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Vision of Hope

The question remains as to whether Tamils will be brave and prepared to move on from the past violent years of suffering >> more
..... Ancient Indus Civilisation
Call for Submissions
OHCHR Investigation on
Sri Lanka
Individuals, organisations and governments are invited to submit information

On abuses of human rights and related crimes
From 21/2/2002 until 15/11/2011

Submissions must be
By 30 October 2014!
Tamil Eelam Freedom Charter
The creation of an independent and sovereign State of Tamil Eelam remains the only viable option to lead a life with security, dignity and equality, both individually and collectively.


"There are legitimate issues raised by the Tamil community and they have a legitimate desire to control their own lives, to rule their own destinies, and to govern themselves in their homeland.''

U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher


Have No Fear !

Those who would deny the Tamils their rights use the language of terrorism to demonise and discredit our legitimate grievances

Sri Lanka
"Indeed, it is an enduring scandal that there have been virtually no convictions of government officials for killing Tamils, and many Tamils doubt that the rule of law will protect their lives."

United Nations

Tamil Declaration for Self Determination
Vaddukoddai Resolution-1976

Tamil Eelam
Demand in International Law
The UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (G.A Resolution 2200 of 1966) in Article 1 states: "All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development."



1918 - 2005

'Dedication to
CJT Thamotheram
Late Patron'




  :: News
Yoga: How did it conquer the world and what's changed?
[ BBC ] [ 22 Jun 2017 02:00 GMT ]

'Integration of personality is the prime aim of yoga.' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Minister Threatens Defender of Minority Rights
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 21 Jun 2017 00:10 GMT ]

'Sri Lanka’s friends should be clear they are watching the government’s response closely.' [Full Story]

Retrieved lifeboat tells stories of Tamil refugees
[ Toronto Star ] [ 20 Jun 2017 02:45 GMT ]

After 13 days on the ship, he and the 154 others were abandoned in the two lifeboats in the Atlantic Ocean, without food or water. [Full Story]

Uncertainty ends in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province
[ The Hindu ] [ 19 Jun 2017 17:49 GMT ]

It reflected the simmering disgruntlement within a section of the Council. [Full Story]

Scarborough sports field to see 1,100 Tamils dance love for Canada
[ Inside Toronto ] [ 18 Jun 2017 00:25 GMT ]

'The fact that Canada opened their arms and welcomed us to their home is really big for us,' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka’s elusive housing logic
[ The Hindu ] [ 17 Jun 2017 01:25 GMT ]

Activists and a section of northern residents are worried that the proposal to build steel homes will neither regenerate local economy nor employ local labour in the war-torn areas. [Full Story]

The cost of a cup of tea
[ Church Times ] [ 16 Jun 2017 03:55 GMT ]

'Tea-pickers are considered the lowest of the low, despite being the backbone of the Sri Lankan econ­omy,' [Full Story]

Reconciliation Requires Actions Not Only Processes
[ CT ] [ 15 Jun 2017 01:05 GMT ]

It is necessary that the willingness to consult and to speak in terms of international standards are reflected in actual changes on the ground. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's justice system not accessible to Tamil community notes UN Rapporteur
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 14 Jun 2017 05:03 GMT ]

Diego Garcia-Sayan, expressed concern that over the lack of equal representation of minority groups in prosecution services and the police force. [Full Story]

Sri Lankan President reportedly pledges to look for missing persons from civil war, release list
[ ABC News ] [ 13 Jun 2017 05:55 GMT ]

Some Tamils remain deeply suspicious that secret Government detention camps still exist. [Full Story]

Protect rights of Sri Lankan Tamils: Stalin to UN HRC
[ The Hindu ] [ 12 Jun 2017 04:07 GMT ]

He said they also required a 'meaningful political solution,' which was long 'overdue.' [Full Story]

Uncovering a story of ill-fated romance and tragic death
[ BBC ] [ 11 Jun 2017 05:52 GMT ]

In the southern Indian port city of Chennai - Madras, as it once was - Andrew Whitehead came across a last remnant of the Jewish presence there. [Full Story]

Why India Needs To Re-Calibrate Relations With Sri Lanka – Analysis
[ Eurasia Review ] [ 10 Jun 2017 19:10 GMT ]

While the SL Tamil community has all along been fighting for their rights, the Upcountry Tamils have been struggling for a livelihood. [Full Story]

May to form 'government of certainty' with DUP backing
[ BBC ] [ 09 Jun 2017 19:10 GMT ]

She said she intended to form a government which could "provide certainty and lead Britain forward at this critical time for our country". [Full Story]

Sri Lanka’s Genocidal War as Seen by the World
[ Tamil Sangam ] [ 08 Jun 2017 02:41 GMT ]

Switch to the pragmatic policy of true reconciliation towards building a united Sri Lanka under a two nations federal system. [Full Story]

Seven oldest languages in the world that are still in use
[ India Today ] [ 07 Jun 2017 00:56 GMT ]

Its origin is believed to be during 2500 BC or so. In today's world, around 78 million people in the world speak Tamil. It is this fact of contemporary utility that makes Tamil the longest surviving language in the world. [Full Story]

Ministry of Utmost Happiness: Arundhati Roy's much-awaited second coming
[ BBC ] [ 06 Jun 2017 01:10 GMT ]

'It is our constant anxiety about that violence, our memory of its past labours and our dread of its future manifestations, that lays down the rules of how a people as complex, as diverse as we are continue to coexist. [Full Story]

Eight years after end of war, Tamil refugees divided over returning to Sri Lanka
[ Livemint ] [ 05 Jun 2017 02:02 GMT ]

