamil Eelam and the 2009-2010 referenda held in the Tamil diaspora. Mr Sritharan was braving the prohibition imposed upon him to articulate the aspiration by the 6th Amendment of genocidal Sri Lanka as he was explicitly calling for the exercise of the right to external self-determination. Mr Sritharan has smashed the taboo placed upon him by the TNA hierarchy controlled by R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran through his explicit call for external right to self-determination at Geneva, Tamil political activists in Jaffna said welcoming the courageous move.
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Forced conversion to Sinhala Buddhism deployed as tool of genocide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 August 2017, 23:06 GMT]
Occupying Colombo, its military and the exclusivist Sinhala Buddhist Theravada Establishment have jointly adopted the Western colonial model of religious conversations of poverty-stricken people at the lowest echelons forcing the Tamil people to convert to Buddhism and start learning Sinhala language. The forced religious conversions are being staged at two separate locations, Navatkuzhi and Puththoor, in the occupied Jaffna peninsula. High-ranking monks including the Chief Prelate (Mahanayakas thero) of the Asgiriya chapter have been scheduled to inspect the genocidal project of Sinhala-Buddhicisation at Puththoor in Valikaamam East and at Naavatkuzhi, informed sources in Jaffna told TamilNet on Sunday.
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Time is running out for ITAK to re-orientate itself to basic fundamentals of Tamil struggle

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 June 2017, 22:30 GMT]
The guarantees and promises given so far by R. Sampanthan on crucial matters such as de-militarisation, resettlement, tracing the enforced disappeared, international investigations and on achieving a federal solution have not been materialised. The Eezham Tamils in the North-East are losing faith on Opposition Leader. Instead, the Tamil people look upon Justice Wigneswaran as their leader, said Suresh Premachandran, the leader of the EPRLF, one of the constituent parties of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Three of the four parties comprising the TNA stand with Wigneswaran. Tamil people have delivered their message to the ITAK through the shutdown and agitations in Jaffna, Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniyaa. There was also much support coming from Eastern province, the former TNA parliamentarian told TamilNet on Saturday after a joint meeting with Justice C.V. Wigneswaran.
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NPC plunges into crisis as external agenda-backed forces challenge Wigneswaran

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2017, 23:35 GMT]
Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), which is the main constituent party of the TNA, engineered a move of no-confidence against NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V.Wigneswaran on Wednesday. A considerable number of councillors submitted the request, just a few hours after Justice Wigneswaran instructed two of his ministers, subjected to investigations to resign, and asked two other ministers to go on compulsory leave until the investigation on them is completed. Bringing the four ministries under Chief Minister's purview, the NPC CM said he was answerable to the people who had entrusted him with the task of leading the NPC. TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has been involved in creating, managing and finally deploying the move as an opportunity to force Wignewaran and his genre to retire from politics. However, Wigneswaran remains calm and restraint, news sources in Jaffna said.
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SL deceptions multiply as protests demanding lands intensify in Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2017, 19:55 GMT]
The so-called ‘Resettlement Ministry’ of the genocidal state of Sri Lanka has sought the support of the hijacked hierarchy of the Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), the dominating component of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to contain the escalating protests in Mullaiththeevu, Ki’linochchi and Mannaar of genocide-affected Vanni region of the homeland of Eezham Tamils. The ITAK hierarchy has been approached to facilitate compromise between the uprooted Tamils and the occupying Sinhala military, a source close to Maavai Senathiraja, the leader of the ITAK told TamilNet on Thursday on condition of anonymity. The source also provided photos documenting how occupying SL Air Force has transformed the lands of uprooted Tamils in Keappaa-pulavu into military resorts and how new structures are being hurriedly constructed inside the occupied zone.
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Handover investigations to international judicial mechanism, NPC tells Geneva

