Tamil Nadu state government banded Lankan products

Tamil Nadu state government announced NOT to sell Lankan products in the stores and shops of Tamil Nadu government. This order was issued by the Tamil Nadu government senior officer.

This order was made after the massive campaign carried out by the “Lets boycott Lankan products organization” in the state. It was revealed many Lankan food products such as biscuits, chocolates and medicines were evacuated from the showcases on Tamil Nadu government.

The Spanish Language Diario La Tarde, an evening journal published by independent journalists in West Argentina said the recent web publication of the story “Genocidio: (Primera entrega) – La masacre de los Tamils en Sri Lanka,” [Genocide: (First Delivery) The Slaughter of Tamils in Sri Lanka] drew 22 million visits in two days. The story appearing in Spanish covers history to the conflict, the slaughter at Mu’l'livaaykkaal, and asserts the post-conflict miliary aggression in Tamil areas as a form of structural genocide…….. read more

By Dr. Arujuna Sivananthan

‘It’s the economy stupid’ was the popular phrase publicised widely by the Bill Clinton team during the Presidential elections campaign of 1992.

George Bush Sr running for a second term was seen as a sure winner then because of developments like the end of the cold war and the US gulf war victory. But the Clinton campaign focused on the recession and projected Clinton as a better choice because Bush had not adequately addressed economic issues……….. read more

Given the media monitoring below, all government owned print media (and also pro-government print media like the Island newspaper) the day after the Indian FM’s press conference sought to downplay the President’s avowed commitment to go beyond the 13th Amendment. In some newspapers, there was simply no reportage on this vital pronouncement at all. For the Editors of the state owned Daily News and Dinamina and the privately owned yet pro-government Island  for example, the President’s commitment to go beyond the 13th Amendment is a non-issue, or perhaps more accurately, so much of an issue that they seek to erase it from the front pages of their newspapers!

Out of sight, out of mind is the government media’s mantra to deal with the 13th Amendment, and going beyond it. Could it also be this government’s real take on it?…..….. read more

Media activists coming down hard on Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for his statement accusing journalists of being in the LTTE payroll have demanded legal action against those reporters if proved.

“We challenge the government to prove these charges, because we’re ready to face the consequences,” said Sunil Jayasekera, Convener of the Free Media Movement……….. read more

‘Silenced Voices – Tales of Sri Lankan Journalists in Exile’, a new documentary by Norwegian filmmaker Beate Arnestad, who directed and produced the award winning documentary ‘My Daughter the Terrorist’ in 2007, is to be pre-premiered in Oslo, Norway, on February 09……..... read more

A differently abled Sri Lankan Army Captain who had been appointed as a caretaker of the properties owned by popular X-files actress Gillian Anderson had filed a case at the Colombo Commercial High Court against Ms. Anderson and her husband claiming Rs.100 million as compensation..…... read more

By Dayan Jayatilleka -

Let’s have a little context, shall we, comrades? When the vast multitude of Sri Lankan citizens was hoping and praying for emancipation from decades of terrorism and was determined to finish off the Tigers, Ajit Surendra Rupesinghe (ASR) was striving pathetically to mobilise opposition to that goal, by creating an organisation termed the Anti-War Front. An Anti-War Front, precisely during the last war! Relatively recent exposures in the media reveal that the Anti-War Front received quite considerable funding from a Western source…….. read more

The government said yesterday that the question of land powers, as enshrined in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, could by and large be devolved, but there were serious concerns about granting police powers….... read more

The government floated the term “13th Amendment Plus” as a ploy to prevent India assisting the LTTE, during the last stages of the war, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.

