Features

Features

Latest news from and about the homeland

As Burnham eyes Number 10, British Tamils face a largely untested record
Burnham at the EU Mayors' Conference in 2018. As Andy Burnham emerges as the frontrunner to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and British prime minister, British Tamils are weighing a record on Tamil justice that is far thinner than the outgoing premier's, yet not quite the blank slate it might first appear. Starmer, who announced on Monday that he would resign as Labour leader and…

India–EU mega trade deal threatens to sideline Sri Lanka

Jan 29, 2026
While New Delhi and Brussels have framed the agreement as a historic partnership covering nearly a quarter of global GDP, the implications for Sri Lanka are far more troubling, with risks of Colombo being further marginalised within an already fragile economic landscape.

T Kumar, former political prisoner and veteran activist, passes away in Washington

Jan 26, 2026
Veteran Eelam Tamil activist Thambithurai Muthukumarasamy passed away in the United States earlier this month, bringing to a close the life of a man who spent decades on the frontlines of human rights advocacy.

US lawmakers urge Washington to back Tamil self-determination and genocide investigation

Jan 22, 2026
A group of United States lawmakers have written to the US State Department urging renewed action on accountability for atrocities committed against the Tamil people, including international investigations into genocide, and support for the right of Eelam Tamils to self-determination through a democratic referendum.

British Tamils celebrated inside Number 10 at Thai Pongal reception

Jan 21, 2026

British Tamils were honoured at a Thai Pongal reception held at Number 10 Downing Street on Friday, marking a growing recognition of the community’s contribution to life in the United Kingdom.

Remembering Colonel Kittu

Jan 16, 2026

Today marks 33 years since the death of Sathasivam Krishnakumar alias Colonel Kittu, and nine other LTTE cadres, who committed suicide after being surrounded by Indian navy warships in 1993.

The nine other cadres who passed away with Col. Kittu were:

- Lt.Col. Kuttisiri: Rasaiah Sri Ganesan from Suthumalai, Jaffna

- Sea Tiger Captain Jeeva: Nadarajah Mark Jeyarajah from Pashaiyoor, Jaffna

- Sea Tiger Captain Gunaseelan: Segan Cruz Michael Jeeva from Maniam Thottam in Jaffna

Tamil survivors document Sri Lanka’s sexual violence and demand accountability

Jan 15, 2026
Tamil survivors of  sexual violence have detailed the enduring impact of abuse perpetrated by Sri Lankan state forces, warning that justice and reparations remain entirely absent more than sixteen years after the end of the armed conflict in a report launched by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) today.

New UN report details sexual violence against Tamils and Sri Lankan impunity

Jan 13, 2026
A new report issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has laid bare the widespread and systematic use of conflict-related sexual violence by Sri Lankan state forces, alongside decades of entrenched impunity that continue to deny justice to Tamil survivors.

Remembering Major Sothiya

Jan 11, 2026

Today marks 36 years since the passing of Major Sothiya, the commander of the LTTE's first female unit. 

Maria Vasanthi Michael, known by her nomme de guerre ‘Sothiya’, was born on 20 September 1963. She first joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1984.

A formidable fighter, Sothiya took part in many battles, as female cadres began to take part in combat operations from 1986 onwards.

Who is Douglas Devananda? Inside Sri Lanka’s state-backed paramilitary figure

Jan 9, 2026
Devananda’s career spans decades of Sri Lanka’s genocide against Tamils, marked by close alignment with the state and repeated ministerial appointments, as he was shielded from accountability for grave human rights violations.

Remembering the waves - 21 years on from the tsunami

Dec 26, 2025

 

On December 26th, 2004, over 35,000 people perished during the catastrophic tsunami that hit the coasts of the North-East and South of the island of Sri Lanka.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said five days after the disaster that almost two thirds of those killed across the island were in the Tamil homeland of the North-East.

India–EU mega trade deal threatens to sideline Sri Lanka
T Kumar, former political prisoner and veteran activist, passes away in Washington
US lawmakers urge Washington to back Tamil self-determination and genocide investigation
British Tamils celebrated inside Number 10 at Thai Pongal reception
Remembering Colonel Kittu
Tamil survivors document Sri Lanka’s sexual violence and demand accountability
New UN report details sexual violence against Tamils and Sri Lankan impunity
Remembering Major Sothiya
Who is Douglas Devananda? Inside Sri Lanka’s state-backed paramilitary figure
Remembering the waves - 21 years on from the tsunami
India–EU mega trade deal threatens to sideline Sri Lanka
T Kumar, former political prisoner and veteran activist, passes away in Washington
US lawmakers urge Washington to back Tamil self-determination and genocide investigation
British Tamils celebrated inside Number 10 at Thai Pongal reception
Remembering Colonel Kittu
Tamil survivors document Sri Lanka’s sexual violence and demand accountability
New UN report details sexual violence against Tamils and Sri Lankan impunity
Remembering Major Sothiya
Who is Douglas Devananda? Inside Sri Lanka’s state-backed paramilitary figure
Remembering the waves - 21 years on from the tsunami