Posts Categorized: Diaspora

USIP Classroom Simulation re Sri Lanka

published December 6, 2003 Note especially the links at bottom of page! *********************************************************************** US Institute of Peace Sri Lanka: Setting the Agenda for Peace See these simple teacher tips on running a simulation in your classroom. Scenario The setting for this simulation is a September 2001 meeting in Geneva at which the Government of Sri… Read more »

Does the ISGA Violate the Oslo Agreement?

by Wakeley Paul, Esq.; published December 5, 2003 DO THE LTTE PROPOSALS VIOLATE THE OSLO ACCORDS?OR ARE THEY IN PERFECT CONFORMITY WITH ITS TERMS? According to Dayan Jayatilleka, “Richard Armitage and Chris Patten have both gone on record noting critically that the ISGA far exceeds the Oslo Accords and does not resemble any kind of Federalism”… Read more »

Center for Consititutional Rights Press Release

published December 4, 2003 . CONTACT: David Lerner, Riptide Communications at (212) 260-5000; David Cole 202-362-6473 or 202-365-6779; Nancy Chang (212) 614-6420 NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS HOLDS CENTRAL PROVISIONS OF ANTI-TERRORISM STATUTE UNCONSTITUTIONAL Wed, Dec. 3, 2003: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today declared unconstitutional significant parts of a criminal… Read more »

Neutral Position

Tamil Guardian editorial; London, published December 4, 2003 Neutral Position – The LTTE remains neutral on Sinhala rivalry When Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, prepared to deliver his annual Heroes’ Day address last week, he must have been struck by the stark contrast with prevailing sentiments last year. Of… Read more »

Part of 1996 Anti-Terror Law Overturned

By The Associated Press, December 4, 2003 Filed at 8:26 a.m. ET SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In a potential blow to the Bush administration’s legal strategy in the war on terror, a federal appeals court overturned part of a sweeping law the government has increasingly used to arrest or prosecute suspected terrorists. The decision Wednesday… Read more »

Translator Jobs

originally published December 2, 2003 Bowne Global Solutions, Interpretation Services is currently seeking bilingual individuals who are fluent in English and Tamil/Sinhalese, residing anywhere in the U.S. Where and when would interpreters work? Interpreters may be offered assignments in a number of different settings including court hearings. Most of the assignments occur during normal business… Read more »

Appeal to Commonwealth Governments

by Dr. Victor Rajakulendran; originally published December 1, 2003 An open appeal to the Heads of Governments of the Commonwealth member nations Honourable Presidents and Prime Ministers: Re: The candidacy of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar of Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth top post I am writing this appeal when most of you are preparing to travel to… Read more »

Maveerar Day Around the US

originally published December 1, 2003 A day to Remember A day to Pray A day to Salute Maveerar Naal 2003 Let us come together to honor the Tamil Eelam Heroes Tamil Eelam Heroes Day 2003 Saturday, November 22 Chicago, IL Saturday, November 29 Queens, NY Saturday, December 6 Central New Jersey Saturday, December 6 Seattle,… Read more »

New Tamil School in Cranbury, NJ

originally published November 28, 2003 We are pleased to announce a new Tamil school in Cranbury. This is a branch of the existing Bharathi Tamil School and will start classes in January 2004 in the Chimaya Mission classrooms in Cranbury. There will be an open house for enrollment on December 14th at 1.30 pm at the Mission…. Read more »

Appeal to President and Prime Minister

by Dr. Victor Rajakulendran; originally published November 26, 2003 Her Excellency, Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumarathunga The President of Sri Lanka His Excellency, Ranil Wickramasinghe The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Your Excellencies, Re: The current power struggle between both of you I am making this appeal to both of you at a time when your country, which… Read more »

Indictment Against Sri Lanka

by Nadesan Satyendra from a 1993 booklet of the same name published in London by the Legal & Human Rights Division of the International Secretariat of the LTTE The island of Sri Lanka (known earlier as Ceylon) is 25,000 square miles in extent, situated about twenty miles from the southern extremity of the Indian sub continent…. Read more »

A Truce is Not Enough

by Ana Pararajasingham; The Sunday Leader, Colombo, November 23, 2003  originally published November 24, 2003 A truce is not enough Despite the occasional violations, the truce between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebels has held for almost two years. The long awaited proposal by the Tamil Tigers for an interim governing authority had revived… Read more »

It’s the Constitution, Stupid

by M. Nadarajan; originally published November 21, 2003 When the current US president’s father, the first President Bush, tried to get re-elected the catch phrase “It’s The Economy, Stupid” was used effectively to defeat him, blaming the state of the country’s economy on him. The current problems in Sri Lanka are being blamed on the Constitution…. Read more »

Tamil Student Volunteer Program

originally published November 20, 2003 Click here to find more information about The Student Volunteer Program (TSVP), an international development NGO coordinated by Canadian high school, college and university students: http://www.TSVP.ca. —————————————— The site had been updated with the Program’s latest experiences in the North and East of Sri Lanka, including: i) Progress reports from Fall… Read more »

Power Unchecked

Tamil Guardian editorial, London, November 19, 2003 Power Unchecked – Peace is jeopardised in the name of power The constitutional deadlock in Sri Lanka continued this week as President Chandrika Kumaratunga, now comfortably entrenched in her usurped positions at the head of the ministries of defence, interior and media, stood firm against Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s toothless… Read more »

The ISGA Compared to the B-C Pact

by Wakeley Paul, Esq.; originally published November 18, 2003 THE INTERIM SELF-GOVERNING AUTHORITY COMPARED TO THE BANDARANAIKE-CHELVANAYAGAM PACT A modest set of demands by Wakeley Paul The unimplemented B-C PACT was the closest we came to achieving a Federal Constitution. Under Section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution, Parliament was the sole legislative organ of the nation…. Read more »

A Reply to ‘A Case Against Federalism’

by Wakeley Paul, Esq.; originally published November 17, 2003 A REPLY TO “A CASE AGAINST FEDERALISM” [Published in The Island, Oct.29, 2003] http://www.island.lk/2003/10/29/featur01.htmlSinhala Supremacy for everyone’s good? OR Is it a monstrous injustice for a Tamil to be a Sri Lankan Citizen? Should we not refuse to remain a species Half Extinct? BY Wakeley Paul BARRISTER AT… Read more »

THO-USA Flyer

originally published November 17, 2003 THO USA flyer Nov 2003

TVI USA

originally published November 17, 2003 The Sangam’s AGM program on November 1, 2003 was filmed and significant parts have been shown on TVI USA. Below is a description of this service. ************************************************* http://www.tviusa.net/ TVI USA is a Tamil language television provider owned and operated exclusively by Eelam Tamils. In addition to the standard fare of… Read more »

A (un) Constitutional Coup d’Etat in Sri Lanka

by Raveen S. Nathan; November 15, 2003, originally published November 17, 2003 Sri Lanka throughout its postcolonial history has had the distinction of being a democracy that has maintained the rule of its (majority ethnic) people’s will albeit with two minor interruptions. But never in its modern history has it suffered any military or constitutional coup… Read more »