thamizhar voice at the porch of UN Human rights counsel at Jeniwa

செனீவா-ஐ.நா மனித உரிமைச் சபை முன்றிலில் ஒங்கி ஒலித்த தமிழர்குரல் !

நாடு கடந்த தமிழீழ அரசாங்கம்

பதிவு செய்த நாள் : 29/02/2012

ஜெனீவா-ஐ.நா மனித உரிமைச் சபை முன்றலில் ஒங்கி ஒலித்த தமிழர்குரல் !

ஜெனீவாவில் உள்ள ஐ.நா மனித உரிமைச் சபை முன்றலில், பெப் 27ம் நாள் திங்கட்கிழமை, மாபெரும் எழுச்சி நிகழ்வாக பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்கள் ஒன்றுதிரண்டுள்ளனர்.

ஐ.நா மனித உரிமைச் சபையில், சிறிலங்காவுக்கு அழுத்தம் கொடுக்கும் வகையிலான தீர்மானமொன்று நிறைவேற்றப்படவுள்ள சூழலில், சிறிலங்கா தொடர்பில் சர்வதேச சுயாதீன விசாரணையினைப் பொறிமுறையொன்றினை அமைக்க, இந்த எழுச்சி நிகழ்வு சர்வதேசத்தை வலியுறுத்தி நின்றது.

நாடுகடந்த தமிழீழ அரசாங்கத்தின் ஏற்பாட்டில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட இந்த நிகழ்வில், சுவிசின் பல மாநிலங்களிலில் இருந்தும், பிரித்தானியா, ஜேர்மன், பிரான்ஸ் என ஐரோப்பாவின் பல நாடுகளில் இருந்தும், ஒன்றுதிரண்ட மக்கள், ஐ.நா முன்றலை நிறைத்தனர்.

தமிழீழத் தேசியக் கொடியுடன், பல நாடுகளின் தேசியக் கொடிகளை ஏந்தியவாறும், சர்வதேசத்தை நோக்கிய வாசகங்கள் அடங்கிய பதாதைகளுடன் மக்கள் நின்றிருந்தனர்.

கடந்த சனவரி மாதம் 28ம் நாள் லண்டனில் இருந்து, நா.தஅராசங்கத்தின் மக்கள்   பிரதிநிதி ஜெய்சங்கர் முருகையா தலைமையில், தொடங்கிய நீதிக்கும்     சமாதானத்துக்குமான நடைப்பயணம், பிரான்ஸ் வழியே இத்திடலை வந்தடைந்த போது சிறப்புடன் மக்கள் வரவேற்றுக் கொண்டனர்.

சர்வதேச சுயாதீன விசாரணையை வலியுறுத்தி, வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சுக்களுக்கும், வெளிநாட்டு தூதரங்களுக்கும் அனுப்பி வைக்கவென வெளியிடப்பட்ட தபால் அட்டைகளில், 4000 அட்டைகள் மக்களினால் ஆர்வத்துடன் வாங்கி செல்லப்பட்டது.

ஐ.நாவுக்கு எதிராகவும், சர்வதேசத்துக்கு எதிராகவும் கொழுப்பிலும், பிற இடங்களிலும் சிறிலங்கா அரசாங்கத்தினால் ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்த எதிர்ப்பு ஆர்பாட்டங்களை, செய்திகளாக வெளியிட்டுள்ள பல சர்வதேச ஊடகங்கள் பலவும், ஜெனீவா ஐ.நா முன்றிலில் இடம்பெற்ற இந்த நிகழ்வினையும் எதிரெதிர் நிகழ்வுகளாக வர்ணித்து, செய்திகள் வெளியிட்டுள்ளன.

நிகழ்வுகள் :

- அகவணக்கத்துடன் தொடங்கிய எழுச்சி நிகழ்வில், பொதுச்சுடரினை நா.த.அரசாங்கத்தின் உள்துற அமைச்சர் நகாலிங்கம் பாலசந்திரன் அவர்களும், ஈகைச் சுடரினை கே மேரி கொலின் – மற்றும்  நா.த.அரசாங்கத்தின் மக்கள் பிரதிநிதிகளான அருட் தெய்வேந்திரன், பாலன் சிவபாதம் ஆகியோர் ஏற்றி வைத்தனர்.

- ஈகைப்பேரொளி முருகதாசன், சமீபத்தில் சிரியாவில் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட ஊடகப்போராளி மெரி கொல்வின் ஆகியோரின் திருவுருவப்படத்துக்கான முதன்வணக்கத்தை, ஜெய்சங்கர் முருகையா செலுத்தினார்.

கௌரவிப்பு :

சிறப்பு நிகழ்வாக நீதிக்கும் சமாதானத்துக்குமான நடைப்பயணத்துக்கான கௌரவிப்பு இடம்பெற்றிருந்தது. நா.தஅரசாங்கத்தின் பெண்கள், சிறுவர், முதியோர் விவகாரங்களுக்கான அமைச்சர் பாலாம்பிகை முருகதாஸ் அவர்கள் வாழ்த்துக்கவி படிக்க, பிரதமர் வி.உருத்திரகுமாரனின் வாழ்த்துமடலை சின்னப்பு யோகராஜா அவர்கள் கையளிக்க, அமைச்சர் நாகலிங்கம் பாலசந்திரன் அவர்கள் வாசித்து வழங்கி நடைப்பயணத்தை கௌரவித்தார்.