Today they live on in the knowledge that their sheltering camps can never be home, while returning means having to rebuild life from the scratch. [Full Story]

Book: Government and Politics in Sri Lanka
[ Routledge ] [ 04 Jun 2017 00:45 GMT ]

The author provides fresh insights into Sri Lanka’s postcolonial policies and the system of government that it has in place. [Full Story]

Where to eat in Sydney's Little Sri Lanka
[ Goodfood ] [ 03 Jun 2017 03:25 GMT ]

Tamil food is by far the most heavily represented. [Full Story]

India: Human rights activists jailed for commemorating 2009 massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka
[ Green Left ] [ 02 Jun 2017 04:59 GMT ]

This year, the police violently dispersed the crowd and arrested several leading Tamil human rights activists. [Full Story]

Protest seeking info on Sri Lanka's missing people enters 100 day
[ The Indian Express ] [ 01 Jun 2017 01:30 GMT ]

Tamil rights groups want the government to probe the cases of all those disappeared and hold the culprits accountable. [Full Story]

Australia working with India and Sri Lanka to resettle refugees
[ The Hindu ] [ 31 May 2017 02:14 GMT ]

'There are about 1,00,000 Sri Lankan people who fled to Tamil Nadu in the past. [Full Story]

Violence against religious minorities in Sri Lanka
[ Vatican Radio ] [ 30 May 2017 00:03 GMT ]

'None of our fellow citizens should have to live in fear or be subjected to abuse and violence on religious grounds,' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka floods: Residents afraid as more rain forecast
[ BBC ] [ 29 May 2017 01:05 GMT ]

At least 164 people have been killed and nearly 500,000 displaced in the flooding and mudslides triggered by heavy rains on Friday. [Full Story]

UN to check human rights record for Sri Lankan peacekeepers
[ India.com ] [ 28 May 2017 02:49 GMT ]

The UN will require Sri Lankan troops to undergo 'enhanced screening' for human rights violations going back to the final years of the civil war. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka’s missing people
[ The Daily Star ] [ 27 May 2017 04:44 GMT ]

As many as 65,000 people, mostly from the ethnic Tamil minority, are still missing in the country. [Full Story]

URGENT ACTION: PRIEST HARASSED OVER MEMORIAL TO DEAD WAR VICTIMS
[ Amnesty International ] [ 26 May 2017 03:51 GMT ]

Sri Lankan priest is being harassed by the police over his efforts to help families memorialize their loved ones lost during the armed conflict. [Full Story]

Will Indian superstar Rajinikanth go into politics?
[ BBC ] [ 25 May 2017 04:10 GMT ]

He says he's a 'pure Tamil' whose heart beats for the Tamils who have welcomed him and given him 'fame, fortune and love'. [Full Story]

SRI LANKA - Tribute for Sri Lanka’s civil war victims despite barriers
[ Asia News ] [ 24 May 2017 02:56 GMT ]

For Sri Lankan Tamils, 18 May is the Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day; for the Sri Lankan military, it is the War Heroes Day. [Full Story]

India-Lanka Ties - NATIONAL, NOT STATE SUBJECT
[ The Shillong Times ] [ 23 May 2017 00:05 GMT ]

Sri Lankan Tamils comprising descendants of Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom and the other is Indian Tamils. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's president pledges investigation into disappeared
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 22 May 2017 02:30 GMT ]

The North-East has seen intensifying protests related to the plight of the disappeared. [Full Story]

Tamils in Derry mark anniversary of Sri Lanka’s massacre of up to 70,000 people
[ An Phoblacht ] [ 21 May 2017 01:50 GMT ]

'The international community have forgotten the Tamil people and it is vital that we bring their story to a wider audience' [Full Story]

The Sexual Exploitation of Sri Lanka's War Widows
[ US News ] [ 20 May 2017 00:12 GMT ]

'It's hard to fight for justice when you're starving.' [Full Story]

Facing Sri Lanka’s Ghosts
[ US News ] [ 19 May 2017 02:02 GMT ]

With thousands still missing, Sri Lanka’s postwar progress comes to a halt. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: The conflict’s legacy of impunity endures
[ Amnesty International ] [ 18 May 2017 22:05 GMT ]

'It is appalling that nearly a decade after the conflict ended, people are still being prevented from remembering the dead. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Anti-Terror Bill Revives Concerns of Abuse
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 18 May 2017 21:55 GMT ]

'UN member countries and the EU need to be pressing Colombo to fully abide by its pledges to the Human Rights Council.' [Full Story]

Mark May 18 as 'day of grief', Tamils told
[ The Hindu ] [ 18 May 2017 03:55 GMT ]

He asks Tamils to observe three minutes silence on the day Sri Lanka's civil war ended. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's Transition to Nowhere
[ International Crisis Group ] [ 17 May 2017 01:25 GMT ]

If current dynamics continue, the country will likely lose a real opportunity to address the roots of its decades of political turmoil. The chances of an eventual return to violence would then grow considerably. [Full Report]

Reconciliation In A Country Entrenched With Multiple Discriminations
[ CT ] [ 16 May 2017 02:09 GMT ]

Any serious discussion on the reconciliation processes must deal with how the rule of law has been undermined in Sri Lanka, and the state of the judicial institutions within the country. [Full Story]

Modi in Sri Lanka, stresses on peace & harmony in a multi-lingual society
[ The Sentinel ] [ 15 May 2017 00:24 GMT ]

He also announced India’s assistance in the construction of 10,000 additional houses in upcountry areas, where 4,000 have already been built. [Full Story]

True to form, Sri Lanka ditches international pledges on anti-terrorism laws
[ JDS ] [ 14 May 2017 03:14 GMT ]

