The University of Jaffna has displayed artwork on campus to mark 15 years since the Tamil genocide where tens of thousands of Tamils were brutally massacred at the hands of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Some of artwork depict the atrocities, such as extrajudicial killings, carried out by Sri Lanka's military during the final months of the conflict.
Sri Lankan police officers obstructed Tamils in Pillaiyaradi, Batticaloa, from distributing kanji to mark the sixth day of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week. This is the second time this week that Tamils in Batticaloa have been blocked by Sri Lankan police from distributing kanji as part of their commemorations. On Wednesday, Sri Lankan police officers surrounded the Tamil activists as they attempted to prepare and distribute Mullivaikkal Kanji, a tradition that Eelam Tamils have practised to remember the victims of the genocide committed by Sri Lankan security forces. Every year, in the lead...
Writing in Scroll.In, Meenakshi Ganguly, the Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the "unaddressed legacy of war" has led to Sri Lanka's "abuse, impunity and misgovernance that still blight the country." Ganguly highlights that although 15 years have passed since the genocide at Mullivaikkal, there has been no justice or accountability for the Tamil community. "Successive governments have appointed a series of commissions ostensibly to investigate reported abuses, while in practice blocking investigations and shielding the abusers. The fate of the thousands of '...
Members of the US Congress reiterated their support for a landmark resolution this week, calling for an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils and recognising the genocide committed against them by the Sri Lankan state. Shortly after introducing the resolution and speeches on the Congress floor, members addressed an event at the Library of Congress. Over 100 Tamils from across the United States and around the world were in attendance to mark the occasion.
US House Representative Wiley Nickel told Congress that a resolution supporting an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils is a “crucial step towards healing, justice and a lasting peace”. Speaking at Congress on Thursday, Nickel said the resolution, which has Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, “recognizes the genocide in Sri Lanka and affirms the right of Tamils to self-determination through a democratic process”. This week I introduced a resolution recognizing the genocide in Sri Lanka, affirming the Tamil people's right to self-determination, & for an independence referendum to...
The Jaffna Teachers Association and student union denounced the move by the Sri Lankan government to stop remembrance commemorations ahead of May 18, also known as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. “These heavy-handed acts of the state also underline the ongoing ethnic hostility towards the Tamils and reconfirm the community’s long-standing conviction that the legal and judicial system of the Sri Lanka state will never deliver justice for the decades of ethnic oppression and ethnic violence the community has suffered,” the Jaffna University Teachers Association said. The teachers union asserts...
Jaffna - Kantharmadam An event was organized in Kantharmadam in Jaffna today to mark the sixth day of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week as Tamils around the world commemorate 15 years since the Tamil genocide. Parents brought their children and explained to them the struggles of Tamils and how they were massacred during the final stages of the armed conflict. At the event, Mullivaikkal Kanji was prepared and served as a reminder of the genocide and atrocities committed by the Sri Lanka Security Forces. Mullaitivu Events were also held in Vallipunam in Mullaitivu where residents laid floral...
US House Representative Don Davis told Congress “we must stand with the Eelam Tamil community,” as he spoke to commemorate the 15 th anniversary of the Tamil genocide. “I rise to commemorate the 15 th anniversary of the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka,” the Democratic Representative told Congress. “We must stand with the Eelam Tamil community. Their struggle for justice and accountability continues, with survivors and their families enduring ongoing oppression and seeking recognition for their suffering from the Sri Lankan government.” “We must recognize the plight of the Tamil people and...
This week marks the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, when over 700,000 Palestinians were made refugees after they were expelled from their land by armed Israeli settlers. Fifteen years ago, Sri Lanka’s genocide led to the total military occupation of the North-East and an expanding programme of Sinhala settlements. Week after week, I join millions in demanding a ceasefire in Gaza because I come from a long tradition of Eelam Tamils who oppose the occupation of Palestine. We see direct parallels with the Tamil liberation struggle in the Palestinian liberation struggle. Both are rooted in a history that resists settler colonialism, occupation, and genocide. And, we remember the Tamil genocide as we bear witness to the genocide unfolding in Gaza.
Four Tamils have been released on bail after they arrested earlier this week for distrubuting kanji as part of commemorations to mark 15 years since the Tamil genocide. Kamaleswaran Themila, Kamaleswaran Vijitha, Kalirajah Sujani and Hariharakumar, were arrested by Sri Lankan police on Sunday night. Video footage shows Sri Lankan police officers dragging two of the women away during the arrest. Although the initial arrest and court order cited public health, the four were detained under section 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act. Section 3 of the act...