Eelam News - Vanniyan

திருகோணமலை பிரதேசத்தில் உள்ள ஈந்து ஆலயங்களில் கடந்த பல நாட்களாக தெய்வ சிலைகள் உடைக்கப்படும் சம்பவங்கள் குறித்து பொலிஸாருக்கு முறைப்பாடுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன.
திருகோணமலை, ஆதிகோணேஸ்வரர், கள்ளிமேடு முத்துமாரியம்மன், பட்டிமேடு சிந்தாமணி பிள்ளையார், புதுடிக்குடியிருப்பு ஊரிக்காடு பிள்ளையார் ஆலயம் ஆகியவற்றின் தெய்வ சிலைகளே உடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.
இந்த சம்பவங்கள் இனங்களுக்கு இடையில் முரண்பாடுகளை ஏற்படுத்தும் ஒரு திட்டமிட்ட சதிச் செயலாக இருக்கலாம் என இந்துக்கள் சந்தேகம் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
எனினும் சம்பவம் தொடர்பில் எவரும் இதுவரை பொலிஸாரால் கைதுசெய்யப்படவில்லை

அண்மையில் பதுளையில் நடைபெற்ற கிரிக்கெட் மைதான திறப்பு விழாவின் போது ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ச துடுப்பெடுத்தாடி விளையாட்டை ஆரம்பித்து வைத்தார்.
இதன் போது அவர் எஸ்.எப் என்ற ரகத்தை சேர்ந்த துடுப்பை கொண்டே பந்தை அடித்தாடினார்.
இந்த விடயம் அப்போது பெரியளவில் பேசப்படாத போதும் பின்னர் அரசியல் பிரச்சினையை உருவாக்கியுள்ளது.
எஸ்.எப் எனப்படுவது  ஜனாதிபதியின் அரசியல் எதிரியான முன்னாள் இராணுவ தளபதி சரத் பொன்சேகாவை குறிப்பதாகும் இதனை வைத்துக்கொண்டே கடந்த ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தலில் சரத் பொன்சேகா தேர்தல் பிரசாரங்களில் ஈடுபட்டு வந்தார்.
இந்தநிலையில் கிரிக்கெட் துடுப்பாட்ட விடயம் ஜனாதிபதிக்கு தெரியவரவே அவர் சார்ந்த அதிகாரிகள், ஜனாதிபதி துடுப்பெடுத்தாடும் வகையில் அமைந்திருந்த துடுப்பில் உள்ள எஸ்.எப் என்ற எழுத்துக்களை மறைத்து பிரசுரிக்குமாறு பத்திரிகைகளுக்கு  உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.
தொலைக்காட்சி படங்களிலும் எஸ்.எப் எழுத்துக்களை காணமுடியவில்லை.

2030 ஆம் ஆண்டில் நாட்டின் தலைவராக வரும் வகையில் இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதியின் மகனும் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினருமான நாமல் ராஜபக்ச இணைத்தளம் ஒன்றை ஆரம்பித்துள்ளார்.
நாமல் 2030 என இந்த இணையத்தளத்திற்கு பெயரிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.
இதில் நாமல் தொடர்பான தகவல்களும் அரசியல் அம்சங்களும் உள்ளடங்கியுள்ளன.
எனினும் ஏனைய கட்சி உறுப்பினர்களை பாதிக்கும் என்பதற்காக இந்த இணையத்தளத்தை பிரசாரப்படுத்த வேண்டாம் என ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ச கேட்டுக் கொண்ட போதும் நாமலின் இணையத்தளம் பிரசாரப்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது.
ஏற்கனவே நாமலை ஜனாதிபதியாக கொண்டு வரவேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவே மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ச, ஜனாதிபதி பதவிக்காலத்தின் வரையறையை நீடித்தார் என்ற குற்றச்சாட்டுக்களும் சுமத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

