Sinhala - Muslim student clash hospitalises 20 in East

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2013, 06:01 GMT]
20 students, including 6 girls, were admitted for medical treatment at Chammaan-thu’rai hospital and SL police in Chammaan-thu’rai detained 41 students, following a clash between Sinhala and Muslim students at the Faculty of Applied Sciences in the South Eastern University in Ampaa’rai district on Thursday. Sinhala students opposing the election of a Muslim as leader in the student union elections held last month, resulted in the clash, informed sources said. The University administration phrased the incident as a clash between two groups of 2nd and 3rd year students and that the faculty would remain closed until further notice. The University is situated at Oluvil in Ampaa’rai district.

Medical officer at Chammaanthu’rai hospital YDM Aziz said 20 students were admitted with minor injuries at the hospital.

When the South Eastern University was started, many were hoping that it would be the centre for providing space for the Tamil-speaking Muslims of the island to come out with their own academic identity and leadership.

In the given context of the island, a Muslim becoming a student leader is not possible in any university other than the South Eastern University.

The dominant ones should be the dominant ones throughout the island and the others should be subordinates throughout the island, is the policy behind the genocidal State centred in Colombo.

After the end of Vanni war, the occupying Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) constructed a big base near the university premises. Abubucker Lebbai Ismail, the president of the mosque at Oluvil complained in 2010 that the militarisation was posing economic and cultural problems for the people in Oluvil.

Sinhala, Muslim divisions carved in Ampaa’rai

Sinhala, Muslim divisions carved in Ampaa’rai depriving territoriality to Tamils

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 January 2013, 06:43 GMT]
Genocidal Sri Lanka plans to create a new Sinhala division in the Ampaa’rai district of Eastern Province that will be including the localities of the Oluvil port and a Buddhist temple constructed at Deegavaapi, news sources in the East said. Meanwhile, backed by SL minister Mr. Addaulla, new Pradeasa Sapais (PS: civic bodies) and municipalities are carved out for the Muslims at Akkaraippattu and I’rakkaamam. But, the ancient Tamil villages in the district at Kalmunai, Paa’ndiruppu, Natpiddi-munai, Periya-neelaava’nai etc. don’t have their own PS or divisions. When the Sinhalese grab the lands of Muslims and Tamils and create enclaves, the Muslims in turn grab the lands of Tamils and totally marginalize them in the district, where Tamils have come only as the third ethnicity now.

At the 40th milepost area in the district an extensive Sinhala military camp has come up in the lands of Tamils.

While Colombo has called for written submissions from the public before 31 January on the re-demarcation of divisional and civic body boundaries in the district, the occupying military and its intelligence outfits oppresses any Tamil opinion-making process or public mobilisation on the issue.

SL military monitors and intimidates all Tami politicians and village dignitaries who organize any public meetings in this regard.

Colombo government plans to execute certain decisions secretly or without much publicity, informed sources said.

No credible census was taken in the island after 1981. The recent census was manipulated to suit the genocidal agenda. The figures are not reliable due to manipulations and due to a fire incident at Colombo’s Census Department in 2010, the sources further said.

Both Tamils and the Tamil-speaking Muslims in the East have to handle the situation with restraint and far sight, as the issues and equations between them especially in the East were responsible for marring larger political questions in the past, political observers said.

Both have to look at what had happened to the traditional Tamil and Muslim villages that were the majority a hundred years ago in the coastal part of the North Western Province, which were later manipulated between the Puththa’lam and Kurunegala districts, the political observers further said.

French ambassador concerned about fishermen encroachment

French ambassador concerned about fishermen encroachment, Tamil - Muslim relations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 January 2013, 12:28 GMT]
The French ambassador in Colombo, Christine Robichon, visiting Jaffna and Mannaar between 07 and 12 of this month, was able to “assess the damages of the trespassing of Indian trawlers on the livelihoods of local fishermen, and the consequences of the use of banned methods of fishing on the environment and natural resources,” said a press release of the French embassy in Colombo on Sunday. In her meetings with resettled people, she paid particular attention to the relations between Tamil and Muslim communities. “It is encouraging to see that Tamil and Muslim work together to provide support to all the war affected people in some organizations but it is worrying to perceive signs of communal tensions particularly in Mannar,” the press release said citing the ambassador.

French Ambassdor Christine Robichon with Bishop of Jaffna Rt Rev Dr Thomas Savundaranayagam

French Ambassador with Tamil and Muslim NGO workers in Mannaar

French Ambassdor with SL Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Shirantha Udawatta

Ms Robichon during her visit met the Catholic Bishops of Jaffna and Mannaar, the VC of the Jaffna University, SL government officials, civil society representatives, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam and the civic body in Mannaar.

She also met the board of the Alliance Francaise de Jaffna and visited VICJAF fishnet factory, partially funded by France and run by Caritas.

Her visit was to see the progress in ‘development’ and to “have a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of the people, with a specific focus on the fishermen,” said the press release.

On the conditions of the fishermen, she was briefed by the occupying Sinhala Naval Commander in the North, Rear Admiral Shirantha Udawatta, and by representatives of the SL government and fishing societies and cooperatives, most of which are now controlled by the EPDP, collaborating with Colombo.

Besides the issue of encroachment and environmental damage by Indian trawlers, “the fishermen underlined other difficulties they are facing, particularly restrictions imposed by the Navy,” the press release said.

What was strangely missing is any reference to the genocidal encroachment of the Sinhala fishermen into the waters of Eezham Tamils, the environmental damages caused by the trawlers coming from the South with SL military and EPDP protection, Sinhala militarisation of the coastline and demographic and economic genocide of Tamil fishermen by Sinhala colonisation of the coastline, commented media sources in the North that were long covering these issues.

The highlight on the Indian encroachment is one-sided, the media sources said.

Whether the French ambassador couldn’t meet any people who could enlighten her on the genocidal dimensions of the issue or whether there is any deliberate effort by France to altogether shield that dimension to save the genocidal Sinhala State in the island, the media sources in Jaffna asked.

• Press statement by the French Embassy