Tamil Justice

Dr. Palitha Kohona’s address at University of Toronto “postponed”

A talk by Dr. Palitha Kohona scheduled for March 10, 2010 at the University of Toronto has been postponed. The event was to be hosted by Centre for South Asian Studies. Local sources say the postponement is as a result of heavy opposition from Canadians of all ethnic communities and student movements who protested the event. Sri Lanka’s abysmal rate of human rights violations and evidence of war crimes are primary causes for the protest. Faculty’s website indicates that event has been postponed pending a standard security assessment – http://webapp.mcis.utoronto.ca/EventDetails.aspx?eventid=8769

The Wire – Sri Lankan opposition leader arrested

Produced by Jacinta Patterson

In Sri Lanka, the main opposition leader has been arrested after the government accused him of what it termed ‘military offences’. Sri Lanka held its general election last month – the first since the end of the country’s lengthy civil war. Former military leader General Sarath Fonseca ran an unsuccessful campaign against his former commander-in-chief, President Mahendra Rajapaksa. His arrest came just hours after he told reporters he’d be willing to give evidence about war crimes he alleges took place during the conflict. Featured in this story: Dr Sam Pari, spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress; Dr Jake Lynch, director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University.

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Radio Adelaide Breakfast – Sri Lanka post election

After the elections in Sri Lanka, with the population being said to be more ethnically split than ever before, is it possible the President Rajapaksa will address issues such as economically developing the north, power sharing and reconciliation with the Tamil people?

Casey Hribar spoke to Bobby Sandaralingham of the Australian Tamil Congress and put these questions to him.

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The Australian – Commonwealth Tested by Sri Lanka

IT is rare for the Commonwealth to have a chance to play a decisive role on the world stage, but last week’s disputed presidential election in Sri Lanka is one such opportunity. It was the only major international organisation to send observers, and the only one regarded as impartial by both the main candidates, President Mahinda Rajapakse and his former army chief, Sarath Fonseka.

It therefore falls on the Commonwealth to pass judgment on the election and the subsequent crackdown on the independent media and opposition.

Commonwealth Journalists Association – CJA Condemns Treatment of Journalists in Sri Lanka

The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) is deeply concerned at the disappearance of Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and appalled that Sri Lanka’s ‘democratic’ government continues to persecute journalists for committing the ’sin’ of criticizing the ruling party.

AAP – Indonesia to end asylum-seeker stand-off

Indonesia hopes to end a long-running asylum seeker stand-off at a Javan port by the end of the month, an official says.

More than 240 Sri Lankan asylum seekers have spent almost four months refusing to leave their rickety cargo boat in Merak.

Press Statement: Sri Lanka – Election is over: ensure protection of peoples’ rights now!

(Bangkok, 3 February 2010)

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a membership-based organisation representing 46 human rights NGOs across Asia, expresses its grave concern over the present political repression and human rights abuse in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the presidential elections. All political actors in the country must take immediate steps to ensure due process and respect for democratic norms and human rights in Sri Lanka.

Read full statement here

SMH – Sri Lankan fighting leaves a gruesome legacy

It will be years before the landmines will be cleared from the ravaged country’s battlefields, writes Matt Wade.

The guns fell silent more than eight months ago but the brutal conclusion to Sri Lanka’s civil war is still being felt by Tamils caught up in the conflict.

Huffington Post – Heartbreak in Post-War Jaffna

The stories I hear in Jaffa are heart wrenching. They hide behind the surfeit of activity–the bustle in the marketplace, the investors from the south, the ads and billboards that have sprung up–that define the surface of this town. Underneath there are stories that are not fathomable.

ABC – PANEL: the Tamil factor in Sri Lankan polls

Thousands of Tamils in the north of the country will be voting for the first time in many years.

Ironically, the minority Tamils – who’ve suffered discrimination under successive governments – may decide the outcome, if the majority Singhalese vote is split. While both incumbent President Rajapakse and the former military chief General Fonseka actively courted the Tamil vote during campaigning, many observers say it remains to be seen if the lot of the Tamil minority will improve in Sri Lanka.

Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Sisira Jayasuriya, Singhalese-born Professor of Economics at LaTrobe University in Melbourne; Dr Sam Pari, Sydney-based spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress

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PARI: I think the fact that the two main candidates, one of whom was a commander-in-chief who ordered the war against the Tamil people, and the other, the former head of the military who executed that order, the fact that it’s these two individuals who are the main candidates running for presidency, I think that is of deep concern to the Tamil population. Both these gentlemen have given speeches and have said many things that are staunchly nationalistic and very pro-Sinhalese and quite inconsiderate of the Tamil population. For the Tamil people, the absence of war does not equal peace. The history of Sri Lanka has shown several pacts, several agreements made between Tamil leaders and the Singhalese president that have only later been abrogated by the Sri Lankan government. It’s been more than six months since the end of the war and we still see about 150-thousand Tamils being interned in camps. There are about ten to 12-thousand young Tamils who are still arrested, jailed and kept in undisclosed areas. There are allegations of rape, of torture, of abductions still continuing, people are disappearing. I don’t believe that the Tamil people really are much more free today as compared to say a year ago. More

Official Press Release – Dublin Tribunal finds against Sri Lanka on charges of War Crimes

In Dublin today, 16th January, at 2.00pm the Peoples’ Tribunal Chairman Francois Houtart read the preliminary findings of the Peoples’ Tribunal on the war in Sri Lanka and its aftermath. There were four findings:
1: That the Sri Lankan Government and its military are guilty of War Crimes;
2: That the Sri Lankan Government is military are guilty of crimes against humanity;
3: That the charge of genocide requires further investigation;
4: That the international community, particularly the UK and USA, share responsibility for the breakdown of the peace process. More

BBC – Sri Lanka ‘guilty’ of war crimes

The Sri Lanka government was found guilty of war crimes, a peoples tribunal in Ireland has said.

In its preliminary findings, the People’s Tribunal on Sri Lanka (PTSL) that conducted hearings from 14 to 16 January in Dublin has also concluded that the Sri Lanka government is also guilty of crimes against humanity. More

However, the-pro Tamil Tiger groups’ accusation that the government carried out Tamil genocide at the last phase of war between the security forces and the LTTE needs to be investigated.

“Harrowing evidence, including video footage, was submitted by eye-witnesses of the use of heavy artillery and phosphorous munitions, and of the continuous violation of human rights by military activity to a panel of ten international jurors over two days,” the PTSL said in a statement.

Tamilnet – Dublin verdict: Sri Lanka guilty of War Crimes

Dublin war-crimes tribunal, conducted by Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) based in Milan, which held hearings on Thursday and Friday on war-crime charges on Sri Lanka from eye-witnesses and other material evidence, in the preliminary findings issued Saturday said, Sri Lanka Government is “guilty of War-Crimes” and “guilty of Crimes Against Humanity.” The tribunal also concluded that the charge of Genocide requires further investigations. Eye witnesses included several escapees from the final week of Sri Lanka offensive in the Mullaitivu “No Fire Zone” where more than 20,000 Tamil civilians were allegedly slaughtered by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) training heavy weapons on them.

International Day of Protest

To mark 100 days since Kevin Rudd’s phone call had the Merak Tamil asylum seekers intercepted and returned to Indonesia. We join protests action in Canada, New Zealand, to tell Kevin Rudd and the Australian government:

No Indonesian solution, Bring the Merak asylum seekers to Australia.
No-offshore processing. Full rights for all asylum seekers. Close Christmas Island

Date: Monday 18 January

In Australia –

SYDNEY: 12.30-1.30pm, Kevin Rudd’s Sydney Office, 70 Phillip St, Sydney (between Bent and Bridge Streets, closest train stations are Circular Quay or Circular Quay)

NEWCASTLE: 4:30pm. At the Clock Tower, Beaumont St, Hamilton

MELBOURNE: 5.30pm, State Library (Corner Swanston and LaTrobe Streets)

PERTH: 12.30pm, Office of the Immigration Minister Chris Evans, 51 Ord Street, West Perth

Around the globe -

New Zealand, Auckland. 4:00 PM. Australian Consulate, 186-194 Quay St, Auckland

Canada, Toronto: 11am – 2pm. Australian Consulate, 175 Bloor Street, East Toronto

UK, London: 4:00 PM. The Australian High Commission, Strand, London WC2B 4LA

USA: Email and postcard campaign

Malaysia: Email and postcard campaign

For more information contact Ian 0417 275 713