சுவிஸ் வட்டக்கச்சி இராமநாதபுரம் ஒன்றியத்தினால் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்ட "சுற்றத்து முற்றம்" கலைநிகழ்வு நாளை காலை 10:00 மணிக்கு ஆரம்பகாவுள்ளது.
இம்மாபெரும் கலை மகிழ்வு ஒன்று ௬டலானது  நாளை காலை 10   மணியிலிருந்து  மாலை 17 மணிவரை, Gemeindezentrum    Brüelmatt Dorfstrasse 10  8903  Birmensdorf  என்னும் முகவரியில் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.
இலங்கையிலிருந்து வருகை தந்திருக்கும் தமிழ் தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பு நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களான  மாவை சேனாதிராஜா ,  பா . அரியநேந்திரன் , சீ . யோகேஸ்வரன், சி .சிறிதரன்  மற்றும் முன்னாள் ஊடகவியலாளரான ந .வித்தியாதரன் ஆகியோர் கலந்து சிறப்புரை ஆற்றவுள்ளனர்
சுவிஸ் முன்னணி கலைக் கல்வி நிறுவனங்களின்  மாணவ மாணவியர் பங்குகொள்ளும் இசை நடன கலை நிகழ்வுகளுடன் நெகிழும் நினைவுகளுடன் மகிழும் உறவுகளாய் புலம்பெயர் உறவுகளை இச்சுற்றத்து முற்றத்தில் வந்து சங்கமிக்குமாறு அனைவரையும் அழைக்கின்றோம்.
மண்டபத்திற்கு வரும் வழி Bern -Zürich-  Chur புதிய வேகவீதியில் Westring-Zürich -Birmensdorf
வட்டக்கச்சி இராமநாதபுர ஒன்றியம்
சுவிஸ்

Six parliamentarians of the main opposition of United National Party (UNP) crossed over to the government benches while the debate on the 18th amendment to the constitution was in progress Wednesday evening.

The UNP MPs who crossed over to government benches were Lakshman Seneviratne, Earl Gunasekara, Manusha Nanayakkara, Upeksha Swarnamali, Nimal Wijeysinghe and Abdul Carder.

Sri Lanka’s seventy nine year-old Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna tabled the 18th Amendment to the constitution in Parliament Wednesday morning. According to the 18th amendment, the restriction of the two term executive presidency system is to be removed allowing the incumbent president to contest any number of times.

The amendment allows the introduction of a five-member parliamentary advisory council replacing the existing Constitutional Council appointed under the seventeenth Sri Lankan constitution.

Mr. Jayaratna said that at least sixteen parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party were expected to vote in favour of the amendment when it was put to vote at the conclusion of the debate around 7:00 p.m.

Except those UNP parliamentarians who are expected to vote with the government, other UNP parliamentarians have been boycotting the debate.

Meanwhile, supporters of the government and opposition have been conducting pro and anti demonstrations in several parts of Colombo city, causing heavy traffic jam.

Sri Lanka government’s archaeological department with the help of Sri Lanka Army is constructing more structures in Thirvadinilai in Maathakal in Vallikaamam North SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), in addition to a Buddhist temple erected in October 2009. This area had been the home of Tamil families living there since ancient times evicted twenty years ago when Valikaamam North HSZ was established by SLA. Now the families are not allowed even to see their own places in Maathakal while thousands of Sinhala Buddhist pilgrims visit the newly built temple daily which now has become a tourist attraction in Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. 

Sri Lanka president’s wife Shiranthi Rajapakse and his son Namal Rajapakse had in October 2009 brought a statue of Changkamiththa, Emperor Aoska’s daughter and the first woman Buddhist missionary to Ceylon, to be enshrined in the newly built Buddhist temple in Maathakal in the HSZ.

During the same time Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse had appointed Rev. Warapitiya Rahula Thero as the curator for archaeological artifacts in Jaffna peninsula in an attempt to fabricate evidence to show the Sinhalese masses and the outer world that traces of Buddhism in Jaffna peninsula are exclusively Sinhalese.

