Sri Lankans in Switzerland

Last updated
Sri Lankan Swiss
Total population
46,000 – 55,000 (2010)
Languages
English  · Swiss German  · Swiss French  · Swiss Italian  · Tamil  · Sinhalese
Religion
Hinduism  · Christianity  · Buddhism  · Islam
Related ethnic groups
Sri Lankan people

Sri Lankans in Switzerland refer to Sri Lankans living in Switzerland. There are about 46,000 [1] to 55,000 [2] Swiss of Sri Lankan origin and Sri Lankan expatriates living in Switzerland. Most of them are ethnic Tamils.

Contents

History

Since the 1990s Switzerland has had a relatively large Tamil population among Europe, almost all of them being refugees from Sri Lanka. Many had already been in the country for more than fifteen years due to the Sri Lankan Civil War. [3]

LTTE in Switzerland

As well a providing refuge for some Sri Lankans, members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) have been based in Switzerland. The LTTE in Switzerland have been known as the Swiss Tigers. [3] [4] [5] The Sri Lankan Tamil community in Switzerland has become LTTE sympathisers who have created a network of money power, man power and muscle power towards the tamil eelam independence movement back in Sri Lanka. [5] Because of this Switzerland has been regarded as the “புலிகள் கோட்டை” (tiger fort) in Europe. Its contribution to the LTTE to the war effort has proportionately exceeded that of Tamils living in other Western countries. [ citation needed ]

End of the war

With the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, LTTE networks around the world were being shut down by both Sri Lankan and foreign governments. In 2011 the Swiss police arrested ten former LTTE representatives in the country for threatening, blackmailing and extortion of Tamils of the Sri Lankan diaspora to support the LTTE and the war effort financially. The funds were mainly used to buy weapons in Sri Lanka. Those arrested included the head of the LTTE in Switzerland Vijaratnam Sivanesan alias 'Ragu alias Ragupathy', his predecessor Chelliah Kularajasekeram alias 'Kulam' and the Swiss Tiger finance chief Chelliah Jeyapalan alias 'Abdullah'. They are facing charges of money laundering and belonging to a criminal organisation. [4] [6]

Demographics

Switzerland is home to around 32,000 to 42,000 Sri Lanka Tamils. [4] [5]

Organizations

Community

The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple is a Hindu temple located in Adliswil in the Sihl Valley in the canton of Zürich and was established in 1994 as a non-profit foundation, as well as the Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple, located in the municipality of Dürnten in the canton of Zürich in 2010. [8] [9] The Tamil community established some more temples in Switzerland, among them the temple of the Saivanerikoodam association in the Haus der Religionen in Bern in December 2014. [10] [11] Thus being a minority of the Tamil people living in Switzerland, Zentrum für Migrationskirchen (literally: Centre for migration churches) in Zürich-Wipkingen houses among others the Oikos church that has its origins in Sri Lanka and was founded in 2004. [12] [13]

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam</span> 1976–2009 militant Tamil organisation in Sri Lanka

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a Tamil militant organization that was based in northeastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the north-east of the island, due to the continuous discrimination and violent persecution against Sri Lankan Tamils by the Sinhalese dominated Sri Lankan Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velupillai Prabhakaran</span> Leader of militant Tamil organisation in Sri Lanka (1954–2009)

Velupillai Prabhakaran (listen ; Tamil: வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்; Tamil pronunciation: [ˈʋeːlɯpːiɭːaɪ pɾaˈbaːhaɾan], was a Eelam Tamil guerrilla revolutionary. A major figure of Tamil nationalism and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka, due to the oppression of Sri Lankan Tamils by the Sri Lankan Government. The LTTE waged war in Sri Lanka for more than 25 years, to create an independent state for the Sri Lankan Tamil people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maaveerar Naal</span>

Maaveerar Naal is a remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamils to remember the deaths of militants who fought with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to achieve an independent Tamil homeland. It is held each year on 27 November, the date on which the first LTTE cadre, Lt. Shankar, died in combat in 1982. Traditionally oil lamps are lit for the three days ending on 27 November and the Tamil Eelam flag is raised at ceremonies. The symbol for Maaveerar Naal is the Gloriosa superba which blooms during November.

Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka in order to create an independent Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka. They rose in response to the perception among minority Sri Lankan Tamils that the state was preferring the majority Sinhalese for educational opportunities and government jobs. By the end of 1987, the militants had fought not only the Sri Lankan security forces but also the Indian Peace Keeping Force. They also fought among each other briefly, with the main Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group dominating the others. The militants represented inter-generational tensions, as well as the caste and ideological differences. Except for the LTTE, many of the remaining organizations have morphed into minor political parties within the Tamil National Alliance, or as standalone political parties. Some Tamil militant groups also functioned as paramilitaries within the Sri Lankan military against separatist militants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TamilNet</span> Online newspaper covering Sri Lanka

TamilNet is an online newspaper that provides news and feature articles on current affairs in Sri Lanka, specifically related to the erstwhile Sri Lankan Civil War. The website was formed by members of the Sri Lankan Tamil community residing in the United States and publishes articles in English, German and French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Switzerland</span> Overview of the presence and role of Hinduism in Switzerland

Hinduism is a minority religion practised by 0.6% of the population of Switzerland. Approximately 90% of Hindu adherents are foreign-born, and about a third of them have the status of refugee or asylum seeker. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and oldest Hindu temple in Switzerland, the Arulmihu Sivan Temple located in Glattbrugg is dedicated to Shiva, and the latest foundation is the Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple in Dürnten in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamil Eelam</span> Proposed independent state in Sri Lanka

Tamil Eelam is a proposed independent state that many Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Large sections of the North-East were under de facto control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for most of the 1990s–2000s during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Tamil Eelam, although encompassing the traditional homelands of Sri Lankan Tamils, does not have official status or recognition by world states. The name is derived from the ancient Tamil name for Sri Lanka, Eelam.

