Colombo maintains ethnic chauvinism, majoritarianism in North-East: Bishop Ponniah

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 June 2016, 19:19 GMT]
“I can categorically state that a lot of promises made by the [new] government [towards the Tamil people] have not been fulfilled,” said Bishop of Batticaloa Rt. Rev. Dr. Joesph Ponniah in a recent interview to TamilNet. Some of the root causes to the escalation of ethnic conflict were SL State-backed Sinhala colonization of lands in the North and East and the discrimination in providing equal opportunities. These have a 60-year old history. The reality remains the same even today. What prevails in the North and East is not peace. There is an enforced silence coupled with threat, oppression and militarization by the ethnic majority. There is no change in the attitude of ethnic chauvinism, the Bishop said questioning the hidden motives of Washington and New Delhi collaborating with Colombo and how the situation of the people in North-East getting affected by the motives of these powers.
Full story >>

Arippu, Kal-ariccal

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2016, 19:20 GMT]
The eroded place

The stony or rocky eroded place
Full story >>

Colombo determined to maintain genocidal Military Intelligence structure in North-East

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2016, 18:54 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, the prime minister of genocidal Sri Lanka, has instructed the SL Military Intelligence in Colombo to maintain the structure and operations of the intelligence agencies deployed in North and East completely intact from the changes taking place in South, informed sources in Colombo told TamilNet on Friday. While enacting certain cosmetic changes in the Intelligence operations in the South, the structure conceived by former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, will operate without changes in the North-East, the sources further said. The decision is based on external advice coming from the US Establishment.
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 >>

Structural genocide targets Kudumpimalai despite Tamil protests, media focus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2016, 16:05 GMT]
Despite repeated protests coming from Village (GS) Officers in Batticaloa district against the recent assault on Tamil GS Officer Shanmugam Guru by a group of Sinhala soldiers, the occupying Sinhala military is continuing illegal logging of trees in the interior jungle hamlet of Kudumpimalai. The demograhic genocide is being spearheaded by Colombo’s Forest Department that comes under the direct supervision of SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, Divisional Secretariat officials in Kiraan told TamilNet. The SL Forest Department is planning to create a Sinhala colony for agricultural farmers from the bordering Anuradhapura district and elsewhere in the South, they said.
Full story >>

Deminers remain tight-lipped over crucial traces of cluster, chemical UXOs deployed in genocide

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2016, 15:47 GMT]
A supervisor rank worker associated with demining work carried out by Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) and was deployed in clearing Unexploded ordnance (UXO) between 2010 and 2014 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) where SL military deployed cluster bombs and chemical weapons during the genocidal onslaught in 2009, told TamilNet this week that the hierarchy of the FSD, when alerted about the traces of cluster bombs and crucial human skeletal remains indicating deployment of chemical warheads, communicated the matter to the SL military under Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's military establishment, which was quick to remove the traces. If the workers revealed the findings, the FSD would lose its project and they would risk losing their jobs as funds coming from USA, Japan and EU would go to other mine clearing agencies, the workers were told by the FSD hierarchy.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka used cluster bombs against Tamils, says Guardian

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2016, 22:42 GMT]
New photographic evidence leaked by an employee of a large demining organization, Halo Trust, and independently corroborated by Human Rights Watch that the material pictured as the "remnants of Russian-made cluster bombs and unexploded cluster submunitions, emerged as the 32nd sessions of the UN Human Rights Council opened last week, said UK Guardian in an exclusive story Monday. The photographs depict cluster bombs uncovered within Sri Lanka Government declared "no fire zones" where Tamil civilians were asked to gather for their safety during the final stages of the war, the paper said. Reports produced by the UN and several rights groups have found that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed by the Sri Lankan forces, but so far no senior member of the Government or the armed forces has been held accountable, the paper added.
Full story >>

Independent mobilisation key to emancipation of stateless nations: Baloch editor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2016, 20:46 GMT]
“The root cause is the colonial system that they imposed on us. The shift of establishment is merely a substitution of one strand of colonial rulers with another,” says Faiz M Baluch, the editor-in-chief of Balochwarna and a member of the International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (IVBMP). “The question is do we have the same basic democratic rights like other free nation or not. Moreover, do we have the rights to sovereignty and self-preservation or not,” Mr Faiz further asked when interviewed by TamilNet. He urged oppressed nations to rely on their own national bases as well as to build organic solidarity between other stateless nations to achieve their national emancipation.
Full story >>