He told a news conference in Colombo that President Mahinda Rajapaksa, suspecting that India might do an about turn and throw a lifeline to the LTTE, if he did not agree to devolve power to the North and East, craftily coined the term ‘13th Amendment Plus’, which really meant nothing considering his refusal to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, even over two and a half years after the war had ended……..…. read more

“Samaraweera confirmed for the first time that special cells have been established within military intelligence to abduct LTTE sympathizers.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

“Samaraweera confirmed that the Government uses a group called the “Lion Cubs” to engage in these extrajudicial activities. It is widely rumored in Sri Lanka that Army Commander Fonseka, with the knowledge and approval of Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, has set up special cells within military intelligence to go after suspected LTTE cadres and sympathizers in Colombo, Jaffna and other places.” US Embassy further wrote………. read more

Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan says he agrees with the Tamil National Alliance regarding its stance on formulating a political solution for the Tamil issue. He also expressed his agreement in the request for granting police and land powers……… read more

Sri Lanka government has no intention to implement the recommendations of the presidential war panel, says a young Tamil government MP.

Journalist turned politician Sri Ranga told BBC Sandeshaya that the government should implement panel’s all recommendations including a special investigation into alleged war crimes by certain elements of the military…………... read more

On January 9, 2012, a Sri Lankan visa applicant was arrested for using deception and counterfeit documents to apply for a UK visa. The visa applicant was referred by the UK Border Agency to CID police in Colombo. The person concerned had submitted a passport containing a counterfeit Sri Lankan immigration arrival stamp. The counterfeit stamp had been obtained to conceal the duration of a visit made to the UK by the applicant in 2011. The visa application has been refused and the arrested applicant will have a 10 year ban on travel to the UK. In addition, the applicant now faces prosecution for these actions……….. read more

The government said yesterday that the question of land powers, as enshrined in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, could by and large be devolved, but there were serious concerns about granting police powers…….... read more

“The President said the basis of his devolution plan would be the “13th amendment plus 1″ – meaning implementation of the existing constitutional provisions for provincial councils, but adding an upper house to Parliament, modeled on the U.S. Senate.” the US Embassy informed Washington..……… read more

by National Peace Council

During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna gave support to the Sri Lankan government’s intention to have a Parliamentary Select Committee work out the modalities of a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

The Indian government has consistently expressed its interest in a political solution and that the Sri Lankan government gave such assurances during the war that elicited international support………… read more

Talks now in limbo as govt. delegation fails to turn up

The President has offered to grant the 13 Amendment plus as a solution to the ethnic problem, as both the Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the press…….. read more

In the run-up to the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva next month, those pushing for an international war crimes inquiry targeting Sri Lanka are stepping up pressure, with a key member of UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s Panel of Experts (PoE) on accountability in Sri Lanka, Prof. Steven Ratner reiterating the demand for an international investigation…….…. read more

Media organisations in Sri Lanka have urged the authorities to investigate all recent attacks on media personnel and institutions.

The watchdogs say they will stage a protest on 25 January in Colombo against a series of attacks against media personnel in recent years………... read more

As the much anticipated talks with the government had failed the five main political parties that are grouped together under the TNA are contemplating to register with the TNA as a political party, with the commissioner of elections, MP Suresh Premachandran said in Vavuniya.

He also said the Ilangai Thamil Arasu Kachchi, Tamil United Liberation Front, TELO, PLOTTE, and EPRLF came under the umbrella of the TNA and were engaged in political activities, however they had not registered themselves as the Tamil National Alliance…………….…. read more

180 Tamil Tiger rebel suspects detained in a prison near the Sri Lankan capital Colombo where a violent clash took place between the prisoners and guards have been removed, the Prisons Department said Tuesday…….... read more

The media release states the leaflet distributing campaign was carried out to demand the government to re-establish civil administration in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and install a democratic environment and to make the masses aware regarding the situation in the two provinces and the attempt of the government to deceive the masses on the pretext of devolution of power……..... read more

A member of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s committee on Sri Lanka Steven Ratner has recently attended a discussion on war crimes in Sri Lanka held at the Geneva Academy affiliated to a university in Geneva, Switzerland………….. read more

The Sri Lankan government in the past year failed to advance justice and accountability for the victims of the country’s 26-year-long civil conflict, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2012. While Sri Lanka’s war-ravaged north and east became more open, the government deepened repression of basic freedoms throughout the country…….... read more