உரைகள் :

ஈழம்கவுன்சில் பிரதிநிதி அன்னா அனோர், ஈழஆதரவரவுச் சமூகச் செயற்பாட்டாளர் வெறேனா கிறாப் மற்றும் பிரான்சில் ஒபவில்லியஸ் பகுதியின் நகரபிதா ஜக் சல்வடோர் ஆகியோர் சிறப்புரைகளை வழங்கினர்.

நாடுகடந்த தமிழீழ அரசாங்கத்தின் அரசியல், வெளிவிவகாரத்துறை துணை அமைச்சர்
மாணிக்கவாசகர், அவைத்தலைவர்பொன் பாலராஜன், தகவல்துறை துணை அமைச்சர் சுதன்ராஜ், மக்கள் பிரதிநிதிகளான ஜெய்சங்கர் முருகையா, மகிந்தன் ஆகியோர் உரையாற்றியிருந்தனர்.

வெளியீடு :

ஈழத்தமிழினத்தின் மீதான சிறிலங்காவின் இனப்படுகொலையின் சாட்சியப் பதிவாக, சர்வதேச இராஜதந்திரிகள், அரசுகள், அரசியல் தலைவர்கள், ஊடகவியலாளர்கள், கல்வியாளர்கள் என பலமட்டங்களுக்கும் கையளிக்கவல்ல  கையேடு ஒன்றும் இங்கு வெளியிடப்பட்டது.

செய்தியாளர் கலையழகன் அவர்கள் கையேடு குறித்து அறிமுக உரையை வழங்கினார்.
நா.த.அரசாங்கத்தின் மக்கள் பிரதிநிதி ஜெயம் அவர்கள் வெளியிட்டு வைக்க பிரதிநிதிகள் பல் கையேட்டடைப் பெற்றுக் கொண்டனர்.

கலையரங்கு :

பிரான்சின் பிரபல கலைஞர் இந்திரன் அவர்கள், ஈழத்தமிழர்களின் தேசியக் கலைவடிவமாகவுள்ள கூத்தின் பாடல்வடிவில், சர்வதேசத்தை நோக்கிய பாவொன்றினை வழங்கினார்.

டென்மார்கில் இருந்து வருகை தந்த நடனக்கலைஞர்கள், மக்களுக்க அரசியல் விழிப்பும், எழுச்சியும் ஊட்டும் வண்ணம், நடனங்களை வழங்கினர்.

 சொல்கிறார்கள்

"நம்பிக்கை உள்ளது!' 

பேப்பர் பைல் மூலம், நிறைவாக சம்பாதிக்கும் ஸ்டெல்லா: எனக்கு சொந்த ஊர் தஞ்சை. என் பெற்றோர் ஆசிரியர்கள். சிறு வயதில் ஓவியம், டைப்ரைட்டிங் என்று எப்போதும், எதையாவது கற்றுக் கொண்டே இருப்பேன். கால ஓட்டத்தில், சென்னைக்கு குடிபெயர்ந்தோம். பி.காம்., முடித்துவிட்டு, வீட்டில் சும்மா இருக்கப் பிடிக்காமல், பசங்களுக்கு டியூஷன் எடுத்தேன். அந்த வருமானத்திலேயே திருமணத்திற்கு, 15 சவரன் நகை சேர்த்தேன். "கெட்டிக்காரப் பொண்ணு' என்று, அனைவரும் பாராட்டினர். திருமணம் முடிந்து, இரு குழந்தைகள் பிறந்த நிலையில், கணவரை விட்டுப் பிரிய வேண்டிய நிர்பந்தம் ஏற்பட்டது. குழந்தைகளைக் காப்பாற்ற வேண்டிய பொறுப்பு இருந்ததால், வேலை தேடி அலைந்தேன். சுய தொழில் வேலை வாய்ப்பு அலுவலகத்தில், மூன்று மாதம் தையல் பயிற்சி முடித்ததும், ஆண்களுக்கான சட்டை தைத்துக் கொடுக்கும் ஆர்டர் பிடித்தேன். தையல் மிஷின்களை வாங்கிப் போட்டு தொழில் செய்ய ஆரம்பித்தேன். என்னிடம் வேலை பார்த்தவர்கள், நான் ஆர்டர் எடுத்த இடத்திலேயே வேலைக்கு சேர்ந்துவிட்டனர். இதனால், தொழிலில் பெரும் நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டு, தையல் மிஷின்களை விற்று விட்டேன். மீண்டும் சுய தொழில் நிலையத்தை அணுகினேன். பைல்கள் செய்யும், யோச னை கூறி, லோனும் கொடுத்தனர். தேவையான உபகரணங்கள், மூலப்பொருட்கள் வாங்கினேன். சென்னை தீவுத்திடலில், முதல் முறையாக கண்காட்சி வைத்தேன். நிறைய ஆர்டர்கள் கிடைத்தன. அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, சில கல்லூரி விழாக்களிலும் ஸ்டால்கள் போட்டதில், இளம் பெண்களின் விருப்பத்தைப் புரிந்து, அதற்கு ஏற்றாற்போல், பொருட்களை தயாரித்தேன்; நல்ல லாபம் கிடைக்கிறது. இப்படி ஒவ்வொரு அடியையும், நிதானமாக எடுத்து வைத்ததால், தோல்விகளுக்கு இடமில்லை. மாதம், 30 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் அளவிற்கு வருமானம் கிடைக்கிறது. என் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு, பாதுகாப்பான எதிர்காலத்தைக் கொடுக்க முடியும் என்ற நம்பிக்கை உள்ளது.

