Tamil Sydney

Sydney Tamils Celebrate Australia Day 2010 - Tamilar Ondrukoodal 2010

Date: Tuesday, 26th January 2010 Time: 8.00 AM - 7.00 PM Venue: Binalong Park, Binalong Road, Toongabbie
Read more...

International community should renew the call for war crime investigations in Sri Lanka

The Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA), the umbrella body of the peak Tamil associations in Australia and New Zealand, would like to express its disappointment on the total lack of response from the international community, after Philip Alston, the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, calling anew for a "genuine and independent investigation" by the Sri Lankan government into war crimes violations allegedly committed by Sri Lankan soldiers against Tamils.

Four asylum seekers from the Oceanic Viking face more uncertainty after an adverse assessment from ASIO, which cannot be examined. The finding that four people from the Oceanic Viking have received an adverse security assessment from ASIO may gird the loins of the anti-asylum seeker sector in Australia. However, in the absence of ASIO providing reasons as to why they have made such assessments, it is worth looking at previous decisions in similar circumstances. The consequences of these decisions are so serious and so deleterious to the individuals involved that a clear-eyed review of the efficacy of past ASIO indictments is called for in the interests of justice.

"There is an additional person… who was found by our security agencies to have not met the public interest criteria. It is the case that this man is the spouse of the mother of the two children who was on board the Oceanic Viking," Senator Evans said. Senator Evans said the family would be held "appropriately" on Christmas Island and the children would not be held behind razor wire but they will remain in detention.

".. A spokeswoman for the Australian Tamil Congress, Sam Pari, said the information underpinning ASIO's rulings needed to be "seriously questioned". "If the details are coming from the Sri Lankan government, well then that is of great concern, because they are who these people are fleeing from in the first place," Dr Pari said..."
Read more...

ASIO rejects four Viking Tamil Refugees - The Australian

Source: Paul Maley From: The Australian
FOUR of the Tamil asylum-seekers rescued by the Oceanic Viking and offered a special deal by the Rudd government will be refused visas after ASIO determined them a threat to national security. The government lobbied furiously to resettle the 78 Sri Lankans swiftly following their stand-off aboard the Australian Customs boat, but The Australian can reveal that four of the Tamils being held at Christmas Island have been issued with adverse security assessments by Australia's chief domestic security agency, ASIO.

Eelam Tamil Association (NSW) in a message emailed to TamilSydney, conveyed its condolences to Mrs. Velupillai, daughters & sons of Late Thiruvenkadam Velupillai and relatives on behalf of Tamils of NSW in Australia. Thiruvengdam Velupillai passed away following a brief illness in Panagoda Sri Lanka Army camp on 06th January 2010.Mr. Velupillai was kept in isolation and illegal custody by the Sri Lankan Army and was denied of proper medical care at his grand old age.

Sunday January 10th, 7.50pm AEST
Another Tamil from the refugee boat in Merak was taken to hospital about an hour ago suffering a violent seizure. Kumar, who is one of the spokespeople on the boat, is one of several refugees who have had serious stomach complaints in recent weeks.The latest case comes only a couple of weeks after the death of Jacob Christin who died on the boat with a similar condition. Refugees told Socialist Party officials today that they had to carry Kumar all the way to the gates of the docks in order to convince the Navy to call an ambulance.

By Satheesan Kumaaran
Although Sri Lanka maintains a dubious status as a democracy, Sri Lankans will vote on January 26 to elect a president. The Tamil voters are in a state of shock and dismay as they face enormous hardships at the hands of the Sri Lankan State. Tamils have no hope whatsoever to overcome the fear and intimidation that haunts their lives. They are over-sighted by alienated armed forces in their own homeland. It is under these circumstances that the presidential elections are to be held this month. The two leading presidential candidates are the current president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the main opponent candidate, Sarath Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan army commander actively instrumental in fighting the Tamil Tigers in the recent past.

A Sri Lankan website reported that 5 Journalist who are currently doing dirty work for Rajapaksa brothers are planning to seek asylum in Australia as defeat of rajapaksa is imminent.
Read more...

Sri Lankan Navy Officer Captain Kapil and two others grills Tamil refugees in Jakarta

Full Text of The Australian News:
TAMIL asylum-seekers were "interrogated" by a Sri Lankan navy officer within the walls of an Indonesian immigration detention centre yesterday, a refugee advocate in Australia said. Saradha Nathan, of the Australian Tamil Congress, last night said Captain Kapil and two other navy officers from the Sri Lankan Embassy had visited eight asylum-seekers from the boat moored at Merak in their detention centre in Jakarta.

More...

<< Start < Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

[ Back ]