Colombo’s move to list organizations and individuals in the Tamil diaspora as financiers of terrorism has one motive: to silence Tamil voices both within the government’s jurisdiction and overseas. By doing so, the government hopes to prevent them from contributing to the international inquiry and thereby avoid accountability.
Posts Categorized: Diaspora
Vaiko is a Voice of the Eelam Tamils
by M.K. Eelaventhan, April 6, 2014 Eelam Tamils are in a crisis unprecedented in the history. We need a leader in crisis. In the present critical context, Vaiko alone is equal to the task of raising his voice on behalf of the Eelam Tamils. His voice is the voice of voiceless Tamils at home. Vaiko… Read more »
India Abandons the Tamils
India which voted for the earlier resolutions of the USA against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council this time kept mum until March 27th, while enacting dramas of hopes for Tamils. To the shock and dismay of all Tamils internationally, the TNA, Human Rights groups including the USA, India somersaulted and abstained from… Read more »
The Pact
what in US campaigns
we know as the Swift Boat
strategy
HRW: Asset Freeze Threatens Peaceful Dissent
“Putting organizations engaged in peaceful political activity on a terrorist list is a modern version of McCarthyism.”
Diaspora Response to GoSL List
Suren Surendiran – Global Tamil Forum This action now proves that the government is bankrupt of political will to even attempt to resolve the root causes of the Tamil National Question. As the UN Human Rights Commissioner acknowledged after her visit to Colombo in August 2013 and in her recent report, the government’s authoritarian tendency… Read more »
Critics Question Sri Lanka’s Ban on Tamil Exile Groups
by Union of Catholic Asian News, Hong Kong, April 3, 2014 Rights monitors are questioning the motives behind Sri Lanka’s decision to ban 16 Tamil diaspora organizations, which the government has accused of links to “terrorism” and the alleged revival of a separatist movement. On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister GL Peiris signed the proscription order… Read more »
Transcending Terror
It is the mass banning of Tamil civil society…It is, however, also a deliberate attempt to stop the outflow of information regarding on-going atrocities in the Tamil areas, to the international community via diaspora networks, precisely at a time when it is critical. Indeed in 2009, as the mass civilian slaughter ensued, it was the diaspora, not international bodies such as the UN, that provided the most accurate portrayal of events on the ground.
USTPAC Welcomes UN Human Rights Council-led Investigation
USTPAC Press Release HRC25 Resolution on Sri Lanka 032814 WASHINGTON DC, March 28 2014: On Thursday, March 27, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution on Sri Lanka, A/HRC/25/L.1/Rev.1, which creates an international investigation into widespread human rights violations committed during the war that ended in May 2009. “Tamils have waited nearly… Read more »
The Lord Business
UN is no Tamil’s string of pearls. Let’s just be honest. The current UN resolution as it stands will not bring impactful change to the Eelam Tamils. What it does though is to keep a door ajar. It is a sensible beachhead strategy. It is so because that is where the final act will play… Read more »
Primacy of Accountability
Last week’s opening of the UN Human Rights Council’s 25th session gave rise to strong and welcome calls from key member states for an international inquiry into Sri Lanka’s mass atrocities. That Sri Lanka is not going to investigate the horrific crimes for which its leaders are responsible and that accountability depends entirely on an… Read more »
CTC in Successful Defamation Lawsuit Against Rohan Gunaratna
Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) Awarded $53,000 in Successful Defamation Lawsuit Against Rohan Gunaratna Prior to the final military onslaught of May 2009 in Northern Sri Lanka which resulted, according to UN estimates, in the massacre of 40,000 to 70,000 Tamils, the Government of Sri Lanka set out to brand all Tamils and Tamil diaspora groups,… Read more »
TAG: Sri Lanka’s ‘Rehabilitation’ of LTTE
TAG Rehabilitation Report January 2014 Figures’ vary,’ but’ approximately’ 12,000′ former’ Liberation’ Tigers’ of’ Tamil’ Eelam’ (LTTE)’ members’have’been’‘rehabilitated’’since’the’end’of’the’war’and’‘reintegrated’’back’into’society.1… Having’ focussed’on’ the’details’of’ the’programme,’on’what’ the’GoSL’claims’it’ to’be,’and’what’ TAG’s’sources’report’of’it,’we’look’beyond’the’programme’itself,’to’wider’government’policies,’ to’historical’events’including’the’conduct’of’the’war’and’to’consideration’of’the’nature’of’the’Sri’ Lankan’state.’In’light’of’this’we’contend’that’rehabilitation’is’one’aspect’of’a’coordinated’plan’of’ different’actions’aimed’at’the’destruction’of’essential’foundations’of’the’life’of’the’Tamil’people’ of’Sri’Lanka. 2” also at
USTPAC – International Probe a Must in Sri Lanka
by US Tamil Political Action Council, PR Newswire, February 11, 2014 WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2014 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) welcomes recent high level visits to Sri Lanka by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Biswal and Ambassador-At-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Stephen Rapp, and their steadfast… Read more »
March Madness: Is it USA Vs India?