'We are shocked by the extent of which the draft framework curtails civil liberties. [Full Story]

Peopling an Island - the Case of Sri Lanka
[ TVSUR ] [ 13 May 2017 02:05 GMT ]

Tamil people have been continuously protesting this land encroachment and their protests are intensifying in recent times. [Full Story]

The damage done by the former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the Tamils in North-East Sri Lanka
[ TWG ] [ 12 May 2017 00:01 GMT ]

If a State fails to protect its citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, then the international community has to intervene diplomatically, and if this fails, then 'as a last resort', with military force. [Full Story]

Upcountry Tamils set to welcome Modi
[ The Hindu ] [ 11 May 2017 01:02 GMT ]

Senior upcountry leaders deemed the Prime Minister's visit 'historic', after Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru's visits in the pre-Independence era. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party 'perturbed' by proposed anti-terror law
[ Firstpost ] [ 10 May 2017 02:48 GMT ]

They were 'shocked' by the extent to which the draft framework 'curtails civil liberties, erodes judicial control over the state security apparatus and the staggering potential for abuse and torture.' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka’s Prevention Of Terrorism Act And Revision
[ Eurasia Review ] [ 09 May 2017 01:44 GMT ]

The PTA was used against all communities in Sri Lanka, its main target was Tamil people. [Full Story]

Desperate lives inside camps:Tales of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees
[ Sunday Times ] [ 08 May 2017 00:22 GMT ]

Sri Lankan people as refugees are living in camps in India with no solution to their plight. [Full Story]

Border Girls: Women in Sri Lanka take on male roles to help recovery from brutal civil war
[ ABC News ] [ 07 May 2017 01:32 GMT ]

The study said the women struggled to find work and to be accepted as the heads of their households by their communities, and had poor access to basic services. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Tamil and Muslim protests intensify
[ Green Left ] [ 06 May 2017 01:50 GMT ]

They are demanding the return of their land, which was taken over by the Sri Lankan armed forces. [Full Story]

Repeated invasions ravage Sri Lanka
[ Numismatic News ] [ 05 May 2017 00:21 GMT ]

Harder to see how the Tamils dominated, even for short periods, any part of the rest of the island, but they did. [Full Story]

No media freedom without prosecutions for past crimes against Tamil journalists
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 04 May 2017 05:41 GMT ]

We stress again that there must be investigations into all the murders, abductions and disappearances of journalists and that their perpetrators must be prosecuted. [Full Story]

After Sri Lanka's civil war, Toronto Tamils want to restore homeland
[ Inside Toronto ] [ 03 May 2017 03:58 GMT ]

Sri Lankan leaders who, the investors say, admit the government was partly responsibility for the war and the suffering it caused. [Full Story]

Years after war trials of resettlement in Sri Lanka
[ The Hindu ] [ 02 May 2017 02:08 GMT ]

It is time for the Sri Lankan government to get its act together on the ground. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka faces trade, human rights link
[ Nikkei ] [ 01 May 2017 03:33 GMT ]

The government has dragged its feet on converting assurances into action, and patience among the international community is wearing thin. [Full Story]

After a run of 76 years, BBC Tamil Radio to go off air
[ The Hindu ] [ 30 Apr 2017 21:10 GMT ]

The broadcast proved to be a major source of information during the war in Sri Lanka. [Full Story]

Building holistic India-Sri Lanka ties
[ The Hindu ] [ 29 Apr 2017 23:14 GMT ]

Several factories in the north, destroyed or defunct during the war, await attention and investment. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka makes a mockery of the UN Human Rights Council
[ Washington Examiner ] [ 28 Apr 2017 05:40 GMT ]

Transitional justice is in deep trouble and additional scrutiny via the Geneva-based body is unlikely to change that very much. [Full Story]

Feasting on Tamil performing arts
[ The Jakarta Post ] [ 27 Apr 2017 02:45 GMT ]

The event is an annual signature event organized by ITS to showcase cuisine, traditional games and performing arts from the Tamil-speaking community. [Full Story]

Bend It Like Granny
[ BBC ] [ 26 Apr 2017 00:10 GMT ]

Nanammal is 98 years old and an expert yoga instructor from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. [Full Story]

New Silk Road Or New Great Game? India Developing New Sri Lanka Port To Combat China
[ Forbes ] [ 25 Apr 2017 00:05 GMT ]

The Sri Lankan government was called up before the UN Human Rights council in 2009, and the EU and US subsequently shut down most economic concessions and sources of aid to demonstrated their disapproval for the alleged abuses. [Full Story]

EU Parliamentary group opposed to Lanka tariff concession
[ India Today ] [ 24 Apr 2017 03:42 GMT ]

According to the UN figures, up to 40,000 civilians were killed by the security forces during former president Mahinda Rajapaksas regime. [Full Story]

S. Lanka's Tamil Catholics demand their village back from navy
[ Vatican Radio ] [ 23 Apr 2017 01:15 GMT ]

'Many priests, nuns and human rights activists show their solidarity with these people and the villagers will carry on their protest until they get back their lands,' [Full Story]

British parliamentary group for Tamils will continue to demand Sri Lanka fulfils obligations says chair
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 22 Apr 2017 03:05 GMT ]

'The APPG for Tamils will continue to keep human rights on the agenda in the UK and abroad,' [Full Story]

What I Talk About When I Talk About Sri Lanka
[ The Huffington Post ] [ 21 Apr 2017 02:51 GMT ]

These quiet heroes are the main reason why I’m still interested in human rights. [Full Story]

US must not ignore Sri Lanka's human rights violations
[ The Hill ] [ 20 Apr 2017 00:02 GMT ]

