By Satheesan Kumaaran

The United Nations-backed tribunal found the former Khmer Rouge chief jailer, Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch, guilty of war crimes against humanity on July 26, 2010. During the four-year hard-line communist reign from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge, which was headed by Pol Pot, was blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians. Duch was one of the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity and sentenced to 19 years. The question is, why doesn’t the UN do [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

Tarnishing the image of genuine asylum seekers, with the same brush used to expose terrorists, is just a ploy to reject them, with no consideration of their dire situation as persecuted persons. After spending weeks on the high seas, facing the dangers of such perilous travel on the oceans, in search of protection to try to escape persecution and oppression in their own states, the Tamils flee Sri Lanka. However, the host countries tend to reject these genuine [...]

After the success of the anti-GSP+campaign, to persuade the European Union (EU) to withdraw their generous tax concession to Sri Lanka (worth over £150 million), European importers are reconsidering their relationship with Sri Lanka.

The loss of the tax concession will add around 6% to the previously protected products making many of them more expensive than similar competitive items from countries such as Bangladesh. This is the reason why NEXT are considering pulling out of Sri Lanka (due to the loss [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

It is an unparalleled paradox that that the Sri Lankan government, after crowing to the world that they vanquished the most dangerous terrorist organisation, and in order to justify the massacres of more than 30,000 Tamil civilians in the war, should use one its surviving leaders, and a war criminal at that, to woo members of the Tamil Diasporas to come to their line of thinking in further oppressing and marginalising the Tamil people. Their actions are a [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

Last week was a remarkable one for the Sri Lankan government. They celebrated the first year of victory over the Tamils, what Sri Lanka is calling peace and reconciliation celebrations. The envoys from the U.S. and Japan, as well as the UN, made a surprise visit to the island last week. Although Sri Lanka announced its victory in the war against the LTTE in May last year, the government was not able to hold the event as earlier [...]

At least 4 people were killed and nearly one lakh displaced in Sri Lanka due to floods following heavy rains in the capital and adjoining areas today, forcing the cancellation of celebrations tomorrow to mark the first anniversary of the army’s victory over LTTE.

Sri Lanka’s Meteorological Department, which warned there could be landslides in some parts of the country, described the floods due to pre-monsoon rains.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is on a visit to Tehran, announced Rs [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

Tamils throughout the world, remember the victims of Black July ’83. Twenty-six years ago, the state-sponsored pogrom against Tamils in Sri Lanka resulted in the deaths of 3000 people, and property damages of over $300 million U.S. The days between July 24 and July 30, 1983, were tragic, and unforgettable, for the Tamils. The May 2009 war, which killed nearly 40,000 Tamil civilians, was record high, beating the July ‘83 holocaust. For the Sri Lankan government, it is [...]

Mullivaikal Remembrance Day – London

War Crimes Against Eelam Tamils

Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at Parliament Square

Time: 4pm-8pm

Please come in black to pay your respects to the victims and pledge to attain justice against war crimes.

For further information please contact 020 8808 0465

www.tamilsforum.com

By Satheesan Kumaaran

The much-awaited parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, which was announced soon after President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the presidential election in January 2010, has just come to an end with a thumping victory to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s alliance. The general election, held on April 8, 2010, was to elect 196 members in addition to 29 members who would be appointed from National List to make 225 members in total for the unicameral legislature. The UPFA comprised the SLFP, CP, LSSP, [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

The Indian central government’s message to Colombo is coming out from behind closed-door meetings as well as direct telephone calls, by the leaders of both countries. Indian policy advisers are engaged in deeply heated arguments, which are also taking place behind closed-doors, due to the Chinese influence in India’s backyard in the south. The Indians now realise that much water has flown under the bridge between China and Sri Lanka. They do not know what had transpired between [...]

Members of the drum and bass band Dub Mafia joined the Act Now Boycott (of Sri Lankan products) campaign at the weekend in Bristol to show solidarity with the Tamil civilians suffering in detention camps in Sri Lanka and to raise awareness of the ‘Blood Garment’ industry.

The Band have pledged their support to Act Now and will be doing a fundraiser at the beginning of next month (2nd April) at the Inspiral Lounge, Camden, London to raise money to [...]

Dear Friend

The great victory achieved in persuading the EU in ‘temporarily’ withdrawing the GSP+ tax-concession must now be followed up by building Act Now’s Boycott campaign.

The fact that a body such as the EU have taken action because of Sri Lanka’s failure to protect human rights on the Island presents us with a great PR opportunity for the campaign. The arrest of ex-General Sarath Fonseka and the talk of War Crimes trials paints in the public mind a very [...]

WASHINGTON, DC–U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, provided the following statement which was read at the Global Tamil Forum inaugural event in London on Wednesday. 

"As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on South Asia, I have examined the unfortunate effects of the conflict in Sri Lanka.  I have sought to shed light on the plight of internally displaced people and the importance of [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

After Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa won in the elections, held in January this year, for the second consecutive time. Indian leaders issued statements congratulating Rajapaksa. India, too, requested that Rajapaksa carefully handle Sarath Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan army general, who contested as the main oppositing candidate against Rajapaksa. The Indian leaders’ statements were in empathy on the arrest of Fonseka and the victory of Rajapaksa and the elections manifested India’s real motives in dealing with Sri [...]

By Satheesan Kumaaran

“Not every country has a Nelson Mandela”… Bishop Desmond Tutu. Only Sri Lanka can have a Mahinda Rajapaksa

The arrest of the former Sri Lankan army commander who also contested in last month’s presidential election, Maj. General Sarath Fonseka, shows that the Sri Lankan State apparatus will be activated to its fullest to ruthlessly crush anyone who dares oppose Mahinda and Co. While in his Colombo office Fonseka was arrested in the most ignominious manner like a common criminal [...]