Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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‘Before we too pass away’ - Tamil families appeal to UN over Chemmani mass graves
The Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared in the North-East (ARED) has appealed to the United Nations to ensure an international investigation into enforced disappearances and mass graves across the Tamil homeland, including the ongoing excavations at Chemmani, where more than 380 human skeletal remains have been uncovered. In a letter dated 19 June 2026, the association called…

Rajapaksa discusses dealing with war crimes charges and sanctions

Jul 2, 2014
Possibilities of war crimes charges and international sanctions on Sri Lanka were discussed at a Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Wednesday, reports Ceylon Today.

Speaking on the possibility of Sri Lanka being referred to the United Nations Security Council for war crimes, several parliamentarians in the meeting said that China and Russia would work to protect Sri Lanka.


UNHCR expresses 'profound concern' over Australia's handling of Tamil asylum seekers

Jul 2, 2014
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Thursday, expressed ‘profound concern,’ over reports that two boats of Tamil asylum seekers off the coast of Christmas Island by Australia, had been sent back to Sri Lanka.

“International law prescribes that no individual can be returned involuntarily to a country in which he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution,” said the UNHCR’s regional office in Australia in a statement released Thursday evening, reports The Guardian.

“When boats presumed to be carrying asylum seekers are intercepted, UNHCR’s position is that requests for international protection should be considered within the territory of the intercepting state, consistent with fundamental refugee protection principles,” the statement further said.

SL High Commissioner to Australia denies abuse of deportees

Jul 2, 2014
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Thursday, rejected claims that asylum seekers deported to the island would face human rights abuses and harassment, reports Adaderana.lk.

Responding to questions on the plight of asylum seekers reported to be returned to Sri Lanka, Samarasinghe said that they would face the magistrates court and be released on bail.

“If there is criminal evidence of such people, they would be punished and put through the normal process,” he added.

UK urges Sri Lanka to endorse End Sexual Violence in Conflict declaration

Jul 2, 2014
The UK continued its call on Sri Lanka to endorse the declaration to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, the British High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a statement on Thursday.

South African Special Envoy to visit, SL parties oppose

Jul 2, 2014

The South African Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Cyril Ramaphosa, is due to visit the island next week for talks with the government and other groups, to discuss a political solution for the “Northeast problem” a senior government source told the Daily Mirror.

Several parties in the ruling coalition expressed their opposition to the visit.

“No positive results would be brought from a South African model peace initiative as the issues in Sri Lanka and South Africa are totally different. Besides, South Africa cannot win the confidence of the people in Sri Lanka as that country maintained a close link with the LTTE. Therefore, it concerns only on the grievances of minorities,” said spokesperson for the JHU Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe.

More human remains found at Muhamaalai

Jul 2, 2014

More skeletal remains have been found in Muhamaalai on Thursday, a day after remains and clothing of female LTTE fighters were unearthed by a demining team, reported the Uthayan.

Bones, grenades and bullet casings were found in the town on the Jaffna peninsula, which used to be a major checkpoint to enter territory under Tamil control before 2009.

SL navy official confirms asylum seekers to be handed back

Jul 1, 2014

10:17 BST

153 Tamil asylum seekers on a boat off Christmas island will be handed over to the Sri Lankan navy, a second senior navy official confirmed to The Australian on Wednesday.

Reports emerged on Tuesday that such a transfer in the mid-ocean was imminent, however, till now both the Australian government and the Sri Lankan navy have refused to acknowledge even the very presence of such a boat.

The transfer of the asylum seekers has been widely condemned with many rights organisations warning that Australia would be in breach of the UN Convention on Refugees if it were to proceed with such a move.

4 Tamil asylum seekers arrested in India

Jul 1, 2014
Four Tamil asylum seekers were arrested in India on Wednesday, after fleeing their homes in Vavuniya and Jaffna, reports PTI.

The refugees, Shanthi, Malar, Sabesh and Subbiah, said they were "forced to leave the island nation due to scarcity of food and high price of essential commodities there," when questioned by police.

They have been arrested on the ground of arriving in India without proper documents and on an illegal ferry, a senior police official told PTI. They have been detained in a refugee camp at Mandapam.

Sri Lanka 'blatantly misinformed' UN Human Rights Council says Muslim Council

Jul 1, 2014
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has accused the Sri Lankan government of issuing “blatant misinformation” at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, over the mob violence in Aluthgama which left three Muslims and a Tamil killed.

The civil society group charged Sri Lanka with misleading the international community, saying “it appears that the statement made in Geneva is very similar to the anti-Muslim statements made for local consumption by certain vested interests.”

Trees will become gallows' threatens BBS

Jul 1, 2014
A senior member of Bodu Bala Sena has warned that "all the buildings in the country would become prisons and trees would become gallows", if the organisation's leader Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero was to be arrested.

The head of BBS's Education and Research Section also added that “there are thousands willing to go to prison if Gnanasara Thero is arrested”, reported FT.lk.

His statement comes as Gnanasara Thero, the monk who heads the organisation and regularly gives inflammatory speeches, challenged police to arrest him, saying “they would perish if they proceeded”, according to ColomboPage.

UNHCR expresses 'profound concern' over Australia's handling of Tamil asylum seekers
SL High Commissioner to Australia denies abuse of deportees
UK urges Sri Lanka to endorse End Sexual Violence in Conflict declaration
South African Special Envoy to visit, SL parties oppose
More human remains found at Muhamaalai
SL navy official confirms asylum seekers to be handed back
4 Tamil asylum seekers arrested in India
Sri Lanka 'blatantly misinformed' UN Human Rights Council says Muslim Council
Trees will become gallows' threatens BBS
Body found hanging in Batticaloa
UNHCR expresses 'profound concern' over Australia's handling of Tamil asylum seekers
SL High Commissioner to Australia denies abuse of deportees
UK urges Sri Lanka to endorse End Sexual Violence in Conflict declaration
South African Special Envoy to visit, SL parties oppose
More human remains found at Muhamaalai
SL navy official confirms asylum seekers to be handed back
4 Tamil asylum seekers arrested in India
Sri Lanka 'blatantly misinformed' UN Human Rights Council says Muslim Council
Trees will become gallows' threatens BBS
Body found hanging in Batticaloa