The reality is that the country has not really made any progress on reconciliation and justice. [Full Story]

SRI LANKA: 'ONLY JUSTICE CAN HEAL OUR WOUNDS'
[ Amnesty International ] [ 19 Apr 2017 01:05 GMT ]

Amnesty International urges Sri Lanka to seek and accept international assistance where it is needed to ensure the most effective and rigorous process possible, so that all Sri Lankans can finally learn the truth. [Full Story PDF]

Healing through harmonies in post-conflict Sri Lanka
[ Irish Times ] [ 18 Apr 2017 04:38 GMT ]

It works on the premise that music is an ideal tool for unifying people and challenging stereotypes. [Full Story]

Constitutional Reform and Political Diversions
[ Daily Mirror ] [ 17 Apr 2017 05:04 GMT ]

A government that engages the people on its political and economic programme can carry them through tumultuous times. [Full Story]

Community Action To Mitigate Ethnic and Religious Tensions
[ National Peace Council ] [ 16 Apr 2017 00:59 GMT ]

Opponents of the government and extremist groups carry on their campaign against the implementation of resolution, adding to the polarization of the communities. [Full Story PDF]

Sri Lanka’s slow dance on transitional justice
[ Lowy Institute for International Policy ] [ 15 Apr 2017 01:53 GMT ]

The suppression of Tamil rights in a range of areas – including language, education, employment and land – led to the rise of Tamil militancy in the 1970s. [Full Story]

'The Tamil Nadu factor': demanding justice for genocide in Sri Lanka
[ Open Democracy ] [ 14 Apr 2017 02:02 GMT ]

From politicians to protestors, the people of Tamil Nadu are making waves in Indian politics, rallying around the need for justice for the war crimes committed against Sri Lanka’s Tamils. [Full Story]

Lankan Tamils issues need quick solutions: Opposition leader
[ India Today ] [ 13 Apr 2017 03:34 GMT ]

The northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka are the traditional homeland of the ethnic Tamil people. [Full Story]

The journey home: Sri Lanka's displaced try to rebuild their lives
[ The National ] [ 12 Apr 2017 04:17 GMT ]

One million Tamils fled abroad, 65,000 people are still missing, with 90,000 women widowed, 137,000 homes still need to be rebuilt. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Ramya's story of return
[ JRS ] [ 11 Apr 2017 03:09 GMT ]

We want our children to live as free citizens in their own land. [Full Story]

New UK Home Office guidance on Sri Lanka significantly downplays ongoing human rights violations
[ Freedom from Torture ] [ 10 Apr 2017 02:50 GMT ]

Freedom from Torture is calling for an urgent review of the guidance to avoid individuals being wrongly returned to face torture or ill-treatment. [Full Story]

Why Sri Lanka's past refuses to be forgotten
[ Amnesty International ] [ 09 Apr 2017 03:02 GMT ]

They must commit to a public timeline in order to restore the people’s confidence that justice is on track and assure them that they are serious about taking action. [Full Story]

Sri Lankan battlefield moves to Geneva UN HRC!
[ SL Guardian ] [ 08 Apr 2017 01:34 GMT ]

The idea of a counter-lobby and cover-up of genocide is believed to be the brain-child of two failed Sri Lankan diplomats to Geneva. [Full Story]

It’s time to act in Sri Lanka
[ The Hindu ] [ 07 Apr 2017 02:29 GMT ]

Amnesty urges govt. to repeal Prevention of Terrorism Act. [Full Story]

FOR SRI LANKA, U.S. SECURITY COOPERATION IS NOT THE CURE
[ War on the Rocks ] [ 06 Apr 2017 00:04 GMT ]

A return to violent internecine conflict would be neither stabilizing for the region nor strategically beneficial for the United States. [Full Story]

The quest for healing and justice in the homeland of Toronto’s Tamil community: Tory
[ Toronto Star ] [ 05 Apr 2017 03:47 GMT ]

The challenge now becomes one of taking the next, bigger steps. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka - Victims of disappearance cannot wait any longer for justice
[ Amnesty International ] [ 04 Apr 2017 02:30 GMT ]

Sri Lanka will not break with its violent past until it reckons with the cruel history of enforced disappearance and delivers justice to as many as 100,000 families who have spent years waiting for it. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Has There Been Genuine National Reconciliation? - Analysis
[ Eurasia Review ] [ 03 Apr 2017 05:14 GMT ]

There is a nagging fear that the two-year extension is nothing more than extending a process that has not even been firmly established. [Full Story]

Genocides of Tamils and Indo-Sri Lanka relations
[ Modern Diplomacy ] [ 02 Apr 2017 00:02 GMT ]

The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is more than 2,500 years old with both countries having a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction. [Full Story]

Tamils want Sri Lanka to fulfill promises to UN rights body
[ Daily Mail UK ] [ 01 Apr 2017 00:03 GMT ]

'Sri Lanka has not accomplished even one of those obligations,' Sumanthiran said. [Full Story]

Is BJP wooing Rajinikanth the real reason behind Tamil groups opposing Sri Lanka trip?
[ The News Minute ] [ 31 Mar 2017 00:05 GMT ]

Tamil Nadu is a complex state and here, personality matters more than politics or ideology. [Full Story]

Saint Joseph Vaz, a pioneer in interfaith dialogue and a promoter of the laity in Sri Lanka
[ Herald Malaysia ] [ 30 Mar 2017 01:45 GMT ]

He worked for the poor and the sick, for dialogue with other religions, and for the development of lay leaders. [Full Story]

