Parvathi Amma passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 February 2011, 01:47 GMT]
Mrs. Vallipuram Parvathi, the mother of LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan, passed away Sunday morning at Valveddiththu’rai hospital in Jaffna around 6:30 a.m., Dr. A. Maylerumperumal, District Medical Officer (DMO) of Valveddiththu’rai told media. Her husband, Thiruvengadam Velupillai, had passed away in Sri Lanka Army detention at Panagoda in January 2010. After the demise of her husband, Mrs. Parvathi was released and was later allowed to go to Malaysia for medical treatment in March 2010. However, she was denied entry to Tamil Nadu and deported back to Malaysia last year. Later, she was brought to her home village of Valveddiththu’rai and was taken care of the doctors and the staff at Valveddiththu’rai hospital till her last breath.  More…..

British Tamils forum Press releaseBTF Parvathi amma_20-02-2011

Rt. Hon Mr David Cameron MP has given an unequivocal statement in Parliament reaffirming the government’s position that there is a need for an independent investigation into the serious allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. Mr Cameron stopped short of backing calls for an international war crimes inquiry, made by Siobhain McDonagh MP during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 27th October.

A full transcript on the official parliamentary record, Hansard is as follows: in 27 Oct 2010 : Column 312   http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101027/debtext/101027-0001.htm#10102752000011

Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab): As a former PR man, does the Prime Minister agree that no matter how much Bell Pottinger tries to spin the Sri Lankan Government, the demands for an international independent war crimes tribunal intensify as more evidence of alleged assassination and civil rights abuses comes out?

The Prime Minister: The hon. Lady makes a fair point. We need to see an independent investigation of what happened. Everyone has read the papers and seen the TV footage, but we need an independent investigation to work out whether what she suggests is right.

In video

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=6703&st=12:22:13.7300000

Sri Lanka: Crisis Group Refuses to Appear Before Flawed Commission

New York/London/Brussels  |   14 Oct 2010

In a joint letter, the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have declined the invitation of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to appear before it. The Sri Lankan government is promoting the Commission as an independent mechanism for reconciliation and restorative justice after its decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), yet the Commission fails to meet basic standards and is fatally flawed in structure and practice.

Critically, there is no requirement that the Commission investigate the many credible allegations that both the government security forces and the LTTE committed war crimes during the final months of conflict last year, as detailed in Crisis Group’s May 2010 report War Crimes in Sri Lanka.  More…

Sri Lanka: Hague must insist on independent investigation into war crimes when he meets his Sri Lankan counterpart, says Amnesty

Amnesty International today urged the Foreign Secretary William Hague to demand an independent international investigation into alleged war crime abuses in Sri Lanka when he meets his Sri Lankan counterpart, Professor GL Peiris, tomorrow.

In the months since last year’s conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, numerous allegations of war crimes have surfaced – and so far none has been properly investigated.  More…

“Walk for Justice” and Midnight Vigil

Remembering Black July 1983 – 27 years on, the Genocide continues…

Black July Rally – London
Friday, 23 July 2010

Starts: 9pm at Tothill Street (behind Westminster Methodist Church)

Ends: 11:30pm at Downing Street

Nearest Stations: St James’s Park or Westminster

Route Map and Details for Transport

Please contact British Tamils Forum on +44(0)20 8808 0465 for further details.

Please see the attached map for London to Geneva(UN)

Latest on London to Geneva

Listen Live radio 18:00 to 21:00

Amnesty launches fresh call a year on from end of conflict

Amnesty expert available for interview

Amnesty International today called on the United Nations to set up an immediate and independent investigation into the massive human rights violations committed by both government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam forces, commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, during the country’s recent civil war.

The call came a day before the first anniversary of the end of the conflict (18 May).

The failure to act so far has left victims of human rights violations with no access to justice, truth or reparations. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans displaced at the end of decades-long conflict languish in camps or struggle to rebuild their shattered communities.  Read More

MAY 7, 2010

UN Secretary-General Should Establish International Investigation

“Every time the international community raises the issue of accountability, Sri Lanka establishes a commission that takes a long time to achieve nothing. Ban should put an end to this game of smoke and mirrors and begin a process that would ensure justice for all the victims of Sri Lanka’s war.” – Brad Adams, Asia director

(New York) – The Sri Lankan government’s suggestion that a newly announced commission will provide accountability for laws-of-war violations during the armed conflict with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is yet another attempt to deflect an independent international investigation, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take steps to ensure accountability through an independent international investigation into the alleged laws-of-war violations.
Read More