In the case of Burma, India and America’s good cop, bad cop routine worked to ultimately undo the military junta.
But will India and America reenact the same play in Sri Lanka or are their objectives diverging? …
Tamil Nadu activists have chosen to protest against the American resolution because it does not include charges of Genocide. While that is reasonable request, protesting it misses the tree for the wood. Tamil Nadu’s immediate focus should be in getting Delhi to take a public position within the next few weeks. Letting Delhi wait until the voting time, is a strategic mistake by the Tamil Nadu brethren. Tamil Nadu activists should first mobilize towards getting Delhi to openly support an International Investigation mechanism. Without that, protesting the resolution for what it does not include is premature and above all not prudent. It only helps Delhi’s agenda of deflection.
Speeches at London Conference
In English Prof. Guruparan Speaks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXjY2c3a6bA Indian activist Mrs Medha Patkar Pravin Speakshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ehSCkdgro In Tamil MP Ariannendran Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld3CjBvnjEM EPC Councillor Thadayuthapani Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_3RjeXarrI MP Mavi Senathirajah Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_0qweETQ8 MP Sritharan Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a28d07mA_t4 Prof. P.Ramasamy Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK70gcjNsAs http://sangam.org/london-conference-explores-nature-land-grabs-tamil-homeland/ http://sangam.org/conference-state-grabs-tamil-land/
Stanley Jeyaraj Tambiah (1929-2014)
TAMBIAH, Stanley Jeyaraj who was born and raised in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, fifth son of Charles Rajakon and Eliza Chellana Tambiah, died after a long illness in hospice in Cambridge, MA on January 19, 2014. Raab Professor of Social Anthropology at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus, he is survived by his son, Jonathan, daughter-in-law Tina, grandson, Logan,… Read more »
Message from 55 Tamil Organizations
With our diverse backgrounds we are united in working for our people who have been oppressed by the successive Sri Lankan regimes since “independence” in 1948, and pledge to work against the continuing oppression of the Tamil Nation…and fully commit ourselves to mobilize the International Community to establish an independent international investigation by the United Nations to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against the Tamils.
Indictment of Sri Lanka War Criminals and Violations of Human Rights
Incriminating evidence of serious war crimes and violations of human rights against Tamils minority by the Sri Lankan (read Singhalese) government and individuals is inexorably piling up. Gothabaya Rajapakse, unelected Defense Secretary and brother of President Rajapakse is the number one war criminal to be prosecuted. His brothers President Mahinda Rajapakse, Basil Rajapakse, Chamal Rajapakse,… Read more »
To Atlanta, By Way of Sri Lanka
The Indrakrishnans are part of a new tide of immigration with traditionally strong family ties. ATLANTA — When people first meet Dr. Indran Indrakrishnan, a gastroenterologist with a busy private practice near Atlanta, they take note of his unusual name, his crisply lilting accent, his tan complexion and wavy black hair, and they ask, “So,… Read more »