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 March 2017, 09:26 GMT]
While the uprooted people and the families of enforced disappeared in Trincomalee, Vavuniyaa, Mullaiththeevu, Ki'linochchi and Jaffna are staging continuous protests demanding the UN human rights regime in Geneva not to provide any more ‘time and space’ for the genocidal SL State and its military to escape accountability on international crimes committed in the land of Eezham Tamils, the elected council of Northern Province passed a resolution echoing the feelings of the people on the ground and urged the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to refer the case to an international judicial mechanism. “[W]ithout truth, justice and an equitable political solution, neither reconciliation nor permanent peace is possible”, the NPC resolution said and said that the international community should initiate a UN-mediated negotiation process to resolve the national question.
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Ki'linochchi mobilizes against SL military-led Sinhala Buddhicisation of Tamil homeland

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2016, 23:09 GMT]
Grassroots Tamil organisations from all parts of Ki'linochchi district on Monday staged one of the largest protests after the genocidal onslaught on Vanni, in which they demanded international justice for genocide committed against Eezham Tamils, de-militarisation, full resettlement of uprooted people and an immediate end to Sinhala Buddhicisation targeting the occupied Tamil homeland. NPC Councillors from Ki'lnocchi district and Tamil National Peoples Front took part in the protest, which was led by TNA Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan.
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Ki'linochchi to mobilise against SL military erecting Buddhist sites in occupied Tamil land

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2016, 23:17 GMT]
Triggered by Sinhala military soldiers being deployed to construct Buddhist vihara inside the occupied temple lands of Kanakaampikai Amman at Ira'nai-madu, two mainstream Tamil formations have announced protests and shutdown in the following weeks with the backing of rural and grassroots organisations in Ki'linochchi district. The first protest is to take place on 22 August from Elephant Pass (EPS) to Ki'linochchi with the backing of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan. The next protest and shutdown is scheduled on 07 October, on the initiative by Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) with the participation of former Parliamentarians of EPRLF, PLOTE, EPDP. Tamil National Council, Catholic and Saiva organisations have come together extending their support to the mobilisation.
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‘Regime change’ didn't bring any change for Tamils: NPC Councillors, TNPF and ITAK MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 April 2016, 15:18 GMT]
While R. Sampanthan, M.A.Sumanthiran and Mavai Senathiraja belonging to Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) were on a collaborating course with the Sri Lankan regime on the advice from Washington and New Delhi, ITAK Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan, who has also been alleged of playing into the hands of the US Embassy, which got him to collaborate with M.A. Sumanthiran, went on record on Friday at a protest in Jaffna stating that he had no faith in the ruling regime and said the current regime has failed in building confidence and building peace with Tamils. Sritharan was protesting along with NPC Councillors and TNPF politicians in laying siege to the Divisional Survey Office at Thirunelveali in Jaffna.
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NPC reiterates not to change name of Nayinaa-theevu islet off Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 November 2015, 17:29 GMT]
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) officials on Tuesday released a letter to media, which it recently sent to the SL Minister of Provincial Councils & Local Government Mr Faiszer Musthapha, reiterating NPC's demand on the continuation of the historical Tamil name of Nayinaa-theevu (Nainathivu) islet in the official records. The Colombo regime, in a recent Gazette notification relating to the delimitation of wards 08 and 12 of Veala'nai Divisional Council, had deployed a Sinhala term in Tamil as "Nagadeepam" ("Nagadeepa" in Sinhala) to denote the residential wards under three GS divisions in the islet. The NPC had earlier complained in writing to the SL Minister opposing the name change on 06 November. However, the SL Minister was later twisting the issue other way around in the media reports in Colombo.
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Sinhala occupation of pastureland causes existential threat to Batticaloa Tamil farmers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 June 2015, 23:19 GMT]
316 Tamil farmers belonging to two administrative divisions in Batticaloa district own around 85,000 cattle. The cattle-herders from this region have been officially demarcated 45,000 acres of lands in Maathava'nai, Periya-maathava'ani and Mayilaththa-madu. More than 5,000 Tamils are dependent on the cattle industry in the region. They supply 15,000 litres of milk to three collecting centres run by Milko and Nestlé in Kiraan and Chengkaladi. The Sinhala colonisers have seized 12,000 acres (one fourth) of the allocated pastureland. Operatives belonging to SL Wildlife Conservation Department and the occupying Sinhala soldiers have been chasing the Tamil cattle herders away as the intruding Sinhala farmers engage in Chena-cultivation. The Tamil farmers demand a permanent solution before the Sinhala intruders are set to commence Chena cultivation for next season in August 2015.
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SL military targets TNA members waging Maithiripala propaganda in North

