Posts Categorized: Diaspora

Sangam Members Get the Word Out

National Public Radio I listened to your coverage on Tsunami in Asia (On All Things Considered Dec 27, 2004), and about the country that was most affected by it – Sri Lanka. However, there is one big piece of the tragedy was missed by NPR. Large part of the affected are from Sri Lanka’s Tamil… Read more »

Prof. Sundaralingam Killed by Tsunami

OSU Professor, Wife Reportedly Killed By Tsunami Professor Sundaralingam received the Sangam’s Honorary Award at our Annual General Meeting this past November. — Editor Massive Waves Hit Sri Lanka’s Coast COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio State University professor and his wife were reportedly among those who died after a tsunami crashed into the coast of… Read more »

NorthEast Needs Urgent Aid

8000 Dead and 500,000 Displaced in NorthEast of the Island of Sri Lanka [TRO appeal posted on TamilNet] The Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation is engaged in rendering urgent humanitarian assistance to all those in the coastal areas of the northeast of Sri Lanka who have borne the brunt of the ‘tidal’ waves (tsunamis) caused by the strongest… Read more »

Relief Funds: Where to Contribute

All funds sent to these organizations will be used for emergency assistance for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.  Please mark your checks ‘NE Tsunami Relief.’  All are staffed by volunteers so there is no overhead taken out of the donations.  All organizations are 501 (c) (3) charities registered… Read more »

FeTNA Convention in Dallas in July

The Annual Tamil Convention 2005 of the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America Tamil Nadu Foundation North America Tamil Youth Organization will take place July 2, 3, & 4, 2005 in Dallas, Texas at the Eisemann Center Hosted by the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Tamil Sangam Paddi Mandram, Kavi Arangam, Tamil Cinema Actors & Actresses,… Read more »

Stranglehold on Peace

Kumaratunga will not sacrifice power for peace by Tamil Guardian editorial, December 22, 2004 Fear of a renewed war has become all pervasive.  Tamils, both in the homelands and the diaspora are closely following developments in the Norwegian peace process, albeit with deepening pessimism.  Even the usually upbeat Norwegian Special Envoy, Erik Solheim, could not conceal… Read more »

Notes on Political Instability in Divided Societies

Some Notes on Political Instability in Divided Societies with Reference to the Sri Lankan State and Conflict by A.R.M. Imtiyaz, Ph.D. (Visiting scholar, Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, USA), December 21, 2004 Form of governments Recent political disturbances in ethnically, religiously and linguistically divided societies including Sri Lanka reminds one of Max Weber,… Read more »

Brief History of the Stalled Peace Talks

by Wakeley Paul, Esq., December 21, 2004 In December, 2000 the LTTE declared a unilateral ceasefire.  Four months of negotiations toward a mutual ceasefire with the President’s PA government came to nought.   In July, 2001 the LTTE attacked the Katunayake Airport, but followed this up with a second unilateral ceasefire.  In late 2001, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s… Read more »

Helping Flood Victims

ALL THE HINDU TEMPLES IN LONDON ARE COLLECTING MONEY TO HELP THE FLOOD VICTIMS IN SRI LANKA. Sri Kanaga Thurkkai Amman Temple will be working with TRO in helping these flood victims.             PLEASE READ: http://sooriyan.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1106&Itemid= http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=13669 http://www.troonline.org/en/?menu=../en/news/mullai_191204 Thank you, S Karunalingam Chairman – Executive Committee Sri Kanaga Thurkkai Amman… Read more »

Human Rights Watch and Tamil Children

by S. Makenthiran, B.A., FCCA, Canada, December 19, 2004 There have been some reports by interested parties about the so-called seminar held on December 12, by Human Rights Watch in Toronto.  It is made to appear that those who spoke out at the Seminar were Tamil Tigers.  It was nothing like that.  Many of us… Read more »

India’s Sri Lanka Policy: Need for a Review

by Ana Pararajasingham, South Asia Analysis Group, Delhi, December 13, 2004 It is only natural that India, the regional power, should have an abiding interest in the manner in which the conflict in the Island of Sri Lanka is resolved.  The Tamil National Alliance MP, Mr Gajendra kumar Ponnambalam’s declaration that the Tamil Nation has… Read more »

IFT Dec. 10 Press Release

    8 Rue Des Pâquis, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland – Tel/Fax: +41 22 732 08 31 – Email:ift /A_T/ bluewin /D_O_T/ ch 10.12.2004 Urgent press statement Government’s suggestions sabotaging the Tamil people’s struggle for equlity and justice International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a confederation of Tamil organizations around the world, urges the President of Sri… Read more »

Child Soldiers and Sunny Beaches

by Ravi Gowribalan, December 16, 2004 Many Tamils once believed that the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play an important role in helping the people in the war-affected areas of Tamil Eelam.  During the ceasefire, we have seen a dramatic upsurge in the number of international NGOs in Tamil areas and their interest in Tamil affairs… Read more »

Contempt of Court

by Wakeley Paul, Esq., December 16, 2004 The decision of the Sri Lankan Supreme Court Of Sri Lanka finding a politician guilty of contempt, clearly indicates that the Sri Lankan Constitution does not guarantee freedom of speech, a concept which was never referred to in the court’s judgment. One must, however, realize that there were… Read more »

The International Community & Tamils

The True Face of the International Community & a Rational Response from the Tamils of Eelam by Siva Muthulingasamy, UK, December 16, 2004 The International Community(IC) is all united by just one common objective, a World Trade monopoly. They work in partnership with the US, like “the good cop bad cop” duo in a Hollywood… Read more »

Seminar on The Indian Subcontinent: The Global Perspective

World Tamil Organization proudly presents a seminar loaded with much for serious and curious minds on Saturday, December 11th, 2004 All Day Event from 11:00 AM at Center Hall, Busch Campus Center Rutgers University 604 Bartholomew Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Participants: Keynote Address by Durai. Raja, New Delhi Mr. Raja is the current national (central)… Read more »

The Bandaranaike Contribution to the Nation’s Fate

By Wakeley Paul, Esq., December 4, 2004 Anura Bandaranaike’s self-aggrandizing views of his family’s contribution toward the success of a failed nation, published in the Daily News, call for a rational review.  His claim that no family has shed its blood for the nation’s advancement like the Bandaranaikes have should read, instead, that no family has… Read more »

America and Sri Lanka

by M. Nadarajan, December 4, 2004 Those of us who live in the United States of America, arguably the greatest country in the world and certainly the richest country, take a lot of things for granted.  America also claims to be the most democratic country in the world, and preaches to the world about how… Read more »

Sethusamuderam Project: Economic & Environmental Impact

Reasons for the Construction of  the Canal and its Economic & Environmental Impact on Sri Lanka by Donald Jayantha Gnanakone, Los Angeles, December 2, 2004 The past three months has seen such a flurry of activity and controversy never seen before in Sri Lanka, since the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Pact by Rajiv Gandhi… Read more »

‘Tamils in Independent Ceylon’ Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Ceylon’s Independence The dawn of independence On of February 04, 1948, the year following the independence of India, Ceylon (or Sri Lanka as it was renamed in 1972), was granted independence. Ceylon had been a British colony under a Governor representing the British Crown. The country enjoyed a peaceful transfer of power by… Read more »