Rev. Rahula Thero will go into action following in the footsteps of the successive Sinhalese regimes which have tried to rewrite the history of Sri Lanka in favour of Sinhalese Buddhists, the sources added.
The pilgrims from South entering through the front line check post of the army HSZ in Thellippalai go to Keerimalai and then to the Buddhist temple in Thiruvadinilai in Maathakal where Changamiththa’s statue is enshrined.

Meanwhile, SLA does not permit the uprooted families from Thiruvadinilai to go no further than Keerimalai and they now just watch the thousands of pilgrims going to their places passing them. 

Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday announced in Sri Lanka parliament that his party would not attend the debate on the 18th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka when it is taken up for debate on Wednesday. UNP parliamentarians led by Ranil Wickremasinghe thereafter walked out.

Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne tabled the amendment bill amidst protests from the opposition amidst vociferous protests from the Opposition.

However, Speaker Chamal Rajapakse maintained that since the Supreme Court has ruled that the Amendment Bill was consistent with the Constitution and that only a two thirds majority in Parliament was needed, it did not pose any problems with the tabling of the Bill.

The Speaker suspended the sitting of parliament for about ten minutes following the walk out by the UNP.

UNP parliamentarians came out and held a Satyagraha campaign outside the Parliament.

Sri Lanka’s Parliament Tuesday adopted a motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month without voting. Prime Minister D. M. Jayaretna tabled the motion seeking the approval of the parliament. Parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) who were present in the house did not ask for division when the motion was put to vote.

Hence the Speaker Chamal Rajapakse declared that the motion was passed unanimously.

Parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and Sinhala Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) were not present in the House at that time.

The State of Emergency is in force since August 12 2005.

Majority of parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday afternoon entered the parliament clad in black as a mark of protest in opposition to the 18th amendment to the constitution. One dissident parliamentarian of the UNP Abdul Cader of Kandy district was present in the house in his usual attire and not in black.

Meanwhile a group of lawyers paraded a coffin around the Supreme Court complex in Colombo Tuesday noon as a mark of protest to the introduction of the 18th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

The UNP Tuesday categorically stated that the party has determined to expel all dissident MPs who vote for the constitutional amendment on Wednesday in parliament. The disciplinary action against the dissidents would commence immediately and their membership would be cancelled, the UNP has said.

The Thear (Chariot) festival of the historic Nalloor Kanthasuvaami Temple in Jaffna town was held Tuesday morning with at least a hundred thousand devotees from all over the island and abroad participating in the annual festival. The opening of A9 road had enabled the devotees to travel easily to Jaffna. Tamils and Sinhala people from South and expatriate Tamils in particular were among the thousands of devotees, sources in Jaffna said. 

More than 600 civil police personnel along with the temple volunteers were engaged in maintaining order during the festival.

Key roads in Jaffna were blocked for vehicles while no one was allowed to enter the temple surroundings in vehicles.

The chief deity Lord Murukan was taken from the temple Tuesday morning to the gaily-decorated Thear, with several devotees following the Thear paying their homage.

Devotees annually flock to the temple to fulfil the vows, imposing on themselves peculiar forms of penance including Kaavadi to propitiate Lord Murukan.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe declined to endorse Jaffna Government Ms. Imelda Sukumar’s announcement that uprooted families from Valikaamam North SLA High Security Zone (HSZ) will be soon allowed resettlement in a recent meeting at Jaffna Veerasingham Hall, representatives of welfare organizations for uprooted families from Valikaamam North said. The GA is acting as if she is the spokesperson of Sri Lanka Defence Ministry, they accused. SLA Jaffna continues to deny permission for resettlement as Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa is unyielding in his decision not to permit resettlement in Valikaamam North HSZ, they said.

Ms. Imelda Sukumar had failed to give any information or further details of the announced resettlement when the welfare organizations had contacted her.

Meanwhile, Major. Gen. Kathurusinghe had declined to comment on Ms. Imelda Sukumar’s announcement when approached by the welfare organizations.

Meanwhile, following announcements made during the last Presidential and General elections by Sri Lanka ministers SLA had permitted the uprooted families to see their properties caught in Valikaamam North SLA HSZs.

