Colombo steps up hate campaign against Wigneswaran

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2016, 21:29 GMT]
The Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council was only raising questions in a cautious speech at Ezhuka Thamizh uprising on Saturday. Justice C.V. Wigneswaran didn't even refer to the Genocide Resolution passed unanimously by the elected NPC assembly. Further, the resolution drafted by the organisers was limiting the scope of the Tamil aspiration just at self-rule, an out-dated demand which was abandoned by the late Tamil leader S.J.V Chelvanayakam in favour of Tamil sovereignty-centred aspiration as he realised that Colombo would never reconcile with Tamils without any compulsion beyond the parameters of SL parliamentary politics. Now, Wigneswaran asking simple questions with a mobilised mass, is being intentionally projected as ‘extremism’ by Colombo, commented Tamil activists in Vavuniyaa, who witnessed a hate campaign by Sinhala Buddhists in their town on Friday.
Full story >>

Criticism emerges in Jaffna over USA training SL military, IC soft-pedalling Tamil genocide

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2016, 23:18 GMT]
In spite of all the accusations against the Sri Lankan government of war-crimes and other atrocities committed during the war, USA and other governments continue to have naval and military exercises with the Sri Lankan forces, as they also had these trainings with the SL military during the regime of the Mahinda Rajapaksa, said Rev Fr S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the chairman of the Commission for Justice & Peace of the Catholic Diocese in Jaffna in a follow-up video interview to TamilNet after the Ezhuka Thamizh uprising held in Jaffna. The implied message coming from the veteran human rights activist based in Jaffna was that the international community and its approach towards the national question of Tamils in the island was lopsided and unless that problem is seriously addressed by Tamils, the SL Government and the South would not deliver anything substantial for Tamils.
Full story >>

Ezhuka Thamizh has sent sharp message to all corners: Fr Ravichandran

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2016, 18:36 GMT]
The main message coming from the ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ uprising, especially from the people, who participated in their thousands, was that Tamils on the ground were not prepared to compromise their collective demand for self-rule in a merged North-East, said Jaffna-based human rights and civil activist Rev. Fr. M.V.E. Ravichandran in a video interview to TamilNet on Monday. Tamils reject the unitary system and the message has now been conveyed clearly to all the corners, he said. “Tamils want to live as a People and they don't want their cultural and national identity erased in any way. They are opposed to structural genocide,” the director of Jaffna Diocesan Catholic Youth Federation further said. Tamils should be given the right to appoint international judges to ensure the credibility of any model of investigations with international participation, he said.
Full story >>

15,000 Tamils attend historic uprising in Jaffna, reject Unitary Constitution, ITAK draws flak

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2016, 16:10 GMT]
Ezhuka Thamizh (Let Tamil rise up), the biggest uprising to take place in the country of Eezham Tamils after the Pongku Thamizh uprisings during the times of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), declared on Saturday that the ‘consultations’ staged by Colombo for the new constitution completely failed to include the genuine political aspirations of the Tamil people. The Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) with a hijacked leadership and the powers operating it, received a serious message from the people at the grassroots, regardless of the organisers of the event, that the people on the ground are fully prepared to replace the ITAK hierarchy once a good leadership takes shape to lead the nation of Eehzam Tamils in the next phase of their struggle. It is now time for NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran to prove the case, commented Tamil political observers in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Mobilisation towards ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ uprising in Jaffna gains momentum

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2016, 22:26 GMT]
Grassroots organisations, academics and students of University of Jaffna, business community, religious leaders involved in civil activism and various political parties voicing for the rights of Eezham Tamils are extending their support to the public rally named ‘Ezhuka Thamizh’ (Let Tamil rise up) to take place in Jaffna on Saturday. Despite the deviatory sections of the TNA hierarchy, led by M.A. Sumanthiran and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, have been fully busy with causing obstacles to the move taken forward by the Tamil People’s Council (TPC), the mobilisation has gained support from the people on the ground, activists close to the organisers said.
Full story >>

Veteran Eezham Tamil archivist passes away at 81

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2016, 01:24 GMT]
Mr R. Kanagaratnam (Kurumpasiddi Eraa Kanagaratnam), who tirelessly collected Tamil and English newspaper clippings and manuscripts related to political and cultural affairs of Eezham Tamils for almost 6 decades, has passed away at the age of 81 in Kandy on Wednesday. The leaders of Tamil Eelam and Tamil Nadu respected Mr Kanagaratnam for his contributions to the modern archival history of Eezham Tamils as well as his continued focus on the historiography of Tamils living across the larger region, from Fiji Islands to South Africa. His unique contribution to the nation of Eezham Tamils was collecting, archiving, microfilming and at the same time ensuring secure storage of the Tamil and English documents outside the island – all achieved through his focused and relentless efforts. He was an institution by himself.
Full story >>

Sinhala, Muslim participation in Tamil genocide remembrance answers IC detractors

