Tamil youth arrested in Jaffna after tearing up ballot paper in protest

by admin
Sep 21, 2024

Sri Lankan police arrested a Tamil youth in Jaffna this morning after he tore up his ballot paper in a reported act of protest against the presidential elections.

The 19-year-old, who was voting for the first time, entered the polling station at the Nayanmarkaddu Maheswari Vidyalayam school and had his identity confirmed by officials before receiving his ballot paper.

He then proceeded to tear it up in front of officials, in an apparent act of protest. Sri Lankan police arrested the youth and held him in custody.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) have called on the Tamil people to boycott the Sri Lankan presidential elections, whilst a range of other Tamil political parties and organisations have backed P Ariyanenthiran - a 'common' Tamil candidate who is running not to win the election, but to "send a message" to the international community.

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The protest has now entered its 100th day, with Tamil asylum seekers and their supporters continuing their relentless demand for permanent protection. For 38 days, they camped outside Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke’s office in Sydney, calling on the government to end the visa limbo that has left many without basic rights and stability. Tamil asylum seekers have been in Australia for over a decade, living on short-term visas that must be renewed regularly. Without permanent residency, they are excluded from Medicare—Australia’s universal health insurance scheme—and are denied the right to work, study, travel, or access essential services. Many are also required to report to visa offices weekly.

The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

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The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

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Official trailer for film below.

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Read more here

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