M.I.A. Slams ‘NYT’ in New Song

On Sunday, the New York Times published an article in its travel section naming Sri Lanka the world’s top vacation destination for 2010. “For a quarter century, Sri Lanka seems to have been plagued by misfortune, including a brutal civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated government and a separatist Tamil group,” the article said. “But the conflict finally ended last May, ushering in a more peaceful era for this teardrop-shaped island off India’s coast, rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors.”

This angered M.I.A., the Grammy-nominated singer and rapper, whose family is of Sri Lankan descent. (M.I.A., who was born in London, moved back to the island when she was 6 months old; her father was a political activist in support of the Tamil militant group there.) M.I.A. fired off a series of Twitter posts (like her stage name, in all caps) slamming the Times for glossing over the violence that she claims still exists there……………….  http://www.infolanka.com/news/IL/926.htm

UK backs GSP withdrawal to Lanka

• There are substantial allegations of war crimes, they should be probed independently.
• Imprisonment of Tamil journalist J.S. Tissanayagam for writing two articles was also completely unacceptable under any democracy.
• Despite the fact there was no more war in Sri Lanka the culture of impunity is still prevailing.
• British government supported the EU resolution to withdraw the GSP plus trade tariff concessions.
• UK ’s arms sale licenses to Sri Lanka has been cancelled”
  British Minister for International Development Gareth Thomas said that despite the fact there was no more war in Sri Lanka the culture of impunity is still prevailing and that is why the British government supported the EU resolution to withdraw the GSP plus trade tariff concessions. He said that his government has been consistently expressing concerns to Sri Lanka, through diplomatic channels, over allegations of war crimes committed in the country during the final stages of the war. Speaking at an event in London to mark the first death anniversary of journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, the British Minister said war crimes allegations in Sri Lanka as well as the killing of Wickramatunga should be investigated independently. (continue reading…)

‘Little Aid’ – Ambepusse Project

‘Little Aid, registered charity in the UK has taken the responsibility of teaching classical Tamil music in Ambepusse Rehabilitation Centre. Children at this centre have very disturbing past and many of them believed to be orphans. Most of the children don’t know where their parents are currently living. These children are captured / surrendered in Mulaithivu area in May 09………

 http://www.youtube.com/user/LittleAidUK#p/a/u/2/JiIAZ8wqQwE

Development in North.

from Jana M jananayakam <jananayakam@yahoo.com>

To all those concerned with development in North, The ground situation in the north is different from what is seen by many. After two months in Sri Lanka I have expressed my views for your comments and action as appropriate.

In Sri Lanka today the Government, Non Government Agencies and Private Sector are all focusing on the post conflict development of the North. The potential is viewed through the incentives by Government and investment and grants expected to flow into the territory. Every one of them has their own agenda. 

The society has deteriorated over the past three decades and the ranking of Jaffna district in Education is evidence. The suffering underwent by IDPs have made them weak physically and mentally. Resettling process requires a lot of support on one to one basis as each family will have different problems. The handouts from the Government are very helpful but the people need more support from the community.  (continue reading…)

ALL COLLECTIONS received on ‘New Years Day’ to HELP the Children in Camps

Happy New Year to ALL

The Trustees have unanimously agreed to send ALL FUNDS collected in the London Kanaga Thurkkai Amman Temple (Ealing) on the ‘New Year Day’ to help the children released from Manik Farm in Sri Lanka. 

The Temple a registered charity in United Kingdom have to date have sent  

£ 1,284,843.00   to help the needy in Sri Lanka, list of the donations can be viewed on  http://ammanealing.com/

‘Tamils without Tamil’

We should provide free RICE  &  CURRY in our temples to encourage and motivate our teachers, parents and children to attend our tamil schools …….. Satchithananthan

“Why we need 1700 temples for only 3 million Indians in Malaysia? It does not make sense but we still continue to build temples and fight for it. We only have 450 Tamil schools in Malaysia and it is getting lesser,” says a news-group posting from Hindraf, New York. At least the Indian Tamils raise the issue, but the more affluent Jafanese or Ceylonese have forgotten Tamil and Tamil schools with their first generation. Now, even to give ‘tuition’ in Tamil only a few of the old generation remain, commented an Eezham Tamil refugee recently went to Malaysia…………….. (continue reading…)

The Tamil Tigers are defeated – This is not the end

British medic and former hostage Damilvany Kumar recalls the horror of captivity under government forces, and her fears for the future.

