Features

Features

Latest news from and about the homeland

  A heated battle is unfolding between Tamil Nadu and India’s central government over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a sweeping reform introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.  Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has led the opposition, labelling the policy a “Hindutva policy” that prioritises Hindi and Sanskrit over regional languages and…

Who is Pan Yue? China’s ‘Ethnic Affairs’ Minister and his visit to Sri Lanka

China’s Minister of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Pan Yue, led a high-profile delegation to Colombo last month, where he discussed ‘ethnic harmony’ and ‘reconciliation efforts’ with Sri Lankan officials.

Marco Rubio: The US Secretary of State and Sri Lanka

As global talks of tariffs, and conflict in Ukraine and Gaza continues, we examine Rubio’s hawkish foreign policy approach and his stance on Sri Lanka.

Gary Anandasangaree appointed Canada’s Minister of Justice


Gary Anandasangaree has been appointed as Canada’s Minister of Justice, in a historic move that will see him become the first ever Tamil-Canadian to hold the post.

Anandasangaree, a lawyer and long-time advocate for Tamil rights, has played a key role in pushing for justice for war crimes and accountability for the genocide in Sri Lanka.

Duterte’s Sri Lankan connection

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has left Manila for The Hague, hours after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him over crimes against humanity linked to his brutal “war on drugs”, which saw as many as 30,000 people killed. 

While Duterte now faces international prosecution, we examine Sri Lanka’s past associations with his policies and his government’s opposition to international accountability efforts.

Sri Lanka’s endorsement of Duterte’s brutality

What is the Batalanda Report?

Following a disastrous interview with Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan by former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Batalanda report and his role in facilitating torture has come into the spotlight. We take a look at the report and at Wickremesinghe’s alleged role.

Ranil Wickremesinghe blames ‘pro-LTTE’ panel as he flounders over Al Jazeera interview

Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe has attempted to shift blame onto “pro-LTTE” figures after his disastrous interview on Al Jazeera English’s Head to Head, in which he floundered over questions on war crimes, enforced disappearances, and his defence of war criminals such as Shavendra Silva.

‘Childish’ and ‘utterly insulting’ - Wickremesinghe defends war criminals in car crash Al Jazeera interview

The interview, aired earlier today, saw Wickremesinghe visibly uncomfortable as he was pressed on allegations of war crimes, government corruption, and his administration’s failure to credibly investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.  He threatened to walk out several times.

Did the Iron Age begin with Tamils? New research challenges history

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in Tamil Nadu is set to rewrite global history, with new evidence suggesting that iron smelting in the region dates back to as early as 3,345 BCE—over a thousand years earlier than previously believed. 

The findings challenge long-held assumptions that the Iron Age began in the Hittite Empire in present-day Turkey around 1300 BCE and instead position Tamil Nadu as one of the earliest known centres of iron production.

Tamil nationalist alliance formed ahead of local government elections

A coalition of nine Tamil nationalist parties has been formed to contest the upcoming local government elections under the conch symbol, under a new political formation known as the Democratic Tamil Nationalist Front (DTNF).

ITJP report calls for accountability over Valvettithurai massacre by IPKF

A new report by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has examined the Valvettithurai (VVT) massacre of 1989, one of the worst atrocities committed by the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) against Eelam Tamils.