War crime probes will hinder Sri Lanka's reconciliation: ex-defense secretary
[ Reuters ] [ 29 Mar 2017 05:05 GMT ]

A U.N. panel has said around 40,000 people, mostly ethnic minority Tamils, were killed in the war's final phase. [Full Story]

Whither human rights in Sri Lanka?
[ The Hindu ] [ 28 Mar 2017 20:17 GMT ]

The state is at the core of the historical problems, whether it is repressive militarisation, the reinforcement of majoritarian interests or the centralisation of state power in Colombo. [Full Story]

Still riven - Measures to placate Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority are stalling
[ The Economist ] [ 27 Mar 2017 02:16 GMT ]

The ruling coalition includes chauvinist Sinhalese with scant interest in moving forward. [Full Story]

What does Modi's constituency have in common with Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka?
[ Scroll ] [ 26 Mar 2017 02:14 GMT ]

Because of the militarisation, the complexities in the social structure today and because things are getting very political, these people are living in an atmosphere of fear.' [Full Story]

UNHRC adopts Sri Lanka resolution: fully implement 30/1 resolution by 2019
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 25 Mar 2017 00:05 GMT ]

The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted a resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka without a vote, granting the country two more years to implement the actions set out in resolution 30/1. [Full Resolution]

Martin McGuinness 'was freedom fighter, not terrorist'
[ BBC ] [ 24 Mar 2017 00:05 GMT ]

'We spent a lot of time together when I was President and I wanted to honour him for what he did, for changing from war to peace and to emphasise that, its' one thing to make a peace, another thing to make it work and that's an endless process' - President Clinton. [Full Story]

UN criticises Sri Lanka for failing to investigate human rights atrocities during the civil war
[ International Business Times UK ] [ 23 Mar 2017 07:49 GMT ]

A report claims party politics is responsible for reluctance to reveal those accountable for the crimes. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka Should Develop Timetable for Full Implementation of its UN Commitments
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 22 Mar 2017 20:25 GMT ]

We call on UN member states to remain engaged until all commitments in the resolution are met in full. [Full Story]

M.A. Sumanthiran on Sri Lankan Politics, Tamil Affairs, and Indo-Lankan Ties
[ The Diplomat ] [ 21 Mar 2017 04:46 GMT ]

The Indo-Lanka Accord is still a valid bilateral international agreement, which India will insist on implementing fully. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Ballot Vs Bullet
[ SL Guardian ] [ 20 Mar 2017 05:11 GMT ]

It is the mode and the manner of Governance that decides the Choice between the Ballot and the Bullet. [Full Story]

Leena Manimekalai’s rebellious spirit pushes her into dangerous waters
[ Hindustan Times ] [ 19 Mar 2017 00:09 GMT ]

A million of them were displaced during the war, and there are so many stories to be told about them. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's war survivors hope new law will unlock state land holdings
[ Reuters ] [ 18 Mar 2017 01:35 GMT ]

Almost eight years after the war ended, hundreds of smallholders are pinning their hopes on the newly-minted Right to Information (RTI) Act to unearth details of who owns the land on which they live and work. [Full Story]

No closure - Thousands of victims of Sri Lanka's civil war remain unaccounted for
[ The Economist ] [ 17 Mar 2017 04:28 GMT ]

'Does the world think it is right for the Tamils to be treated as slaves?'. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Many misunderstood our advocacy
[ SL Guardian ] [ 16 Mar 2017 05:47 GMT ]

Former President Chandrika, whom I earlier criticised for her 'War for Peace' as now having the potential to become the mother of a united rainbow nation of three ethnic groups and four religions. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka Poverty and Welfare: Recent Progress and Remaining Challenges
[ The World Bank ] [ 15 Mar 2017 02:05 GMT ]

Overall, Sri Lanka’s record of poverty reduction has been encouraging. Excluding the Northern and Eastern provinces. [Full Story]

Return land, restore dignity
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 14 Mar 2017 06:22 GMT ]

Forcible appropriation of land not only attacks the socio-economic well-being and livelihoods of the people to whom it belongs. [Full Story]

Revitalising a war battered economy
[ The Hindu ] [ 13 Mar 2017 01:35 GMT ]

With incomes dropping in the country, the northern economy showed few signs of revival. [Full Story]

Lack of progress conveys Sri Lanka's lack of will - TAG
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 12 Mar 2017 00:28 GMT ]

Sri Lanka's new government made commitments of reform to the UN Human Rights Council. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016
[ U.S. State Department ] [ 11 Mar 2017 00:17 GMT ]

Impunity for crimes committed during and following the armed conflict continued, particularly in cases of killings, torture, sexual violence, corruption, and other human rights abuses. [Full Story]

Tamil civil society calls for robust UN resolution and strong follow-up to put pressure on Sri Lanka to deliver on promises
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 10 Mar 2017 02:50 GMT ]

It is our assessment that the Government has taken steps so far only to delay and detract the international community and not to bring redress to the victims. [Full Story]

Speaking Frankly About Sri Lanka and Accountability
[ The Huffington Post ] [ 09 Mar 2017 01:30 GMT ]

Tamil community deserve answers and deserve justice. [Full Story]

Editorial: Elusive reconciliation
[ The Hindu ] [ 08 Mar 2017 02:02 GMT ]

The Sirisena-Wikremesinghe government should seize the moment and start addressing the core issues, keeping reconciliation and the future of Sri Lanka in mind. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: UN Official Calls Progress ‘Worryingly Slow’
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 07 Mar 2017 01:44 GMT ]

Human Rights Council Should Monitor Undertakings, Justice Efforts. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Slow progress on crucial justice and reconciliation - UN report
[ UN Human Rights Office ] [ 06 Mar 2017 00:25 GMT ]