• Sexual abuse was common – the women were used by the Army for sex.

• Hospital was hit by a shell and everyone in the room next to us was killed. 

• Bunker near us was hit and there was blood and bodies everywhere.

Every single family has lost at least one member in this war. They are always going to have that pain inside them. This is not the end: I think that at some point they will want justice for the people who got killed. Whoever killed them needs to be punished.

I am a Tamil and I had left Chingford [East London] and gone back to Sri Lanka in 2008 to stay with family there. They were in the north of the island, but then the fighting started and we had to move. I saw a lot of bodies along the road. I went to find the hospital because I had some medical training, and I volunteered to help. We were using ripped-up saris to dress the wounds and diluting the anaesthetic with water. We hardly had any medication at all and we came to a point where we had to leave people to die. (continue reading…)

Children exploited in Lanka’s civil war- Archbishop of Canterbury the ‘Archbishop From Hell’who defended the mass killing of Tamil Children

The head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, has singled out Sri Lanka and Congo in his Christmas day message saying that one of the most appalling phenomena, still affecting hundreds of thousands of children, is the exploiting of children in the “meaningless and savage” civil wars in places like Congo and Sri Lanka.

Labelled as the ‘Archbishop From Hell’ Dr Rowan Williams, in May 2007 defended his call for the mass slaughter of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka. While on a visit to the island, the head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Williams gave an interview stating that killing of Tamils (including Children) by the government was ‘inevitable’.

In what many analysts say was an open support for the Sri Lankan government’s campaign of genocide against the Tamil community, who incidentally happen to be Hindus or Catholics, Dr Williams said that the killing of people whom the Sinhalese label as ‘Tamil terrorists’ is only natural.

A statement posted on the website of the Archbishop of Canterbury said that the suffering of the children is an insult to the purpose of God and a contemptuous refusal of the gift of God by those who keep them in their different kinds of slavery.

Head of the Anglican Church defended his call for the mass slaughter of Tamils in Sri Lanka : http://1seythi.adadaa.com/index.php?s=tamileditors

Archbishop of Canterbury accepts Colombo’s military action in Killing Tamils : http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=22135

ACT NOW JOINS HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS  ACROSS THE GLOBE IN LAUNCHING AN INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN AGAINST  SRI LANKAN PRODUCTS AND TOURISM
UK based Human rights Group Act Now joined forces at the weekend with other organisations around the globe to launch an international  boycott  against the Sri Lankan textile and tourism industries. The tourism and textile industries have helped fund a Government which has carried out  indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas in a civil war which killed over 20,000 innocent civilians this year alone and created a further 20,000 amputees. The money from such industries continues to fund a government with an appalling human rights record that still illegally detains over 200,000 innocent civilians in camps.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6963667.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084).

Third boycott protest held in Atlanta : http://tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=30849

(continue reading…)

Minister Ben Bradshaw spends Christmas in Sri Lanka despite Human Rights concerns

Ben Bradshaw, the Cabinet minister responsible for tourism, was facing criticism last night for flying to Sri Lanka for a Christmas holiday two days after the British Government raised “Serious Concerns” about Human Rights in the country.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, had told MPs that Britain shared a recent EU assessment about the regime’s “Failings” to respect UN conventions against torture and on civil and children’s rights.

Gordon Brown intervened last month to prevent Sri Lanka from hosting the next Commonwealth summit and Britain supports moves to strip the regime of its status as a preferential trade partner with the EU unless improvements are made………………… http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6963667.ece

UK Minister’s Lanka holiday outrages Rights groups

Ben Bradshaw, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, has raised eyebrows by taking a Christmas holiday in Sri Lanka days after the British government condemned the Colombo administration for its poor human rights record.

