Toronto Tamils try to rally international support

[TORONTO SUN-october 29,2011]

Tamils still suffer human rights violations two years after the civil war in Sri Lanka ended, protesters at Queen’s Park said Saturday.

Roughly 5,000 Tamil Canadians — joined by Occupy Toronto protesters — flooded Queen’s Park for the “Tamil Freedom Rally,” intended to renew the community’s call to social justice.

“The United Nations’ report has come out saying there were war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the last conflict,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesman for the National Council of Canadian Tamils. “During that time, 40,000 to 75,000 Tamils civilians were killed in four months alone. What we want to see is a lasting political solution for the island, so it doesn’t get drowned in war again.”

The Tamil dominated area of the island of Sri Lanka is heavily militarized with over 100,000 armed forces and Tamils are denied the right to return to their towns and villages, the NCCT said

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/29/toronto-tamils-try-to-rally-international-support

Commonwealth leaders must stop Sri Lanka hosting key summit

[ Amnesty International Oct, 28,2011]

The Commonwealth risks becoming 'irrelevant' if its leaders allow Sri Lanka to become its next host, Amnesty International said today ahead of the organization's biennial summit. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) begins in Perth, Australia today, with Sri Lanka due to chair the next summit in 2013 despite an appalling human rights record. "It's absurd to even consider allowing Sri Lanka to host CHOGM as long as it fails to account for alleged war crimes," said Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Director. "Today Commonwealth leaders are faced with a choice – reform the Commonwealth so that it can effectively address human rights violations by its members, or risk becoming irrelevant."

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/commonwealth-leaders-must-stop-sri-lanka-hosting-key-summit-2011-10-28

SRI LANKA: Perpetrators of brutal attack on student leader of Jaffna University have not been arrested

[October 19, 2011 ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION] The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Subramaniam Thavapalasingham, President of the Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) was severely assaulted by members of an unknown group in Jaffna on 16 October 2011. Thavapalasingham was seriously injured, and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Thavapalasingham is a widely known civil rights activist who has spoken out against the oppression faced by residents of the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka which are under heavy military control. None of Sri Lanka’s law enforcement agencies have begun a transparent investigation into the incident. The fate of a civil rights activist is in danger. Thavapalasingham’s relatives and the rest of Sri Lankan civil society are waiting for the perpetrator to be caught and justice to be appropriately dealt. This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-211-2011

US Court authorizes use of TamilNet to serve Rajapakse

In a precedent setting order issued by the District Court of District of Columbia Thursday on the case against Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse filed by three Tamil plaintiffs, Judge Kotelly authorized service by "posting the full summons and complaint on the main page of the TamilNet website," and by publication in two Sri Lankan newspapers. Legal sources in Washington said that Rajapakse being haled into a US court to answer charges of complicity in the extra-judicial killings of plaintiffs relatives is imminent.

Judge Kotelly in her short opinion leading to the order said, '[h]aving evaded service in person and refusing service under the international agreement [Hague Convention] established for the purpose of service of process on international defendants, “it is not reasonably possible or practicable to give more adequate warning” to Defendant [Rajapakse] than service by publication.

• Court order: Alternate means of service

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34518