Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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…

Cameron should have boycotted CHOGM – New Statesman editorial

British Premier David Cameron should have boycotted the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, the New Statesman magazine said in its editorial Monday, titled 'Sri Lanka is a rogue state'.


Channel 4 News team welcomed to SL by 'Movement to Promote National Harmony'

Photographs DailyMirror.lk

The Channel 4 News team was met by Sri Lankan protesters demonstrating outside the airport and their hotels, including one notable one by the 'Movement to Promote National Harmony', as they arrived in Sri Lanka ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), today.

TYO UK - Cameron should boycott CHOGM immediately

In a statement released on Monday, the Tamil Youth Organisation UK called on the British Prime Minister to boycott the CHOGM this week.

See here. Extract published below:

"Four years on and still the Sri Lankan state has not been held accountable for these war crimes, crimes against humanity and most importantly crimes of genocide. Instead, they are being given time and space to commit more atrocities in the name of ‘reconciliation’, through which the Tamil nation is continuing to face structural genocide."

Australian senator urges CHOGM boycott

Lee Rhiannon, the Australian senator that was detained in Sri Lanka, along with a New Zealand MP, has written in the Guardian recounting her experiences in Sri Lanka and in the Northeast, concluding that Australia should boycott CHOGM.

See Rhiannon’s full piece on Comment is Free. Extracts reproduced below:

Protest organisers in Vali North receive death warnings


Tamil campaigners and members of the elected body who had been organising protests against land grab in Valikaamam North, found the heads of dead cows on their doorsteps on Monday morning - an act that is considered a death threat.

NZ Prime Minister 'definitely going to Sri Lanka'

The Prime Minister of New Zealad has said he is 'definitely going to Sri Lanka' despite growing oppposition to his visit, and the detention of a New Zealand MP in Colombo last week.

Prime Minister John Key stated that it "just happens to be that Sri Lanka is the host of the summit in 2013" confirming that he would not boycott the summit.

Australian Senator detained after speaking out in Sri Lanka


Senator Rhiannon being detained by SL officials.
Photo:Tamil Mirror


Australian Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon was detained by Sri Lankan authorities after speaking out against sexual abuse and land confiscation by state authorities on the island, on her return to Colombo from the Tamil North-East.

Sri Lanka refuses to sign oil storage deal with Indian firm

The Sri Lankan government has hardened its stance on a lease agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation.

The Indian company is trying to set up a bitumen plant in the northeast, however Sri Lanka has not signed the 10-year old agreement.

Foreign media restricted to report on CHOGM only - Media Ministry

Foreign media who have arrived in Sri Lanka to cover the Commonwealth summit, will be restricted to reporting on CHOGM related events only, said Media Secretary Charitha Herath.

“There will be no restrictions on travel within Sri Lanka for foreign media personnel who arrive in the country for CHOGM, but only as tourists,” he said.

“However, those who come as part of the official delegations of various countries, can carry out media related activities and will get accreditation to cover only CHOGM related events.”

Premier Singh not attending CHOGM – Indian press reports

Indian media reports say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has will not attend the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka next week.

India will be represented by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.