Gordon Brown last month blocked Sri Lanka’s attempt to host the next Commonwealth summit, and last week David Miliband told the Commons that there remained ongoing concerns about the island’s government after a crackdown on the Tamil population earlier this year. Despite this, Mr Bradshaw, wearing a straw hat, checked shirt and jeans, arrived at Colombo airport on Friday morning for a Christmas break in the country…………….. http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=71199

Sri Lankan Army ‘sexually abused girls’ in Tamil refugee camp

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/20/tamil-tigers-sri-lanka-refugees

A British medic held for months in an internment camp for Tamil civilians has revealed how military guards dealt out cruel punishments, while many suspected of links to Tiger rebels were taken away and have not been seen since. Tamil women interned after escaping the horrors of the civil war in Sri Lanka were sexually abused by their guards who traded sex for food, a British medic has revealed.

Vany Kumar, who was locked up behind barbed wire in the Menik Farm refugee camp for four months, also claims prisoners were punished by being made to kneel for hours in the hot sun, and those suspected of links to the defeated Tamil Tigers were taken away and not seen again by their families. Kumar, 25, from Essex, was released from internment……………….. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/20/tamil-tigers-sri-lanka-refugees

National Leader Prabakaran’s Daughter Dwaraka’s photos released – Most Shocking : http://www.uktamilnews.com/?p=9040

A Tamil book of remembrance is kept in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster to mark the loss of lives in the conflict in Sri Lanka. This book is being signed by member of Parliamentarians. (continue reading…)

London Queen Mary Student Union passes motion against Sri Lankan genocide with the support S.A.G.T

London Queen Mary student union with the aid of Students against Tamil Genocide (SAGT) passes a motion against Sri Lanka and its genocide of Tamils. This is a pioneer activity by Queen Mary Tamil students to step up the Tamil cause and unite with International students to voice against Sri Lanka. It was also victory against some Singhala students who secretly acted to suppress the voice of Tamil students with the aid of British Sinhala Association. British Sinhala association with its racist president Douglas Wickramaratne have been found working very hard with Un university Sinhala students to campaign the effort as Tamil Tiger activity. (continue reading…)

House of Commons / 15 Dec 2009 : Column 106WS
http://tinyurl.com/yb59ted

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (David Miliband): Seven months have now passed since the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka. I would like to update the House on developments in the humanitarian and political situation in Sri Lanka.

We will continue to work directly with the Government of Sri Lanka and with international partners including the EU, UN and Commonwealth, to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict through an inclusive political process which addresses the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all communities-Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. (continue reading…)

Sri Lanka execution video ‘not fake’

A forensic video specialist says Channel 4 News footage appearing to show the execution of Tamil Tigers was not fabricated, as the Sri Lankan government has claimed. It was a quick and violent end to a long and violent war; 80,000 dead; maybe 20,000 in what was called the No Fire Zone in the last few bloody weeks………….. http://www.channel4.com/news/politics/international_politics

Humanitarian and political situation in Sri Lanka

David Miliband updated Parliament on the situation in Sri Lanka during a written ministerial statement on Tuesday 15 December. The Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of securing genuine reconciliation between Sri Lanka’s communities and stated that the presidential elections in January will be an opportunity for Sri Lankan’s to have their say, adding that the Government of Sri Lanka must ensure all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) can vote.
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He also acknowledged that recent announcement that all remaining IDPs have been granted freedom of movement is a positive step, but that it is important that all humanitarian agencies are given full access to the IDPs, including ex-combatants. The Foreign Secretary also confirmed that UK will continue to work directly with the Government of Sri Lanka and with international partners for an inclusive political process that addresses legitimate grievances and aspirations of all communities…… (continue reading…)

Sri Lankans arrested for working illegally in UK

LONDON: A west London-based company faces a potential fine of up to 170,000 pounds after 17 illegal workers from India and Sri Lanka were arrested during a raid by British immigration officials.Acting on intelligence, officers targeted the premises of a company called Only 4U Ltd on December 10. The operation was part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in the west London area, and coincides with a large-scale advertising campaign warning companies of heavy fines if they are caught employing illegal foreign labour.asylum seekers. The UK Border Agency will now seek to remove all of them from the country. (continue reading…)

Sri Lankan war crimes video is authentic, Times investigation finds

The strong evidence that the footage does show real executions could reinforce international calls for an independent War Crimes investigation

Video footage that appears to show Sri Lankan troops committing war crimes by summarily executing captured Tamil Tiger fighters on the battlefield was not fabricated, as claimed by the Sri Lankan Government, an investigation by The Times has found.

