UK TAMIL NEWS

Did Tamils Always Paint Themselves Into A Corner?

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

By S. Sivathasan – A Harmful Outgrowth If the answer is yes, for how long have we done so? For as long as eight decades and more, some would say. When did the painting start? With elections to the State Council in 1931 and the Jaffna Boycott. The initiative and organization were by the Youth Congress of Jaffna. The mindset which originated then evolved subsequently and has permeated Tamil consciousness ever since. Deriving greater strength through surgical intervention to remove this malignant growth is good for future wellbeing. It did not fail to raise its plaintive head even as late as September 2013, at the Provincial Council Elections. We Tamils require a great deal of introspection to identify our repetitive ways and to wrest ourselves from the boycott mindset. Dispassionate […]

Muslims of Sri Lanka – Under Siege

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

This book is about the never ending ‘Hate- Muslim’ campaign unleashed by a small group of Sinhala racists who fortunately do not enjoy the support of the vast majority of Sinhalese in the country. The writer is concerned that this campaign, unless brought to a halt, is likely to lead to a total breakdown in communal harmony to the detriment of the country which has just emerged from a devastating ethnic war. This campaign began around four years ago, coincidentally or otherwise, with the ever increasing Israeli presence in the island. Today the Muslim community has become the victim of not merely highly offensive hate speeches but also subjected to attacks on mosques, religious schools, halal food, women’s dress code, slaughtered pigs thrown into mosque, burning and urinating on Holy […]

Asking Tamil victims and witnesses to give evidence without the provision of protection

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Hopeful Lanka Will Get A Fair Chance – Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena Asking victims and witnesses to give evidence without the provision of protection may indeed be irresponsible in cases where they face the possibility of being re-victimised or becoming victims in their own right for living up to their duty to give evidence. For this reason, the Bill for the Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses (the “Draft Bill”) 2 by the Law Commission of Sri Lanka is a welcome development in the sphere of rule of law in Sri Lanka. Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena addressed the issues raised by some parties pertaining to this bill. Excerpts of the interview: By Camelia Nathaniel Q. How effective will the witness protection bill […]

Madras miscellany: Oxford professor without a degree

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkatraman Oxford professor without a degree Two of today’s items may have only tenuous connections with Madras, but I’m writing about them as they do have intriguing links with the city. My first tale is about a person whose linguistic bonds should make him known at least to the world of Tamil Studies, but I wonder how many in that world here recognise the name of Don Martino De Zilva Wickremasinghe (1865-1937). Certainly, despite all my years in Ceylon and my peripheral contact there with education, archaeology and epigraphy — that an all-round journalist and a dabbler in history must have — I had never heard of him till another history hobbyist, Thiru Arumugam, sent me some material the other day from Australia. […]

Jaya Attacks BJP on Fishermen Issue

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

THOOTHUKUDI: In a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government, AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday accused the saffron party of resorting to double standards on issues concerning the State’s fishermen whose livelihood has been affected due to the frequent arrests and seizure of their boats by the Sri Lankan Navy across the Palk Strait. Hitting the mayoral by-poll campaign trail in Thoothukudi, where she has fielded Anthony Gracy, Jayalalithaa on Sunday said the BJP did not have a clear stand on the fishermen issue. In an indirect reference to maverick Subramanian Swamy, she said a senior BJP leader in the State has been claiming that the boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen were being seized by the Lankan Navy only on […]

Pakistan hiring Sri Lankan Muslims as spies spooks intelligence agencies

15th September 2014 // 0 Comments

NEW DELHI: The arrest of a third Sri Lankan spying on India on behalf of Pakistan in less than 10 months has got intelligence agencies to train their focus back on growing radicalization among Tamil-speaking Muslims in eastern Sri Lanka where Pakistan has been fishing for a long time. Although the latest Pakistani spy in the Indian net, Arun Selvarajan, is a Colombo-based Tamil Hindu, two others arrested since April are Tamil-speaking Muslims belonging to eastern Sri Lanka.READ ALSO: NIA arrests Lankan for spying on behalf of ISI In April, Intelligence Bureau arrested Sri Lankan national Sakir Hussain in Chennai who revealed a Pakistani conspiracy to attack US and Israeli consulates in Chennai with help from two Maldivian nationals. A month later, his associate Mohammed Sulaiman, another […]

MR will face Harper, Cameron in US

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

President Mahinda Rajapaksa may come face to face with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and British Prime Minister David Cameron at a Commonwealth meeting in New York. Commonwealth Heads of Government or their Ministerial representatives are scheduled to meet at two open-ended meetings of Commonwealth Heads of Government to be held in New York next week. Among those expected to attend the meeting are Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and British Prime Minister David Cameron. Harper had boycotted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Sri Lanka last year over human rights concerns while Cameron had attended the Colombo meeting but raised concerns over Sri Lanka’s human rights record. The Commonwealth Secretariat said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is the Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office, will chair the […]

