Salem-News.com Sri Lanka articles Page 2

Tamil Eelam Is Not LTTE

The founding father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, encouraged Hindus to read the teachings of Jesus Christ to form unity and when Tamil nationalism rose in the late 1970’s

(WASHINGTON DC) - For nearly 30 years, the phrase “Tamil Eelam” has been associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who fought a bloody civil war against the government of Sri Lanka for a separate homeland in the Northeast of the island.

Historically, Tamil Eelam has existed on the island of what was known as Ceylon in the form of Tamil Kingdoms for thousands of years as the rich Vanni, Jaffna, and Chola Kingdoms were one of the largest in history...

Why Sri Lanka is Severing Ties Between Tamils at Home and Abroad

The Tamil diaspora, said to now total over 1 million, is concentrated in India, Europe, North America, and Australia.

(WASHINGTON DC Foreign Policy) - Days after the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted a resolution calling for an international inquiry into war crimes in Sri Lanka, the Colombo government began moving to cut links between the country's Tamil minority and its powerful diaspora.

The Tamil diaspora, many of whom were driven out of Sri Lanka due to atrocities committed by government troops and rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters, is expected to play a prominent role in presenting evidence at the inquiry, expected to begin later this year.

Netas Natter, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Suffer

Sri Lanka is an overwhelming presence here, as in every fishing village in the southern TN coast.

(DHANUSHKODI Times of India) - The sea at Dhanushkodi is a sheet of grey. With hardly any waves, it's quiet, merging with the bleak landscape that nurses the wounds of a cyclone that devastated Dhanushkodi town in 1964.

All that remains are the ruins of buildings that survived the storm and sea — an old church, railway terminus, port and jetty, a post office. Nearly 250 fishermen families live a bare existence, fishing near the shores or selling shell handicrafts to tourists...

Government Hostages and the Right of Movement in Democratic Sri Lanka

More than 65 people were ‘arrested’ in abduction style by the Sri Lankan military intelligence operatives who claim their identity as ‘Terrorist Investigation Division’ (TID) officers from the SL Police Department, news sources in Ki'linochchi told TamilNet.

(MELBOURNE) - In democratic Sri Lanka the Tamils are denied not only the right of free movement, but also the right to have visitors around. Hostage taking and keeping them in unhealthy conditions has become routine.

Last week a pregnant Tamil lady, taken for interrogation, was handled so badly that she aborted.

The Arrest, Detention and Torture of Tamils in Post-War Sri Lanka

In the wake of the bloody civil war, the victors have more than taken the spoils of a defeated culture.

(COLOMBO GroundViews) - There is an alarming trend in the Sri Lankan security forces operation, of arresting the family members of suspects and keeping them as hostages in detention camps.

Irrespective of their age, gender and connection to those suspects, the family members are kept under arrest/ detention most notably in the infamous 4th/ 2nd floors in Fort and in Boosa Detention camp under the control of TID. Presently there are several females in Boosa.

Sri Lanka: Terrorism Label on Peaceful Advocacy for Independent State is a Denial of Freedom of Speech TGTE

Giving meaning to the measures the TGTE is taking forward at this critical hour will be a sacred and appropriate tribute to the Tamils who perished in Mullivaikaal.

(NEW YORK) - Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)’s Parliament & Cabinet have taken decisions to respond to Sri Lanka's listing of Tamil groups as terrorists.

TGTE will argue its clear position that labeling the peaceful advocacy for an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam, which is based on the remedial right to self-determination, as terrorism is a denial of the freedom of speech.

Post UNHRC Resolution and the Banning of Diaspora Organisations

“The LTTE no longer exists,” said Fred Carver, campaign director at the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice. “The Government of Sri Lanka's attempts to pretend otherwise are part of their attempts to stifle domestic dissent and isolate activists.”

(MELBOURNE) - US Ambassador Sison J. Michele remarked to the Foreign Correspondents Association on April 3, 2014, that although the recently passed resolution on Sri Lanka at the Geneva session wanted to investigate incidents between 2002 and 2009...

"an independent and credible investigation into all actions, by all parties, for the entire period of the conflict would be good for Sri Lanka".

Statement from GTAJ (Global Tamil Association of Journalists)

"Currently there are very few credible journalistic associations, and with the many Tamil websites emerging with the development of technology there was a need to have a consistent approach to media coverage across the World Wide Web..." - Secretary of GTAJ Mr K.Kannan

(LONDON) - The World Tamil Web Conference 2014 (WTWC 2014) took place on Friday 4th April 2014 in London. With the aims of discussing the future of Tamil Media across the World Wide Web. The conference was attended by numerous Tamil Web based media.

With a diverse range of participants ranging from Tamil web-based editors, media journalists, researchers, analysts and activists and even artificial intelligence developers.

Of UN Human Rights Council and Kashmir

"Instead of investigating those responsible for atrocities, the Sri Lankan government has cynically absolved its forces of any wrongdoing..." - Juliette De Rivero, Geneva Director of the Council

(GENEVA) - First the good news. The UN human rights Council has passed a resolution which paves way for an international investigation into alleged war crimes by the Sri Lankan Government in the final stages of its war with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The council’s 47 members voted 23 to 12 with 12 abstentions in favor of the resolution sponsored by a core group of nations...

List of Sri Lanka War Criminals & Genociders to be Released by Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)

According to this UN report tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed in five months due to deliberate and intense shelling and bombing of areas designated by the government as "no-fire zones", where Tamil civilians had assembled for safety.

(NEW YORK) - The list of Sri Lankan war criminals and perpetrators of Genocide to include the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse, President’s brother and Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse.

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) today announced that a list of Sri Lanka war criminals and perpetrators of Genocide for committing mass killing of Tamils and raping Tamil women will be released.