Marie Colvin remembered in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 February 2012, 21:06 GMT]
Tamil journalists from various media organizations came together on Monday in Jaffna with civil society members and student representatives of various faculties of the Jaffna University, to pay tribute to the slain war correspondent in Syria, Marie Colvin, who had been in the island covering the conflict earlier. Paying floral tribute, the event, organized by Nimalarajan Memorial Foundation, remembered the late Marie Colvin as a Journalist Friend of Tamils. Meanwhile, remembering Marie Colvin in the diaspora, the London-based International Association of Tamil Journalists came out with a tribute last Thursday, saluting her courage, discipline and commitment to her work and to humanity.

Senior journalist K. Kathiravelu paying tribute to the late Ms. Marie Colvin

In the memorial event held in Jaffna, Editor of Yaazh Thinakkural Mr. A. Rajeevan, President of the student union of the Vavuniyaa campus of the Jaffna University Mr. Sakthi, the Director of Media Resource and Training Centre of the Jaffna University V. Thevananth and the Jaffna reporter of Lankadeepa and Dailymirror, Mr. Parameswaran, delivered speeches. The event took place at Yaazhpaadi hotel from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Professor R. Sivachanthiran of the Jaffna University and Ms. S. Rachel, a doctoral research fellow from UK, currently engaged in a field research on the political developments in the island between 2005 and 2010, also took part at the event.

Rachel who spoke at the memorial event said that the journalists from remote cities get together to honour Marie Colvin because she was a peoples' journalist and said that it was an honour for her to attend the memorial event of Marie Colvin in Jaffna.

Thinakkural Editor Rajeevan in his address said Marie Colvin, who risked her life in covering the conflict in the island, remained attached to the Eezham Tamils throughout, and it was that attachment that made her to become a key witness to the final hours in Vanni. Her contribution was significant in raising the global awareness, he said.

Marie Colvin will always remain an inspiration to the Tamil journalists, who continue their work under severe threat to press freedom, said Mr. Thevananth in his speech.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on behalf of the London-based International Association of Tamil Jouranlists, former BBC Tamil service journalist Ms. Aanandhi Suryapirakasam said that Marie would always be fondly remembered by the Tamil community all over the world.

• Press statement by IATAJ

A section of participants at the memorial event in Jaffna

Editor of Yaazh Thinakkural, A. Rajeevan

S. Rachel, a doctoral research fellow from UK

Director of Media Resource and Training Centre in Jaffna University, V. Thevananth

Chronology:

28.02.12  Marie Colvin remembered in Jaffna

25.02.12  Nambiar opens mouth after killing of Marie Colvin

22.02.12  Veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin killed in S..

DDoS attack disrupts TamilNet web traffic

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2012, 23:14 GMT]
Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS), identified by the service provider of TamilNet as originating from specific parts of the world, has been disrupting web traffic of TamilNet.com since Saturday. The attack on the independent media reporting to the world on Tamil affairs coincides with the opening of the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in Geneva on Monday, where the USA and Sri Lanka have already pitched positions in hijacking the focus of issues concerning the cause of genocide-affected Eezham Tamils. TamilNet has been forced to seek expert services in regularising the web traffic. As a media arguing for Eezham Tamil public to take up the issues into their hands, TamilNet depends on the support of nobody other than the Tamil masses and the alternative world.

TamilNet Editorial Board

TamilNet had been targeted to similar web attacks, but in minor scale, in the past too, in its 15-years of web transmission.

Sri Lanka has been blocking the web traffic of TamilNet inside the island since June 2007.

In the long struggle of Eezham Tamils, in the pre-internet era, regimes in Colombo were jamming broadcasts including those of the Tamil services of the BBC and Veritas.

TamilNet was blocked in Sri Lanka, but still it was able to relay to the world the first hand coverage of the war, at a time when the Colombo regime and its abettors wanted to conduct a genocidal war without witnesses. The regional media in the subcontinent and the international media either could not challenge or didn’t want to challenge the ‘experiment’ of Colombo and the powers in complicity.

Indirectly admitting the Internet censorship on TamilNet, Sri Lankan Media Minister and former military spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella then said, as reported by the BBC: "We are looking for hackers to disable the TamilNet but could not find anyone yet."

