யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

When I was a cook, I worked with a lot of Tamil men from Sri Lanka. These guys are the barely seen backbone of Toronto restaurants: they wash dishes, graduating to cooking when they’ve learned enough English. Usually they work two jobs, sending money home and saving as much as they can to bring over their wives, sisters, brothers and children. One day, 10 years ago, I found my dishwasher co-worker Jaya taking a nap, his head propped against a 40-pound bag of rice. There’s not a lot of napping or resting in kitchens, but I knew that Jaya, like many of his brothers and cousins, worked night shifts here, plus day shifts in a factory. When he woke up, I asked him ab…

Rajapakse seeking UK's help to secure India's support - Norwegian radio 2ND LEAD Rajapakse seeking UK's help to secure India's support - Norwegian radio [TamilNet, August 30, 2006 09:07 GMT] Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's meeting Wednesday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair is "presumably an attempt to secure India's support in favour of Sri Lanka's policy" on the ethnic question Norwegian state radio reported, citing Oslo's Special Envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer. Jon Hanssen-Bauer Contrary to the Norwegian conflict-resolution approach, the Sri Lanka government's policy seeks to internationally isolate the Liberation Tigers of Tamil E…

Flying Tigers Elevate Conflict to New Heights May 4th, 2007 By D.B.S. Jeyaraj They took off from unknown locations within tiger controlled territory in the northern mainland of the Wanni; they flew hundreds of kilometres over hostile territory in the darkness of night ; they flew at low altitude to avoid being spotted on radar; and swooped down suddenly from the skies above their target area; they ejected their bombs on specific targets scoring 70% strike success; they flew back, missions accomplished , as pandemonium reigned below; they returned home and landed to be swallowed up into invisibility; they wait patiently for the next chance to soar again , stri…

The torture of Tamil political prisoners is increasingly rife in Sri Lanka with some detainees dying in custody after suffering prolonged abuse, a new investigation claims. The findings will intensify pressure on Britain to withdraw from a controversial summit to be held in Sri Lanka later this year. Tens of thousands of ethnic Tamils have been held without trial since 2009, when Sri Lanka's military finally crushed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in a decades-long conflict for control of the island's northern Jaffna peninsula. Since then, according to a new report (pdf) by the London-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, the government …

Introduction In the so-called ‘post-war’ Sri Lanka context, land grabbing, Sinhalization and military occupation of the Tamil nation have become pivotal points in the political development discourse. The deep concerns that exist amongst the majority of the Tamils, which are directed towards their present and future existence, are these same issues. The political discourse within the international community is unable to keep pace with the real-time implementation and effects on the ground. The international community continues to talk about reconciliation and the Sri Lankan state seems keener on Sinhala settlements and militarization in the Tamil nation. All three actors…

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by Amal Jayasinghe 2 hours, 44 minutes ago COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka launched attacks against Tiger rebels as the guerrillas said thousands of civilians in the north fled their homes on fears of an upsurge of fighting in the region. Troops in Trincomalee attacked suspected Tiger positions and residents reported hearing shelling throughout he day. The reports came on the eve of the fifth anniversary of a truce that is holding only on paper. Military officials confirmed they were retaliating against rebel harassment, but said there was no major offensive in the region, although residents said they heard long-range artillery fire. The attack…

BUENOS AIRES — The Argentine Navy submarine that went missing a year ago off the country's Atlantic Coast was found by a private company involved in what had been a massive search for the vessel and its 44-member crew, the Navy announced by tweet on Saturday. The submarine ARA San Juan had a seven-day supply of air when it last reported its position on Nov. 15, 2017. It was found some 2,625 feet below the ocean's surface by a marine tracking contractor Ocean Infinity. The disappearance gripped the nation's attention as the government struggled to provide information about the tragedy. At the time of the disappearance, the Navy said w…

Gus Dalton, 87, was the famous fishing boat captain who saved 155 Tamil refugees off Newfoundland Former Tamil refugees (left to right) Suhapiramam Annalingam, Siva Mehanathan, Shanmuga Paul and Baskaran Nadarajah pose with Gus Dalton at his home on the 30th anniversary reunion of their rescue in 2016. CYRUS SUNDAR SINGH Gus Dalton, the fishing captain who saved the lives of 155 Tamil refugees who were adrift in lifeboats …

Let Christmas bring consolation to people in "tortured regions" - Pope [TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 December 2007, 14:10 GMT] Pope Benedict XVI, in his Christmas Day appeal to political leaders around the world asked them to draw on their "wisdom and courage" to end bloody conflicts in the world. The Pope said he hoped Christmas would bring consolation to all people "who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war," in particular those living in the "tortured regions" of the world including Sri Lanka. Pope Benedict XVI urges to seek humane, just and lasting solutions.The Pope mentioned Darfur, Somalia, northern Congo, the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, Iraq, Leban…

libreal failure to advance Human Rights in Sri Lanka.