Video that reveals truth of Sri Lankan ‘War Crimes’ : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/video-that-reveals-truth-of-sri-lankan-war-crimes-1777746.html

The findings come after General Sarath Fonseka, the former head of the army, alleged that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Minister, had ordered that surrendering Tiger leaders be killed rather than taken prisoner in the final days of the brutal 26-year civil war that ended in May. The claims, vehemently denied by the Government, added to a lengthy list of war crimes allegations against it. The video of the alleged battlefield executions, which was aired on Channel 4 in August, shows a naked man, bound and blindfolded, being made to kneel………… http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6956569.ece

VIDEO : http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=35256686001

ITV1′s The X Factor was watched by more than 19 million people as Olly Murs and Joe McElderry fought for the title, according to the latest figures.

An average of 15.5m people tuned in to watch the full two-hour final on Sunday night. But a peak audience of 19.1m, between 2115 and 2120 GMT, saw McElderry declared the overall victor. The show accounted for 56% of the total TV audience. Sports Personality of the Year also attracted 4.7m to BBC One……….

 FULL REPORT :  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8411542.stm

Dr.Anton Balasingam

Anton Stanislaus Balasingham, 68, known as Stanny to this friends, the elder statesman, ideologue, philosopher, political advisor, chief negotiator in all peace talks, and the trusted voice that forcefully articulated the rights of Tamils in the international arena, passed away in London Thursday, 14 December 2006 after a brief illness.

He was a close witness to history of the growth of the Liberation Tigers during the last thirty years from its inception. Bestowing the highest honors “Voice of the Nation,” on Balasingham, the Leader of the LTTE, V Pirapaharan described his death as a devastating personal loss, and an irreparable loss to the nation of Tamileelam, and praised his “superb performance in political and diplomatic spheres in establishing Tamils’ independent struggle in the international arena.”…………….. (continue reading…)

I never went back to Marks & Spencer in Hammersmith, which was the closest to Shepherds Bush where I stayed during my London visits.

I purchased a few groceries from Marks & Spencer in Hammersmith and was about to leave the store to walk toward the tube station along King Street when a security guard (later identified as George Cox of Storewatch Ltd.) pounced on me to search my waist for “shoplifted goods.” It had never occurred to me that anyone could ever suspect me of being a shoplifter. But a suspicious Cox had been watching me moving to a quiet nook of the store to open up my waist. The prejudiced mind of the white security guard instantly made him cocksure that I, a colored Asian, was stuffing my waist with goods to avoid payment……………… (continue reading…)

Error of law for the immigration…………

Please find attached the latest Country Guidance for Sri Lanka,  and its précis, below:
TK (Tamils – LP updated) Sri Lanka CG [2009] UKAIT 00049

a)       The risk categories identified in LP (LTTE area – Tamils – Colombo – risk?) Sri Lanka CG [2007]   UKAIT 00076 and approved by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in  NA v UK, App.no. 25904/07, remain valid. (continue reading…)

11th December : 127th Birth anniversary of Tamil poet Mahakavi Bharathi

 December 11th is the 127th birth anniversary of my favourite Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi known widely as Bharathiyaar or Mahakavi Bharathy. Many of his poems have been sung by eminent singers in Tamil films. Apart from being a poet Bharathi was a journalist & edited many journals. He was the first Indian Editor to introduce cartoons & caricatures. Bharathy refused to support the British rulers&defied them through his poetry& writings.He had to flee British India to French Pondichery……………… (continue reading…)

VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION - That student was Albert Einstein and the professor was Alfred Kleiner
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An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and (continue reading…)

Referendum on 30th January 2010

For Eelam Justification either click here
http://www.vkr1976.org.uk/justification/

To register to vote (optional) on 30th January 2010 visit the website:
http://www.vkr1976.org.uk/register-to-vote/

To Donate, you may use PayPal by Click the link below
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9080274
or post a cheque made payable to “Tamil National Council”

164 Pinner Road,Harrow,Middlesex HA1 4JJ.

Gareth Thomas MP meets UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to raise concerns about Human Right in Sri Lanka.

