Updated 17:28 BST Students of the University of Jaffna have been told that the university will be closed from May 16 to May 20, covering May 18, which is marked by Tamils across the globe, in remembrance of those that died in the massacre in Mullivaikal and the rest of the conflict. Meanwhile posters have appeared in Jaffna, accusing some students and academics of supporting a revival of the LTTE, saying that this was their last chance to cease those activities. A notice issued by the registrar of the university, V Kandeepan, announced the closure and requested all students to vacate their hostels, without providing a reason for the closure.
A search operation by the Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Police, targeting Tamil youths, was conducted in Verukal, Trincomalee this morning, reported BBC Tamil . Military personnel questioned Tamil males over the age of 15 and detained several individuals. The army claimed that they conducted the operation after a T56 rifle was found earlier, reported the BBC. A source in Trincomalee told the Tamil Guardian that security forces indiscriminately targeted houses in the area and dragged out young males. “The raids started at around 4am, when people were still asleep. The Tamil people here are...
A woman in her early 20s has reported being raped by Sri Lankan military personnel in Vanni in early April. The incident has only just come to light after the victim, fearing further sexual attacks if she stayed, was able to flee the Vanni accompanied by her mother. The woman reports the rape occurred at an army camp in Vanni, after father was ordered to bring his family there, a civil society source based in Kilinochchi, in whom the woman subsequently confided in, told the Tamil Guardian. Her father was employed by the military at the time. The woman remains reluctant to speak about the...
Jan Jananayagam, co-founder of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), is amongst eight women recognised for their achievements by INSEAD, one of the world’s top business schools. "Here at INSEAD, we are proud to highlight some of the women we admire for their ambition, drive and passion to change the world one step at a time," the school said on its website. In recognising Ms. Janayagam, who graduated with an MBA from INSEAD in 1997, the school highlighted TAG’s work, saying : "Tamils Against Genocide focuses on assisting survivors of mass atrocities and crimes against humanity. They give individual...
The Tamil Youth Organisation – Canada has expressed its gratitude to the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, for rejecting Sri Lanka’s proscription of several diaspora groups, including TYO. A statement released by the organisation praised the Canadian government for confirming that the ban has no legal effect in Canada, and that the government showed “genuine concern for the wellbeing of its citizens”. “The proscription of entities and individuals that continuously showcase their determination for the liberation of the Tamil homeland has always been a tactic used by the Government of Sri Lanka. Exploiting the legal system in order to deny the Tamil people basic human rights is a method the Sri Lankan government used consistently throughout history,” the statement further said.
01:27 BST Sexual harassment by military personnel has led to a surge in girls dropping out of school in Murippu, Kilinochchi, local sources said this weekend. Murippu is a small village on the Akkarayalkulam-Kilinochchi road. Girls attending Murippu Mahavidiyalayam and Akkarayankulam School are subject to persistent sexual harassment from troops based at Murippu Army camp and adjacent cantonments, they said. Girls walking or cycling to school, and even those using private vehicles, are being subject to lewd comments and soldiers exposing themselves, the sources told Tamil Guardian. Military...
The Uthayan newspaper marked the 8th anniversary of a deadly attack on its premises, which left two people dead. Army-backed paramilitaries attacked the offices of the paper on the 2nd of May, 2006, with subsequent protests against the violence bringing Jaffna to a standstill . TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah, Northern Provincial Councillors P. Kajatheepan and E.Arnold, Valikamam North Regional Council chairman S.Sukirthan, Nalloor cooperative leader P.Kanakasabaabathi and Uthayan employees attended the event in the offices of the paper. See below for extracts of Tamil Guardian’s coverage of the event in 2006. A gang of five men armed with automatic rifles entered the Uthayan office and began firing. Marketing manager Bastian George Sagayathas, 36, also known as Suresh, was the first killed. The gunmen then moved to the circulation section and, while firing, ordered workers to lie down and not to raise their heads. S. Uthayakumar, 48, was injured during the shooting. Circulation supervisor S. Ranjith, 25, was killed when he raised his head to see what was happening to Uthayakumar. He was held down and shot dead.
Karu Jayasuriya signs petition, M.A. Sumanthiran stands behind. Photographs DailyMirror The acting leader of the UNP, Karu Jayasuriya, K.D.Lalkantha of the JVP, and TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran came together to sign a petition calling for a Right to Information Act to be established. The petition was tabled at an event organised by the Action Committee for Media Freedom to mark World Press Freedom Day on Saturday.
Ten asylum seekers, including five children, arrested by Indian security forces off Dhanuskodi coast today have pleaded not to be deported back to Sri Lanka, stating "we just want to live". The asylum seekers, who were picked up by police from two boats at 4.30am today, said that they were fleeing Mullaitivu, fearful of their lives amidst increasing arrests, interrogations and white van abductions. "Using false reasons they keep interrogating you," one of the asylum seekers, Uthayakala, told Indian press. "We've fled the country because they continued to say false reasons [and interrogated us...
The leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam, M Karunanidhi has condemned India’s decision to comply with Sri Lanka’s proscription of Tamil diaspora groups and the deportation of a Tamil man on the list, alongside his family, The Times of India reported. In a statement, Karunanidhi said, "Sri Lanka has requested all the nations to ban 424 Tamils belonging to various organizations. Other countries have refused to accept the Lankan request. But media reports suggest that India has accepted the request and has taken action on it." The man, on the list of 424 people banned by the Sri Lankan...