Former Sri Lankan president and accused war criminal Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently addressed an event at the Science Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies, despite her history of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. Kumaratunga was invited to give introductory remarks at the inauguration of the French university’s South Asia program. She joined the session virtually while other members of the faculty and alumni presided over the event. The former president studied at the Science Po in 1968, known in French as Institut d'études politiques de...
All images courtesy of Phoenix TNG A multi-sensory art exhibition was held in Basel, Switzerland, over the weekend to commemorate and raise awareness on the 2009 Tamil genocide. The exhibition, organised by Phoenix TNG in collaboration with LOTTA, drew attention to the massacre at Mullivaikkal, where Sri Lanka's forces slaughtered an estimated 169 796 Tamils. The exhibition, which attracted over 200 visitors, guided them through the ten stages of a genocide, with artwork demonstrating each stage. The artwork also highlighted the parallels between the genocides in Tamil Eelam, and other...
As part of a series marking 15 years since the atrocities of Mullivaikkal, we share a reflection from the homeland. At the end of the Mullivaikkal genocide, it was estimated that there were almost 80,000 woman-headed households in the North and East. In this video, a Tamil woman whose husband and brothers were disappeared during the war, reflects on the struggles she goes through as the head of the household and the gender-based discrimination in the society she lives in. This interview was originally published in May 2020. _____ See more reflections on our website www.RememberMay2009.com
On this day 15 years ago, Stephen Sunthararaj, an activist who had exposed the trafficking of Tamil children into international prostitution rings, was abducted and forcibly disappeared in Colombo by armed men in military uniforms. As part of his work he had told the then United States Ambassador in Colombo about prostitution rings run by government aligned paramilitaries in Jaffna. The paramilitaries were trafficking children into sex rings in India and Malaysia with the help of immigration officials.
The Mullaitivu Magistrate court has urged Sri Lanka's Wildlife Department to reconsider its case against 130 Tamils in the North-East. The Department alleges that the Tamils have unlawfully occupied and cleared parcels of land, but the Tamils refute this, asserting ownership through centuries-old deeds. In its case, the Wildlife Department has charged that 130 Tamils from Chundikulam and Karialvayal have cleared land and initiated farming on these lands. The Tamil residents however stated that they have been farming on these lands since 1908. The Department said that the individuals had...
A tribute was held at the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) office in Kokuvil in memory of Manickavasagam Kanagasabapathy Eelvanthan (born Kanagentran) who passed away in Canada last week, aged 89. Members of the TNPF placed floral tributes and discussed his life and drew inspiration from his effort to amplify the cause for a Tamil homeland. Eelaventhan’s activism began in his twenties when he joined the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK). His penchant for equal rights to Tamils intensified when the Sinhala Only Act was tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament. Following the mandate of the...
Michael Rasa Mary, the mother of Major Sothiya, has passed away in Nelliyady, Jaffna today. Major Sothiya was the commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) first female unit. Maria Vasanthi Michael, known by her nomme de guerre ‘Sothiya’, was born on 20 September 1963. She first joined the LTTE in 1984. A formidable fighter, Sothiya took part in many battles, as female cadres began to take part in combat operations from 1986 onwards. Following Sothiya's death, the LTTE formed the “Sothiya Regiment’ in her honour in 1996. Read more here: Remembering Major Sothiya.
Despite Sri Lanka's Office of Mission Persons (OMP) failure to trace a single disappeared person, the office has launched an advert calling for a suitable individual to assist fact-finding missions. According to the vacancy notice, persons with suitable experience in fact-finding or investigation, human rights law, international humanitarian law, humanitarian response or other relevant qualifications to carry out the functions of the OMP have been requested to forward their applications on or before 27th May 2024. Earlier this year, Sri Lanka reiterated its rejection of UN resolutions on...
The Jaffna Christian Union served Mullivaikkal Kanji yesterday to remember the Tamils who were brutally killed by the Sri Lankan state 15 years ago. From January 2009 to May 2009, Sri Lanka ramped up its genocidal offensive shelling Tamils trapped in the 'No Fire Zones'. Kanji - a porridge of rice and water - was the only food available to Tamils trapped in the Sri Lankan government-declared 'No Fire Zones' as food, medicines, and other necessities were heavily restricted from entering the Vanni during the final phase of the armed conflict. The Sri Lankan government denied the delivery of...
The Indian High Commission in Colombo was forced to deny any Indian involvement with issuing visas in Sri Lanka, after a viral video alleged an Indian company had taken over the processing of visas at Colombo’s international airport. Chaos ensued at the Bandaranaike International Airport after an irate Sri Lankan man berated officials for reportedly allowing Indian firms to take over the issuance of visas on behalf of Sri Lankans. A viral video shows the individual in question arguing with officials at the airport after his companion was apparently denied a visa. “How can [an] Indian guy...