By Saman Gunadasa 30 October 2008 A World Bank report published just prior to a joint International Monetary Fund-World Bank meeting on October 10 included Sri Lanka among 28 countries that are judged to be “highly vulnerable” to the ongoing global financial crisis and credit crunch. The countries listed were mainly small, impoverished and economically backward countries, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tajikistan, Madagascar, Nepal, Rwanda, Malawi, Ivory Coast, Fiji, Haiti, the Seychelles and Mauritania. The Seychelles declared on October 1 that the country was in default and could not pay interest on its foreign loans. Speaking in New York prior to the …

Kosovo’s victory has lessons for other liberation struggles - paper [TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2008, 16:16 GMT] Describing Kosovo’s declaration of independence on Sunday and the ensuing international recognition as “a powerful shot in the arm to peoples resisting and seeking independence from tyrannical regimes,” the Tamil Guardian newspaper this said that “whilst every situation and every circumstance is unique, there are important lessons from the Kosovan march to independence for liberation struggles everywhere. The paper pointed out that just a few years ago, the idea of Kosovan independence had been dismissed by the international community and the Kosovan L…

There is a widespread belief that Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gota played a crucial role in mass killings of thousands of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. One could argue that if he is elected, the IC, International Community, will be in a tough spot. On one hand he is an elected leader of a democratic country. On other hand, IC does not want to be seen shaking hands with an accused. If the diaspora and other activists around the world can learn from other examples. One would be that of UN peace forces and Sri Lanka where recent appointment of Mr. C Silva as army chief. Also, one could work to impose to ban an individual for crimes against humanity and…

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on December 15 It’s a big day for cross-Straits relations. Ending an almost 60-year-old ban on direct links that date back to the civil war between the Chinese Communists and Taiwan’s KMT Party, beginning today Taiwan and the mainland are allowing direct trade, transport, and postal links—what the Chinese call “three direct links.” And it’s long overdue: over the last twenty years, economic relations between the former enemies have soared. Today more than 750,000 Taiwanese live and work on the mainland, having invested tens of billions of dollars. Trade is expected to soon reach $100 billion, with Taiwanese electronics components, as we…

November 18, 2013 The BBC has removed it’s Sinhala Service programme on the investigative report by former BBC correspondent in Colombo Frances Harrison. Writing to Colombo Telegraph the BBC said; “There was a serious editorial lapse in a programme on the BBC Sinhala Service on Friday 8 November. Responding to Colombo Telegraph story BBC Sinhala Head Suspended: Non Sinhala Bosses Appointed, Liyanage’s Reports On Frances Harison’s Documentary Removed From BBC Web , the BBC World Service spokesman Paul Rasmussen said; “There was a serious editorial lapse in a programme on the BBC Sinhala Service on Friday 8 November. We have removed the story from our websit…

8 May 2009 18:48:54 GMT Source: Human Rights Watch Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone. (New York) -Â The Sri Lankan armed forces have repeatedly struck hospitals in the northern Vanni region in indiscriminate artillery and aerial attacks, Human Rights Watch said today. Commanders responsible for ordering or conducting such attacks may be prosecuted for war crimes. Patients, medical staff, aid workers, and other witnesses have provided Human Rights Watch with information about at least 30 attacks on permanent and makeshift hospitals in the comb…

AUDACITY OF HOPE IN A BROKEN CITY The Northern Province is in a state of economic isolation. While the state is in a political dreadlock, ordinary people have taken charge June 28, 2017 By Devin Jayasundera 16 min read For the last three months, Kamalnath*, 26, has been arriving to work in Chunnakam two hours late, leaving two hours early and spending his free time at a friend’s home in Nallur. He works at his family’s fancy goods store, retailing beauty accoutrements like bangles, hairpins …

Sri Lanka, High-Level Segment - 7th Meeting, 25th Regular Session Human Rights Council https://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1722935254001/?bctid=3293640590001&autoStart=false&secureConnections=true&width=480&height=270

Source: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/wikileaks-us-on-lttes-invocation-of-the-eritrea-mantra/#google_vignette “The popular perception of the Sri Lankan government as anti-Tamil is reinforced by the apparently random manner in which the army lobs artillery shells into Jaffna. The Reuters correspondent recounted two such incidents which occurred during the week he has in Jaffna. In one case a shell landed in a crowded fish market, killing two civilians and wounded seventeen. Two days before, a woman and her two children were injured when a round fell on their house while they were sleeping. ‘I can’t understand why they do this,’ the Reuters man said, ‘beca…

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UNICEF says the Karuna group is conscripting children, with 30 cases verified in one week in June alone. "What we have seen is recruitment by a new faction, the Karuna faction, with fairly significant numbers recruited between the months of April and June," said JoAnna VanGerpen, the UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka. "It was off in July but now we're hearing new reports again of recruitment. This is a very unfortunate development." Ross from Human Rights Watch says it is very worrying that the government apparently is complicit in the Karuna group's conscripting of children. "The fact that abductions appear to be taking place in Batticaloa area by th…

UN urged not to ignore Rajapakse regime [TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 12:58 GMT] The UN security council working group which is set to study underage recruitment in Sri Lanka later Friday should not ignore the practice of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse’s regime in the practice, a senior columnist with The Guardian newspaper wrote in Friday’s edition. And condemning political movements for the violence they turn to, “whilst ignoring their complaints and the degree of support they command leads only to political stalemate and more bloodshed,” Jonathan Steele said in an op-ed published Friday. He criticised President Rajapakse for destroying the 2002 tr…

Pope Francis Offers Hopeful Christmas Day Message From St. Peter's VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis offered Christmas wishes Wednesday for a better world, praying for protection for Christians under attack, battered women and trafficked children, peace in the Middle East and Africa, and dignity for refugees fleeing misery and conflict around the globe. Francis delivered the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (Latin for "to the city and to the world") speech from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to more than 70,000 cheering tourists, pilgrims and Romans in the square below. In his first Christmas message since being elected pontiff in March, he…

LTTE urges sports boycott of Sri Lanka. The Tamil Tigers Tuesday backed an Amnesty International awareness campaign that has embarrassed Sri Lanka's government during the cricket World Cup and urged a full sporting boycott of the country, AFP reported. Amnesty’s campaign to build support for international human rights monitoring in Sri Lanka, using the topical theme of cricket, has drawn the fury of the Colombo government as well as the main opposition Sinhala parties. Capitalising on the interest around the World Cup, Amnesty International last week launched a publicity campaign - using the slogan ‘Play by the Rules’ - to urge Sri Lanka’s warring parties to r…