We are greatly saddened by the death today of Saverimuthu Stanislaus, the Chair of the South London Tamil Welfare Group. The passing away of Mr Stanislaus has deprived the Tamils of a person dedicated to the cause of the refugees and the welfare of the Tamil community in Britain.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse issued directives on 5 July 2006, for the protection of people detained under Emergency Regulations (ERs) of August 2005 or the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
A spirit of traditional tolerance and harmonious coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups existed in the northeast region of Sri Lanka for a very long time. The multicultural, multiethnic heritage has been subjected to severe strain in recent times resulting in breakdown of trust, friendship, solidarity and mutual understanding.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) is shocked and concerned over the gruesome massacre and other killings of civilians on Kayts Island, west of the Jaffna peninsula, on 13 May 2006. Information from TIC sources indicates that the Sri Lankan navy from the naval base on Mandaitivu Island was responsible for the murders.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) welcomes the peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) scheduled to take place in Geneva on 28 and 29 October 2006. The TIC urges the two parties to discuss issues that matter most to the people in the north-east. We believe that without resolving these urgent issues, it would be difficult for both parties to have extensive discussions on the political solution, as these issues would remain as obstacles to fruitful negotiations as experience has shown.
It is with immense sadness we record the death of A J Canagaratna popularly known as AJ, the distinguished Tamil veteran writer, scholar and translator who had done much to bring world literature to a whole range of people and groups in Sri Lanka, including university students, social workers, political activists and militant movements.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) condemns all forms of violence against humanitarian workers and urges the Sri Lankan government and the international community to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against such workers are found and punished.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) condemns the assassination of Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj today. The assassination is another in a series of cold-blooded murders targeting prominent members of the Tamil community who publicize human rights violations against the Tamil people. The assassins wore police uniforms and emptied the entire magazine of a T-56 rifle into the car which he was driving, to make sure that he would not survive.
We are deeply saddened to learn of death of Sithampari Pushparajah on 10 March 2006. Pushparajah was a founder member of Manavar Peravai. He had been a relentless, selfless and vigourous participant all through his life in the struggle for Tamil rights and social justice, in particular for the interests of the exploited, down trodden and the oppressed. He was the author of the book "My Witness on Eelam fight", which he wrote while living in exile in France.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) is delighted that Agni Subramaniam, the indefatigable defender of human rights has been acquitted of all charges by a judicial Magistrates Court in Tamil Nadu today. Mr Subramaniam was arrested in January 2000, after he agreed with expatriates Tamils in Canada to distribute humanitarian aid to Tamil refugees.
