2. India rejects US advice on Iran "India and Iran are ancient civilisations whose relations span centuries. Both nations are perfectly capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention. Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations as both countries believe that engagement and dialogue alone lead to peace," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna, a foreign ministry" more

2. Sachi Sri Kantha writes from Japan Athulathmudali and his Murderous 'Scorched Earth Policy': Revisited "Fifteen years have lapsed since the assassination of once-powerful UNP Cabinet minister Lalith Athulathmudali on 23 April 1993.. It was a double jeopardy for the Sinhalese. Accusations and innuendos filled the Colombo air that Athulathmudali was felled by Premadasa's hand-picked assassins and, Premadasa in turn was felled by Athulathmudali's powerful sponsors, though it became convenient for the Sinhalese to place the blame on Tamil Tigers ['the usual suspects']..." more

China -Tibet As Justification For Iraq - Andre Vltchek in Zspace "..Forgive me, but I do not believe in our genuine intentions when it comes to Tibet! We need to discredit China, as our own crimes and the crimes of our allies are so appalling that they don't leave in peace at least some of our citizens. We have to demonize China. No matter how inhuman, how horrible the social system in India or Indonesia; we have to make sure that we portray the Chinese one as much worse...What would justify the slaughter of millions in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Algiers, East Timor, Papua, Nicaragua, Salvador, Chile, and Dominican Republic and in so many other places? Tibet is our new hope, our sneaky and indirect justification of Iraq!.." more

நாட்டுப்பற்றாளர் தினம் - அன்னை பூபதி ஒரு குறியீடு "அன்னை பூபதியின் நினைவு தினத்தை நாட்டுப் பற்றாளர் தினமாகத் தமிழீழத்து மக்களும் புலம் பெயர்ந்த தமிழ் மக்களும் உணர்வு பூர்வமாக நினைவு கூர்ந்து வருகின்றார்கள்." more

2. Velupillai Thangavelu writes from Canada Response to those few who oppose Thai first as Thamil New Year [together with Revised Comment by tamilnation.org of 19 April 2008]"Opposition has been voiced by a small bunch of individuals against the change in the birth of Thamil New Year. They claim the change is against tradition and borders on blasphemy. Such people are superficial and naïve in many ways. The opposition can be seen as an ad hominem argument - you cannot fault an argument, so you fault the person advancing it. In this instance Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi. He is reviled by pseudo Hindu bigots like Thuglak Cho, Ramagopalan, Ela Ganesan (BJP) Ms Jayalalithaa (ADMK MLAs voted for the bill) and few others as anti-Hindu. Strangely, the editor of the TamilNet website also joined the anti-nationalist forces to whip up frenzy against the change - thus making a mockery of the decision of the de facto state of Thamil Eelam that endorsed Thai first as Thamil New Year... Way back in 1921 Thamil scholars like Maraimalai Adikal, Naavalar Somasundera Bharathiar, Prof. Parithimaakalaignar (Prof. Surya Narayana Shastri) K.Subramaniapillai, Thiru V.Kalyanasundera Mudaliyar, Saivite scholar Sachchithanadapillai, Naavalar Na.Mu. Venkadasamy, K.R.P.Visvanatham and scores of others met at Pachchayappan College and resolved to make Thai first Thamil New year instead of Chiththirai...The shifting of Thamil New Year from Chiththirai first to Thai first is a milestone in the history of Thamils. " more

2.Velupillai Thangavel from Canada writes to Canadian Prime Minister Thamil New Year is Thai first (January 14th ) NOT April 13th "We appreciate your gesture on behalf of the Government of Canada in wishing Thamils 'a year filled with hope, peace and prosperity.'... (but) The Government of Canada (GoC)... continues to deny charity status to the Thamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO - Canada) the only indigenous outfit providing basic relief to our people on the ground. Therefore, the Prime Minister's wish for 'hope, peace and prosperity' sounds hypocritical. To add insult to injury the Conservative government had thought it fit to ban the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam, the only bulwark Thamil people have against a blood thirsty racist and fascist state!.. Finally, April 14th is not New Year for the Thamil people... Recently, the Thamil Nadu legislative assembly unanimously passed a law to make Thai first as Thamil New Year Day... " more

