“USTPAC strongly believes any delay in a firm and committed international response will only embolden the regime to continue its murderous campaign. Tamils know all too well about facing an onslaught from a government’s military forces and how inaction by the world community resulted in the death of tens of thousands of innocent Tamil lives in 2009. Syrians deserve immediate and urgent help from the world community, and the UN with help from the US should invoke Responsibility to Protect (R2P),” said USTPAC President, Dr. Elias Jeyarajah.
Posts Categorized: Diaspora
Two Cheers for Ambassador Patricia Butenis
“Ambassador Butanis made many trips to Tamil areas in the north and east. She looked after American-funded relief efforts. Her visits encouraged the Tamils, who saw that the re st of the world had not put them out of their thoughts. We praise her for this.”
A Vitiated Moderation
by Chandi Sinnathurai, September 28, 2005 THERE are shared historical events in Sri LANKA between the predominant Sinhalese and the Tamil-speaking communities. However, these events of violence and violations circulate for the most part as oral history with diverse interpretations. Perceptions of the history of ‘origins and ownership’ of the predominant community seem to establish… Read more »
Mr. Doolittle and the Tamil Diaspora Seek Help
by Satheesh Thadchanamoorthy, September 26, 2005 My generation never had the luxury of time that my father’s generation had. I did not get the chance to read A Tale of Two Cities that my father said he had to read as part of his curriculum. I have not had the chance to read Tolstoy, Trotsky, Marx, Lenin… Read more »
Development Alone Won’t End Sri Lanka’s War
by Jana Nayagam and Suren Manoharan, Tamil Guardian, September, 21 2005 The strategy being advocated by President Chandrika Kumaratunga today is a derivative of her ‘war for peace.’ President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s address to the Asia Society last week provided analysts of Sri Lanka’s conflict with insight into her government’s policy on the ethnic question and its… Read more »
Rising Challenge
by Tamil Guardian editorial, September 21 2005 The major international players in Sri Lanka – the United States, European Union, Japan and Norway – this week issued a stark assessment of prospects for peace in the island. Describing the Norwegian peace process as facing its “most serious challenge” since the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) came into force in… Read more »
Dhanapala: Defending the Indefensible
by Ana Pararajasingham, September 20, 2005 Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala is no novice when it comes to diplomacy. But even he cannot defend the indefensible. Sent to Washington to defend the Sinhala regime’s appalling failure to implement the Cease-Fire, its abject indifference to the survivors of the tsunami in the Tamil Homeland and its blatant use… Read more »
Role of Tamil Diaspora Vital for Peace Process Says Dhanapala
by Ananther Boopathy, September 16, 2005 Ladies and Gentlemen, From being a Ceylon Tamil, I became a Sri Lankan Tamil, then a Tamil Paraiya for most Sinhalese, then a Tamil refugee inside the country, then a Tamil terrorist, then a Tamil refugee in at least three different countries from India to Europe to North America. All this… Read more »
Security Imbalance, Not Violence, Threatens Truce
by Jana Nayagam, Tamil Guardian, September 14, 2005 The actual risk to the ceasefire is not violence per se, but the continuing non-implementation of crucial aspects of the CeaseFire Agreement, resulting in declining benefits from it. Observers of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict have watched the ongoing shadow war in the island’s east between the Liberation Tigers… Read more »
An Open Letter to Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala
Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) Level 10, West Tower World Trade Centre Bank of Ceylon Mawatha Colombo 01, Sri Lanka Dear Dr. Dhanapala, Re: Your briefing on the Sri Lankan Peace process: the Role of the International Community I am writing this open letter in order to bring… Read more »
Violations of International Covenants by the Sri Lankan Government
by M. Nadarajan, September 13, 2005 Successive Sinhalese majority Sri Lankan Governments have ruled the country under Emergency Regulations for 39 of the over 57 years since independence. Of these, 29 years under Emergency have related to the ethnic problems with Tamils, according to the Tamil Center for Human Rights based in France with branches… Read more »
TCHR: 34 Years of Emergency, 29 to Suppress Tamil Rights
TAMIL CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – TCHR/CTDH (Established in 1990) www.tchr.net Ref: GO7ER/PR/2005, 7 September 2005 Out of 34 years of state of Emergency in Sri Lanka, 29 years have been used for suppressing the rights of Tamils “So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.” – Elbert… Read more »
Was it a Multi-Purpose Assassination?
DIG STF Ampara Lewke told media in Colombo that the Motorcycle Squad being trained in Colombo will also be utilised in the East to hunt down killers of Security/Paramilitary personnel and kill them – at least the instigators. So, soon there is going to be a seek and destroy operation (of Tamil Youths) in the… Read more »
Forum on Upcoming New Zealand Elections
The Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand (COTANZ) organised a political forum for the forthcoming New Zealand 2005 Election, which is going to be held on 17 September 2005. The name of the forum is: Election – 2005: Which Policy is for You ???. The main parties’ representatives were invited to present their party… Read more »
WTACS Vasantha Vila 2005
The World Tamil Arts and Cultural Society invites you to its Vasantha Vila 2005 September 24, 2005 at 6:00 PM at Public School 131 in Jamaica, Queens, New York For more information, please call (718)657-9463 POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005
Will the Tamils Be Deceived Yet Again?
by M. Nadarajan, September 9, 2005 Action In a recent address to the business community Prime Minister Rajapakse said, “All sections of our society are sick and tired of theories and verbose statements, sick of visionary statements of our leaders, which have been largely confined to words, words. Like you, the captains of business, I… Read more »
Terrorists and the National Guard
by Kopi Annan, September 6, 2005 In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the world witnessed a complete breakdown of law and order in Louisiana that required the presence of the National Guard to safeguard property. The chaos is best described by Rossie Diamnno of The Toronto Star (September 2, 2005) as follows: “It is disgraceful that countless… Read more »
Is It Crisis Management or Conflict Resolution?
by Chandi Sinnathurai THE FIVE-DAY visit to Sri Lanka by the UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has caused many speculations. Is the intent of the UN to study the progress of the peace process genuine enough to win peace while bringing justice to the marginalised Tamils? Such fear is always palpable in the Sinhala mind-set…. Read more »
FeTNA “Katrina Relief Fund”
by Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America, September 2005 Anpudaiyeer, VaNakkam. Because of the disaster by “KATRINA” in the past week, FeTNA has made the decision to raise relief funds to help the downtrodden in New Orleans and other Katrina-affected locations. If you wish to send your donations through FeTNA, you are welcome to… Read more »
TRO USA Katrina Appeal
TRO is saddened by the tremendous suffering inflicted on the residents of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. The affected people need our prayers, sympathy and financial assistance to move on with their lives. TRO has seen people of Sri Lanka subjected to repeated tragedies, the latest of which was Tsunami. TRO is one of… Read more »