Features

Features

Latest news from and about the homeland

Remembering Pon. Sivakumaran 52 years on
Today marks 52 years since the death of Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle.  Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. With decades of Sri Lankan state repression and deadly anti-Tamil pogroms already having taken place, Tamil militant…

‘My life in Menik farm IDP camp from March to July 2009’

Oct 13, 2009
This is a personal narrative by someone who was an inmate of the Menik Farm IDP camp from March to July this year.

As the shells fell, we tried to save lives with no blood or medicine'

Sep 29, 2009
Gethin Chamberlain
The young mother was standing by the side of the road, clutching her baby. The baby was dead. Damilvany Gnanakumar watched as she tried to make a decision. Around them, thousands of people were picking their way between bodies strewn across the road, desperate to escape the fighting all around them.

Witness to Thileepan’s fast

Sep 15, 2009
Adele Balasingham
As we entered the premises of the Nallur Kandasamy temple we were confronted by a sea of people seated on the white sands under the blazing sun.

‘Rebellion or mass suicide only outcome if this continues’

Aug 4, 2009
This is an eyewitness report from someone who had personal exposure to the suffering of Tamils in the Manik Farm concentration camp.

Policy on Tamils haunts India

Jul 21, 2009
SETTING the parameters based on 13th amendment and ruling out a federal solution, the Colombo – Chennai – New Delhi axis is learnt to be pressurising Tamil political circles to come out with a political formula, as early as possible, to hastily close the file on Tamil nationalism and to hide all skeletons under the cupboard.

Justifying a costly war in Sri Lanka

Jul 21, 2009
Lydia Polgreen
More than 2,000 years ago, a Sinhalese king named Dutugemunu saddled up his elephant and headed north to fight and kill Elara, an invading Tamil king from India.

‘Confessions’ by doctors raise doubts over lasting peace

Jul 21, 2009
Five Sri Lankan doctors who witnessed the bloody climax of the country’s civil war in May and made claims of mass civilian deaths as a result of government shelling of Tamil Tiger positions recanted much of their testimony.

‘'This is too much to take. Why is the world not helping?’

Jun 2, 2009
Vany Gnanakumar
The report filed for The Guardian newspaper by UK medic Vany Gnanakumar, who is currently detained in Menik Farm camp, on 12 May.

Britain and the slaughter of the Tamils

Apr 28, 2009
Suren Surendiran
Britain has enabled the violent oppression of the Tamils. Now it must compel Sri Lanka to cease its genocide

Perfect opportunity for US to prove credentials - think tank

Apr 28, 2009
"Barack Obama's administration has said it is committed to the principals of international law and humanitarian protection. Sri Lanka is the perfect opportunity for the new U.S. president to show that this is not empty rhetoric," according to an influential think tank which played a key role in the formation of Kosovo.
‘My life in Menik farm IDP camp from March to July 2009’
As the shells fell, we tried to save lives with no blood or medicine'
Witness to Thileepan’s fast
‘Rebellion or mass suicide only outcome if this continues’
Policy on Tamils haunts India
Justifying a costly war in Sri Lanka
‘Confessions’ by doctors raise doubts over lasting peace
‘'This is too much to take. Why is the world not helping?’
Britain and the slaughter of the Tamils
Perfect opportunity for US to prove credentials - think tank
‘My life in Menik farm IDP camp from March to July 2009’
As the shells fell, we tried to save lives with no blood or medicine'
Witness to Thileepan’s fast
‘Rebellion or mass suicide only outcome if this continues’
Policy on Tamils haunts India
Justifying a costly war in Sri Lanka
‘Confessions’ by doctors raise doubts over lasting peace
‘'This is too much to take. Why is the world not helping?’
Britain and the slaughter of the Tamils
Perfect opportunity for US to prove credentials - think tank