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 May 2016, 20:22 GMT]
A section of Sinhala and Muslim students took part in the Mu'l'livaaykkaal Genocide Remembrance organised by the Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) on Wednesday and a group of Catholic Sinhalese from the South were also present at St. Paul's church at Mu'l'livaaykkaal. At Mannaar, Muslim representatives were present at the memorial event organised by ITAK Youth Wing leader V.S. Sivakaran. The Sinhala and Muslim participation sends message to International Community and UN actors refusing to accept genocide in the island. The very first monument to be erected in remembrance of those who perished in Mu'l'livaaykkaal was also sculpted by a non-Tamil in the island, although the identity of the artist could not be revealed. The statue, having artistic significance has been silently put up near the St. Paul's church by the Tamil villagers of Mu'l'livaaykkaal, news sources in Vanni said.
Full story >>

Genocide Day marked in 3 districts of Eastern Province

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 23:34 GMT]
The students of the Eastern University situated at Vanthaa'ru-moolai in Batticaloa, civil society members and TNA politicians in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai district observed Genocide Remembrance Day events and memorial prayers at churches and temples on Wednesday. The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) organised a memorial event at Vaakaarai, one of the most war-affected areas subjected to structural genocide under heavy militarisation in the Batticaloa district. In the meantime, the Tamil Peoples Council (TPC) organised memorial events at the historic Hindu temple and in a church in Batticaloa. TNA politicians working among the grassroots also travelled to North to attend the remembrance event at Mu'l'livaaykkal in Vanni on Wednesday.
Full story >>

SL TID cites Facebook ‘private messages’ as evidence to restrict Tamil political activism

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2016, 23:42 GMT]
The notorious ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division (TID), currently engaged in containing the voices against the abduction and hostage taking styled arrests in the North and East, has claimed in communication to Chaavakachcheari Magistrate's Court that they have accessed Facebook private messages and chats that have taken place between individuals in the Diaspora and the occupied country of Eezham Tamils, legal sources in Jaffna told TamilNet on Monday. In a recent case where the secretary of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) Youth Wing V.S. Sivakaran was detained and later released on surety bail, the TID had submitted the above argument as ‘evidence’ to the courts, the sources said adding that the TID was silencing critical voices in the island by deploying surveillance agencies outside the island.
Full story >>

Colombo detains ITAK youth leader cum editor after criticism on PTA arrests

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 April 2016, 13:36 GMT]
The notorious 'Terrorist' Investigation Division (TID), operated by the 'Defence Ministry' of genocidal Sri Lanka has arrested V.S. Sivakaran, the Youth Wing secretary of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) and the editor of Tamil weekly ‘Puthiyavan’ on Wednesday afternoon at the paper office located on Mannaar Main street. Sivakaran's arrest is an attempt to suppress criticism being levelled against the abduction-styled arrests taking place in the Tamil homeland, journalists in North said. The arrest comes 2 days after Sivakaran went on record strongly condemning the PTA based arrests that have taken place in the North and East.
Full story >>

Sirisena's party rejects federalism, Sinhala mob in Italy wants Tamils to hoist ‘Lion’ flag

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 April 2016, 16:59 GMT]
A group of Sinhalese carrying genocidal Sri Lanka's Lion flags protested on Monday against a sport event of Eezham Tamils at the city of Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy. The sport event was organised by the Eezham Tamil diaspora organisations to mark the Italian Freedom Day and to honour the pioneer of the Tamil freedom struggle, Pon Sivakumaran. The Sinhala mob was mobilised through posters that called ‘every Sri Lankan’ from Bologne to come to “Muandi Aiya's” shop to protest against the sports event organsed in support of the ‘Barbarous LTT’, according to a poster put up the mob, which was not even unable to write proper Sinhala, commented a Sinhalese who is close to Eezham Tamils. In the meantime, Mahinda Samarasinghe, a key Sinhala leader has described federal demand of Tamils as “unconstitutional” and as something that would strengthen “extremism”.
Full story >>

23 Tamils detained under PTA in recent weeks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 April 2016, 21:27 GMT]
The notorious ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division (TID) of occupying Colombo has detained at least 23 Eezham Tamils from North and East at various prisons since 29 March. The arrests have taken place in white-van abduction style and through hostage-taking of family members. One of the victims is a woman, who is detained at Vavuniyaa. Two males are being interrogated at the so-called 4th Floor torture chamber in Colombo, while the remaining 20 are being detained at Boosa prison in Galle district in the South. All the ‘arrests’ have been carried out under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), with judicial evidence standards for arrest lower than even "reason to believe."
Full story >>

Racist frenzy being whipped up in South against Tamils: ITAK youth leader

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 April 2016, 21:19 GMT]
A section of the political forces among the Sinhalese in South is attempting to project the isolated event of discovery of mines at Chaavakachcheari in Jaffna as a threat with the intention of justifying and further accelerating military occupation in the North, said V.S. Sivakaran, the youth wing leader of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), condemning the political forces in the South and the Sinhala media for whipping up racist frenzy among the Sinhalese. The intention behind the projection by the Sinhala Establishment is to sustain the suppressive Sinhala military rule and to justify further militarisation, the youth leader from Mannaar said.
Full story >>

