Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Photo : Newswire Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on Wednesday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), over his recruitment to the Sri Lanka Navy and the funding of his training at Britain's Royal Naval Academy. He appeared before the commission on 17 June in response to a summons,…

Deadline passes but Sri Lankan military refuses to remove Jaffna camp

The Sri Lankan military has refused to dismantle an occupying base in Karkovalam, Jaffna, despite a decision by the cabinet that the camp be removed.

Tensions in Sri Lanka's parliament as Tamil MP reports assault

Jaffna District MP Dr Ramanathan Archuna claimed that he was assaulted on December 3rd within the premises of the Opposition Leader’s office in the parliament by Sinhala parliamentarian Sujith Sanjaya Perera.

Shritharan demands political solution for Tamils in address to parliament

Speaking in Sri Lanka’s parliament last week Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian S Shritharan called on the Sri Lankan president to enact a political solution that respects the identity and rights of Eelam Tamils.

Sri Lankan police interrogate two Tamil men over Maaveerar remembrance week commemorations in Kokkuvil

Sri Lankan police interrogated two Tamil men for organising commemorative events during Maaveerar remembrance week in Kokkuvil, Jaffna. 

Time to step up

For too long, the United Kingdom has pursued a flawed and outdated policy on Sri Lanka. It has left Britain lagging behind its international allies, some of whom imposed targeted sanctions years ago. The UK must not just catch up. If it seeks to maintain its influence on the island and the region as a whole, it must go further and lead.

Indian fishermen released and arrested the same week as tensions with Sri Lanka continue

On the same day that eight Indian fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy were flown to Chennai, the security forces announced it had detained two more Indian fishing boats and 14 Tamil Nadu fishermen, as tensions across the Palk Strait continued.

The Indian High Commission celebrated the repatriation of the eight fishermen with a tweet on Thursday.

More than 244 Maaveerar Naal commemoration events took place in North-East, admits Sri Lankan minister

Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala admitted that more than 244 Maaveerar Naal commemoration events took place across the North-East last week, as Tamils across the homeland paid tribute to those who gave their lives fighting for an independent state.

Wijepala made a special statement to Parliament on December 4 stating that out of the 244 commemorations, 10 displayed the Tamil Eelam flag or displayed images related to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Sri Lanka’s Olympic Committee faces ban amid corruption scandal

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) is at risk of being banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as its Secretary General, Maxwell De Silva, continues to defy a suspension imposed for ethical violations and misconduct.

ITAK MPs meet with Sri Lankan president

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with parliamentarians from the Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) at the Presidential Secretariat this week, reportedly to discuss "the longstanding challenges faced by the people in the Northern and Eastern regions".

Over 60 Sri Lankan officials named by ITJP for sanctions over war crimes

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has submitted more than 60 sanctions requests targeting Sri Lankan officials, security personnel, and former Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) officers for their roles in gross human rights violations committed during and after Sri Lanka’s armed conflict. These requests have been sent to governments such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the European Union, as well as to the United Nations.