The Anuradhapura massacre occurred in Sri Lanka in 1985 and was carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. This was the largest massacre of Sinhalese civilians by the LTTE to date; it was also the first major operation carried out by the LTTE outside a Tamil majority area. Initially, EROS claimed responsibility for the massacre, but it later retracted the statement, and joined the PLOTE in denouncing the incident. The groups later accused the LTTE for the attack. Since then, no Tamil militant group has admitted to committing the massacre. However, state intelligence discovered that the operation was ordered by the LTTE's leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. He assigned the massacre to the LTTE Mannar commander Victor and it was executed by Victor's subordinate Anthony Kaththiar. The attack was allegedly sparked by the 1985 Valvettiturai massacre, where the Sri Lanka Army massacred 70 Tamil civilians in Prabhakaran's hometown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seelan</span>

Charles Lucas Anthony was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and leading member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.

Between 2008 and 2009, major protests against the Sri Lankan Civil War took place in several countries around the world, urging national and world leaders and organisations to take action on bringing a unanimous cease fire to the Sri Lankan Civil War, which had taken place for twenty-six years. Tamil diaspora populations around the world expressed concerns regarding the conduct of the civil war in the island nation of Sri Lanka. The civil war, which took place between the Sri Lankan Army and the separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is believed to have killed over 100,000 civilians. Protesters and critics of the Sri Lankan government that triggered a culturally based civil war to be a systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Sri Lankan Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

Perinpanayagam Sivaparan is a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and leading member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visvanathan Rudrakumaran</span>

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran is the prime minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, which aims to realize accountability for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed by Sri Lanka against the Tamil minority and to create a separate Tamil state, called Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. He was the former legal advisor to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). By profession he is a lawyer in the United States. He is currently a US citizen and lives in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam</span>

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a transnational organisation among the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora which aims to establish Tamil Eelam, a secular and democratic socialist state which many Tamils aimed to create in the North-East of Sri Lanka.

Divisions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam refers to the military, intelligence and overseas divisions the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Most of these divisions were destroyed during the Eelam War IV, and only parts of the intelligence and financing divisions remain overseas.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka, had various organizations affiliated to it. These include charitable organizations, political parties, state intelligence organizations and even governments of Sri Lanka and other countries. Although the LTTE was militarily defeated in 2009, the Sri Lankan government alleges that a number of foreign-based organizations are still promoting its ideology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Sabaratnam</span>

Sundaram Sri Sabaratnam was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple</span> Swiss Hindu temple

The Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple is a Hindu temple located in the municipality of Dürnten in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Tamils</span>

Swiss Tamils refer to the Swiss citizens of Tamil as well as expatriate residents of Tamil origin living in Switzerland. Most of the Tamils in Switzerland are from Sri Lanka, who came to Switzerland during 1980s and 1990s as refugees due to the Sri Lankan Civil War. The Tamils are well integrated in the Swiss society and have proved themselves as a hard-working people and many young Tamils are doing well in school. Tamil values are still strong among the community, caste system and arranged wedding are common. The second generation seem to be better integrated than the first generation, but most still follow the old ways.

This is a listing of various types of charges leveled against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by relevant state actors and agencies.

References

  1. ↑ A Welcome by the Ambassador. Eda.admin.ch (2010-09-27). Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  2. ↑ Sri Lankan Diaspora – Switzerland Archived 2010-12-10 at the Wayback Machine . Srilankandiaspora.ch. Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  3. 1 2 Social Change Among Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in Switzerland Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine . Forschungsportal.ch. Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  4. 1 2 3 Sri Lanka Perspectives – January 2011. Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  5. 1 2 3 Ramifications of crackdown on LTTE in Switzerland | Lanka Magazine Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Lankamagazine.com (2011-01-29). Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  6. ↑ Onlanka News – Tamil Diaspora in Switzerland squeezed for money by LTTE «. Onlanka.com (2011-01-25). Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  7. ↑ Internet Archive WayBack Machine
  8. ↑ Annette Saloma-Huber (2012-07-23). "Tamilen schlossen Tempelfest mit Wasserritual ab" (in German). Zürcher Oberländer . Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  9. ↑ Regula Lienin (2013-07-20). "Ein Pfauentanz für Göttin Amman" (in German). Zürcher Oberländer . Retrieved 2014-12-25.
  10. ↑ Hannah Einhaus (2012-07-12). "Grosser Brocken für die kleinen Gemeinschaften im Haus der Religione". Berner Zeitung (in German). Berner Zeitung BZ. Retrieved 2014-12-25.
  11. ↑ "Weltweit einziges "Haus der Religionen" eröffnet: Das international einmalige Haus der Religionen öffnete am Sonntag seine Pforten. Acht Religionsgemeinschaften sollen unter einem Dach zusammen leben". 20 Minuten (in German). 2014-12-14. Retrieved 2014-12-25.
  12. ↑ Michael Meier (2014-12-23). "Sie wollen uns den Glauben zurückbringen". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-25.
  13. ↑ Matthias Scharrer (2014-11-14). "Dinah Hess: "Alle haben ihre Eigenarten –aber alles gehört zusammen"". Limmattaler Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-25.
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