Weeratunga said the 13th Amendment plus was something President Rajapaksa talked about when he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh several years ago. He also brought up the subject of a senate, which goes beyond the 13th Amendment. It will be a central structure that accommodates representatives from provincial areas, people who are not represented in parliament……... read more

The MP pointed out that the allied parties of the government had not yet reached a consensus on the possible solution even though two years had lapsed since the war ended……..…. read more

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had informed India that he was committed to 13th Amendment Plus, while some of his ministers said that land and police powers could not be devolved, Attanayake said adding that a responsible government should not behave in such a manner………….. read more

The official announcement by Aitken Spence that China Merchant Holdings is buying it’s 30 percent stake as it was pulling out of the consortium to build and operate the Colombo South container terminal for 35 years is further evidence that the government is making way for the Chinese to firmly take control of the Sri Lankan economy, Opposition lawmaker and UNP Economic Spokesman Dr. Harsha De Silva said….... read more

The main opposition UNP today said there is no point in discussing devolving land and police powers to the provinces as the government had not shown an interest in the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. Mr. Attanayake explained that there is a provision for devolving land and police powers to the provincial councils in the Constitution. He said it is something which can be implemented easily if the government is interested. “The issue is that there is no interest on the part of the government in finding a political solution,” he said…………….. read more

JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told The Island that the people had voted for the Mahinda Chinthanaya manifesto which did not promise a solution beyond the 13th amendement to the Constitution………... read more

True leadership is born when truth and righteousness are lived. Then we will put aside grandiose plans and reach out to the weakest and the poorest. True development is when the cry of the poor is heeded, only then could people be secure enough to progress towards lasting peace and justice in a just and fair society…….…. read more

“While he believed the Tamil community was “vulnerable” on the issue and said he would not discuss “war crimes” per se in parliament for fear of retaliation, Sampanthan would emphasize the importance of people knowing the truth about what happened during the war” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington…………... read more

CHENNAI, INDIA // With the dream of Tamil nationalism all but crushed, the Indian government finds increased freedom to compete against China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka. For years, India was torn between its desire to engage with Sri Lanka and the need to appease strong Tamil sentiment among its own citizens in the state of Tamil Nadu.

“It is a great injustice to the Tamil people,” said Nanjil Sanbath, spokesman for the MDMK, a vehemently pro-Tamil party based in Chennai. “The Indian government and the rest of the world are lining up to support Rajapakse, while the Tamils are made to suffer like animals.”……… read more

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assigned several key Cabinet Ministers to visit UN Human Rights Council member states and garner their support ahead of the UNHRC session scheduled for March. This move comes in the wake of media reports that United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Stephen Rapp is likely to visit Sri Lanka.

Rapp is the key official in the Obama Administration on war crimes around the world, and successfully led the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges and for crimes against humanity………….… read more

Activists “Stop Silva’s Report Justify Sinhala Genocide of Eelam Tamils in 5/09”

By Dr Cathirithamby P Thiagarajah

Genocide is the most heinous crime the modern world had known and the whole universe abhors it. Socrates, a well known Greek philosopher and the originator of Western philosophy, believed “No evil can happen to a good man, neither in life nor after death”. But good men were since then subjected to inhuman treatment and genocide contravening this adage. Continue Reading

Asked how the government will deal with JHU opposition, he said, “I think they will be managed. If they are part of the UPFA, they have been voted into government by the people who supported the UPFA. If the government is not what they want, they should get out and they would. But as  it is, I don’t think so. I think they will work with the government.”…... read  more

Sri Lanka’s Marxist JVP party today charged India with playing the role of a ”cunning protector” of minority Tamils here and exploiting opportunities in this country’s war-ravaged areas for its own advantage by undertaking various developmental projects………... read more

Rather than pointlessly expecting India’s ‘development’ help or ‘mediation’ role, all shades of Tamil polity should firmly demand India to get out, if India’s imperialism is incapable of finding any overlapping interest in conceding the right to self determination of the genocide-affected nation of Eezham Tamils, civil circles in Jaffna said…….... read more