Sri Lankan Navy attack Indian fishing boats, damage fishing nets

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Sri Lankan Navy personnel allegedly attacked Indian fishing boats and damaged more than 100 nets near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the early hours on Sunday, fishermen association representatives said in Rameswaram. Fishermen, who ventured into the sea in 618 boats, had to return empty-handed this morning as the Sri Lankan Navy had deployed its vessels, including two ships with cannon and machine guns, much inside Indian waters and refused to allow them even near the IMBL, Fishermen’s Association president T. Sesuraja and Secretary S. Emiret alleged. The Naval personnel allegedly attacked the boats and snapped more than 100 fishing nets around 2 a.m. They said if the government was not able to provide protection, they could at least provide them some other […]

Northern Governor advises PC to spend allocated funds Rs. 1.385 billion still remaining, may have to be returned

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Northern Province Governor, Major General (Retd) G. A. Chandrasiri has advised the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) to spend Rs. 1.38 billion already allocated by the government for projects beneficial to the people in the region. Finance and Planning Ministry Secretary, Dr. P. B. Jayasundara who was in Jaffna last Friday met with the Secretaries to Provincial Ministries, as well as heads of departments. The provincial authorities had requested for Rs. 6.97 billion from the 2015 Budget, sources said. Dr. Jayasundara had said that he would discuss the request with President Mahinda Rajapaksa under whose purview the Finance Ministry functions and make the necessary allocations. . The Governor told The Sunday Island that he had summoned the four Northern Provincial Ministry Secretaries as well as the […]

5,671 cases of disappearances remain outstanding in Sri Lanka

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

The report says that the Sri Lankan government didn’t respond to any of those general allegations. According to the Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, 5,761 cases of involuntary disappearances remain outstanding in Sri Lanka. The report was submitted to the 19th session of UNHRC on 06th Feb 2012. However, these numbers do not include disappearances that had taken place in the Wanni during 2007- 2009. The report says that the Sri Lankan government didn’t respond to any of those general allegations. The report comments, ”Allegations were made about the absence of impartial investigations, prosecution, trial and sentence of alleged perpetrators of human rights violations. According to the sources, existing mechanisms such as police and existing human rights commissions, among others, […]

Srilnkan Tamil’s Present deteriorating situation after the ethnic war brought to an end in May 2009 by world’s power. Long term mystery is out now! Here are the full details of the group of white Van criminal abductors of Srilanka!

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Srilnkan Tamil’s Present deteriorating situation after the ethnic war brought to an end in May 2009 by world’s power. Long term mystery is out now! Here are the full details of the group of white Van criminal abductors of Srilanka! 39 Ashford Road Eastham London E6 2AP To 14 Sept. 2014 Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP Prime minster of UK 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA “TAMILS WANT JUSTICE ATLEAST AFTER THIS STAGE” This is the true heart-breaking story of the killing or disappearance of several innocent Tamil Civilians in groups and the Tamil Freedom Fighters of Tamil Eelam http://white-flags.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTu50QEhdsI

APPG for Tamils Demands Sri Lanka Government Adhere to UNHRC Resolution and cooperate with OISL

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

On behalf of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG for Tamils), the Chair, Lee Scott MP and Vice Chair, Siobhain McDonagh MP have jointly asked the UK government to strongly condemn the Sri Lankan authorities for rejecting the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution (A/HRC/25/L.1/Rev.1) and refusing to cooperate with the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL). We request the UK government to consider all actions including sanctions until the Government of Sri Lanka agrees to cooperate with OISL. Lee Scott MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP said “it is completely unacceptable that after the resolution was passed in March of this year, the Sri Lankan government is still unwilling to participate in this investigation; and is finding ways to […]

Our Efforts Are In The Name Of Sincere Citizens – Fr S. J. Emmanuel

14th September 2014 // 0 Comments

The head of the Global Tamil Forum, Fr S.J, Emmanuel feels the diaspora are doing good for the country by raising the human rights issue with the international community. Excerpts of the interview: By Easwaran Rutnam Q: The government is now bringing in a witness protection bill. In your view will this give Tamils in Sri Lanka confidence in the system? A: That the SLG has no good will to execute even the existing laws of protection and that it employs the state-forces in uniform as well as civil-clad informants and even monks to take the law into their own hands is clear as crystal not only to the Tamils and Muslims but also to the enlightened Sinhalese. SLG’s actions of late have been to satisfy some […]

Powers may have double talk but those who struggle should not

13th September 2014 // 0 Comments

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2014, 16:32 GMT]“I am convinced that if Ukraine solved its domestic problems without the use of armed forces, without the bloodshed there over the past month, without the use of heavy artillery… this tragedy would not have happened,” said Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu to visiting Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday, while discussing MH 17 investigation. Whether Russia would speak in the same line and would advise its BRICS partners, especially New Delhi, to take the line in the investigation on the crimes of Sri Lanka and in the decades long militarised genocide against Eezham Tamils is what world humanity wishes to know, said Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island. Eezham Tamils never started a military conflict in […]