The slow pace of transitional justice in Sri Lanka and the lack of a comprehensive strategy to address accountability for past crimes risk derailing the momentum towards lasting peace, reconciliation and stability. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's Tamil party asks for U.N. pressure over alleged war crimes
[ Reuters ] [ 05 Mar 2017 03:11 GMT ]

The government agreed in 2015 to act on the reports of human rights abuses but has done nothing since. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Back in the Spotlight at the Human Rights Council
[ The Diplomat ] [ 04 Mar 2017 00:50 GMT ]

Colombo's performance comes under heightened scrutiny. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: UN Human Rights Council
[ UK PARLIAMENT ] [ 03 Mar 2017 02:07 GMT ]

Many of the key promises made by the Government of Sri Lanka in 2015 - justice, accountability, human rights protections, reconciliation - have not been fulfilled. [Full Story]

Crossed in translation - Linguistic slights spur ethnic division in Sri Lanka
[ The Economist ] [ 02 Mar 2017 03:35 GMT ]

Implementing the language policy properly, he says, “will be the prelude to a political solution” to the Tamil grievances that stoked the civil war. [Full Story]

Tamils want Sri Lanka to fulfill promises to UN rights body
[ ABC News ] [ 01 Mar 2017 04:57 GMT ]

The U.N. human rights chief has called for a hybrid court with local and international judges. [Full Story]

The continued plight of the Missing Tamils in Sri Lanka
[ TWG Editorial ] [ 28 Feb 2017 09:55 GMT ]

The Sri Lankan government should address this issue with both urgency and sincerity. [Full Story]

Key elements for a follow-up resolution on Sri Lanka
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 27 Feb 2017 05:17 GMT ]

Anything less would fall substantially short of the expectations of victims, and risk undermining faith in the process long before the promises of reconciliation, justice and reform have been translated into reality. [Full Story]

Chennai-based NGO helps Sri Lankan Tamil returnees face challenges of resettlement
[ The New Indian Express ] [ 26 Feb 2017 02:07 GMT ]

Local families which were displaced several times in the course of the 30-year war and which had suffered losses of life and property especially in the last brutal phase of Eelam War IV, should be helped first. [Full Story]

Are Tamil leaders losing patience?
[ The Hindu ] [ 25 Feb 2017 01:24 GMT ]

The tone and content of his address, moving an adjournment motion, signalled a possible shift in the Tamil leader's engagement with the government. [Full Story]

A Ramayana told through Ravana's eyes captures the pain of Sri Lanka's war-affected women
[ Scroll ] [ 24 Feb 2017 00:08 GMT ]

In Sri Lanka, both during the civil war and thereafter, women have been affected in myriad ways, yet their perspectives, pain and fears find little expression in either the media or the arts. [Full Story]

How an Indian maestro is taking classical music to the masses
[ BBC ] [ 23 Feb 2017 03:25 GMT ]

Dated more than 2000 years ago, it evolved from the devotional canon of hymns and verses set to tune as musical prayer offerings in temples across southern states. [Full Story]

India Could Do More for Sri Lanka's Tamils
[ The Diplomat ] [ 22 Feb 2017 05:37 GMT ]

There are now numerous concerns regarding Sri Lanka's sincerity vis-à-vis its transitional justice commitments. [Full Story]

Don’t Backtrack On Justice For Sri Lanka’s Victims
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 21 Feb 2017 03:01 GMT ]

International participation is necessary due to lack of faith in the government to ensure accountability. [Full Story]

Foreign judges must oversee treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka: HRW
[ Special Broadcasting Service ] [ 20 Feb 2017 00:05 GMT ]

It's crucial that Sri Lanka employ foreign judges and prosecutors to ensure justice when bringing to trial those responsible for crimes against humanity during the country's civil war. [Full Story]

Tales of the bizarre 'captivity' of 100 Tamil Nadu lawmakers
[ BBC ] [ 19 Feb 2017 02:19 GMT ]

Lawmakers in India have been corralled into hotels and guest houses by their camp leaders to stop them from defecting. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's constitution making process is in the doldrums
[ The New Indian Express] [ 18 Feb 2017 02:44 GMT ]

Samaraweera said that priority will be given to drafting a new constitution because the new constitution will be the ultimate guarantor of equality, justice, and non-recurrences of the ugly inter-ethnic incidents of the past. [Full Story]

Sustained Concerns About Torture in Sri Lanka
[ The Huffington Post ] [ 17 Feb 2017 04:14 GMT ]

The obligation to prevent torture is that of the state; if they don’t tackle institutional reform and security sector reform seriously then the international community must start to put them on terms.' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka war widows face sexual exploitation: official
[ AFP ] [ 16 Feb 2017 00:08 GMT ]

At least 100,000 Sri Lankans lost their lives during the conflict that saw horrific abuses. [Full Story]

Onus on Turnbull to Remember Sri Lanka’s Victims
[ Human Rights Watch ] [ 15 Feb 2017 01:57 GMT ]

Foreign judges and prosecutors can play a significant role in ensuring independence and impartiality in accountability mechanisms for wartime abuses. [Full Story]

A Former President Dismisses Accountability in Sri Lanka
[ The Diplomat ] [ 14 Feb 2017 01:59 GMT ]

None of Sri Lanka's four proposed transitional justice mechanisms (a truth commission, a judicial mechanism, and offices to handle reparations and disappearances) are operational. [Full Story]

Treasures of the Indus - Of Gods and Men
[ BBC iPlayer ] [ 13 Feb 2017 01:02 GMT ]