Latin America readily understands US game on Eezham Tamils: Dr Malathy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2016, 23:19 GMT]
“It appears that in Latin America people readily understand the geopolitical issues and the USA’s leading role in inhumane interventionism. Obviously this is neither understood nor accepted in the English-speaking world. Strangely vast majority of the people in India and Eelam Tamils too have so far failed to understand this. But the Latin American people do […] Immersed in the English-speaking world Eelam Tamils have no direct experience of solidarity from others. On the contrary, the Eelam Tamils only know the incessant and derogatory bashing of their struggle from the English-speaking world,” writes Dr. N. Malathy a key member of North-East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) and the author of ‘A Fleeting Moment in My Country’, who recently visited Ecuador as a member of a solidarity delegation.
Full story >>

EPW article on Sinhala nationalism turns veiled threat to bailout Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 June 2016, 20:35 GMT]
“After the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2015, Sinhala nationalism is on the retreat but would most certainly play the once powerful anti-state role it played in the1980s and 1990s, in the context of the new government’s reconciliation programme and war crimes investigations,” said a Special Feature appeared in June 4 issue of the Mumbai-based, Economic & Political Weekly. Does this correspond to Chinese ambassador in Colombo ‘advising’ Lankan leaders to see that reconciliation mechanisms suggested by the UNHRC do not themselves create new conflicts and advising them to put ‘development’ before reconciliation? Has it been timed by the EPW to set the tone at the current UNHRC sessions for a collective excuse of genocidal Sri Lanka by Beijing, New Delhi and Washington, asked Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island.
Full story >>

China re-interferes surpassing US-Indian paradigm of genocidal Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 June 2016, 00:17 GMT]
Last week, Chinese ambassador in Colombo, Mr. Yi Xianliang, went beyond Washington and New Delhi in upholding the paradigm of genocidal Sri Lanka, as he was open in detracting reconciliation and in derailing any UN intervention, which the USA and India are doing covertly. The ambassador said that it would be ill advised to put reconciliation before development and advised Lankan leaders to see that reconciliation mechanisms suggested by the UNHRC do not themselves create new conflicts. Rather than correcting the reconciliation and UNHRC deceptions coming from the USA, but negating even fundamental norms aspired by Tamils and interfering into their very existence as a nation, ironically the ambassador said China is against outside interference in domestic affairs.
Full story >>

Colombo's TID interrogates Tamil paramilitary operative

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 June 2016, 22:48 GMT]
Colombo's ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division (TID) officers are interrogating a 29-year-old Tamil paramilitary operative from Thenmaraadchi, Jaffna, in connection with the discovery of explosives in March at the village of Ma'ravanpulavu, informed sources told TamilNet on Wednesday. Sivarasa Sivakulan alias Murali, who has been a close confidant of former SL Military Commander in Jaffna Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe and who was actively involved in SLFP election campaigns in Thenmaraadchi during the regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, is the one subjected to interrogations at the notorious 4th Floor in Colombo. Mr Sivakulan has also been a close friend of the present SL Governor of Northern Province Mr Reginald Cooray, informed sources in Jaffna said. He was detained on 11 June.
Full story >>

Tamil prison guard trainees subjected to genocidal assault in Colombo, stripped naked

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 June 2016, 19:25 GMT]
More than 100 Sinhala prison guards and their student-trainees stormed the hostel residence of Colombo prison Monday night in a raid-like brutal assault targeting 40 Tamil prison guard students, who have been recently selected for training for the jobs of prison guards. The genocidal attack has taken place inside the hostel situated in front of Colombo prison and all the Tamil students are all still being held stripped naked and are subjected to torture and abuse inside the premises, one of the victims managed to inform TamilNet Tuesday evening over the phone. Eight Tamil students have sustained serious injuries, he said. The fate of 23-year-old V. Vasantharajah from Ooraath-thu'rai (Kayts), Jaffna, is not known to the fellow prisoners. He has sustained skeletal injuries, the source further said describing the assault as a genocidal attack.
Full story >>

SL Military surveillance forces Mannaar Citizens‘ Committee to relocate office

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2016, 20:43 GMT]
The occupying military intelligence operatives of genocidal Sri Lanka have been monitoring those visiting and engaging with the Citizens’ Committee in Mannaar to an intolerable level during the past two years. The surveillance operatives were taking photographs and some times videos of those visiting the Citizens‘ Committee, which was situated within the Public Library premises, behind the main building. The Sinhala military operatives have been harassing the visitors and employees at the Public Library asking details of those visiting the Citizens’ Committee office, informed rights activists in Mannaar told TamilNet on Monday.
Full story >>

Colombo's ‘Mahaweli Authority’ chases away resettled Eezham Tamils in Kokkuth-thoduvaay

