Alarmed by the scale of abuses in Sri Lanka, not just in the northeastern war theatre but also in capital Colombo, human rights groups are advocating UN intervention. Prodded by their Sri Lankan counterparts, global rights groups are concluding that only the UN can bring some sanity in a country where killings, kidnappings, forced recruitment and other violations are rampant. Colombo too has seen plenty of killings and daylight abductions. The worst sufferers of the lawlessness are civilians, particularly Tamils both in the troubled northeastern region and also elsewhere in the island nation, the activists say.

Australia has accused the Sri Lankan Government of grossly violating humanitarian law on a regular basis, referring to daily abductions and extra-judicial killings. Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has toughened Australia's criticism of the Sri Lankan Government. In a statement, Mr Downer said that all parties to the conflict between the Government and Tamil Tigers are violating international humanitarian law on a regular basis.

 Several hundred Tamil Australians protested in front of the Victoria Parliament in Melbourne Tuesday, highlighting the escalating number of abductions and killings of Tamils in the NorthEast and in Colombo, sources in Melbourne said. The protest started at 2:30 p.m and lasted for three hours, attendees said.Protesters carried placards with photographs of those disappeared and Tamil politicians killed, and shouted slogans condemning the Sri Lanka security forces for committing gross human rights violations.

The Socialist Alliance condemns the arrest of two Tamil activists,  Aruran Vinayagamoorthy and Sivarajah Yathavan, under the "anti-terror" laws. This is another example of the use of such laws to repress political activity of which the government disapproves. The two are accused of being members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) , a group fighting for self-determination for the oppressed Tamil people of Sri Lanka.

The urgent need of negotiating a political solution for Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict by establishing a consensus between the southern parties on a devolution package to be offered the Tamils is a refrain among pro-government slogan shouters. However, it is obvious such rhetoric is meant only for the South Asian and international communities. The chorus for domestic consumption is very different – it is all about winning the war militarily.A factor that lies at the root of the many variables that affect the presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse is his penchant to have as his senior decision-makers, officials who owe no allegiance to parliament for their appointments. They are his personal loyalists.

The Victorian TAMIL Community is holding a peaceful rally in Melbourne to raise the awareness of the Australian Public to the continuing Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka. The rally will also focus on the community’s concern about the arrest and detention of two of their community members by the Australian Federal Police at the instigation of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Bureau of Meteorology data reveals that Melbourne has just experienced its driest 365-day period on record to 9 am this morning, Tuesday 15 May 2007.Head of the Victorian Climate Services Centre, Dr Harvey Stern, noted: “Melbourne’s average yearly rainfall is 638.8 mm, but for the 365-day period ending today Melbourne had received less than half that amount, 316.4 mm.”

The Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Auckland University Students Association (AUSA) has voted to support the boycott action of the University of Jaffna and Jaffna school students in Sri Lanka.  Two motions were put forward to the SRC by Nirupa George the Media Liaison Officer for Tamil Youth Organization New Zealand (TYONZ).    Before the motion was put forward she spoke about the boycott, explaining the issues facing the students in Jaffna and how although New Zealand was halfway across the world, it is important to recognize human rights for the Tamil students involved and for fellow tertiary students to support each other.

Press Release : Refugee Action Collective
World Refugee Day on Sunday, 17 June 2007
The Refugee Action Collective would like to convey our shared concern for the 83 Tamil asylum seekers currently held in Nauru, along with all asylum seekers currently held in detention.  We want the Tamil community to know that we have not forgotten them and we are determined not to let Australia forget them.

Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple Carrum Downs PUNARUTHARANA KUMBHABISHEKAM
Re-consecration Ceremony 2007
Kumbabhishekam is the most significant ceremony held in any temple. When a temple is built, the Mahakumbabhishekam is performed to signify the temple becoming ready for worship. A mere building with statues becomes the real temple only after this purification ceremony is performed according to strict agamas (guidelines). After that a temple is expected to undergo a Punarutharana Kumbabhishekam once every 12 years to spiritually re-energise periodically the deities in the temple. It is also the only occasion to carry out any significant alterations to the temple.

J Jeyakumar, Leading Tamil Nationalism Activist in Australia passes away in melbourne today ( 29th March 2007 ), sources said. Tamil Australians salute for his decades of great contribution to the betterment of Tamil Community.

He was an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) lecturer attached to Melbourne's Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

About 50 members of Melbourne's Tamil community and supporters gathered outside Casselden Place this evening (Friday) to demand the Australian Government process the claims of the recently-arrived Sri Lankan asylum seekers in Australia and abandon any plans to deport them to Sri Lanka or remove them to Nauru.The meeting, organised by the Melbourne branch of the National Anti-deportation Alliance, was addressed by a succession of speakers, starting with Suniya of the local Tamil community, and including two overseas visitors, a unionist and Workers Party activist from New Zealand and a social worker from Germany. Both gave grim pictures of the treatment of asylum seekers in their respective regions, especially recent developments towards Europe's own equivalent of Australia's infamous Pacific Solution.

The Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia & PNG, a not for profit organisation, would like to invite all to participate in the National Walk for Values event in Melbourne on Saturday, the 24th of March 2007. This event is being conducted by the Sathya Sai Organisation nationwide including other capital cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

"They were extremely fearful of their fate and desperately wanted to stay in Australia and be assessed and protected in Australia under Australian law," Mr Manne said. "They were very frightened about going to Nauru, they were uncertain about what would happen to them there. They were highly anxious, confused and desperate."The Opposition attacked Mr Andrews yesterday, questioning his competence and knowledge of the immigration portfolio after comments he made to ABC radio on Friday that the group could have lodged refugee claims in their home country. "They could have claimed that (refugee status) in Sri Lanka," Mr Andrews said.

"Johnians always Play the Game ! "
Johnians BBQ - St John's College OBA, Victoria, Australia

When: 11th March 2007
Time: 12.00 noon
Venue: Jells Park, Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill, Vic ( Melway Ref: 72 B9)