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…

Tamil women coerced into SL army says C.V. Wigneswaran

Mar 8, 2014
Tamil women are being coerced to join the Sri Lankan military said the Northern Province's Chief Minister, CV Wigneswaran, reports the Uthayan.

Addressing an event for International Women's Day in Jaffna yesterday, Wigneswaran, said the Sri Lankan army was going into their houses coercing Tamil women, who were too afraid to refuse, to join.

We will not bow down to international pressure says Rajapaksa

Mar 8, 2014
The Sri Lankan government will not bow down to international pressure said President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Sinhala voters at an election rally held in Gampaha on Sunday, reports the Colombo Gazette.

If the people of Sri Lanka demanded an investigation then the government is ready to comply, but the UN Human Rights Council cannot decide if an investigation is needed in Sri Lanka said Rajapaksa.

“Only the people of this country can decide if the war was right or wrong and not the human rights council," he added.

TNA welcome draft UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, urges international Commission of Inquiry

Mar 8, 2014
The Tamil National Alliance on Sunday welcomed the draft resolution on Sri Lanka being circulated at the UN Human Rights Council, calling on the international community to “move expeditiously towards mandating an international commission of inquiry”.

In a statement released as member states prepare to meet and discuss the resolution in Geneva, the TNA outlined ongoing rights violations occurring the North and East of the island, including “mass scale appropriation of land by the military” and “sexual violence targeting Tamil women in the North and East”.

Draft resolution is a 'diplomatic fudge' - Callum Macrae

Mar 8, 2014
The draft UNHRC resolution was a "bit of diplomatic fudge" said the director of 'No Fire Zone: Sri Lanka's Killing Fields', Callum Macrae in an interview with Channel 4 news.

Speaking on the news programme following the emergence of more video evidence of Sri Lankan soldiers committing sexual violence against Tamil female fighters, Mr. Macrae said,
"An earlier draft [of the resolution] has leaked, which is a little bit of a diplomatic fudge really. It doesn't call for the setting up of an independent mechanism or commission as many people hoped."

Jayalalitha slams Centre for failing to address Tamil issues in Sri Lanka

Mar 8, 2014
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, slammed India's Central government for not addressing the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Highlighting Congress’ training of Sri Lankan military amidst allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, she said,
“What did the Congress government to do on the Sri Lankan Tamils Issue? It gave military training and weapons to Lankan government. It was responsible for the killing of Tamils there.“

Draft resolution 'deeply dismaying' - TNPF

Mar 8, 2014
The draft UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, tabled at the Council last Monday, was "deeply dismaying", said the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) in a statement released yesterday.

Criticising the resolution's failure to ensure a meaningful international inquiry, immediate relief from the on-going oppression faced by the Tamil people, and a meaningful political solution to the ethnic conflict, the TNPF called on fellow Tamils in the diaspora and on Tamils in Tamil Nadu, to work towards pushing for a stronger resolution.

Protest against Britain's 'assurance of terrorist rights'

Mar 7, 2014
The Sri Lankan British Union is holding a protest on Saturday condemning Britain's 'policy of assuring rights to terrorists' through its support for a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council on accountability for mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, Colombopage reports.

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Tamil women need justice says GTF on Women's Day

Mar 7, 2014
Marking International Women's Day, Global Tamil Forum (GTF) called for an international inquiry, to provide justice and accountability for Tamil women for the widespread sexual violence faced during and after the final stages of the armed conflict, and the on-going "sustained assault" endured by them in the North-East.

Pointing to the "militarisation of Tamil areas in Sri Lanka since the end of the war in 2009, by state security forces who are almost entirely ethnically Sinhalese" the GTF outlined the on-going sexually violence and insecurity faced by Tamil women at the hands of the Sri Lankan military.
"A culture of impunity exists and many women are afraid to report cases of intimidation and ill-treatment to the authorities."
The GTF celebrated the "courage and resolve" of women in the North-East who are acting as agents of change, highlighting the work done by Northern Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan and the Women's Action Network (WAN) in the North-East.

Sinhala women's group marks IWD with protest against Navi Pillay and UNHRC resolution

Mar 7, 2014


Marking International Women's Day, the Sinhala women's group - Lakmawa Diyaniyo - held a protest outside the US Embassy in Colombo, demonstrating against the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay and the resolution tabled on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this week.

Sinister' and 'unjustified' obsession on Sri Lanka, says SL ambassador to UN

Mar 7, 2014
The Sri Lankan permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, speaking at an informal discussion event on the draft resolution on reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, rejected the draft resolution tabled against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), alleging ‘sinister motives’ behind the ‘unjustified’ resolution.

Aryasinha further described the resolution as an intrusive politicised 'obsession', based on “sinister motives in relentlessly targeting Sri Lanka, mainly to appease pro-LTTE Tamil constituencies, for collateral electoral political gain.”

We will not bow down to international pressure says Rajapaksa
TNA welcome draft UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, urges international Commission of Inquiry
Draft resolution is a 'diplomatic fudge' - Callum Macrae
Jayalalitha slams Centre for failing to address Tamil issues in Sri Lanka
Draft resolution 'deeply dismaying' - TNPF
Protest against Britain's 'assurance of terrorist rights'
Tamil women need justice says GTF on Women's Day
Sinhala women's group marks IWD with protest against Navi Pillay and UNHRC resolution
Sinister' and 'unjustified' obsession on Sri Lanka, says SL ambassador to UN
OHCHR led inquiry inadequate, CoI needed as step towards criminal prosecutions - Tamil civil society
We will not bow down to international pressure says Rajapaksa
TNA welcome draft UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, urges international Commission of Inquiry
Draft resolution is a 'diplomatic fudge' - Callum Macrae
Jayalalitha slams Centre for failing to address Tamil issues in Sri Lanka
Draft resolution 'deeply dismaying' - TNPF
Protest against Britain's 'assurance of terrorist rights'
Tamil women need justice says GTF on Women's Day
Sinhala women's group marks IWD with protest against Navi Pillay and UNHRC resolution
Sinister' and 'unjustified' obsession on Sri Lanka, says SL ambassador to UN
OHCHR led inquiry inadequate, CoI needed as step towards criminal prosecutions - Tamil civil society