The web attack on TamilNet now, which in magnitude surpasses all the earlier attacks even during the Vanni War, shows only the level of anxiety over the current post-war manoeuvrings in the paranoid camps, guilty of genocide, but remain either inimical or stick to deterrent towards justice to the cause of Eezham Tamils.

TamilNet has also faced crippling murderous attacks.

On October 2000, BBC's Jaffna correspondent Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, who was also one of the ground reporters of TamilNet, was shot and killed in Sri Lanka’s military controlled Jaffna.

Almost five years later, on 28 April 2005, Sivaram Dharmeratnam, a senior editor of TamilNet, was abducted and assassinated in Colombo and his body was later found in the high security zone behind the Sri Lankan parliament in Colombo.

Later, during the Rajapaksa regime, media in Colombo was also targeted through assassinations and reportedly through web attacks of hired expertise. The target of attacks included the ones supporting the wartime SL commander Sarath Fonseka.

Eezham Tamils have noticed a difference in response from the Establishments, their media and human rights organisations advocating media freedom, between attacks that have taken place against Colombo-centric media and attacks against the media orientated to the national cause of Eezham Tamils.

Upholding the state either by genocide or by any other artful means conceived by the Establishments is progressive or moderate that needs voices of protection. But upholding the national cause of genocide-affected Eezham Tamils and exposing the culprits deterring it, or revealing the on-going structural genocide, is ‘terrorist’, pro-LTTE or pro-rebel.

Even when there are no visible signs of the presence of the LTTE, TamilNet has been deliberately tagged with the ‘taboo’ or is subjected to blackout, calculated disregard etc., not only by the genocidal state in the island but also by powers, personalities formerly associated with the moves of the Co-Chairs, international organisations including those who claim speaking on human rights and by the mainstream news agencies as well as media that play the second fiddle.

Then, why the present international web attack of cowardice, needs perusal of our readers and the alternative world.

Right from the inception, TamilNet has been functioning on a very low budget and without the benefits of advertisement, just for maintaining its independence in the times of ‘funded’ organisations and institutions. It will remain so.

It has been depending only on the support of the masses and genuine philanthropists among them who don’t intend ‘strings’ attached to their support whether material or otherwise. TamilNet will personally reach out to them with authentication when needed.

Our readers and the alternative world are requested to understand the times, the plight of TamilNet and the universal free media experiment for a righteous cause involved in the entire process, in showing their solidarity.

SLA, paramilitary, force Tamils in Batticaloa to take part in anti-UN protests

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2012, 22:26 GMT]
SLA operated paramilitary operatives, dispatched by the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Batticaloa, visited the Village Development Council (VDC) leaders in various villages in the district on Monday instructing the heads of the VDCs to have at least 150 people to get on board the buses they would be bringing to transport civilians against their will to march from Batticaloa Hindu College to the Clock Tower in Batticaloa city. The heads of VDCs were told that they would have to resign their posts if they failed to meet the demand. The people, gathered against their will were then taken to Batticaloa city and were forced to burn the effigy of US President Barack Obama and to chant slogans against the UNHRC session taking place in Geneva.

Sinhalese protestors were brought in two SLTB buses and in private mini buses from Ampaa'rai district to Batticaloa city to march in a separate procession on the same route following the Tamil victims. The Buddhist monk of Batticaloa Vihara led the Sinhala protesters.

Muslim deputy ministers collaborating with Rajapaksa regime were active in getting the Muslim protesters from Oaddamaavadi, Ea'raavoor and Kaaththaankudi to burn the effigies of US President Barack Obama while expressing their support to SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

At Vaakarai, situated north of Batticaloa in Koara'laippattu North Regional Division (PS), the occupying Sri Lanka Army soldiers warned the civilians that fishermen would not be allowed to enter the seas and those who depend on collecting firewood would not be allowed to access the jungle if they failed to stage a protest against the UN in front of the PS secretariat.

Even when the global establishments are not demanding anything in favour of Tamil people and were only asking Colombo to implement its own recommendations in the so-called Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission, a reactionary hysteria has been whipped up throughout the island by the Rajapaksa regime, demonstrating what it means by the words “reconciliation”, an academic from Batticaloa told TamilNet.

“Where are the EU monitors who were present in monitoring the election violations during the last decade? Where are the NGOs that were operating in Batticaloa during the times of the war? And, why are the Western news agencies based in Colombo that were able to visit us after Tsunami tragedy and during the times of Karuna split still unable to report the abuses being committed on ordinary civilians by the Colombo regime,” the academic asked adding that there was no one to question the abuses being committed on Eezham Tamils in Batticaloa district by the occupying SLA and its operatives.

SL colonial governor coordinates anti-UN demonstration of SLFP, EPDP in North

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2012, 16:41 GMT]
Occupying Sri Lanka’s colonial governor, Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasri was seen coordinating the two factions collaborating with the Rajapaksa regime, the Angkajan-led SLFP and Douglas Devananda-led EPDP, in staging a simulated demonstration in Jaffna and Vanni against UNHRC discussing Sri Lanka in Geneva on Monday. The simulation forced in sections and individuals waiting for benefits from the Colombo regime. An attendance register was maintained for the participants. However, a media clip captured comments of a passing-by youth street vendor, who universally encapsulated the game on the island. The youth told the unemployed graduates in the ‘demonstration’: “I am not educated like you to perform this act.” The youth has not said that to the ‘demonstrators’ alone, commented media circles witnessed the scene in Jaffna.