SLA, however, had later denied them entry after the elections were over.

The committee appointed by Colombo Supreme Court in July 2008 to explore resettlement in Vallikaamam North had completely ceased to function after some months.

Colombo Supreme Court had appointed the above committee after inquiring into the Fundamental Rights Violation petition filed by the uprooted families seeking permission to resettle in their villages in Valikaamam north and to engage in their livelihoods.

On the whole, resettlement of uprooted families evacuated by SLA from their properties in Valikaamam North seems vey uncertain, the representatives of the welfare organizations said.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that has a parliamentary strength of fourteen members Monday decided to vote against the 18th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, according to Colombo media reports quoting TNA media spokesman and Jaffna district parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran.

He said the decision was taken at the parliamentary group meeting the TNA held Monday as the said amendment deprives the rights of minority communities.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL), Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Monday decided to support the 18th amendment in parliament. CPSL is led by Minister D. E. W. Gunasekara, LSSP by Minister Tissa Vitharana and NSSP by Vasudeva Nanayakara.

The government is to move the eighteenth amendment to the constitution removing the restriction on two term executive presidency and introducing a five-member Parliamentary Advisory Council replacing the Constitutional Council appointed under the seventh amendment in parliament.

Vasudeva Nanayakkara told media in Colombo Monday evening that despite disagreement over proposals embodied in the 18th amendment left parties have decided to support and vote for the 18th amendment.

Veteran Eezham Tamil scholar Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby, Emeritus Professor of Tamil of the University of Jaffna, Sunday denied a report that he had been in the forefront in organizing the so-called 'World Tamil Writers Conference' in Colombo scheduled for January next year. His denial was carried in the Sunday edition of a leading Tamil weekly, Thinakkural, published from Colombo.

Prof. Sivathamby said he had once been contacted by a friend from Australia over the proposed 'International Tamil Writers Conference 'in Colombo scheduled for January next year.

“But I explained to him that the present situation in Sri Lanka is not conducive to hold such conference in Colombo. Therefore, I deny reports involving me in such conference as I am unaware of anything about it,” Sivathamby said according to Thinakkural.

Eezham Tamils are a nation having historical sovereignty and territory in the island called Sri Lanka. Members of the Indian Establishment should stop humiliating them any further by calling them as ‘minority’. Tamil brethren of Tamil Nadu should be sensitive enough and stop such fundamentally faulty approaches and psyop war of the New Delhi-Chennai-Colombo axis on the historical nation of Eezham Tamils in the island. Edification of Chennai and New Delhi is basic to make the world see the crisis in realistic perspectives. Eezham Tamils, in their casual and social interaction should consciously stop using the recently invented name Sri Lanka of genocidal connotations, when an official Tamil name Ilangkai and another ancient Tamil name Eezham are available to refer to the island, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.

The Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao, visiting the island last week was quoted saying “political settlement that would meet some of the needs of the minorities”.

The visiting Indian army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh has asked the Sinhalese, the ‘majority community’ in Sri Lanka, to be largehearted towards the ‘minority Tamils’, reported P K Balachandran of Indian Express Monday.

It is now almost one hundred years since the implementation of the first major colonial political reform, the MacCallum constitution of 1912, by the British after their administrative unification of the island in 1833.

The minority-majority formula initiated then, whether communal representation, or later the universal adult enfranchisement since 1931, didn’t work in the last one hundred years in the island.

It was always misunderstood by the Sinhala nation to culminate in a genocidal war – the military commander Fonseka during the height of the war saying Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese and the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying the same in a different language immediately after the war that he would see no one is a minority in the island.

The Indian general of IPKF legacy wanted to sound non-political when he said that he would leave envisaging defence cooperation of India and Sri Lanka to the political leadership of the two countries. But he was political no less than Sarath Fonseka on a core and sensitive issue when he was referring to ‘minority Tamils’ and was pleading the ‘majority Sinhalese’.

