Sri Lanka: Civil society groups in Karnataka meet to voice against Eezham Tamil genocide

Civil society groups in Karnataka meet to voice against Eezham Tamil genocide [TamilNet, Friday, 01 July 2011, 06:13 GMT]
Forum Against War Crimes and Genocide, comprising of several civil society organisations of Karnataka state in India convene a public meeting on Saturday evening at Student Christian Movement hall in the state�s capital Bangalore to voice against �War Crimes and Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.� The meeting will screen the Channel 4 documentary �Sri Lanka�s Killing Fields.� Writer, Mr. G. Ramakrishna will deliver the keynote address and will launch the state chapter of the forum. Sometimes back, people in Hubli-Dharwad, the second largest city in Karnataka too held a demonstration in support of Eezham Tamils.

Karnataka State Committee of the Forum Against War Crimes and Genocide, People Democratic Front, Alternate Law Forum, Dalit Self Respect Movement, Pedestrian Pictures, Karnataka Students Organisation, Karnataka Jana Sakthi & Karnataka Vidhyarthi Vedike, Samatha Vedike (All India Progressive Women�s Association, New Socialist Alternative � Tamils Solidarity, National Coalition of Human Rights Organisation, All Karnataka Tamil Movements & Parties, are the joint organisers of the meeting.

Besides Mr. Ramakrishna, the other speakers are Human Rights Defender Mr. Nagragare Ramesh (Introduction), Bangalore University Professor, Paul Newman (Brief on Permanent People�s Tribunal and UN Advisory Panel Report), Professor Haragopal (�Sri Lankan Model� of State Oppression), journalist and writer Mr. Kumar Burudaikutti (Historic Struggle of Tamils in Sri Lanka), Mr. Venkatesan of Save Tamils Movement (�Genocide��Never Again), and Mr. Khalid Waseem (Kashmir and Eelam Nationality Struggle).

 

View the Original article

Genocide was never carried out in Sri Lanka - Tamara Kunanayaka​m

Genocide was never carried out in Sri Lanka - Tamara Kunanayaka​m[ Thursday, 30 June 2011, 01:35.42 PM GMT +05:30 ]Sri Lanka says genocide was never carried out in Sri Lanka and such allegations are being raised purely to justify external intervention.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Cuba Tamara Kunanayakam said that cries of genocide were heard only during the last phase of the war and only when the military defeat of the LTTE became possible.

In an interview with the Venezeula newspaper “Correo del Orinoco” the Ambassador said that allegations of genocide were raised merely to save the LTTE from military defeat in 2009.

“If one takes a closer look at the definition of ‘genocide’ in the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, you will have a hard time finding evidence that there was intent on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka to destroy, in whole or in part the Tamil community,” she said.

She also stressed that during the war, government forces were engaged not against the Tamil community, but against a terrorist organisation that fought a relentless and ruthless war for separation.

She also said that both the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) do not represent the Tamil Diaspora and the entire Tamil community.

The Ambassador said that both organisations were formed by international leaders of the earlier LTTE and comprise of LTTE front organisations and their supporters in various Western countries.

< submit_url = '';

Grassroot Tamil Nadu gathers to remember genocide, voice for Tamil Eelam

Keeping aside party identities, religions and castes, more than 30,000 people of grass root Tamil Nadu gathered in Marina Beach of Chennai on Sunday to remember the genocide committed on Eezham Tamils and to call for independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam, sending a strong message to New Delhi and to the international community, the organisers of the event said. The congregation organised by Mr. Thirumurukan Gandhi of May 17 Movement, received massive support and participation of leaders cutting across party [...]