From the press – Page 3 – Tamil Solidarity

Sydney rooftop protesters in leap threat: activist

September 21, 2010 Marijerla

SYDNEY — A group of protesting asylum-seekers Tuesday threatened to leap from the roof of a Sydney detention centre where a Fijian man plunged to his death a day earlier, an activist told AFP. Bala […]

Resettled families in Jaffna peninsula abandoned by SL government

September 16, 2010 Marijerla

Non-government Organizations in Jaffna peninsula accuse Sri Lanka government to have abandoned most of the uprooted families resettled in Jaffna peninsula without providing them adequate assistance for rehabilitation. 82,000 uprooted persons had been resettled in […]

Repercussions of the 18th Amendment and the Decline of Democracy

September 14, 2010 Marijerla

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton, 1887 The 18th Amendment will fundamentally transform Sri Lanka’s political system, stripping away the façade of democracy. The 18th Amendment will end presidential […]

Sri Lanka parliament to debate new powers for president

September 14, 2010 Marijerla

The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka has paved the way for a far-reaching constitutional amendment to go before parliament without a referendum. The change would abolish limits on the number of presidential terms and hugely […]

Lankan minister ties government servant to tree

August 5, 2010 Marijerla

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Highways Mervyn Silva on Tuesday tied an official of the Samurdhi Poverty Alleviation Department to a tree in full public view for not participating in the department’s dengue control […]

Sri Lanka TV station firebombed

August 1, 2010 Marijerla

An armed gang has attacked a private TV and radio station in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, with firebombs. Two people were injured in the attack on the independent station, Siyatha. Siyatha’s owner left the country […]

Sri Lankan children affected by war, tsunami, daily stressors: Study

July 16, 2010 Marijerla

Two studies on children in Sri Lanka, who survived the 2004 tsunami and ongoing civil war, have found that it is not these stressful events alone that contributed to the youths’ psychological health, but also […]

Why the media silence on Sri Lanka’s descent into dictatorship?

July 13, 2010 Marijerla

It is now over a year since the president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, claimed victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). But war is still being waged on the “paradise island” – […]

UN speaks out against protests trapping staff inside Colombo office – Lankasri News

July 7, 2010 Marijerla

The United Nations has registered its strong objections to protests organized outside its offices in Colombo today by a Sri Lankan cabinet minister that prevented the world body’s staff and visitors from entering or leaving […]

As Sri Lanka Party in Power Threatens UN Staff, Ban Stays Silent, DPR To Go

July 5, 2010 Marijerla

Inner City Press writes about the behaviour of Sri Lanka Party on UN Staff. The UN said it was an “individual opinion,” when Sri Lanka’s Minister for Housing and Construction Wimal Weerawansa last week called […]

Support Tamil Solidarity

What we Demand

1. An independent war crimes investigation
For a people’s tribunal consisting of representatives accountable to working class and poor people from all communities, chosen by them and observed by international trade union and human rights organisations. Only such a body could be truly free of the influence of the Sri Lankan government and their international collaborators.

2. Withdraw the troops!
For an immediate end to military operations in Sri Lanka. Withdraw the army from all Tamil areas. Stop the disappearances.

3. No to detention camps!
For the immediate shutdown of militarised detention camps. For the provision of food, shelter and health facilities to Tamil people, administered under the control of their own elected and accountable representatives.

4. Stop Arming Sri Lankan regime!
For an immediate end to military support for Sri Lanka by western imperialism and by India, China, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, Japan and other countries. No to loans from the pro privitisation IMF and the World Bank. Support action such as workers’ boycotts of arms shipments.

5. Democratic rights for all!
For the freedom of speech and the media, freedom of association and the right to free and fair elections, the right of all to vote without interference, freedom to stand in elections for parties which accept equal rights for all, regardless of nationality, religion, caste and sex. Support the work of bodies like the Civil Monitoring Committee investigating kidnappings, disappearances and extra-judicial murders.

6. Support independent trade unions!
For full trade union rights, free from intimidation and state interference. Support campaigns by independent trade unions on workers’ rights, pay and conditions to organise all working-class people, regardless of ethnic, religious or other differences. Unity is strength.

7. Defend the right to self-determination!
Support a mass movement of Tamil workers and poor for the right to determine their own future. Full and equal rights of any minorities to be guaranteed in all areas.

Additional demands put forward by TS in Tamil Nadu /India

1. Support the struggle of all oppressed nationalities
We support the struggle of Kashmir, and other national minorities in the region. For the right to self-determination of all oppressed nationalities. We demand the repeal of the draconian special power act Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and the withdrawal of armed forces from Kashmir and the North East states. We also demand an immediate halt to Operation Green Hunt through which countless farmers and tribal people have been killed.

2. Better condition for Tamil refugees
Tamil refugees who fled the horrendous war are still forced to live in unbearable conditions. We demand that special measures are taken to improve their living standard and education, and other rights must be made available for them. We also demand a speed up of naturalisation for those refugees who had been suffering in India for many years.

3. Remove private interests and corruption
We demand an immediate end to corruption. This would provide huge amounts of money for the improvement of the lives of millions.
All those business and politicians involved in corruption to be tried by a jury of elected representatives of the workers and poor masses. Money returned should be invested in public services.
All privatisation of public services should be stopped immediately and key industries, such as the telecom industry etc, to be nationalised.

4. End the caste grip
We demand an immediate end to all discrimination based on caste. Immediate investment and improving of towns and villages where working and poor people are pushed to live and segregated based on caste. No to segregation along caste lines. For decent housing and decent jobs for all. End to the state-aggravated caste riots and for a wider education programme to involve the masses to fight back for their rights.

5. End the onslaught against the environment. Land to the landless
For an immediate end to the multinationals such as Vedanta, Posco which are wrecking the live of the most vulnerable people. We demand an immediate halt to the mining and other projects that are poisoning and destroying the land and water and other resources.
Fight for the rights of the landless peasants. End the control of the land in the hands of big business.

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