The consistently faulty approach of the Indian Establishment towards the chronic crisis in the island provides the space for pretending India-friends like Dayan Jayatilleke to nullify the integrity of Tamil homeland and call even a federal solution a ‘fantasy’ on one hand and to advice Colombo of the importance of maintaining balance between China and India on the other hand.

While political solution is in the lip service, recent media reports from Colombo brim with news on the India-China competition in the economy of the island providing space for chauvinistic Colombo to quietly carryout the genocide.

From the ill-reputed Vedanta of Chidambaram connections buying Cairn India oil dig in the Tamil waters to Chinese capturing labour market and gem market in the south, the news reports didn’t fail to point out how the people of the island are not the beneficiaries.

The media reports also provide glimpses on India’s tolerance to Sinhala military occupying vast tracts of Tamil land in large numbers for the permanent subjugation of Tamils and the Chinese building permanent houses for the occupying military.

While there are no signs of political solution, no signs of rights for Tamils to develop themselves and no signs of free movement for Tamils in their land, there is again news that Dr. M S Swaminathan will be engaging in ‘agricultural development’ in the North.

Eezham Tamils are more concerned about India’s outlook to the crisis than concerned about any other power or country.

If the Indian Foreign Secretary was facing outbursts in Jaffna it was because the Eezham Tamils think that they have the right to do because of the emotional bondage they still feel, despite what India had done to them. They wouldn’t have felt that liberty had it been the President of Sri Lanka or even the US Asst. Secretary of State. People of India have to understand that if not understood by their Establishment.

Especially after witnessing the genocidal Vanni War, and witnessing the ongoing open demonstration of structural genocide by state in the island, Eezham Tamils can’t afford to have any genuine dialogue with whether Colombo, New Delhi, Washington or any others, unless the dialogue begins from the recognition of the nation of Eezham Tamils and its sovereignty in the island.

Whoever among them recognises the above as the beginning of reconciliation will only get the collaboration of Eezham Tamils, cooperation of global Tamils and the good will of the civilised majority of the silently watching humanity.

But how long the people of Tamil Nadu are going to be gagged from raising the fundamentals and how long the global Tamils are going to subscribe for watching the ‘dance of deer and peacock’ is the question.

Meanwhile, it is saddening to note that sections in the Eezham Tamil diaspora under the influence of psyops and the use of English are insensitive to the significance of symbols and still use the post-1972 name 'Sri Lanka' of genocidal connotations in their social, cultural and casual interactions.

Eezham Tamil children in the diaspora innocently use this self-defeating symbol of state because they are not educated on this by their parents.

Even for those who still harp on a 'united Sri Lanka' there is an official and constitutional name Ilangkai in Tamil, if they think the ancient Tamil name Eezham for the island, from which the Sinhala E'lu and He'la derived, is too political for them.

Haven’t these sections seen examples in Europe that a country could be officially called in different names in the different languages of the nations within that country? Even India is officially written differently in English and in Devanagari alphabets.

Devotees in their thousands from across Sri Lanka and abroad filled the temple precincts at the annual Chappa’ram festival of Nalloor Kanthasuvaami temple in Jaffna held Monday night. Jaffna peninsula devotees took part in greater number than they had in previous years, sources in Jaffna said. The Chappa’ram festival will be followed with Thear (Chariot) festival Tuesday and Theerththam (Water cutting) festival Wednesday.

Sri Lanka National Environment Commission (NEC) has stopped the deepening of the fisheries jetties in Vadamaraadchi saying prior permission had not been obtained from NEC. The deepening of the jetties had commenced after a long period. Fishermen societies in Vadamaraadchi said that they will gather fishermen to launch protest demonstrations unless Sri Lanka government finds a solution for the problem.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had refused to permit deepening of the said jetties in areas from Valveddiththu’rai to Ma’nattkaadu on Vadamaraadchi coast during the war.

Deepening of some of the fisheries jetties in Vadamaraadchi had been begun during the peace period but tsunami had filled them with sand and stones.

