Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Three thousand years deep - Evidence uncovers Velanai's ancient seafarers
A newly published study has identified the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric human settlement on Velanai Island in the Jaffna Peninsula, dating back around 3,460 years and overturning an erroneous long-held Sri Lankan assumption that the region was largely uninhabited until much later. The study, published in the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology and led by…

Judge orders Chunnakam power station to close over waste oil leak

Jan 26, 2015
A judge in Mallaakam court issued an interim order to close Chunnakam power station on Tuesday following increasing local outcry over the contamination of local water supplies by waste heavy fuel oil leaking from the site.

Suspend the power plant's functions with immediate effect and temporarily shut down the plant until further notice, the order by Justice S. Satheestharan said.

The court also ordered the authorities to undertake immediate steps to ensure the provision of drinking water to areas affected by the oil seepage, and to instigate a programme of public health awareness about the dangers.

Modi to visit Sri Lanka in March – Daily FT

Jan 25, 2015

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will arrive in Sri Lanka on March 14 for the first state visit by an Indian leader since Rajiv Gandhi in 1987, according to the Daily FT.

Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena will visit India, his first foreign visit since assuming office, on the February 16.

Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited Delhi and met with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Modi.

Both countries pledged to strengthen ties between them during the talks, which focused on a range of issues, including political and economic cooperation, the repatriation of Tamil refugees and the fishermen dispute.

Tamils in Mannar urge international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka

Jan 25, 2015
Photographs Uthayan

Residents in Mannar launched a silent protest on Monday calling on the international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka, whilst also highlighting a number of pressing concerns: calling for political prisoners to be released, for the missing to be returned and for the military occupation of the Tamil homeland to end.


Wearing pieces of black cloth across their mouths, women and men marched through Mannar holding photographs of missing loved ones, and carrying banners and placards with a number of demands relating to key issues.

Media minister invites exiled journalists back, promises work 'without fear of persecution'

Jan 25, 2015
Sri Lanka's media minister, Gayantha Karunatilleka invited exiled journalists to return to the island, promising they could work independently without fear of persecution.



Praying at the sacred Buddhist site of the Sacred Tooth Relic and seeking the blessing of Buddhist clergy, Mr Karunatilleke said: "We have created a conducive environment for all media personnel to work independently without fear of persecution."

Unemployed graduates protest in Batticaloa

Jan 25, 2015

Unemployed graduates in Batticaloa protested on Monday, calling on the new Sri Lankan government to ensure more professional jobs, reports BattiNews.


Wigneswaran calls for release of Tamil political prisoners and return of occupied Tamil land

Jan 25, 2015
The chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council, CV Wigneswaran and a delegation of Northern Provincial Councillors, called for the release of 6500 acres of Tamil land taken by  the Sri Lankan military and release of registered and unregistered Tamil political prisoners.

The delegation made the demands noting that several unregistered political prisoners were being held in secret captivity during a meeting with the newly appointed Resettlement Minister DM Swaminathan in Colombo on Saturday.

Sri Lankan envoy to meet UN High Commissioner Zeid

Jan 25, 2015

The Sri Lankan president's senior advisor on foreign relations has arrived in Geneva for a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain.

Jayantha Dhanapala is expected to discuss with the high commissioner the OHCHR Investigation in Sri Lanka, the final report of which is due to be published at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March.

External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera is also currently in Europe, where he will seek a postponement of a EU ban on imports from Sri Lanka.

Mr Samaraweera said last week the UN inquiry could have been avoided if the issue had been handled "carefully and pragmatically" by the previous government.

Suspects in ex-LTTE policeman murder freed

Jan 24, 2015
Mario Arulthas

Four suspects in the killing of a former member of the Tamil Eelam Police Department were found innocent and freed by a judge in Mannar, reported the Uthayan.

A total of seven suspects were arrested after the murder of 34 year old Naguleshwaran Krishnasuwamy, who was killed in his own backyard by unidentified gunmen in November.

His wife, Kavitha, said her husband had received threats in the days prior to the assassination.

UN inquiry could have been avoided if handled 'pragmatically' says Sri Lanka's new FM

Jan 24, 2015
Sri Lanka's new foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, said that the UN inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka could have been avoided if the issue had been handled "carefully and pragmatically" by the previous government.

"This whole investigation was brought upon the country by the bungling of the previous government. If we had handled it carefully and pragmatically, it could have been avoided,” Mr Samaraweera said.

Asked if the team of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conducting the inquiry had requested a meeting with the new government, Mr Samaraweera said: "Not so far but we have requested the President’s senior adviser, Mr [Jayantha] Dhanapala, to meet the UN Human Rights Commissioner in Geneva to discuss matters pertaining to this inquiry."

Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land

Jan 24, 2015
The Sri Lankan military re-erected a sign, at the entrance of the Valikamam North High Security Zone, reading ‘Army Cantonment,' last week.

Local Tamil inhabitants of the region, have been calling for the abolishment of the High Security Zone and the return of their lands, remain concerned about whether the army controlled area will ever be released back to the people, reports the Uthayan.

The re-erection of the ‘Army Residence’ sign comes as amidst promises from the new governemnt to release Tamil land occupied by the Sri Lankan army.
Modi to visit Sri Lanka in March – Daily FT
Tamils in Mannar urge international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka
Media minister invites exiled journalists back, promises work 'without fear of persecution'
Unemployed graduates protest in Batticaloa
Wigneswaran calls for release of Tamil political prisoners and return of occupied Tamil land
Sri Lankan envoy to meet UN High Commissioner Zeid
Suspects in ex-LTTE policeman murder freed
UN inquiry could have been avoided if handled 'pragmatically' says Sri Lanka's new FM
Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land
We didn’t really ask for help but India in mood to help Sri Lanka' says foreign minister
Modi to visit Sri Lanka in March – Daily FT
Tamils in Mannar urge international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka
Media minister invites exiled journalists back, promises work 'without fear of persecution'
Unemployed graduates protest in Batticaloa
Wigneswaran calls for release of Tamil political prisoners and return of occupied Tamil land
Sri Lankan envoy to meet UN High Commissioner Zeid
Suspects in ex-LTTE policeman murder freed
UN inquiry could have been avoided if handled 'pragmatically' says Sri Lanka's new FM
Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land
We didn’t really ask for help but India in mood to help Sri Lanka' says foreign minister