Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The arithmetic of a grave
This week, the number of skeletal remains uncovered at Chemmani reached a stark record of 387. With that figure, a patch of earth on the edge of Jaffna town became the largest mass grave ever uncovered on the island, surpassing the 376 remains recovered at Mannar. Recent days alone have seen the bodies of several children exhumed, alongside beads and bangles. These are the contents of the…

ICG, CPA criticise proscription of diaspora groups

Apr 2, 2014
Criticising the Sri Lankan government's proscription of 15 Tamil diaspora organisations earlier this week, the Sri Lanka project director at the International Crisis Group (ICG), Alan Keenan and the Executive Director of the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, said it was designed to prevent the outflow of information on alleged mass atrocities through diaspora networks to the OHCHR, recently charged with conducting an investigation into Sri Lanka.

Speaking to UCA News, Mr. Keenan said,
“The ban is a very serious and negative development, effectively criminalising legitimate democratic dissent within Sri Lanka and making it harder to challenge government policies from outside the island,”
“It appears designed in part to punish those Tamils inside and outside Sri Lanka who organized in support of the UNHRC resolution."

War-period pass system reintroduced for Tamil fishermen

Apr 2, 2014

The system requiring Tamil fishermen in the north to acquire passes from military personal before setting out to sea will be reintroduced, reported the Uthayan.

The pass system, which was gradually stopped after the end of the armed conflict, caused enormous hardship to families relying on the fishing trade.

Proscription of diaspora orgs is to demoralise Tamils in homeland - K. Guruparan

Apr 1, 2014
Sharing the concerns raised by Tamil diaspora activists over the Sri Lankan state's proscription of 15 Tamil diaspora organisations, Kumaravadivel Guruparan, a lecturer of law at the University of Jaffna, and member of the Tamil Civil Society Forum, told Tamil Guardian, "the overarching goal was to demoralise Tamils in the homeland, given that the diaspora is considered by Tamils in the homeland as a source of strength."

Stating that the most immediate goal was to delegitimise the involvement of Tamil diaspora organisations in OHCHR's remote inquiry however, Mr. Guruparan said, "this proscription will make it difficult for the OHCHR to engage with these organisations". 

Diaspora groups reject SL ban, vow to continue struggle

Apr 1, 2014
07:12 GMT, updated 23:01 GMT (TGTE, TYO)

Tamil diaspora groups, accused of being "LTTE fronts" by the Sri Lankan government and due to be proscribed, condemned the move as an attempt to criminalise and terrorise Tamils overseas, and vowed to continue to struggle for the Tamil people's liberation from Sri Lankan state repression.

Speaking to Tamil Guardian, representatives of the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), Canadian Tamil Congress, National Council of Canadian Tamils, Tamil Coordinating Committee UK, British Tamils Forum, and the Global Tamil Forum, said the move was an attempt to silence Tamil voices outside the island, and force the homeland to distance itself from the diaspora, for fear of reprisal.

Sri Lanka aims to cut us off from the diaspora - TNA's Shivajilingham

Apr 1, 2014
The TNA member and Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Shivajilingham condemned the Sri Lankan government's move to proscribe 15 Tamil diaspora organisations as a deliberate attempt to divide the diaspora and the homeland.

"The Sri Lankan government is trying to cut us off from the diaspora, especially trying to stop political parties, such as the TNA and the TNPF, from engaging with diaspora organisations," Mr. Shivajilingham told the Tamil Guardian.

Australia gives patrol vessel to SL Navy to stop asylum seekers

Apr 1, 2014
The Australian government today, delivered a patrol vessel to help Sri Lanka to stop people from leaving the North-East to seek asylum in Australia.

A spokesman from the Australian Navy, said,
“The fully furbished Australian Bay-class patrol vessel will substantially augment the SLN’s capacity as ti is able to cover a large area of Indian Ocean and serve Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Area more effectively. The event symbolises the commitment of key partners in enhancing maritime security in the region and the bilateral cooperation that exists between the two governments on combating people smuggling.”

Diaspora ban worsens climate for journalists, NGOs and others working with Tamil groups, says Amnesty

Apr 1, 2014
Amnesty International’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Peter Splinter, stressed that Sri Lanka’s latest legislation to ban several diaspora organisations, would worsen the climate for NGO staff, journalists and others interacting with Tamil groups.

Expressing concern over the likely use of the Sri Lankan Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), to enforce the new legislation, Mr. Splinter said to CNN,
“The consequence of that is that anyone dealing with those organisations will be subject to accusations of cooperating with terrorism—that brings them within the parameters of a rather draconian piece of legislation, the Prevention of Terrorism Act.”

India ‘betrayed Tamils’ say Tamil Nadu students

Apr 1, 2014

Students in Chennai held a protest this weekend, criticising India for their stance on Sri Lanka and calling for economic sanctions to be put in place.

Organised by the Tamil Youth and Students Federation, over 150 people gathered in Chennai, calling on India to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka.

APPGT deplores diaspora ban, calls on international community to condemn Sri Lanka's actions

Apr 1, 2014
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT), a cross-party group of parliamentarians said it deplored the Sri Lankan government’s proscription of Tamil diaspora groups, in a statement issued Wednesday, and called on the international community to condemn the Sri Lankan government’s attempt “to restrict the Human Rights of people and the organisations that they wish to proscribe.”

Ban Ki-moon calls on Sri Lanka to cooperate with OHCHR

Apr 1, 2014

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on Sri Lanka to “constructively engage and cooperate” with the Office of the High Commissioner on the implementation of the resolution passed by the Human Rights Council last week.

Speaking at the daily briefing of the UN, deputy spokesperson for the Secretary General Farhan Haq said that Ban Ki-moon welcomes the “determination” shown by High Commissioner Navi Pillay to advance accountability.

War-period pass system reintroduced for Tamil fishermen
Proscription of diaspora orgs is to demoralise Tamils in homeland - K. Guruparan
Diaspora groups reject SL ban, vow to continue struggle
Sri Lanka aims to cut us off from the diaspora - TNA's Shivajilingham
Australia gives patrol vessel to SL Navy to stop asylum seekers
Diaspora ban worsens climate for journalists, NGOs and others working with Tamil groups, says Amnesty
India ‘betrayed Tamils’ say Tamil Nadu students
APPGT deplores diaspora ban, calls on international community to condemn Sri Lanka's actions
Ban Ki-moon calls on Sri Lanka to cooperate with OHCHR
Buddhist monks charged with attacking church acquitted
War-period pass system reintroduced for Tamil fishermen
Proscription of diaspora orgs is to demoralise Tamils in homeland - K. Guruparan
Diaspora groups reject SL ban, vow to continue struggle
Sri Lanka aims to cut us off from the diaspora - TNA's Shivajilingham
Australia gives patrol vessel to SL Navy to stop asylum seekers
Diaspora ban worsens climate for journalists, NGOs and others working with Tamil groups, says Amnesty
India ‘betrayed Tamils’ say Tamil Nadu students
APPGT deplores diaspora ban, calls on international community to condemn Sri Lanka's actions
Ban Ki-moon calls on Sri Lanka to cooperate with OHCHR
Buddhist monks charged with attacking church acquitted