Gareth Thomas, Harrow West MP and Minister for Trade and Development, visited New York this week to attend an international humanitarian meeting and to speak in the UN Security Council.

Mr Thomas met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to raise continuing concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka including whether aid agencies and NGOs are being allowed to help Tamil and other citizens returning to their homes, he also encouraged the United Nations to continue to press for full access to the Government of Sri Lanka’s closed and so called ‘open’ refugee camps.

Mr Thomas also met with Sir John Holmes, Head of the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance, which leads the co-ordination of the UN effort in Sri Lanka and with Ann Veneman, Head of the UN’s Children’s Charity UNICEF to raise the same issues.

Gareth Thomas MP said “I was pleased to able to raise a series of issues in New York at my meetings at the UN. I raised concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka and in particular the plight of those hardest hit by the conflict.”

As part of an international day of action, Tamil Solidarity organised a protest outside the Indonesian embassy in London on Friday (4-12-2009).

A letter (see below) was handed to an embassy official, highlighting the plight of Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking refugees, whose boat was intercepted by the Indonesian navy on 11 October – with the collusion of the Australian government – and is now moored in Merak harbour, Indonesia. The 254 refugees include elderly people, young children and a pregnant woman. They have inadequate food, water and medical attention. The refugees want asylum rights. They planned to travel to Australia in the hope that they would be granted asylum and could live there without facing detention.

(continue reading…)

75th Birthday Year Felicitation Meeting and Bio-graphical Book Release

Of    Professor Kopan Mahadeva

Date : Saturday 12-12-2009,

Time : 3.00 to 5.30 p.m.

Venue : Sri Kanaga Thurkai Amman Temple Hall, 5, Chapel Road, Ealing, London W13 9AE

Schoolboys rewarded for not missing a day in five years

On a dark and gloomy winter’s morning it takes more effort than usual to get out of bed.

But two schoolboys in south-west London have been given medals for a particular type of determination – not missing a day of school for five years. Kingston upon Thames gives a medal to pupils with 100% attendance – and Ryan Arnold and Alexander Mackie have achieved this five years in a row.

But they have yet to match a 10-year record set in east London in the 1890s…………. (continue reading…)

 Despite another weekend of poor weather, the national boycotting of Sri Lankan goods campaign, run by human rights group Act Now, held another successful Weekend of Action last Saturday and Sunday.

Celebrity Sian Evans showed her support by joining the Bristol boycott event held on Saturday the 5th Dec. Sian is the singer of Kosheen the British trip hop, drum and bass group based in Bristol, UK. Well known for the album Resist which reached number eight in the UK album charts in 2001 and won various other awards throughout Europe.

(continue reading…)

Emergence of a new Tamil militant group was inevitable, a new insurgency is not

For some months after their May obliteration along the lagoons and shoreline of northeastern Sri Lanka, supporters of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) hoped for a sudden, miraculous regeneration of the organisation. Although the Tamil Tigers’ leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was slain, LTTE funding lines, weapons smuggling routes and bank accounts remained up and running. It was inevitable, given the vacuum that followed the Tigers’ final denouement, that another Tamil militant group would step forward to fill the gap. While few Tamil civilians held much affection for the murderous politics of the LTTE, they also regarded the organisation as the only real defender of Tamil rights.

The winner of January’s presidential election must tread carefully in his dealings with the country’s Tamil minority.

It would be wise to reach out to the Tamils with aid for the thousands returning to wrecked homes, to bring to trial or release more than 11,000 Tamils still being held as alleged members of the LTTE, and to implement constitutional reforms to redress the Tamils’ grievances.

