• Topography of terror and exile

    Nov 26

  • Jaffna Municipal Council hackers leave message celebrating LTTE leader's birthday
    The website of the Jaffna Municipal Council was hacked on Wednesday, displaying a message celebrating the 60th birthday of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran.

    The image, posted on Wednesday, featured Prabhakaran's photograph and the words “Happy Birthday Karikaalan,” a reference to the name he was also known as.

  • No bells must toll today warns army, as North-East under military siege on Maaveerar Naal
    Updated 10:38 GMT

    Photograph @Tharu1985


    The Sri Lankan army have warned Tamils across the North-East that no temple or church bells must toll today, as the Tamil nation marks its remembrance day - Maaveerar Naal, the local newspaper, Uthayan, reported.

    Photograph Uthayan


    Sri Lankan military personnel and police officers have been deployed across the Tamil homeland. The main town of Jaffna has been particularly affected, with Jaffna University, Nalloor temple and the main teaching hospital, under effective siege.

    "The army is stationed at every street and lane, so much so that the place is looking like war zone, and everyone who goes past is subjected to an interrogation," the Uthayan noted.

  • Uthayan remembers fallen heroes
    Marking the Tamil national remembrance day today amid military warnings against any act of remembrance, the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan, published a full page remembrance message on the second page of its print edition.

    "We bow our heads in memory of our heroes who gave their lives to protect the rights of the people," the message read, depicting two hands holding a lit lamp. The message was also published online on the Uthayan's website.

    Uthayan print edition 27 Nov 2014, page 2

  • Tamils will remember their dead in the face of SL state oppression - Ananthi Sasitharan
    The memories of Tamils who dedicated their lives towards the Tamil people’s liberation will not be erased despite the Sri Lankan state’s relentless efforts to do so, said Ananthy Sasitharan.



  • Candles lit in North-East to mark Maaveerar Naal
    Updated 15:30 GMT

     
    Photograph: Lamps being lit at a home in Jaffna.
    Tamil Guardian

    Maaveerar Naal was commemorated in secret on Thursday in the North-East, despite heavy military presence all over the region.

    A source at one Jaffna event held in a private location told Tamil Guardian, “this is not an advertising stunt. Just to tell the world, that still our feelings, as Tamils, are alive.”

  • Maaveerar remembered at Jaffna University
    Students at the University of Jaffna marked Maaveerar Naal in secret, despite a heavy military presence around the campus.

    Photograph: Uthayan

    Soldiers and police were gathered around a memorial monument in the university grounds where they expected students to attempt to light a ceremonious flame.

  • British Tamils commemorate Maveerar Naal

    Thousands of British Tamils gathered at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London on Thursday, to commemorate the nation's day of remembrance - Maaveerar Naal.

    The event began with the ceremonious lighting of a flame of remembrance, coinciding with the death of the first Tamil cadre killed in the struggle against Sri Lankan state oppression.

    The ceremonial flame was lit by the mother of Isaipriya, a Tamil news anchor and journalist who was killed in May 2009.

    See our live tweets here.
     
     
    Photographs: Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC)

    In London, British Tamils from across began the event with     the ceremonious lighting of remembrance flames to coincide with the death of the first Tamil cadre killed in the fight against Sri Lankan state oppression.
  • Mullaitivu councillor marks Maaveerar Naal

    Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran led a Maaveerar Naal tribute in Mullaithivu. Ravikaran was joined by over fifteen citizens, including the mother of a Maaveerar.

  • Conscripted Tamil women raped by Sri Lankan military
    Tamil women, who were recently conscripted into the Sri Lankan military, were taken from Mullaitheevu to a Sri Lankan military party in Mihintale and raped on Saturday, reports Tamilnet.

    After being returned to their original areas, the Tamil women’s complaints to the Sri Lankan police were ignored, whilst being belittled by the Sri Lankan military Civil Security Department (CSD).

  • Three arrests over Maaveerar Naal posters

    2nd lead 14:45 GMT

    Poster in the North-East saluting fallen fighters (TamilNet)
     

    Police in the North-East have arrested three people for activities relating to the Tamil remembrance day, Maaveerar Naal, reported the Uthayan on Tuesday.

    Two arrests were made in Mirusuvil and one near Puththur junction and the detained were in possession of Maaveerar Naal posters, according to sources.

  • SL intelligence launches investigation into Uthayan over LTTE leader 60th birthday article
    Sri Lankan intelligence officers are to launch an investigation into the Uthayan, alleging that the newspaper had celebrated LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's birthday, reports BBC Sinhala.

    The investigation was launched after the Jaffna based daily published an article which included a photograph of a billboard in India, which featured Prabhakaran's image and the words:     "60th birthday of the leader of the Tamils. The auspicious day the god of our nation was incarnated.”

  • TNPF office surrounded by Sri Lankan military personnel
    The Tamil National People’s Front's office has been surrounded by Sri Lankan military personnel since this afternoon at 4pm local time, the party said.

    The military surveillance comes on the day before the Tamil national remembrance day, Maaveerar Naal, and on the day of the birthday of the LTTE leader, V. Prabhakaran.

    Intelligence officers have been stationed at the office door, the party said, adding that as a result local residents are afraid to leave their houses due to the overwhelming military presence.

    Earlier this week, the TNPF issued a statement calling on the international community to provide protection for Jaffna University students and staff facing death threats by unidentified persons, thought to be connected to the Sri Lankan military.

  • Heavy military presence at Jaffna Uni ahead of Maaveerar Naal
    Photograph Uthayan


    SL Army personnel and police officers have been seen deployed around the University of Jaffna, since last night with two military vehicles stationed close by,
    the day before the Tamil national remembrance day, Maaveerar Naal, reports the Uthayan newspaper.

    The University of Jaffna was closed suddenly today, with university administrative officials saying the university would remain closed until December 1st. Students living in hostels have been ordered to vacate the premises until then.
  • Australian senator remembers Tamils killed by systematic Sri Lankan state brutality
    An Australian Greens senator for New South Wales, speaking in parliament, issued a statement remembering Tamils in Sri Lanka that had been killed by “more than 60 years of systematic Sri Lankan state orchestrated brutality towards them.”



    Lee Rhiannon went on to condemn the government of Australia’s handling of Tamil asylum seekers reaching the shores of Australia, and reminded MPs of the need to consult the Tamil diaspora and multiple international human rights organisations to combat misinformation provided by Sri Lankan government propaganda.

    Noting that the world had “woken up” to the crimes of the Sri Lankan government, the senator ended by warning the Australian government that Australia could be one of the last standing countries to give “cover to a President and government accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and ongoing human rights abuses."

    Full transcript reproduced below.
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