As the number of fishing boats had increased greatly the jetties need to be deepened and broadened to make sufficient area for the boats to dock out and in.

SLA authorities in Vadamaraadchi too are not prepared to grant any concessions to the fishermen, fisheries society representatives said.

During the pre-trial phase of a lawsuit accusing two Tamils and a Tamil charity for allegedly providing funds to the Liberation Tigers which is listed as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)" by the US Department of State, and thereby aiding the Liberation Tigers in causing the death of several Sri Lanka civilians, U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh dismissed all but two charges, legal sources in Washington said. The suit was filed by relatives of 24 Sri Lankan civilians under a 1789 US statute Alien Tort Claim Act (ATCA) for the alleged killing by the LTTE. Legal sources in Washington said that the plaintiffs face a difficult legal challenge to establish that the remaining two charges due to the higher thresholds of burden of proof demanded by the Court.

U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh threw out, in full, five of the seven counts (counts 2-5) in the complaint, and also dismissed a partial count (count 7).

The dismissed charges include aiding and abetting terrorism, negligence, reckless disregard and wrongful death and survivor claims. A summary of charges filed by the plaintiffs follows:

1. Aiding and abetting, intentionally facilitating, and/or recklessly disregarding crimes against humanity in violation of international law;
2. Aiding and abetting acts of terrorism, including specifically suicide bombings and other murderous attacks on innocent civilians intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, universally condemned as violations of the law of nations;
3. Reckless disregard-- to a known threat when they gave individual, private, or charitable funds...
4. Negligence. Negligently and recklessly, directly and indirectly, failed to exercise reasonable care...
5. Wrongful death against defendants;
6. Survival action against the defendants; and
7. Negligent and/or intentional infliction of emotional distress against plaintiffs. 

Comparing how the United States accounted any Vietnamese killed as Viet Cong, Peter Bouckert, in the British Daily Guardian said Sunday that "Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, has taken such creative accounting to new heights. The United Nations reported that at least 7,000 civilians were killed and tens of thousands wounded during the final months of the brutal conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which ended in May 2009. But Gotabhaya has repeatedly cast aspersions on the idea that there were any civilian casualties."

Gotabhaya claimed that injured Tigers "changed their uniforms into civilian clothes" and that the Tigers must have suffered at least 6,000 dead and 30,000 injured – suggesting those counted as civilian casualties were really just Tamil Tiger fighters who had shed their uniforms, the paper said.

Noting Gotabhaya's statement to the Sri Lanka's "Lessons Learnt" commission that "[n]o complaints about human rights violations or abuses by the army were brought to my notice. None at all," the column in Guardian said, the "defence secretary seems to be suffering from severe amnesia," pointing out the reported evidence during and after the conflict by various UN agencies, the US state department and human rights organisations.

"The government clearly wants to avoid an honest attempt to find the truth. During a BBC interview in June, Gotabhaya threatened to have the commander behind the final military offensive, Gen Sarath Fonseka, executed after he promised to co-operate with investigations into wartime violations," Boucaert said refering to a a widely broadcast video where an agitated Rajapakse made the incriminating statement.

The column concludes: "What the Lessons Learned Commission makes of the testimony it receives remains to be seen. One would hope that it would see the government's version of events for what it is: a cynical fabrication designed to avoid scrutiny. Unfortunately, there is every reason to fear that the panel will believe the story that is being spun by the Rajapaksa brothers, which basically runs to the formula from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland: "Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't.""

Sri Lanka Public Administration Affairs Ministry held its first all island District Government Agents conference in Jaffna Monday in District Secretaiat hall at 9:00 a.m presided by Sri Lanka Minister of Public Administration, John Seneviratne. Jaffna Government Agent Ms. Imelda Sukumar told Tamilnet that past development activities in the North and future devolpment projects were discussed in the meeting. Allocation of funds for various projects was also considered, the GA said.

The newly appointed Government Agents to Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts in the war affected Vanni highlighted the plight of resettled families in Vanni, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.

The issue was explored deeply in the conference, they added.