If, however, political triumphalism and cynicism are the alternative to political wisdom, then groups like the PLA will become the natural heirs of the Tamil Tigers — and Sri Lanka will slip slowly backwards toward a new era of sectarianism, violence and bloodshed………………

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6946575.ece

New Tamil group People’s Liberation Army vows to start a fresh war

“This war isn’t over yet,”  Commander Kones, head of the PLA’s Eastern District military

A Marxist group of Tamil militants with connections to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Cuba is preparing to mount a new insurgency in Sri Lanka six months after the Government declared an end to the 26-year-old war there. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in eastern Sri Lanka four months ago and has vowed to launch attacks against government and military targets unless its demands for a separate Tamil homeland are met.

“This war isn’t over yet,” Commander Kones, head of the PLA’s Eastern District military command, told The Times during a night meeting in a safe house in the east of the country last week. “There has been no solution for Tamils since the destruction of the LTTE [Tamil Tigers] in May. So we have built and organised the PLA and are ready to act soon. Our aim is a democratic socialist liberation of the northeast for a Tamil Eelam [the desired Tamil state].”   http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6946605.ece

The protest against Gen (rtd.) Sarath Fonseka was organised in Maradana, Colombo, after Friday Muslim prayers. Colombo district Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) organiser, Ajmal Mawjud, was among the main organisers. “We cannot trust Mr. Fonseka. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has fulfilled all his promises,” he told journalist KS Udayakumar……….. (continue reading…)

Sri Lanka announces limited freedom for detained Tamil refugees

Tens of thousands of Tamil refugees are free to leave the region where they have been held since the civil war ended six months ago providing they register with authorities so their movements can be monitored, Sri Lanka said today.

The government said all 128,000 men, women and children who were displaced in the final stages of the conflict will be free to leave guarded camps in Vavuniya district, 160 miles north of the capital, Colombo.

More than 5,700 people were bussed from the camp today, initially for 10 days, in what United Nations officials said was a “step forward from having people encased in barbed wire”………………….

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/01/sri-lanka-tamil-refugees-freed

Garments of Sri Lanka Delegation to United Kingdom conducted a successful tour of business appointments with UK buyers for apparel in Manchester and London during 24th, 26th and 27th of November 2009.The Sri Lanka High Commission’s Trade Division together with the Export Development Board, the European Chamber of Commerce and the East Midlands Textile Association organized a series of buyer – seller appointments facilitating the 17 member Apparel Delegation to export a wider range of clothing ranging from women fashion-wear, mens’ clothing, lingerie to childrens’ wear to the the UK market. (continue reading…)

Press Statement: Prime Minister reinforces Commonwealth values

 
“A key aim for the Commonwealth is to foster democracy and human rights. The organisation’s credibility will be severely harmed if it allows Sri Lanka to host such a prestigious meeting in 2011,” commented Louise Arbour, who is also the former U.N. High Commissioner for human rights. “Holding the meeting in Colombo will only reward a government that has consistently refused to live up to its international commitments or uphold its own
laws,” she has further stated…………

(continue reading…)

Migrant children held ‘too long’ in detention, MPs say

Many children whose parents are awaiting deportation from the UK are being held in immigration detention centres for too long, MPs have said.

The home affairs select committee said it was “not acceptable” that some were being detained for up to two months. Chairman Keith Vaz said the children had “done nothing wrong” and should only ever be held as “a last resort”………

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8384860.stm

Singer Susan Boyle’s new album makes UK chart history

Singer Susan Boyle’s album is number one after it became the best-selling debut in UK chart history. Boyle, a runner-up in ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, has so far sold 410,000 copies of her album, I Dreamed a Dream.

Pop mogul Simon Cowell said he was proud of Boyle and added that the success could not have happened to a nicer person. Boyle, 48, said the news was “fantastic”. Her album is also expected to be a hit in the US……….

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8385395.stm

Commonwealth vetoes Sri Lanka bid to hold 2011 gathering

Sri Lanka has been blocked from hosting the next meeting of Commonwealth leaders in protest at Colombo’s military repression against the Tamil population earlier this year.

