Day: 5 March 2017

Anton Balasingham Predicted A Bloody End For The LTTE

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By Pitasanna Shanmugathas – Pitasanna Shanmugathas On March 4th 2017 Anton Balasingham Stanislaus would have been celebrating his 79th birthday. Within the LTTE, Anton Balasingham was the political ideologue—a man who advocated pragmatic solutions. Prabhakaran was the military mastermind. When I interviewed Erik Solheim he described their relationship “as that of a husband and wife,” always needing each other but at the same time always fighting with one another. “Together, when [Balasingham and Prabhakaran] combined their forces, they were a strong team. Separately, neither of them could lead the struggle.”…

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We Welcome Human Rights Boss Zeid’s Report, But Sri Lanka Lacks Credibility: TNA

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The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has welcomed the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution, and its recommendations. Sampanthan Issuing a statement today the TNA said: “The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) welcomes the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution, and its recommendations. While the report acknowledges some areas of progress, such as discussions on constitutional reform, it is critical of the government’s failure to deliver…

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Lankan duo in Canada nabbed for multimillion dollar fraud, money laundering operation

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Two Sri Lankans have been arrested as part of an investigation by Canadian police into a multimillion dollar fraud and money laundering operation. Sukanya Panchalingam and Balasubramaniam Shajeefkaran, a husband-and-wife pair between the ages 28 and 36, were taken from a home in Ajax, Ontario, where Toronto police found more than CAD (Canadian dollars) eight million worth of fraudulent cheques and stolen merchandise. The investigation was led by Constable Michael Lane whose press conference on “Project Fellowship”–as it is called–was accessed online by the Sunday Times.  The Toronto police confirmed…

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GTF And Govt. To Work Together

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The government and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a powerful Tamil diaspora group based in London, are to work together to address the Tamil issue. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had talks with the President of the Global Tamil Forum, Father S. J. Emmanuel, in Geneva last week. Father Emmanuel told The Sunday Leader that he met Samaraweera and a Sri Lankan delegation for about 45 minutes behind closed doors. “In all my meetings I have openly said that I do it as an act of critical and constructive collaboration by a moderate…

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Demonstration Called Off, Sampanthan Praised Sirisena For Resolving Puthukkudiyiruppu Land Issue

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“Puthukkudiyiruppu land matter has been resolved. The land is to be returned in 3 stages the first stage on 4th March and the second and third stages in a few months. The commitments made should be honoured.” says Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan. Maithripala and Sampanthan | File photo Sending a letter to the President, Samapanthan said: “In view of possession being handed over at Kepepulavu – Pillaikudiyiruppu – The persons who were demonstrating against being kept out of their lands, have called off their demonstration. I am particularly thankful to…

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Need Centre’s help in Sri Lanka issue, says Anbumani Ramadoss

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Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday asked the Union government to take the issue to the UN security council to ensure justice for Tamils. Chennai: Citing the report of United Nations Human Rights Commissioner  Zeid Raad Al Hussein accusing Sri Lanka of failing to comply with the commission’s resolutions for hybrid mechanism to probe the war crimes and return of army occupied lands to Tamils, PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday asked the Union government to take the issue to the UN security council to ensure justice for Tamils. The…

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Geneva pilgrimage:Over-promising at UNHRC and under-achieving at home

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by Rajan Philips It is now nine years since Sri Lanka began its pilgrimage to Geneva to attend the annual sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). For the first six years, it was all confrontational with the Rajapaksa government taking aggressive positions against UNHRC resolutions and trying in vain to mobilize votes among the 47 members of the Council to oppose resolutions sponsored by western countries. It has been all conciliatory under the Sirisena-Wickremasinghe government that took office after the defeat of President Rajapaksa in the January…

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Move To Dilute “Foreign Judges” Clause In Resolution

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By Easwaran Rutnam  The government may seek support to dilute a controversial clause in a resolution which was passed in 2015, when a follow-up resolution on Sri Lanka is presented to the UN Human Rights Council during the ongoing session in Geneva. Government sources said that discussions will be held to get the support of UN Human Rights Council members to bring down the pressure to implement the clause in Resolution 30/1 which calls for the participation of Commonwealth and other foreign judges in a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism when…

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UK HUNGER STRIKE Continues – DAY 11

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Hunger Strike in UK day 11 – ஏழாவது நாளாக தொடரும் அறவழி போராட்டம் 0:23 Hunger Strike in UK day 7 – ஏழாவது நாளாக தொடரும் அறவழி போராட்டம் ** Hunger Strike Protest in front of 10 Downing Street ** In support of our people protests in Tamil Eelam & demand the UN not to extend the time for Sri Lanka on implementation of resolution 30/1 and Justice, Peace and permanent solution (Tamil Eelam) for Tamils. TGTE have organised Hunger Strike Protest in front of 10 Downing Street during the 34th Session of UNHRC.…

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