"(சித்திரை வருடப் பிறப்பை) வரவேற்று, (அதன் மூலம் ) தமிழினத்தின் பழமையையும், பண்பையும், சிறப்பையும், செல்வாக்கையும் (இன்றைய தமிழர்கள்) சிதைத்து வந்துள்ளமை பெரும் வெட்கத்திற்கு இடமானதாகவும் இருக்கின்றது..."more

3. Chandi Sinnathurai - The Dogs Bark, and the Caravan Moves On.. "The Tamil liberation struggle has gone through many stages, inching forward, despite many contrary winds, con-men, and cock-sure betrayals. But as they say, the dogs bark, and the caravan moves...towards its destiny..." more

"Whoever controls the Indian Ocean dominates Asia. This ocean is the key to the seven seas in the twenty-first century, the destiny of the world will be decided in these waters." US Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan quoted by Cdr. P K Ghosh in Maritime Security Challenges in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, 18 January 2004

Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka, Professor Virginia A. Leary - Report of an ICJ Mission to Sri Lanka in July-August 1981. Note by tamilnation.org Two years after Professor Leary's report, Niall MacDermot, International Commission of Jurists Secretary-General, wrote in August 1983 " In view of the events of July-August 1983 in Sri Lanka, the International Commission of Jurists has decided to reprint the report 'Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka" by Professor Virginia A. Leary, written after her mission to Sri Lanka in July-August 1981.The analysis she made of the ethnic conflict is still valid and provides the necessary background to understand the recent grave outbursts between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities.' Today, more than a quarter of a century after Professor Leary's report, her analysis continues to provide the necessary background to understand the ongoing conflict in the island." more

Ilam Puli: Birth of a Black Tiger - An Inside Report by K.Mylvaganam "Kavi (Maveeran Ilam Puli's sister) told me last week that Ilam Puli once came with her photo where her picture was decorated with Red Roses. When she asked him for the reason he seems to have said "It is because you are a Rose to me." She couldn't control her emotions and was sobbing when she narrated this... During his visits Ilam Puli seems to have asked his parents for a few things. One was that in case of his death they should treat those who bring the message of his death, lovingly and give them tea. The other was to decorate his coffin with Red Roses, which I trust, symbolized his sister Kavi. Another day Kavi told me that Ilam Puli use to call her as Kavi and not Kaviarasi. When she asked him as why he calls her so, he seems to have said "because you are a poem to me" and of course she broke down after that too..." more

2. R L Padayachie, Deputy Minister of Communications, South Africa - A South African Perspective on the Conflict in Sri Lanka "I was indeed quite moved by the things that the good pediatrician doctor from Australia mentioned and the good professor and Karen and indeed all the other speakers and it illustrated to me what a marvelous class of people these are who can reach out of their own situations and find common cause with the sufferings and devastation of the people so many miles away from home and to be able to bring that humanity to us in the course of this seminar. I think it is indeed a humanizing and indeed a very enriching experience to have been in your company for the last couple of days. Thank you very much." more

3. Professor Peter Schalk on Pax Americana, the EU, and the Tamil Resistance Movement at the - "I just want to remind the reader of what each fighter promises in his cattiyapiramanam or uritimoli, 'oath of allegiance', namely to die for tannatci tamilila vitutalaikkai, 'for the liberation of a selfruling/ independent Tamililam'. ...About 20,000 young men and women have died for this punita ilatciyam, 'holy aim'. None has died for federalism. When it comes to Veluppillai Pirapakaran, he has never taken the word federalism in his mouth as a valid alternative to independence." more

A Time to Break Silence - Martin Lurther King Jr, 1967 "A time comes when silence is betrayal.That time has comes for us... The truth of these words is beyond doubt but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world....A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death...The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy-and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation...." more