The US and UK buttress Sri Lanka’s LLRC hoodwink as solutions, but a game of fuss on implementation is simulated both in Geneva and in the island by the Colombo regime.

The US bloc and India that were in complicity with Sri Lanka in the genocidal war against Eezham Tamils try to limit the solutions to the implementation of the 13th Amendment and implementation of Colombo’s LLRC recommendations so that the identity and territoriality of Eezham Tamils as a nation could be annihilated and the colonial ‘victory’ of the majoritarian state could be consolidated.

Both the power blocs in partnership have found collaborating sections in the Tamil polity as well.

However, all are in the game in pretending great pressure, pretending great achievements and in sorting out petty nuances over time and space, political observers in the diaspora commented.

On Monday, carrying a Lion flag of his Sri Lankan state, the war crime alleged former commander of the SL forces in Jaffna and the current colonial governor Chandrasiri was insisting that the EPDP paramilitary of SL minister Douglas Devananda and the SLFP clique of Angkayan should come together in the UPFA demonstration in Jaffna. Mr. Devananda is part of the SL delegation currently in Geneva.

Hunting for people to take part in their protest, the EPDP and SLFP were competing in inviting the poverty-stricken victims of genocide, especially the families waiting for resettlement in housing-schemes, unemployed graduates awaiting government jobs, teachers who have sought transfer from remote areas, the family members of missing people still believed to be kept alive in SL incarceration and ‘rehabilitated’ former LTTE members subjected to various threats.

The victims were individually targeted in a pressure campaign to come to the office of the SLFP situated at Temple Road in Nalloor on Monday morning, if they were to get preference in receiving benefits or considerations.

Registries were maintained at the SLFP office to mark the attendance of the presence of the participants against the will. They were given with placards against the UN.

The victims were then instructed to take part in the ‘demonstration’ marching behind a huge cut-out of Mahinda Rajapaksa, chanting praises on him.

Chandrasiri, who coordinated the demonstration, disappeared from the scene just before the march reaching the UN office. He didn't want to be seen leading the demonstration in front of the UN offices.

The SLFP clique had earlier threatened the UN office in Jaffna to ‘keep the main gates open’. However, the gates remained closed when the UPFA protest arrived there.

After 15 minutes of ‘agitation’ orchestrated by the goons and paramilitary operatives outside the gates, the UN representatives opted to come out opening their gates to receive the SL ‘appeal’.

After this, the victims who were forced to take part in the demonstration were taken through Stanley Road to Veampadi Junction, where the SL governor was awaiting them.

Meanwhile, EPDP paramilitary, with less than 200 ‘participants’ staged its protest from Muniyappar Temple in the esplanade of the Jaffna Fort. Unemployed graduates were promised employment for participating in the protest organised by the EPDP.

Despite the ‘efforts’ of Chandrasiri, who was earlier the operational boss of the paramilitary groups in Jaffna during his military tenure, the EPDP refused to cooperate with him and the SLFP.

However, after prolonged ‘discussions’ at Veampadi Junction, Chandrasiri led both the factions to go parallel with ‘parity’ in the double road along the Jaffna Hospital, towards the bus station.

The civilian victims forced into the demonstration avoided showing their faces

Similar protests were also ‘staged’ in Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts of Vanni.

Civil officials of the Northern Provincial Council administration were interrupted from their work and were instructed to join the protest in Ki'linochchi. They were taken in vehicles to be present at the protest in Ki'linochchi town.

The officials of the secretariats in Vanni were also forced to write and prepare the placards.

SL Presidential sibling and economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa was also behind organizing the protests in the North.

Chronology:

27.02.12  SL colonial governor coordinates anti-UN demonstra..

26.02.12  Peace academic denounces US-LLRC formula, urges al..

25.02.12  TNA plans boycotting UNHRC, requests people to rem..

25.02.12  US ‘tables’ Rajapaksa formula while pretending pre..

24.02.12  UNHRC sessions open on Monday amidst US–Sri Lanka ..

Second generation Eezham Tamils in Canada assert Tamil sovereignty at Youth Conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2012, 05:38 GMT]
Eezham Tamil youth activists from Canada resolved to continue the struggle for Tamil sovereignty at the ‘Eelam Tamil Youth Conference-Canada 2012’ organized by the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) and the Tamil Youth Organization-Canada (TYO-Canada) at Toronto City Hall, Toronto this Sunday. After three presentations from the organizers and an interactive discussion, nine resolutions were passed in the conference which received unanimous approval from the participants. The resolutions, which welcomed the Tamil Sovereignty Cognition declaration “as a principled approach to resolving the national question of Eelam Tamils”, highlighted the nature of genocide of Eelam Tamils in their homelands. Rejecting the territorial integrity of the unitary Sri Lankan state, the resolutions also called for a boycott of those diaspora organizations that principally lent legitimacy to the same.

