Episode 2: Bloody Pearl

It was conventional British colonial policy to look for minorities in colonised territories to use them where possible as the administrative class. Minorities, like the Tamils in Sri Lanka, tended to be more amenable to be used in this fashion because at times this strengthened their position in society. Following Sri Lanka’s independence from the British, the majority Sinhalese ethnic group take power. Racial tensions escalate, erupting in a war in 1983, with government sanctioned troops killing thousands of Tamil civilians as they attempt to suppress the Tamil Tiger movement. Priya and Nades are caught in the middle of it.  But what role does Australia play in this civil war? And Australia says things are better since the war ended in 2009, but what is it actually like for the people living there?

Om Podcasten

A family ripped from their rural Queensland community, and a town fighting to bring them back. The Nadesalingam family captured the hearts and minds of people across the world when they were ripped from their regional Australian community of Biloela, but there’s more to this than a heartwarming story. You Have Been Told A Lie will explore the social fabric of Sri Lanka forcing Tamils to flee, the geopolitical and national forces at play when it comes to Australia’s immigration policy, the groundswell movement from their local community and beyond, the treatment and processing of asylum seekers in Australia, along with the lies we’ve been told along the way. Who does the family need to be in order to stay? www.youhavebeentoldalie.com