You’re a great hero for killing more than 40,000 Tamil Civilians in May 2009. We admire your success of defeating the LTTE

13th September 2014 // 0 Comments

China gets 1200 acres in Trincomalee for ‘defence development’ China gets 1200 acres in Trincomalee for ‘defence development’ [TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2014, 19:54 GMT]Around 1200 acres of land in the Trincomalee Town and Gravets division has recently been given to China on a long-term lease for ‘defence related development’ by genocidal Sri Lanka occupying the country of Eezham Tamils. An ‘agreement’ in this regard has been signed when Rajapaksa visited China, after Modi government coming to power in New Delhi, news sources in Trincomalee said. The stretch of land at the strategic China Bay area includes more than 20 warehouses that are in use since British times, temples, mosques, schools and houses. Meanwhile, TNA leader R. Sampanthan is privately advising Tamil activists not to […]

Russia, China: Strategic partners or rivals, and the India factor

13th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Bangkok: http://www.smh.com.au/world/academic-tells-conference-delegates-not-to-upset-sri-lanka-over-human-rights-20140912-10fzdq.html http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/sydney-university-bows-to-request-from-sri-lankan-military-and-police A University of Sydney academic has urged delegates at a human rights conference to go soft on the Sri Lankan government, which has refused to investigate war-time atrocities that allegedly occurred at the end of its civil war five years ago. Danielle Celermajer, an associate professor at the university, told 100 delegates they should be “mindful of the heightened sensitivity and fragility” at the conference in Bangkok after Sri Lankan authorities threatened to withdraw its military and police participants. “While we will all no doubt find ourselves on occasion wishing to question the legitimacy of claims being made by Sri Lankan authorities, I would ask us to keep in mind the minimal positive impact that such confrontations would in fact have and their […]

TNA wants foreign observers at talks to ensure that the commitments President gives are known to everyone

12th September 2014 // 0 Comments

TNA wants foreign observers at talks so that the President Mahinda Rajapaksha who is known for NOT keeping to his promises will ensure that the commitments he gives are known to everyone. The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil leaders have had many rounds of discussions for 60 years but eventually the government wipes it under the carpet due to pressure from the racists and it is understood that the government uses these talks to fool the world that they are talking to the minority but ends up with no outcome. President Rajapaksha never fulfiled his commitment given to India and the UN to ensure meaningful devolution before the killing of more than 40,000 Tamil Civilians in May 2009 by his army. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has […]

Combined drama by India and Sri Lanka govts.

12th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Sri Lankan national Arun Selvarajan, arrested by NIA on Wednesday for spying in India on behalf of Pakistan’s ISI, is being framed as a LTTE man by India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka says, Selvarajan is wanted in Sri Lanka for providing logistical support to LTTE cadres. There is a lookout notice pending against him. Pakistan was the main supplier of arms to Sri Lanka in 2009 which helped Sri Lanka kill more than 40,000 Tamil civilians and LTTE members in month of May 2009 alone. Pakistan is a close friend of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka sees India as an enemy for insisting on implementing the promised 13th amendment by President Mahinda, a political package to bring equal rights for the Tamils. It is believed […]

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To all students applying to university this year!

12th September 2014 // 0 Comments

FREE Personal Statement Workshop To all students applying to university this year – this event is for you and FREE! If you are applying to university this year – do not miss out! Date : 20th September 2014 Time : 10.00 am to 15.00 pm Venue: King’s College London KCL, Boland House, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL Closest Station – London Bridge. Run by the Tamil Students Initiative (TSI), a collaboration of University Tamil Societies from all over the UK, this workshop is open to any prospective university student in Year 13 or current university students applying for any course this year. The purpose of this event would be to provide course-specific and university-specific advice to students who are looking to apply to a certain course/university. For example, if a […]

Lankan-born Rajan Anandan is India’s top MNC CEO

11th September 2014 // 0 Comments

Sri Lankan-born Rajan Anandan, the Head of Google India, has been ranked as India’s Top Multi National Corporation (MNC) Chief Executive Officer. Rajan is the son of endurance swimmer and multi-Guinness record holder, the late Kumar Anandan, and Manel Anandan (nee Samaraweera). He is an MIT and Stanford alumni, and previously worked for McKinsey, Microsoft & Dell, and is a Founding Partner of Blue Ocean Ventures. Rajan has beaten some of the top and senior names in India whilst Google at brands level had superseded some of the more established global brands as well as per the ranking done by Economic Times of India. Here is the impressive power list of Top 10 MNC CEOs in India: 1. Rajan Anandan, Head, Google India 2. D. […]

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