Australia will instead host the next biennial Commonwealth heads of government meeting in 2011 after Canberra and London joined forces to block the Sri Lankan bid. The decision, made at the summit in Trinidad and Tobago over the weekend, is a victory for Gordon Brown and his Australian counterpart, Kevin Rudd………….. (continue reading…)

Wickremabahu to contest Presidential election as representative of the Tamils and other Minorities in Sri Lanka.

Leader of the New Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne has decided to contest at the forthcoming Presidential election, Mr Sasi said to uktamilnews.com.

Dr. Karunaratne has decided to contest the election since none of the other contestants and those hoping to contest do not represent the Leftist movement and the Tamils or the other minority communities in Sri Lanka.

The spokesperson further noted that Dr. Karunaratne has always stood for the rights of Tamils and the other minority communities in Sri Lankan politics where politicians change their stances quite frequently.

Mahinda Rajapaksa – One need only look at the north and east, to identify the number of appointments in civilian governance that have gone to ex-military personnel. And as for embracing unity in diversity, need one look beyond the protracted farce of the APRC, the absence of proposals from the regime for a political settlement and the cunning focus of debate in this respect on the Thirteenth Amendment, thereby making Thirteenth Amendment Minus a higher probability than Plus?

Sarath Fonseka - Claimed  during the war that the whole of Sri Lanka for the Sinhalese, denying the Tamils’ right to live in Sri Lanka. He had said that ‘I strongly believe that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people,` he says.  `We are also a strong nation. Tamils can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.`  He also had said that ”there are still 1000’s of Tamil terrorists in IDP camps. We must identify these terrorist and destroy them”.

More than Fifty Thousands of British Tamils carrying red roses, gloriosa lilies (Karthikaipoo: Tamil Eelam national flower) and lamps, are filing into the main venue, at the Excel Centre in East London, where large cut-outs of Tamil Eelam were displayed on either side of the stage.  Some of them were stoped for more than an hour on the way to the hall due to health and safty reasons by the organisors.

The annual commemoration began with a moment of silence in memory of those who gave their lives in the Tamil national struggle.

The lamp was then lit by Mr K Varnakulasingham, the father of Murugadas, who self-immolated in front of the United Nations in Geneva earlier this year to draw attention to the slaughter of Tamil civilians in the Vanni.

A pre-recorded speech by renowned poet Kasianandhan was broadcast.

Kasianandhan spoke of the losses of the past year, but stressed that this should not be understood just as a year of loss, but also as a year of opportunity. (continue reading…)

Gordon Brown is to block Sri Lanka’s bid to host the next Commonwealth summit because of the conduct of its military campaign against the Tamil Tigers. Sri Lanka is one of several countries wanting to hold the next summit in 2011.

Mr Brown plans to tell the current summit opening today in Trinidad that Sri Lanka should not be considered. The summits are held every two years and hosting them is a very prestigious honour. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) brings together 53 members from four continents, representing almost a third of the world’s population and a fifth of all global trade……………………. (continue reading…)

Despite the official war having ended, major human rights violations are still being reported as over a hundred and fifty thousands Tamil civilians are still being detained in Nazi-style camps in northern Sri Lanka.

They have been living in overcrowded conditions, lack of food and water, inadequate medical facilities and poor sanitation. The camps are very basic and are surrounded by barbed wire, armed guards and resemble Nazi-style concentration camps.

There are reports of large scale human rights violations such as rape, torture, abductions and child recruitment by government backed paramilitaries.
CLICK : http://www.act-now.info/Site/Online_Camp_Appeal.html (continue reading…)

Banks win legal battle on overdraft charges

Millions of bank customers hoping to be refunded overdraft charges have been dealt a major blow by a Supreme Court judgement.

The court has overturned earlier court rulings that allowed the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the fairness of charges for unauthorised overdrafts.

At stake in the case, which has run for over two years, is an estimated £2.6bn of annual income for the banks…………… (continue reading…)

Watchdog critical on England police

UK seeks genuine efforts for reconciliation in Lanka

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking at a House of Commons debate on the foreign affairs aspects of the Queen’s Speech today said that Britain wants to see lasting peace in Sri Lanka which will require an inclusive political process and genuine efforts towards reconciliation.

