Tamil Justice

Herald Sun – UNHCR refugee guidelines could deny asylum claims in Australia

THE United Nations is reviewing its refugee guidelines for Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in a move that could see the Federal Government deny protection claims for the majority of asylum seekers heading to Australia.

Radio Australia News – Tamil detainees sent back as situation improves

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans says the government is sending more Tamil asylum seekers back to their country as the situation improves in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is looking at changing its international protection guidelines for Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers as those countries become safer.

The changes would pave the way for more detainees in Australia’s Christmas Island holding camps to be returned to their country.

“It is true that we have recently provided more advice to our decision-makers about the improvement of the situation in Sri Lanka.”

Times Online – Sarath Fonseka to face three charges at court martial but not for coup plot

General Sarath Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan army chief arrested last month, will face a court martial next week on three charges, but not for plotting a coup as expected, officials announced yesterday.

ABC Online – Sri Lanka’s former army chief to face trial

The Hindu – Fonseka to be tried on Mar 16 and 17

Hindustan Times – Fonseka to face court martial next week

Retuers India – Sri Lanka to try former army chief next week

AFP – SLanka’s former army chief ‘to face three charges’

Press Trust of India (11/03) - 2 Afghans, a Sri Lankan receive courage awards in US

Two Afghan and a Sri Lankan were among ten women to receive the prestigious International Women of Courage Awards for the year 2010 in recognition of their contributions in fighting discrimination and advancing human rights.

Business Standard – South Asia set to see a surge in Chinese tourists

The demand for chopsticks and chow mein is going to rise in South Asia! China’s globe-trotting tourists are arriving by the thousands. The just-concluded Chinese Lunar New Year holiday saw a surge in tourist arrivals from China in India and around India.

Sify – US reports rights violations in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka violated human rights last year as it dealt a final blow to Tamil Tiger insurgents and clamped down on media freedom, the US State Department said Thursday.

AFP – Family fears for missing Sri Lankan cartoonist

Six weeks ago Sri Lankan political writer and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda went missing, and his fate has raised further concerns about the island’s culture of violence against the media.

Times of India (10/03) - Jaipur Foot takes off to Lanka

The demand for Jaipur foot is fast growing in foreign countries. Around 1,500 foot have been demanded by Sri Lanka and Senegal in Africa.

ABC  (10/03) - Fears Australia has forgotten boatful of Tamils

Refugee advocates have staged a rally in the eastern Australian city of Sydney to mark 150 days since a boat load of asylum seekers moored in Indonesia.

About 50 protesters gathered today outside the Prime Minister’s Sydney office.

Greens MP Sylvia Hale says the government has turned a blind eye to the 230 Tamils still onboard the boat moored at the port of Merak.

“Allow those Tamil refugees to proceed to Australia. ”

Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition, says conditions aboard the ship are getting worse – including a recent outbreak of chicken pox.

“There’s simply ongoing problems with getting proper medical attention,” he said.

The ship has been moored since October when it was intercepted by the Indonesian navy on the way to Australia. More

China Worker  (10/03)- “Australian government should act to end this suffering now” – “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung at 10 March demonstration

150 days on a cramped, squalid boat. That is the ordeal faced by 254 refugees from Sri Lanka stranded in the Javanese port of Merak. The Merak refugees have become a political football between the political leaders of Australia and Indonesia, who were also meeting on 10 March, as rights campaigners staged protests around the world to demand speedy action to restore the basic right to asylum to the refugees.

Inner City Press – UK’s Hi Tech Miliband Is Asked of Somalia and Sri Lanka, by Twitter, Yes or No

It’s all the rage in diplomatic spin: UK foreign secretary David Miliband is taking questions by Twitter today, during his two day stay in Boston. The UK consulate there has been soliciting questions, saying they will be answered throughout the day.

 At the UN in New York, Inner City Press has asked Miliband questions at the Security Council stakeout, several times receiving wordy answers the meaning of which was not entirely clear.

 Perhaps the format of 140 characters — less with all the hash marks — in the questions and especially the answers will make Miliband’s meaning more clear. Here are two questions tweeted to the UK consulate as per their instructions on Wednesday morning by Inner City Press:

1) Has UK cut aid to WFP in #Somalia, and if so what is required for the aid to hungry Somalis to be resumed? #askfs

2) If #SriLanka refuses to investigate war crimes does UK think the UN should name a panel of inquiry as in Guinea? #askfs

 The background to the first question is that while the UN and its Mark Bowden have publicly questioned the restrictions on aid by the U.S., which says funds are being diverted to Al Shabaab, the UK’s position is less clear. And with the UK’s John Holmes in charge of the UN’s humanitarian operations, some wonder if his office would point the finger at the UK.

In the past week, Inner City Press has asked the UN’s spokesman Martin Nesirky, himself a Brit, for an update on restrictions on UN system operations and funding in Somalia, and to explain UN envoy Ould Abdallah’s call for the UN to return to Mogadishu when, apparently, he can’t. Still there have been no answers. At least on the first question, perhaps Miliband can answer.  More

Times of India (09/03) - Fonseka calls up daughters, suspends fast

The Associated Press (09/03)  - Sri Lanka’s opposition leader ends hunger strike

The Hindu (08/03) - Sri Lanka Army completes summary of evidence against Fonseka

BBC – China to build new international airport in Sri Lanka

AFP – China lends S.Lanka cash for new airport, railways

The Hindu – India, Sri Lanka sign $67.4 m Line of Credit

Ceylon Daily News -India gives US$ 67.4 m to upgrade Southern railway line

Reuters – UPDATE 1-China to loan Sri Lanka $290 mln for airport, railways

** Email from GTF**

Dear All,

Please find attached a letter both in English and Tamil from the President of Global Tamil Forum (GTF) Fr (Dr). S.J. Emmanuel PhD to the Tamil people in the Tamil homeland in the island of Sri Lanka and overseas.

Please contact me on +44 (0) 7958 590 196 or by email suren@globaltamilforum.org if you need any further information regarding the attached letter.

We invite you to visit www.globaltamilforum.org to find more details about the organisation and it’s vision, mission statements.

Kind Regards, Suren Surendiran Spokesperson – GTF

GTF_Letter – Tamil

GTF_Letter_English