Representatives from 14 Tamil Students Associations from high schools, colleges and universities in Canada participated in the conference.

Student activists reaffirmed the principles enshrined in the Vaddukkodai Declaration of 1976, the Thimpu Declaration of 1985 and upheld the Tamil Sovereignty Cognition declaration released on Heroes Day last year as a conceptual reference point. The conference consisted of three presentations followed by in-depth discussion with the participants.

Priyanth Nallaratnam, spokesperson of the TYO-Canada, delivered a presentation on the historical role played by Tamil youth in the liberation struggle. The presentation reviewed the genocidal oppression that gave birth to the liberation movement and the conditions that necessitated a political and armed struggle.

“Tamil students have always played a revolutionary role in moving the struggle for freedom forward. As second generation Tamil youth we have a duty to elevate the struggle for the liberation of the occupied state of Tamil Eelam,” he said.

Samuel Nithiananthan, director with the NCCT, spoke about geopolitics and the contemporary Tamil struggle.

Pointing out the geopolitical interests of both Eastern and Western in Sri Lanka leading to the genocide of the Eezham Tamils, Nithianandan opined that the Western establishments were complicit in the military defeat of the Tigers.

“Tamil student activists must develop a thorough understanding of geopolitics to effectively advocate for national liberation and avoid being deceived by the international powers into a mode of containment,” he said, also criticizing the UN for its inability to pursue a just approach with respect to the Tamils.

Arguing that mere war crimes enquiry was just a containment strategy, Nithiananthan stressed that Eezham Tamils in Canada should stand for Tamil sovereignty and self-determination without which, there would be no reconciliation in the island.

Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesperson of the National Council of Canadian Tamils, facilitated a discussion on the international legal principles of self-determination, the need to build solidarity with other oppressed nations and peoples’ seeking self-determination, and the internationalization of the Eezham Tamil freedom struggle.

Touching on the self-determination struggles in the era, he pointed out how the principle of Tamil sovereignty was historically upheld in both the political and military struggles of the Eezham Tamils in the homeland.

He was of the opinion that there were legal limitations in current definitions of self-determination and that there was need to develop a new strategy to check genocide and assert sovereignty, based on the internationalization of the Eezham Tamil struggle through a million strong diaspora.

“The responsibility for the Tamil struggle for self-determination now rests squarely on the shoulders of our generation in the homeland and the diaspora. Depending on how we take the struggle forward, history will either absolve us or indict us in the genocide of our own people,” he said, adding that “The need of the hour is to build an international solidarity movement to counteract the ongoing military occupation of the Tamil homeland”

The following resolutions were ratified at the conference

1. Awareness of Eelam Tamil identity and the promotion of the same among the mainstream Canadian polity and society is vital for our authentic cultural life in Canada as well as for the restoration of our sovereignty in the occupied homeland of the Eelam Tamils
2. We welcome the Tamil Sovereignty Cognition as a principled approach to resolving the national question of Eelam Tamils in the island of Ceylon and recognize the declaration as a milestone following the Vaddukkoaddai Resolution of 1976, the Thimpu principles of 1985 and the reaffirmation of the Vaddukkoaddai Resolution amongst the Tamil Diaspora in 2009.
3. It is due to the global injustice that the genocidal war was made possible on the Eelam Tamils. The same global injustice prevails, politically privileging the perpetrators in the Sri Lankan establishment. Addressing this is a step to restore the lost power of balance.
4. The struggle of the Eelam Tamils, who are subjected in their homelands to a protracted, intended genocide carried out in various ways and kept under a system of colonization, militarization and Sinhalicisation, has been internationalized with over a million of them in the diaspora, and thus, a solution from a purely local approach is not only impossible but also unproductive.
5. We uncompromisingly uphold the legacy of the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle and its martyrs of over 60 years of resistance and shall endeavour to promote its political and cultural symbols, the Tamil Eelam national flag, national festivals, national culture to both local and global audiences and what we shall promote the ideals of the resistance and the freedom fighters in all spheres of Tamil life.
6. We reject the territorial integrity of the Sri Lankan state that occupies Tamil Eelam and we reject the imposition of the ‘Sri Lankan’ identity, politically and culturally on the Eelam Tamils
7. We will boycott any Tamil Diaspora organization that compromise the principles of Homeland, Nation and Self Determination and therefore lends legitimacy to the unitary state of Sri Lanka
8. As a practical next step to the Tamil Sovereignty Cognition declaration, we call on a new generation of Tamil leaders from Tamil Nadu, Tamil Eelam, and the Diaspora to challenge the international community to revaluate its approach to self-determination for unrecognized nations and peoples and to build solidarity with other peoples living under occupation to challenge the present geo political order.
9. We resolve to raise awareness and educate Tamils and non-Tamils about the ongoing-internationally abetted- genocide of the Tamil nation. We will educate the international community about the legitimacy of the Tamil liberation struggle.