‘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.
Full story >>

Continued desecration of Tamil Heroes cemetery is ‘Good Governance’ for Sinhala State

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 April 2016, 23:25 GMT]
Occupying Sinhala military's 233 Brigade has been ploughing the grounds of the largest Tamil Eelam Heroes Cemetery in Batticaloa with the genocidal motive of deploying illegal Sinhala settlers to do cultivation in the grounds where more than 675 fallen Tamil fighters lay buried. The gruesome act has been committed for during the past 2 weeks despite repeated pleas from the Tamil civil sources to the government officials in Batticaloa district not to hurt the sentiments of Eezham Tamils. The present regime of Maithiripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe, accompanied by former SL President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who are engaged in ‘Sinhala-Only’ determined ‘reconciliation’, have chosen to ignore the requests from the Tamil public, civil sources at the District Secretariat told TamilNet.
Full story >>

Veteran drama artist Maamanithar S.T. Arasu passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 February 2016, 23:18 GMT]
Veteran Eezham Tamil drama artist Kalaapooshanam S.T. Arasu, who was betowed with the highest civilian Maamanithar title by LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan in 1990, passed away after a brief illness at the age of 89 in Nalloor, Jaffna on Friday. Sivakkolunthu Thirunavukkarasu (S.T. Arasu) received an emotional funeral service, attended by Tamil artists, academics and politicians on Sunday. As a multi-talented creative artist, S.T. Arasu has worked with prominent drama directors of his times and has contributed at various fronts including make-up and music. S.T.Arasu had a keen interest in sculpture and was also a professional photographer.
Full story >>

Eezham Tamils boycott ‘Sri Lanka’ Independence Day in North-East

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 February 2016, 08:21 GMT]
“Tamils are being suppressed as ‘minority’ in this country. This so-called Independence Day is only for Sinhalese, ruling this country as majority. They celebrate this day with Kiribath [milk rice] in the South. We have not forgotten that they also celebrated the annihilation of thousands and lakhs of Tamils at Mu'l'livaaykkaal in 2009, serving Kiribath in the South,” a protesting mother in Mannaar, who joined the district wide protests of Tamils marking the so-called Independence Day of Ceylon, which has later become genocidal ‘Sri Lanka’, as a Black Day. In the meantime V.S. Sivakaran, a young Tamil activist in Mannaar said Tamils have no emotional attachment to the day and that they saw it merely as an Independence Day of a neighbouring country. Tamils marked the day as a Black Day in all the 8 districts of the Northern and Eastern provinces on Thursday.
Full story >>

Hunger strikers: ‘USA, co-sponsors of consensus-resolution responsible for our fate’

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 November 2015, 14:10 GMT]
The political prisoners and prisoners of war, waging hunger strike inside the Sri Lankan prisons for the 10th day told TamilNet Monday morning that the United States, which authored the consensus resolution with the genocidal State of Sri Lanka and the sponsor-States that passed the resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last month, should now ensure the release of the political prisoners languishing in the jails of occupying Sri Lanka through making the SL President declare them as political prisoners entitled to general amnesty. The prisoners of war and political prisoners demanded the officials at the diplomatic missions in Colombo to visit and witness their plight in person.
Full story >>

ITAK leaders stand exposed as powers deceive Tamils with hypocritical investigations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 October 2015, 21:48 GMT]
Refusing to look at the affairs of the nation of Eezham Tamils through their homeland in the North-East and being bent on approaching the Eezham Tamils through Colombo-centric geopolitical designs, the West and the UN mechanisms have nakedly exposed themselves even before the ink went dry on the OISL report and the ‘US-Sri Lanka’ co-sponsored resolution in the UN Human Rights Council. In the meantime, the leaders of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) stand exposed for their lack of statesmanship and for the failure of not clarifying TNA's position regarding the deceptive path of ‘domestic’ investigations. The ITAK leaders have also failed the nation of Eezham Tamils by not demanding the release the Tamil political prisoners, who have been rotting in the jails of genocidal Sri Lanka for years.
Full story >>

Tamil political prisoners complain about increased harassment at SL prisons

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 October 2015, 22:18 GMT]
The intelligence operatives of the Sri Lankan military and the prison officers are threatening the Tamil political prisoners against their attempts to file Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions challenging their continued imprisonment, the families visiting the prisoners from Batticaloa told TamilNet this week. When the families are visiting the prisoners, two intelligence operatives were accompanying the imprisoned Tamils. In the meantime, rights activists from Batticaloa, providing free legal assistance to the prisoners in Colombo Magazine prison and at Anurdhapura prison, complain that the prisoners were unable to communicate with them about filing FR petitions.
Full story >>