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2015, 22:48 GMT]
SL police arrested five health labourers of Valikaamam North civic council at A'laveddi on Saturday, when they were putting up posters in support of Maithiripala Sirisena. The chairman of Valikaamam North Piratheasa Chapai (PS), S. Sugirthan of TNA had asked them to put up posters, news sources said. The arrested were allowed to go on bail on Sunday. Similarly, three TNA members were arrested earlier in Maanippaay for putting up posters in support of Maithiripala. In the meantime, SL military operatives, who came in a white van were trying to abduct four TNA activists in Ki'linochchi while they were on a Maithiripala propaganda mission. The Tamil youth have managed to escape from the abductors, news sources in Ki'linochchi said.
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Sivagnanam, Wigneswaran sabotage NPC move on genocide

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 December 2014, 11:42 GMT]
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) chairman C.V.K. Sivagnanam on Thursday ran away from the NPC sitting in an attempt to defend the position taken by NPC Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, who wanted to postpone voting on a crucial motion on Tamil genocide at the 20th sittings of the NPC, news sources at the NPC Secretariat in Kaithadi told TamilNet. The NPC chairman has been postponing the resolution, which identifies the crimes that were committed and those that continue to be committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan State as genocide. Initially, there was no objection at the council to commence voting on the motion, which was brought by M.K. Shivajilingam. At the last minute Mr Wigneswaran said he wanted to postpone the voting till after the SL presidential election.
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SL military steps up threats, harassment of Tamil councillors in North

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2014, 10:58 GMT]
The so-called white vans and motorbikes without number plates operated by the SL military intelligence have been deployed to monitor the movement of Tamil councillors in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) in recent days, complain several members of the NPC. A prominent councillor, Ms Ananthy Sasitharan, recently lodged a complaint with Vadduk-koaddai Police complaining that white van and motorbike squads were chasing her round the clock, monitoring all her movements. In the name of investigating the complaint, the police went ahead with engineering false evidence that there were no reports of white van or motorbike squads in the area where she resides, TNA sources told TamilNet. The SL Defence Ministry was behind the recent withdrawal of police protection that was provided to some of NPC members, according to NPC Chairman CVK Sivagnanam.
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Genocidal military twists statistics on uprooted Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2014, 23:31 GMT]
Genocidal Sri Lanka has instructed its government agents in the 8 districts of North and East not to release any statistical figures without consulting the authorities in Colombo, informed sources told TamilNet Wednesday. Sri Lankan authorities have fully abandoned the figures of the resettled people residing outside the so-called welfare camps. The EPDP collaborators in the UPFA have also been instructed to play in sync with Colombo on the statistics of displaced people and resettled people in these two districts, Tamil civil sources in Jaffna said pointing out the controversies that surfaced at the District Development Committee (DDC) meetings of Jaffna and Ki’linochchi held this week.
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Terror squad assaults Tamil journalist in Vadamaraadchi, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2014, 23:43 GMT]
A squad, believed to be operated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence on Monday evening chased and attacked 29-year-old Sivagnanam Selvatheepan, a leading journalist in Vadamaraadchi. When the journalist attempted to escape from the squad, the attackers chased him on foot and assaulted him causing severe internal injuries to his head. The squad also broke one of his legs. The brutal assault comes just one week after the so-called Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of occupying Colombo had obtained his motorbike registration number, identity card number and cell phone details through Nelliyadi police in Jaffna.
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