யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

[size=4][size=5]An officer in the Sri Lanka Army, who fled to Canada and claimed he was ordered to plant explosives at the home of an outspoken opposition politician, is raising new questions about military abuses committed during the island nation’s long civil war.[/size][/size] [size=4][size=5]Captain Ravindra Watudura Bandanage, 38, deserted after flying to Toronto in October 2009.[/size][/size] [size=4][size=5]He has since told Canadian immigration officials he was aware of torture and other crimes carried out by government forces against minority Tamils.[/size][/size] [size=5]Testifying at his refugee hearing, he said a colonel ordered him to place bomb…

[size=4][size=6]’There would be replacement of every dead LTTE cadre as long as the idea of Eelam remained’[/size][/size] [size=4][size=5]“There would be prompt replacement of every dead LTTE cadre or leader as long as the idea of Eelam remained,” Brigadier (retd) Ravi Palsokar quotes Lt Gen AS Kalkat, who commandeered the IPKF in Sri Lanka as having said, in ‘Ours Not to Reason Why’.[/size][/size] [size=4][size=5]Pune-based Palsokar, who raises questions on the operational goals of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) 25 years after it was sent to Sri Lanka as part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord (ISLA) comments, “Do I detect a hint of exasperation and frustrati…

An Analysis on the ‘UN Internal Review Panel’s findings during the final months of the war in Sri Lanka [size=5]The internal probe commissioned to examine the conduct of the United Nations during the final months of the war in Sri Lanka with a view to putting its house in order is to be commended for being forthright about UN’s own failures. However it’s findings must also be seen as a scathing indictment on the Rajapaksa Government’s conduct of the war; the revelations contained in it conclusively making the case for the genocidal state to be put in the dock, indicating that the time has come for its senior political and military leaders and President Mahinda Rajap…

[size=5]Students of the Matara University today protested against the alleged attacks on students at the Jaffna campus earlier this week.[/size] [size=5]At least 20 more undergraduates were injured in a clash on Tuesday when students were beaten up by the police and army when they pelted stones.[/size] [size=5]On Tuesday a group in civvies attacked the students when some of them commemorated the former LTTE leader on the pretext of having a ‘lighting festival’, related to a Hindu religious ceremony .[/size] [size=5]In a related incident a photographer was assaulted on Monday.[/size] http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=art…

[size=5]The Heroes Day observed by Eezham Tamils on 27 November to remember their fallen fighters, falls on a full moon day this year, coinciding with the Kaarthikai festival of lights observed by Tamils since ancient times. Sri Lanka that has made a practice of banning even routine religious observations in the temples of the occupied country of Eezham Tamils on the Heroes Day, dares this year to forbid the Kaarthikai festival observations too. Occupying Sri Lanka’s practice of banning temple rituals, including toll of bells on the Heroes Day, started first in Nov 2009, while New Delhi’s Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna was visiting Jaffna. New Zealand Tamils appeal to the …

Disclaimer: The following document was anonymously submitted to International Policy Digest (IPD) by The Social Architects (TSA). [size=4][size=5]The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Final Report contains many positive recommendations which merit immediate attention. This document is designed to capture the essence of those key positive recommendations and to come out with a meaningful action plan which will open the door to true reconciliation, sustainable peace, institutional reform and improved governance.[/size][/size] [size=4][size=5]Regrettably, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has failed to act upon these constructive LLRC recommend…

[size=6]‘I am not the Sri Lankan government’s cheerleader’, says young MP who visited country four times in nine months![/size] [size=5]For a 28-year old backbench Tory MP it was a highlight of his young political career. James Wharton beamed for the camera as he accepted a ceremonial plate from the Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.[/size] [size=3][size=5]Wharton was the head of a delegation of nine UK parliamentarians on a journey to the South Asian nation in July and August of this year as guests of the Sri Lanka government – which is anxious to improve its international reputation in the wake of the bloody civil war that ended three years ago aft…

[size=6]The Onset Of Eelam War V[/size] [size=5]Successive diplomatic victories and the humiliation of both Rajapakse and elements of his military establishment in the West now ensure a steady flow of funds into organistaions, which are at the vanguard of confronting both. Furthermore, the diaspora have steadily built a formidable political infrastructure that the regime’s missions have failed to counter. Of particular note are posts in Washington DC and London whose senior cadre have been purged of capable professional diplomats. Morale which reached its lowest ebb within the diaspora on the 19[/size]th[size=5] of May 2009 is now buoyant once again.[/size] [si…