In a journey across the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Sona Datta traces the development of the Hindu religion from its origins as an amalgamation of local faith traditions to its dominant position today. [Full Story]

Lankan Tamils want a political settlement
[ Daily News & Analysis ] [ 12 Feb 2017 02:25 GMT ]

Wigneswaran alleged that President Maithripala Sirisena had misled the opposition and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan by not settling the Tamil question as pledged by him in 2016. [Full Story]

No Escape For Traumatized Pakistani Refugees In Sri Lanka
[ Worldcrunch ] [ 11 Feb 2017 04:44 GMT ]

Marginalized and persecuted for their faith, minorities such as Christians, flee to countries like Sri Lanka. [Full Story]

Sri Lankan war survivors urge U.N. to push for speedy justice for abuses
[ Thomson Reuters Foundation ] [ 10 Feb 2017 15:15 GMT ]

Giving more time to the government is not necessary... The U.N. should pressurise for an immediate solution to the problem of missing people.' [Full Story]

Broken Promise: An evaluation of the government of Sri Lanka’s commitments for achieving justice and reconciliation
[ The Sri Lanka Campaign ] [ 09 Feb 2017 15:06 GMT ]

An overview of progress by the government of Sri Lanka in implementing its commitments for achieving justice and reconciliation under UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1. [Full Story PDF]

Zeid expresses concern at Sri Lanka's slow progress on accountability
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 08 Feb 2017 01:05 GMT ]

An oral update to the Human Rights Council took place in June 2016, while a comprehensive report and discussion is to take place in March 2017. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Uprooted Tamils confront structural genocide
[ The Greenleft ] [ 07 Feb 2017 03:22 GMT ]

“They are asking us to wait. We are not prepared to wait anymore.” [Full Story]

The Sri Lankan war crimes swept under the carpet
[ The Age ] [ 06 Feb 2017 05:45 GMT ]

There were strong and sustained calls from the international community for crimes amounting to genocide to be investigated by an international tribunal, preferably the UN. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's Transition to Nowhere
[ The Diplomat ] [ 05 Feb 2017 02:12 GMT ]

Time may be running out for meaningful reforms, and transitional justice remains just out of reach. [Full Story]

Maithripala Sirisena And Sri Lanka's False Dawn
[ Forbes ] [ 04 Feb 2017 00:33 GMT ]

The transitional justice process has been marred by opacity, an absence of leadership, a lack of inclusivity and a reneging of previous commitments pertaining to robust international participation. [Full Story]

Tamil Question: No Heroes, No Traitors
[ CT ] [ 03 Feb 2017 02:01 GMT ]

The fact of the matter is that under various guises the Sinhalese elites have refused to share power with the principal ethnic minority, the Tamils. [Full Story]

National Question and grievances faced by a minority
[ Daily Mirror ] [ 02 Feb 2017 03:49 GMT ]

In the aftermath of the armed conflict there are in the Northern Province approximately 50,000 women who have been widowed and who are now the breadwinners of their families. [Full Story]

Sri Lankan Prime Minister says Jaffna will be developed as a 'regional airport'
[ New Indian Express ] [ 01 Feb 2017 02:55 GMT ]

He said that his government believes in developing the country through FDIs and not loans. [Full Story]

SRI LANKA: REFUSING TO DISAPPEAR
[ Amnesty International ] [ 31 Jan 2017 00:03 GMT ]

Until parents, wives, siblings, and children know the truth about the fate of a missing family member, they can find it almost impossible to seek justice and reparation for crimes they have suffered. [Full Report PDF]

Sri Lanka: 'Thirteenth (13th) Amendment no solution to our problem'
[ SL Guardian ] [ 30 Jan 2017 01:39 GMT ]

'We propose the giving of practical self government, give economic and political rights to the individual in the first instance. [Full Story]

Wigneswaran calls on Sri Lanka to de-proscribe Tamil diaspora groups
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 29 Jan 2017 02:50 GMT ]

The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council called on the Sri Lankan government to lift the ban on all Tamil diaspora groups, in order to 'make use of their talents and wealth for our betterment'. [Full Story]

Switzerland 'wrongly exposed Tamil asylum seeker to torture'
[ Swiss Info ] [ 28 Jan 2017 01:35 GMT ]

Around 50,000 people from Sri Lanka live in Switzerland, mostly Tamils, who fled the island's 30-year civil war [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Justice is paramount
[ SL Guardian ] [ 27 Jan 2017 03:11 GMT ]

With a backlog of over 100,000 alleged enforced disappearances since the late 1980s, there is no shortage of examples of frustrated justice. [Full Story]

Why did no one see the bull hit?
[ The Tribune ] [ 26 Jan 2017 04:28 GMT ]

Many believe that one of the images unearthed during excavations of the Indus Valley civilization is an image of a person fighting a bull during Jallikattu. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Amnesty International hosts 'Memory and Justice' - day of activities and poetry book launch
[ Amnesty International ] [ 25 Jan 2017 05:44 GMT ]

Some estimates have put the total number of people who have been subject to enforced disappearances at up to 100,000 people. [Full Story]

USTPAC Calls for Autonomous NorthEast Region for Tamils Within Sri Lanka
[ PRNewswire ] [ 24 Jan 2017 14:01 GMT ]

The Tamil Diaspora came into existence as a direct result of violence against the Tamils often carried out with the complicity of the Sri Lankan state. [Full Story]

Jallikattu: New Tamil Nadu bill backs India bullfights
[ BBC ] [ 23 Jan 2017 14:45 GMT ]

Demonstrators have been calling for the practice to be fully re-legalised. [Full Story]

The Reconciliation Process in Sri Lanka
[ SL Guardian ] [ 22 Jan 2017 00:44 GMT ]

