‘Don’t deport Dixtan!’ - Tamil mother appeals to Australian government to stop son’s deportation

by Sharmini
Jul 6, 2023

Tamil mother, Reeta Arulruban is appealing on the Australian government to stop the deportation notice for her son Dixtan Arulruban and to grant him a permanent visa. 

Last week, Dixtan received a deportation order after being detained in immigration detention since 2019. 

In 2009, in the final days of the armed conflict, Dixtan’s father was killed by Sri Lankan military shelling while Dixtan, Reeta and Dixtan’s grandmother sought safety in a bunker.  Dixtan, Reeta and his grandmother were later detained in an internment camp, where sexual abuse by the state’s forces was rife and access to food and medicines was limited. 

Following their release, Sri Lankan soldiers sexually assaulted Reeta in her home. In order to find safety, Reeta fled Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia in 2012, whilst Dixtan and his grandmother remained in the North-East. 

After Dixtan’s grandmother’s death in 2016, Reeta tried to sponsor her son so that he could live with her in Australia, however the application was rejected. In 2019, Dixtan left Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia but was held in immigration detention and has been detained there to this day. 

The Tamil Refugee Council (TRC) have been campaigning for the protection of Dixtan and other Tamil refugees and asylum seekers. 

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, TRC’s spokesperson Renuga Inpakumar said: 

“Reeta has been crying everyday unsure what the situation will be for her son. Dixtan has told us that he wants to be with his mother and not turned back to danger in the hands of the Sri Lankan state.”

“Reeta and Dixtan are symbols of the ongoing torture refugees face in Australia and that families should be united. Tamils should not be sent back to the genocidal hands of the Sri Lankan state. Reeta just wants her son with her and all refugees to be free,” Inpakumar added.

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Amaran - Problematic propaganda

amaran

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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Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

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un_spcial

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(c) Halt all offensive arms transfers, including weapons, explosives, guns and/or ammunition, to Israel;

(d) Hold nationals, including those with dual Israeli citizenship, involved in settler violence or violations in Gaza, accountable for violations of international law;  

(e) Review financial transfer policies that allow religious and charitable organizations to fund activities in Israel, which enable the further sustenance of an apartheid system;  

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Read more here

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