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2016, 21:18 GMT]
Genocidal Sri Lanka's Ministry of ‘Mahaweli Development & Environment’, which is led by SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, has started to deploy violence to chase away the resettled Eezham Tamils at 15th Mile Post in Kokkuth-thoduvaay, a strategically situated coastal village in Karai-thu'raip-pattu division of Mullaiththeevu district, the affected families complained. On 02 June, SL Forest Department personnel, accompanied by ‘Mahaweli Development’ officials forcibly removed the temporary huts of some of the resettled Tamil families at 15th Mile Post. After the end of genocidal onslaught on Vanni in May 2009, the project of Sinhalicisation has been intensified through the Sinhala colony of Padaviya in Anuradhapura and Vavuniyaa districts and the entire Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli-oya) area has been fully Sinhalicised and emerged as the ‘Sinhala Only’ administrative division in Mullaiththeevu.
Full story >>

Learn from Kosgama blast, de-militarise civilian areas in North: Premachandran

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 June 2016, 22:33 GMT]
Colombo must remove the military camps in the North, especially the camps situated in residential areas away from Tamil civilians. The representatives in South have called for relocation camps away from civilian areas after the blast in Kosgama, where people lost lives, sustained injuries and the blast completely destroyed all the surrounding civilian properties. Imagine the situation in North, where several hundreds of army camps have been installed in residential areas among the civilians, said Suresh Premachandran, the leader of EPRLF, which is one of the four parties comprising the Tamil National Alliance.
Full story >>

Attacked GS officer gets harassed while SL police pleads to drop protests

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2016, 23:05 GMT]
‘Unknown’ callers, believed to be military intelligence operatives of genocidal Sri Lanka, have threatened Shanmugam Guru, the Tamil village (GS) officier who was brutally assaulted on 01 June for inquiring into illegal logging carried out by Sinhala military personnel at Kudumpi-malai, an interior Tamil village that has been subjected to demographic and structural genocide since the end of war in 2007 in Batticaloa. The calling operatives are threatening the GS officer stating that they would launch counter protests deploying some women against him with false accusations. In the meantime, the SL police officials visiting the injured GS officer to investigate the brutal assault have been politely urging the GS villager to ask his protesting colleagues to drop their protests. Kudumpimalai is situated 63 km northwest of Batticaloa city.
Full story >>

Maithiripala to stage another selfie session in Jaffna before next Geneva session

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2016, 22:31 GMT]
Maithiripala Sirisena, the president of genocidal Sri Lanka, is scheduled to visit Jaffna on 18 June to take part in another publicity and ‘selfie’ stunt. Amidst the ‘lack’ of fresh venues to be released to the uprooted Tamils, the visiting SL President will be taking part in an event of ‘releasing’ Nadeswara College and Nadeswara Kansita Viththiyaalayam at militarized Kaangkeasan-thu'rai (KKS) for the second time this year. Mr Sirisena handed over the two schools at a PR move on 12 March. Since the initial PR move, which was also timed before a Geneva session earlier this year, the teachers and the labourers engaged in the reconstruction were being regularly harassed at the ‘Forward Defence Line’ of the SL military zone. Although education activities have been launched last Friday, the schools are still kept under military zone and civilians have not been allowed to resettle there.
Full story >>

Family receives death threat for alerting GS officer on SL military exploitation of natural resources

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2016, 22:07 GMT]
A family has been forced to seek security with its relatives and friends in Koara'laip-pattu South (Kiraan) DS division of Batticaloa this week after a two-member squad of ‘unknown’ persons, who came in a motorbike on Sunday (05 June) issued death threats to the family alleging it for passing information to the Village (GS) Officer about illegal logging and related military trade taking place at the interior jungle outlet of Kudumpimalai, 63 km northwest of Batticaloa city. On 01 June, Shanmugam Guru, the GS officer who was trying to investigate the exploitation was told by the armed persons in civil clothes that they belonged to SL military. When the GS officer asked to document their permit and identity, he was taken to nearby camp and brutally assaulted. The GS officer was told not to interfere in ‘military matters’. Now, a family has received death threat from ‘unknown’ persons.
Full story >>

Veteran Basque activist optimistic on Tamil Eelam struggle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2016, 21:26 GMT]
The struggle for Tamil Eelam spearheaded by Tamil Tigers was an alternative project for a lot of progressive people around the world. “Many people looked upon it as a hope against the capitalist scheme we have everywhere,” said Gontzal Martinez de la Hidalga, a veteran Basque activist. The Basque, subjected to State oppression in Spain, demonstrated in a regional poll this week that they want to be citizens of a sovereign and independent Basque Country. Mr Gontzal, who has worked alongside the Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) held in Bremen, which concluded that the Sri Lankan State was guilty of genocide against the nation of Eezham Tamils and that the USA and UK were complicit in the genocidal process, was optimistic about the Tamil Eelam struggle and was promoting Eezham Tamils to interact more with the Latin American people and with other stateless nations in the world.
Full story >>