By Richy Markandu, July 25, 2004 23rd-24th of July are the dates unforgettable in the minds of Tamil ethnic minority of Sri Lanka. These are the days when political member gangs of Sinhalese ethnic majority with the help of government armed forces chose to vengefully attack Tamils ethnic minority, their businesses, homes, temples in south… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Rights
Black July – A Colombo Student Recollects
My experience on July 24th, 1983 – a Colombo Student Recollects by Bala, July 24, 2004 [We urge the readers to write down the facts known to them so that future researchers may be able to use them to evaluate the events that shaped the history of the Tamil people. We must realize that we… Read more »
Black July – Commemoration 1983
Today Tamils all over the world will psychologically relive the events of July-1983. For those who may have forgotten the historic turning point, we do not need to define it in many words, just one picture should tell the story. For the benefit of the new generation of Tamils, Sangam will retrace relevant articles related… Read more »
Black July – Revisited
STATE TERROR BLACK JULY OF 1983 REVISITED By Ana Pararajasingham, July 23, 2004 In late July 1983, Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital literally burst into flames as angry mobs of Sinhalese went on a rampage burning, looting and terrorising the occupants of Tamil homes in an orgy of violence unparalleled in the Island’s history. The Government… Read more »
World Refugee Day: June 20
2004 Theme: Rebuilding Lives in Safety and Dignity Each year June 20 is World Refugee Day. This year the theme of World Refugee Day is “A Place To Call Home: Rebuilding Lives in Safety and Dignity.” It looks at the challenges and hopes that accompany refugees in their search for a new home through voluntary repatriation,… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: Killings Unite Tamils
by T. Sabaratnam; published June 2, 2004 Weekly Review Killings Unites Tamils; India’s Policy Changes The foul Murder Iyathurai Nadesan is dead. The cause he espoused, Tamil Nationalism, has received fresh vigour. The entire northeast ground to a halt in unity today (Wednesday); not merely to mourn the death of a 49 year-old Tamil journalist who… Read more »
Forced Migration
Confronting the Realities of Forced Migration By Stephen Castles, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford Migration Information Source: May 1, 2004 http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=222 2024 – Confronting the Realities of Forced Migra.. | migrationpolicy.org Europeans, North Americans, or Australians who rely on the tabloid press might well believe that their countries were under siege by asylum seekers… Read more »
Open Appeal re Sivaram
by Dr. Victor Rajakulendran; published May 5, 2004 An open appeal to the Foreign Ministers of Democratic Nations The Hon. Jan Peterson, State Secretary, Norway Hon. Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London Hon. Javier Solana, Secretary General, European Union Council Hon. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada Hon. Nkosayana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of… Read more »
Security Council Resolution 1539 re Child Soldiers
Security Council resolution 1539 April 22, 2004 (see article re this resolution at end) “The Security Council, “Reaffirming its resolutions 1261 (1999) of 25 August 1999, 1314 (2000) of 11 August 2000, 1379 (2001) of 20 November 2001, and 1460 (2003) of 30 January 2003 which provide a comprehensive framework for addressing the protection of… Read more »
Tibetan Hunger Strike
by Daniel Wakin; The New York Times, May 1, 2004 Tibetan Hunger Striker Hospitalized On the 29th day of their hunger strike against China’s policies in Tibet, one of three Tibetans collapsed yesterday, and was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. The two other hunger strikers promised to keep fasting until their demands are met. The hunger… Read more »
UNHCR Urges More Help for Displaced
UNHCR urges fresh bid to help S.Lanka’s displaced COLOMBO, April 29 (Reuters) – The U.N. refugee agency urged the Sri Lankan government and rebels on Thursday to renew efforts to help hundreds of thousands of people displaced by decades of civil war. “There needs to be a renewed focus on resolving this long-standing humanitarian problem,”… Read more »
Intervention on Ponnambalam at UN
by Tamil Centre for Human Rights; April 2004 International Association of Democratic Lawyers – IADL 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva, SwitzerlandItem 17 (b) Human Rights Defenders Intervention by Deirdre McConnell Mr. Chairperson, I speak on behalf of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers – IADL Former High Commissioner for Human Rights,… Read more »
NGOs in the Tamil Homeland
by LTTE Peace Secretariat, Kilinochchi, accessed April 19, 2004 Major Non Governmental organizations (NGO’s) operating in the Tamil Homeland There are three major NGO’s operating in the Tamil Homelands. These are the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) formed in 1985, The Economic Consultancy House (TECH) formed in 1993 and the Centre for Women’s Development and Rehabilitation… Read more »
The US & Sri Lanka’s Muslims
by India Abroad News Service (IANS), April 4, 2004 One wonders why the US is being so solicitous of Sri Lanka’s Muslims. There seem to be at least 3 reasons: 1.) A Muslim party was an important constitutent of the last government, so had the information about how the US aid process works, the time… Read more »
CPJ Report on Attacks on the Press in 2003
Annual survey documents changing press freedom landscape: 36 journalists killed; 136 jailed at year’s end; China world’s leading jailer of journalists for fifth year in a row New York, March 8, 2004-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will release its annual survey of global press freedom conditions on Thursday, March 11, 2004. According to CPJ… Read more »
Amnesty’s Concerns re Sri Lanka
TO: Ambassador Devinda Subasinghe, Embassy of Sri Lanka FROM: Jim McDonald, Sri Lanka Country Specialist, Amnesty International USA RE: UN Human Rights Committee’s concluding observations DATE: February 24, 2004 On December 1 of last year, the U.N. Human Rights Committee issued its concluding observations (the “Observations”) on Sri Lanka’s fourth and fifth periodic reports under… Read more »
76 Tamil Political Prisoners
by Tamil Centre for Human Rights; Paris, February 24, 2004 TAMIL CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – TCHR/CTDH CENTRE TAMOUL POUR LES DROITS DE L’HOMME (Established in 1990) http://www.tchr.netPress release Ref : B07F/PR/2004 24 February 2004 There are still 76 Tamil political prisoners and detainees Arrest and detention are legal in any judicial system. But when there… Read more »
Call to Increased Action for War-Affected Children
by UNICEF; originally published February 24, 2004 SECURITY COUNCIL: Plight of Children in Armed Conflict Reaches Watershed Stage [press release] [NEW YORK, 20 January 2004] – The battle to uphold the rights and well-being of children exposed to armed conflict “has reached a watershed moment,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the issue told the Security Council today…. Read more »
War or Recognition of Realities on the Ground?
by Wakeley Paul; originally published February 5, 2004 WHAT’S NEXT ? WAR OR RECOGNITION OF REALITIES ON THE GROUND The question that confronts everyone, Tamils, Sinhalese and the international community is, how long are the Sinhalese parties in parliament intending to maintain the current stalemate? While nothing happens, who suffers more than the Sinhalese people? The… Read more »
Britain Puts UN Child Soldier Plan on Hold
by Reuters; London, February 1, 2004 UNITED NATIONS: Britain, angered that Northern Ireland appears on a UN list of countries where youths are recruited as soldiers in “armed conflicts,” has put on hold UN plans to crack down on the use of child warriors, diplomats said on Wednesday. Britain has asked Olara Otunnu, the UN special… Read more »