Couple sues realtor over sale of house where double murder occurred Published on Tuesday November 20, 2012 The Star. VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR Eric and Sade-Lea Tekoniemi stand in their home, where a gruesome double murder took place in 1996. They are suing the real estate firm, agent and former owners. Tony Van Alphen Staff Reporter 99 Comments Eric and Sade-Lea Tekoniemi thought they had bought their dream home in Bowmanville last fall. But it turned into a house of nightmares after they learned it had been the scene of a horrific double murder 15 years earlier. That discovery has n…

உங்கள் உறவுகளை சிங்கள நாட்டிலிருந்து மீட்க நினைத்தால், விரைவாக கூப்பிடலாம் The Spanish government has announced that residency permits will be issued to foreigners buying houses worth more than €160,000, in an attempt to reduce Spain´s surplus property stock. The plan is expected to be approved in the coming weeks and, according to the Secretary of State for commerce, Jaime García-Legaz, the new measure is aimed mainly at the Chinese and Russian markets, which are showing a strong demand for residency in Spain. Jaime García-Legaz also said that setting a lower price limit is not possible, since this would create a “massive demand” for residence permits. h…

[size=3] [size=5]To a packed room of London university students, panellists Thusiyan Nandakumar of the Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYOUK), Fred Carver of Sri Lanka Campaign, Madurika Rasaratnam of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) and Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group (ICG) discussed the question - 'Sri Lanka: Genocide?'.[/size][/size] [size=3] [size=5]The event held on 13th November was chaired by Professor Neil Mitchell (International Relations, UCL) and hosted by the Amnesty International society at University of College London University (UCLU).[/size][/size] [size=3] [size=5]Criticising the conduct of the Sri Lankan state over the past three years,…

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS [size=3][size=5]The Sri Lankan government’s refusal to negotiate seriously with Tamil leaders or otherwise address legitimate Tamil and Muslim grievances is increasing ethnic tensions and damaging prospects for lasting peace. The administration, led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party of Mahinda Rajapaksa, has refused to honour agreements with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), broken promises to world leaders and not implemented constitutional provisions for minimal devolution of power to Tamil-speaking areas of the north and east. Militarisation and discriminatory economic development in Tamil and Muslim areas are breeding anger an…

[size=5]= President must intervene to prevent irreparable damage to country's image because of failure by EAM and mission in UN = UN issues statement against impeachment of CJ while composition of UNHRC changes[/size] [size=1][size=5]It was a week of more challenges for the UPFA Government both in Sri Lanka and abroad.�In Colombo, the official process to impeach Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake began on Wednesday. The eleven-member Parliamentary Select Committee chaired by Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa held its first meeting in Parliament. Standing Orders of Parliament prevent reportage of proceedings of the Committee.[/size][/size] [size=1][size=5]S…

[size=3] [size=5]I wrote in the UK Guardian on 30 May 2009, eleven days after the tragic end of the war titled ‘The ÚN has failed theTamils’ where I referred to and identified many of the failings and weaknesses now being acknowledged after an internal inquiry within the UN, three and half years later. If I had known all of these then and during the war, it begs the question why an international body which was formed fundamentally to protect humanity didn’t know or did it know and failed to act?[/size][/size] [size=5][/size] [size=5] Beyond the UN, some of the other human rights and humanitarian institutions must also take responsibility as the…

[size=3] The bright white 70 meters (230Ft) tall bridge pylon can be seen from far away. Attached to the top are 24 cables that suspend a large bicycle roundabout, 72 meters (236Ft) in diameter, that seems to float over a large new junction for motorized traffic. This roundabout can be found in Eindhoven and it is called Hovenring. The exceptional piece of bicycle infrastructure was built to stand out. It is to be the iconic new landmark that signals ‘you are entering Eindhoven’. At night the slender bike ring is lit from below to further enhance that floating effect.[/size] [size=3] [size=2] A new landmark for Eindhoven/Veldhoven and Meerhoven: the Hovenring fl…

[size=4]நம்பியார், ஹோம்ஸ், புஹ்ன் - இவர்கள் மூவரையும் குறிவைத்து எழுதப்பட்ட கட்டுரை: ஐ.நா. எதை மறைக்கின்றது? யாரை பாதுகாக்கின்றது??[/size] [size=1][size=4]( முடிந்தால் பரப்புரை செய்யுங்கள்: முகநூலில் ஏற்றுங்கள் ....)[/size][/size] [size=6]What the U.N. is (badly) hiding on Sri Lanka[/size] [size=5]The U.N. today released a damning 128-page internal review of its conduct in Sri Lanka during the bloody, final several months of the country's 28 year-long civil war. The main takeaway -- as I reported yesterday -- is that the U.N. failed abjectly in its responsibility to protect the more than 40,000 civilians killed, mostly as a result of indiscriminate …