All government agents from the twenty-five administrative districts in Sri Lanka attended the conference.

The first Cabinet meeting of Sri Lanka’s government was held last month in Ki'linochchi outside Colombo.

The conference of GAs continues amidst accusations raised by civil society circles in Jaffna that Sri Lanka government had not done enough for the North.

Parents and relatives of one hundred and seventy four Tamil youths disappeared after arrest by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Vanthaa'rumoolai campus of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka in Batticaloa district two decades ago held prayers in memory of them Sunday. SLA troops had come in buses and taken 158 Tamil youths by force from Vanthaa'rumoolai campus on 05.09.1990 and 16 youths eighteen days later on September 23.

Since then for the last two decades parents and relatives of these youths are in the dark whether their loved ones are alive or dead.

These youths had sought refuge in Vanthaa'rumoolai campus to evade atrocities by the state armed forces and were arrested by SLA in the name of interrogation.

The parents and relatives of the youths were not informed about their whereabouts.

Some parents who are under the impression that their children are alive held prayers in temples of their faith Sunday for their safe return.

Other parents who think their children are no more held rituals seeking solace to their souls.

The Association of Tamil Creativists in Tamil Nadu against the Colombo International Tamil Writers Conference to be held in Colombo from 5th to 8th January 2011 has appealed to all Tamil writers to boycott the Colombo conference in a message to media released Tuesday in Chennai. Several leading Tamil creativists including writers, artists, film industry persons and journalists who took part in the Tuesday press meet have signed the appeal.

The English version of the appeal follows:

Let us boycott Colombo International Tamil Writers Conference – a request by Tamil creativists, artists and journalists.

Some writers have announced that they are to hold an International Tamil Writers Conference in Colombo on 5, 6, 7, 8 January 2011. It has been announced that some persons in Colombo and some Diaspora writers had met on 3rd January 2010 and decided to hold this conference.

Sri Lanka government, with India’s joint sabotage, had waged a massive Tamil genocidal war last year killing numerous combatants and innocent civilians to the great shock of the world.

The countries of the world, enraged against Sri Lanka which had made cruel attacks and committed atrocities on the Tamils with frenzied Sinhala chauvinism violating International rules in the conduct of war and the treatment of prisoners of war, have condemned it.

European Union has imposed an embargo on Sri Lanka. The UN General Secretary and the heads of UN member states continue to demand Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be charged in the International Court.

Sri Lanka, having waged a Tamil genocidal war, in order to escape the accusations of the world countries and to dampen the anger of the Tamils had tried to show that it was not an enemy of the Tamils by holding the India International Film Awards Festival in Colombo on 3, 4, 5 June.

But the Tamil film society boycotted the festival and appealed to the film societies of other languages in India resulting in the absolute failure of the festival.

With this total failure Sri Lanka is now attempting to stage the Colombo International Tamil Writers Conference in an effort to hide the blood stains of a hundred thousand Tamils on its hands. Without revealing its true face it now wears the mask of writers to engage in this fraudulence.

Therefore, the Tamil creativists, activists and artists and journalists should understand the background and the motive of holding this conference.

We are humanists, creativists, humanitarian thinkers, artists and journalists who sincerely cherish humanity beyond the boundaries of countries, race and language. We are duty-bound to raise our voices together against violation of human rights and attacks on human beings in whichever corner of the world.

The atrocities committed against Eezham Tamils and the horrendous killings of them which reached its zenith in Mu’l’livaaikkaal cannot be described in words. This tyrant Sri Lanka government, exposed of its atrocities and facing the condemnation of world countries, in an effort to hide its cruel face, is now making up its face with the paint of Tamil-love.

We wish to emphatically state that we will not be a party to this effort under any circumstance.

There is no record in world history of a people who had achieved any development independently without political liberation.

Therefore, we request the creativists, scholars and artists to see through the cunning motive of the Sri Lanka government which tries to entice them in the name of development of literature, language and film industry. Tamils of the world should wholly boycott this counterfeit and pompous conference.

Thank you,

(signatures of participants)