At a time when establishments are promoting certain individuals and organizations within the diaspora to work with the ‘development agenda’ of the GoSL through lucrative career options, the resolutions adopted by second generation youth at this conference in a country which has the strongest concentration of Eezham Tamils abroad sends a strong message about the political consciousness of the diaspora.

“We hope that Tamil youth activists in Tamil Nadu and the Eezham Tamil Diaspora will stand firmly by the principles of sovereignty and engage in coordinated efforts to achieve the same” Samuel Nithianandan told TamilNet.

Peace academic denounces US-LLRC formula, urges alternative mechanism for justice

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2012, 10:53 GMT]
“The US support given to UNHRC’s proposal for an accountability mechanism for Sri Lanka would not go beyond requesting GoSL to implement LLRC recommendation which legitimised war to protect the state and reduced human rights violations to the ‘misbehaviour ‘of individual soldiers,” writes Jude Lal Fernando, academic of the Trinity College, Dublin. Establishing what took place was not mere war crimes or crimes against humanity but was intended genocide by Sri Lankan state, and arguing why justice will not come from the powers that conceal the truth and stifle justice and recovery, the academic who was earlier involved in the Dublin Tribunal urges alternative international community to pursue an international independent accountability mechanism.

In a paper sent to TamilNet this week, which is a modified version of his presentation at the 9th Biennial Conference of International Network of Genocide Scholars (INGS) in Argentina last July, Dr. Jude Lal Fernando theoretically and historically establishes why the discourse on Sri Lanka should be orientated on a genocide paradigm and not be confined to mere war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Jude Fernando is a lecturer and a post-doctoral researcher in peace studies at Trinity College, Dublin.

• The Politics of Representations of Mass Atrocity in Sri Lanka: Challenges to Justice and Recovery

In his paper, he identifies the ideological markers of the UN panel report, thinking in the US/UK/EU and the orientation of the international human rights organisations such as the Human Rights Watch and International Crisis Group as limited, and observes that the scope for justice coming from them would also be limited.

Pointing out that there is not much difference between the rationale behind the findings and recommendations of the LLRC and the ideological markers of the forces mentioned above, Dr Fernando observes that war crime paradigm lacking historical perspective would only lead to not addressing the root cause of the conflict, to reduce the truth about mass atrocity into a mere breakdown of law and order, and to confine recovery of the victims to undefined political solution under the existing unitary state structure.

In recovering truth about mass atrocity in Sri Lanka it is of paramount importance to go beyond a single state-lens, he observes.

Asking a question, whether it is the specific intent of the GoSL or the strategic interests of global powers that dismantled the parity of esteem between the parties, and indicting SL government for the Tamil genocide and the IC for the complicity, Jude Fernando says that there is a deliberate attempt by the powers who are culpable for crimes against peace to conceal the truth and stifle justice and recovery.

He cited the recent statement of visiting US official Otero in Colombo that had softened and twisted even the phrase war crimes into ‘wartime abuses’.

Commenting on Jude Fernando’s paper, a new generation Eezham Tamil politician said: “In war and postwar the partners have the same aim. Only the tactics of deception differs. But the irony is that when a Sinhala academic like Jude Fernando, seeing the deception in the so-called international community, calls for alternative action to get justice, the Tamil National Alliance wants the Eezham Tamils not to do anything, but to remain calm.”

“Jude Fernando’s detailed discussions establishing theoretical and historical perspectives of genocide in the island are a must to be read by everyone involved in the discourse on the conflict in the island. The paper especially enlightens Tamil polity of the demands it should make, directions it should take and against which forces its struggle should be waged, the new generation Tamil politician further said.

• The Politics of Representations of Mass Atrocity in Sri Lanka: Challenges to Justice and Recovery

Chronology:

27.02.12  SL colonial governor coordinates anti-UN demonstra..

26.02.12  Peace academic denounces US-LLRC formula, urges al..

25.02.12  TNA plans boycotting UNHRC, requests people to rem..

25.02.12  US ‘tables’ Rajapaksa formula while pretending pre..

24.02.12  UNHRC sessions open on Monday amidst US–Sri Lanka ..

Related Articles:
27.05.11   Political truth of Mu’l’livaaykkaal
16.01.10   Dublin verdict: Sri Lanka guilty of War Crimes

HRW's Sri Lanka torture report will help UK asylum seekers, says TAG

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2012, 00:35 GMT]
Credible new evidence of Sri Lanka’s torture of recent deportees from Britain, disclosed recently in a report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a premier Rights group based in New York, will significantly bolster ongoing litigation to halt the UK’s deportations, said Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), in a litigation update released today. HRW said the UK should suspend deportations of ethnic Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka and immediately review its policies and information about the country’s rights situation used to assess their claims." About 100 Tamil asylum seekers are scheduled for deportation from the United Kingdom on February 28, 2012.

In the case Tamils Against Genocide v United Kingdom (Application reference 77045/11) at the Queens Bench Administrative Court in December 2011, TAG had argued that the deportation of asylum seekers in a UK chartered flight in December breached a legitimate expectation that the policy on removal will be reviewed, in the light of ‘credible and relevant evidence’ of torture of returnees. The report of the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) was included as evidence of ongoing torture, as was the 2011 report by British NGO Freedom From Torture.