“In Sri Lanka, we welcome this weekend’s announcement that from 1 December IDPs will be allowed out of the camps. We hope this will lead to unrestricted freedom of movement for all IDPs. And after 26 years of conflict, we all want to see lasting peace which will require an inclusive political process and genuine efforts towards reconciliation,” the British Foreign office qouted Miliband as saying.

Without “IDP Camps” Politics

From the Editors of Sri Lanka Watch. With the announcement of the government that the movement restrictions on the camps to be removed from the first of December and its adamant aim to resettle the rest of the people by the end of January, government has smashed out one issue of the opposition in the coming election.

By the time election campaign comes in to full swing, the issue of IDPs in Camps will a dead coin……………..

http://srilankawatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=410&Itemid=2

Agencies raise concerns over IDP care once resettled

COLOMBO, 23 November 2009 (IRIN) – The release of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from camps in Sri Lanka’s north is welcome, but the government must now ensure they are properly cared for, the UN and NGOs say..

The Sri Lankan government, under international pressure for months over camp conditions and the pace of resettlement, last week announced that more than half the IDPs had been released.

It also announced the “total freedom of movement from 1 December” for remaining IDPs. Until now, the movement of IDPs from the heavily guarded camps has been restricted, earning criticism from the UN, human rights groups and NGOs.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=87156

”Theedchanyam” book was released on Saturday at the Enfield NagapoosanyAmman Temple. Poet Balaravi presided the meeting with Rev. Kamalanatha Kurrukal, Mr Kanddaia Rajamanoharen, Mr Sundarampillai Sivachandran and famous Tamil Poet Sivanathan as the guest speakers. The book was released by Mrs Siva Thiyagarajah mother of the author ‘Late S T Premarajan’ and the first issue was received by Mr Kailathipathivagan.

Mr Sivachandran said that ”all Tamils were proud of Premaranjan and her mother was one of the most respected among the Sri Lankan Tamils”, He also said that ”all Tamils looked at this Maaveerar family with great respect and admired their secrifises towards the Tamil community”.

The hall was filled with admirers of Poet Premarajan. His sister Mrs Chandra Raveendran thanked all who attended the event which was organised in a short notice.

THEEDCHANYAM (Poems)

Author: S.T.Premarajan (Theedchanyan)
(Thiyagarajah Premarajan)

First Edition: May 2009
© by Manaosai Verlag
© Chandravathanaa Selvakumaran

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http://kalaignarkal.blogspot.com/
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http://mahalir.blogspot.com/
http://maruththuvam.blogspot.com/
http://enathublogs.blogspot.com/
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As news comes that Sri Lanka is beginning to relax its hold on the innocent Tamil civilians held in detention camps in the north of the Island, members of the human rights group Act Now took part in a nationwide Boycott of Sri Lankan products over the weekend.

Campaigners targeted Town and City Centre M&S stores, a company with a large investment in Sri Lanka and a big importer of their products, and handed out leaflets asking shoppers to boycott products they label ‘Blood Garments’.  spite the poor weather thousands of leaflets explaining why Sri Lankan goods should be boycotted were distributed to interested shoppers.

Act Now Director Tim Martin said “We are delighted to hear that some detainees may be allowed to leave the camps but there are still over 130,000 illegally held plus thousands more in longer standing camps. Only by applying economic pressure upon Sri Lanka will we see the inmates released and human rights respected.” (continue reading…)

True story of the ‘Sri Lankan National Handball Team’, which disappeared in Germany in 2004

The hit Sri Lankan film ‘Machan’ directed by Uberto Pasolini, written by Ruwanthie de Chickera and produced by Prasanna Vithange is set to premier at the prestigious Empire Theatre at Leicester Square in London today. Meanwhile the UK based Guardian newspaper has given ‘Machan’ a four star rating and calls it “Slumdog sans songs, but with real soul”.

The film, based on the true story of the bogus Sri Lankan hand ball team that gained illegal entry to Germany, had its world premier in Sri Lanka in 2008 and has, over the last year, been screened in nearly 50 International Film Festivals. The UK is the 14th country to screen this film, some of the others being Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.  

Click on the link below to read the Guardian review: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/nov/19/machan-film-review