[size=5]Salma Yusuf in candid conversation with Shri Rahpal Malhotra, the distinguished mover-and-shaker in India’s Prime Minister’s Office having advised former Indian leaders including Indhira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. [/size] [size=5]He is Executive Vice-Chairman of the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) in Chandigarh, of which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is Chairman. He currently provides suggestive advice to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, both personally and institutionally.[/size] [size=5]-------------------------------------[/size] [size=5]Q: There have been three main schools of thought regarding India’s vote in favo…

[size=5]Immigrants make up 13% of the U.S. population. They come here in pursuit of the American Dream, an opportunity for a better life in exchange for hard work. For many, their unique skills and fresh perspectives lead them to entrepreneurship.[/size] [size=5]1. Josie Natori[/size] Age: [size=5]64 [/size] [size=5]Country of origin: Philippines Occupation: Founder and CEO, the Natori Company Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "There is no better place in the world for an immigrant to succeed than in the U.S. Follow your dream and make it happen." Moving from the Philippines to Westchester, N.Y., to attend Manhattanville College in 1964 was…

[size=1] [size=5]It was a snowy Wednesday evening when the UN held a screening and panel discussion entitled "The Holocaust by Bullets: Uncovering the Reality of Genocide." [/size][/size] [size=1] [size=5]The event was sponsored by the French Mission to the UN; the short but moving films were on Holocaust killings of Jews in Ukraine and of Roma.[/size][/size] [size=1] [size=5]After the first film, UN official Gillian Kitley told the snow-limited audience that the UN's now combined Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect advises Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of development in which mass killing may become possible.[/size][/size] [size=1]…

அவுஸ்திரேலியாவில் முதலாவதாய் New South Walesல் வாகனம் ஓடும்போது சாரதியின் கைத்தொலைபேசி பாவனைக்கு தடை வந்துள்ளது. நேரடியாக தொலைபேசியை கையில் பிடித்துக்கொண்டு வாகனத்தை ஓடுவது சட்டவிரோதம் ஆகும். One Australian state has made it illegal for drivers to have any physical contact with a mobile phone while driving. The law in New South Wales is unique because a motorist no longer has to have the phone in their hands to be considered an infraction. In an aim to reduce distractions while driving, the new law now requires phones to be placed in a holder on the dashboard or be on bluetooth through the car's speakers. However, Simon Washington, professor at Queensl…

1989 - First Maaveerar Naal Nihalvu [size="2"]LTTE Leader's First Maaveerar Naal Address[/size] From 'Tamil Eelam', (Voice 17) November 1989 - A journal published by the Political Section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. English translation. [courtesy Eelamweb.com] It was the first time the Tamil people commemorated Heroes' day. So far, 1,307 LTTE fighters have sacrificed their lives for the advancement of the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle and for drawing world attention to it. The courageous death of each and every one of these fighters is a heroic chapter in the story of the Tamil Eelam liberation struggl…

[size=3] [size=6]What happened in Sri Lanka in 2009 is it War crime / Crime against humanity or Genocide ?[/size][/size] [size=3] [size=5]According to the UN estimate there are 40,000 killed from the Skye using the satellite imagery- because there are UN observers in the ground to count the dead.[/size][/size] [size=3] [size=5]According to the Mannar Bhipshop more than 140,000. In London Amnesty international book release "Still counting the Dead" one of the member of the UN expert penal said it can be more than 70,000- which is the figure quoted by srilankan government during their massacre (so called rescue mission) campaign in 2009 as living within LTTE area…

[size=5]The government has launched a campaign through the Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States to lobby against a resolution presented by a US Congressman on Sri Lanka.[/size] [size=5]External Affairs Ministry sources told The Sunday Leader that the Sri Lankan Embassy had already managed to have the resolution withdrawn from the calendar for this year.[/size] [size=5]However there are fears the document, House Resolution 177, may be re-submitted and passed in Congress before January next year.[/size] [size=5]The resolution, first presented to Congress in March 2011 by Republican Representative Michael Grimm, seeks the establishment of an independent i…

[size=4]Le mercredi 10 octobre 2012 restera une journée historique pour les défenseurs de la cause tamoule ! Après des années de protestation pour dénoncer les viols et massacres à répétition de civils tamouls, une délégation d’une quarantaine de Tamouls a été reçue pour la première fois à l’Assemblée Nationale. C’est sous l’impulsion de Marie-George Buffet, députée de la quatrième circonscription de Seine-Saint-Denis, et du Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), qu’a pu se tenir cette rencontre dans une des salles du Palais Bourbon. Marie-George Buffet a profité de cette rencontre pour annoncer la mise en place d’un groupe d’étude sur la situation des Tamouls du Sri …