But, Justice Mitting J held that each decision for removal must be individually appealed, and refused to allow a generic appeal. "The sole reason for refusal of permission was on the ground that a claim can only succeed on the grounds of individualized applications based on profile and not on the grounds of a challenge to the failure to review policy in the light of credible allegations of torture of failed asylum seekers on return," Lower Court Judge Mitting said in the order.

When the UK Appeals Court also sided with Justice Mitting, TAG filed an action before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which also has jurisdiction over such asylum cases.

TAG's UK spokesperson Jan Jananayagam said that her organization will now take on board Mitting J’s criticism by incorporating the statement from HRW, and will assist individuals in bringing appeals to the UK courts, in addition to the ongoing class action in Europe.

Individual appeals to the UK High Court is be launched on Monday, TAG said.

“The evidence collected by HRW and their willingness to go public significantly alters the playing field," said TAG, adding “we urge asylum claimants and their solicitors to incorporate the new evidence into their appeals. TAG will make available new statements of evidence to interested refugees and their solicitors. Details of how to liaise with TAG to benefit from these new developments can be found in the litigation section of the TAG website."

Meanwhile, responding to Parliamentary questions on Wednesday the UK Foreign Office Minister, Alistair Burt, continued to deny that deportees from the UK are being detained and tortured by Sri Lankan authorities on their return. "We are aware of media allegations that returnees are being abused. All have been investigated by the High Commission, and no evidence has been found to substantiate any of them,” Alistair Burt said.

Alistair Burt’s position was flatly contradicted by Human Rights Watch and others who have declined to be named for fear of the safety of their witnesses.

In a related development the UK's Metropolitan Police have held discussions with NGOs working on preventing torture in Sri Lanka. The Metropolitan Police confirm they have made arrangements to collect evidence from witnesses and victims of torture at the point of entry to the United Kingdom and to arrange for a medical examination where necessary.

“While asylum seekers may be unfamiliar with British procedures and fear disclosing information, they should not hesitate to provide details on torture and other rights abuses to the police, if they or their family members are victims or witnesses to rights abuses, and ask for a referral to a non governmental Human Rights organization (NGO) that they trust,” TAG said.

An immigration attorney in the UK said that credibility issues arise when evidence relating to torture and other war crimes is introduced late in the asylum claim.. "It is always best for victims and their families to contact a victim support NGO at the earliest possible opportunity," the attorney added.

Chronology:

26.02.12  HRW's Sri Lanka torture report will help UK asylum..

16.12.11  UK Courts refuse stay on deportation, TAG appeals ..

14.12.11  TAG files legal challenge to UK deportation policy

Related Articles:
25.02.12   Halt deportations of Tamils, Sri Lanka tortures Tamil deport..
23.12.11   ‘Failure to confront UK deportations is failing humanity’


External Links:

Guardian:		UK not monitoring safety of Tamils deported to Sri Lanka
FM:		Charter flight to Sri Lanka 15 December 2011
Guardian:		Deported Tamils 'face torture' on return to Sri Lanka
ECHR:		European Court of Human Rights

Nambiar opens mouth after killing of Marie Colvin

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2012, 22:58 GMT]
Refusing to comment officially, but speaking to Inner City Press (ICP) later Friday, UN Secretary General’s Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar conceded that Marie Colvin had urged him to personally go and witness the surrender of Nadesan, Puliththevan and others. He had planned to go along with US diplomat Bob Blake, but the ICRC was not able to go by sea route and the SL government had refused to give him permission, Nambiar said, adding, “there was no way we could just force our way in.” Accusing the ICP for involving him in the genocide, Nambiar said, "Marie Colvin was involved in the same...now that she has passed away I would like to place on record my own" position, and "appreciation for the intrepidity with which she pursued her own vocation. She talked to me, you know that,"

When the ICP asked why he hadn’t spoken out then, when he had been blocked from witnessing the surrender and the people whom he had assured ended up killed without witnesses, Nambiar said that he was not prepared to hazard any guess as the Rajapaksa brothers had told him that the victims could have been shot by their own people.

“[T]hey could have been shot by own people. I am not prepared to hazard any guess. Even Basil [Rajapaksa], he also said that. It was mainly Gotabaya [Rajapaksa] and the President [Mahinda Rajapaksa]," Nambiar told ICP.

While answering the ICP on Friday, Nambiar has forgotten the names of the victims of his ‘surrender’ effort.

"In the middle of the night, Marie called me, the two people, I've forgotten the names, one was on the Peace Commission, they wanted to surrender. We need to get assurance, free passage. I said OK, I'll do it. I took it up with foreign minster, the defense minister and the president. They would be treated like any surrendering prisoner, what happened after that, I couldn't...," Nambiar said.

Meanwhile, Palitha Kohona, who was also involved in the White Flag drama, is now tipped to replace Shavendra Silva removed from the UN Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

Chronology:

25.02.12  Nambiar opens mouth after killing of Marie Colvin

22.02.12  Veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin killed in S..