We are convinced and we recognize clearly, that societies that avoid looking at the past, fail to build sustainable peace. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka braces for trouble ahead
[ The Manila Times ] [ 21 Jan 2017 15:02 GMT ]

Signs of growing grassroots opposition to the central government are cropping up in Tamil areas, mostly in response to the enduring presence of Sri Lankan forces there and their continued occupation of land. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: TNA threatens to quit constitution process if terms not met
[ The Indian Express ] [ 20 Jan 2017 02:02 GMT ]

We have a mandate from the people for a federal Constitution with the merger of North and East to resolve the National question. [Full Story]

SLR 300 million Indian Grant to Construct 3000 Rain Water Harvesting Systems
[ HCI ] [ 19 Jan 2017 04:32 GMT ]

The project envisages construction of 3000 rainwater harvesting systems for 3000 households in selected divisions of Jaffna District. [Full Story]

Jallikattu: Thousands protest at India bullfighting ban
[ BBC ] [ 18 Jan 2017 18:12 GMT ]

It is more than 2,000 years old and considered to be one of the oldest sports still practised in the modern era. [Full Story]

Listen To Justin Trudeau Speak Tamil To Celebrate Canada's Diversity
[ Huffington Post ] [ 17 Jan 2017 17:06 GMT ]

Canada's House of Commons voted in 2016 to recognize every January as Tamil Heritage Month. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka should rethink immigration, diaspora policies
[ LBO ] [ 16 Jan 2017 00:02 GMT ]

Immigrants and diaspora bring with them significant know-how and skills necessary for the setting up of new industries, a process which Sri Lanka could benefit. [Full Story]

Challenging Sri Lanka's Sixth Amendment
[ The Huffington Post ] [ 15 Jan 2017 02:42 GMT ]

This campaign can been seen as part of a global effort to strengthen democracy. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Consultation Task Force report must lead to justice
[ Amnesty International ] [ 14 Jan 2017 02:55 GMT ]

'If the government wants to show its commitment to justice for thousands of families who have seen their loved ones killed or disappeared it needs to pay stronger attention to the CTF's recommendations.' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka's Troubling Quest for Justice
[ The Diplomat ] [ 13 Jan 2017 04:43 GMT ]

If the coalition government is going to reconsider its deeply flawed approach, it would need to move quickly and decisively. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Adopt Task Force's Justice Proposals
[ Human Right Watch ] [ 12 Jan 2017 01:55 GMT ]

The government should recognize that its commitments were not only to concerned governments in Geneva, but to its own citizens seeking justice and reconciliation after a terrible war.' [Full Story]

Time for a political solution
[ The Hindu ] [ 11 Jan 2017 01:00 GMT ]

For lakhs of Tamils still struggling to rebuild their lives since the island's brutal war that ended seven years ago, the wait has been long and painful. [Full Story]

TNA to support Sri Lanka's constitution-making despite internal dissent
[ The New Indian Express ] [ 10 Jan 2017 03:09 GMT ]

The TNA leadership believes that the present government will not totally disregard its commitments to the UNHRC. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka is creating a new Constitution and the people have spoken
[ Scroll ] [ 09 Jan 2017 20:49 GMT ]

Schedules are impossible to pin down and government commitment is lacking. [Full Story]

In Sri Lanka, the Wounds of War Are Healing
[ Stratfor ] [ 08 Jan 2017 22:59 GMT ]

The country 'needs to rebuild not only its infrastructure but also people's hearts and minds.' [Full Story]

EU team on fact finding visit
[ CT ] [ 07 Jan 2017 01:22 GMT ]

'Right along the EU had been insisting the Lanka addresses human rights issues. [Full Story]

Sri Lanka divided as panel backs foreign judges to probe war crimes
[ Reuters ] [ 06 Jan 2017 04:18 GMT ]

The Consultation Task Force (CTF)said foreign involvement was needed because of a lack of confidence in the local judiciary, which it said did not have the expertise and capacity to prosecute war crimes. [Full Story]

Canadian Minister praises Tamils in message marking Tamil Heritage Month
[ Tamil Guardian ] [ 05 Jan 2017 02:10 GMT ]

'The Tamil language is one of the oldest living languages in the world, and we are enriched by Tamil-Canadian contributions to every aspect of our society-arts and culture in particular.' [Full Story]

Sri Lanka: Make hay while the sun shines
[ SL Guardian ] [ 04 Jan 2017 00:08 GMT ]

Only a fundamental shift in every one's thinking could lead the nation in the right direction. [Full Story]

Federalism addresses minority rights: Prof. R. Sivachandran
[ Daily Mirror ] [ 03 Jan 2017 00:34 GMT ]

The politicians and leading personalities in the civil society should explain to the people how ethnic problems have been solved in developed and under-developed countries after devastating wars. [Full Story]

Raviraj murder: Acquittal raises credibility concerns
[ The Hindu ] [ 02 Jan 2017 01:09 GMT ]

Some see the recent outcome as a reflection of an apparent ethnic bias against the Tamils in the justice system. [Full Story]

Happy New Year, Mr. President Elect Trump, and Help SL Tamils with Two Important Things in 2017, Says Tamils for Trump
[ Tamils for Trump ] [ 01 Jan 2017 00:17 GMT ]

'The New Year is a time of hope and renewal. [Full Story]

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Justice Delayed; Justice Denied!

Center for Prevention and Prosecution of Genocide


Memoirs of Prof. Dr. Fr. S.J.Emmanuel
Autobiography
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Catholic priest and his helper missing since 13th August 2006!

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Tamils Against Genocide
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