Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Activists protest mineral sand mining threatening East coast
Environmentalists and civil society activists protested at Galle Face in Colombo on 17 June against proposed heavy mineral sand mining along the eastern coastline from Oluvil to Pothuvil, warning that the project threatens the land, fisheries and livelihoods of Tamil and Muslim communities across the Eastern Province. According to the People's Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), exploration…

TNA rejects presidential commission to probe disappearances

Jul 28, 2013
Rejecting Mahinda Rajapaksa's proposed presidential commission to investigate disappearances during the armed conflict, the main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said that the Tamils would not accept any such commission.

The TNA spokesperson Suresh Premachandran said:

Special court for the Sangha

Jul 27, 2013

The Sri Lankan Chief Justice has announced that court cases involving Buddhist monks will be heard in special “Sangha Courts”.

Chief Justice Mohan Peiris said that the courts would process cases in days, unlike other court cases which may be postponed.

Read more on ColomboPage.

BJP: Tamils in SL should be given 'special protection'

Jul 27, 2013
The BJP leader, Ananth Kumar, said that Tamils in Sri Lanka should be given 'special protection' and have their 'safety assured', reports PTI.

Calling on the Sri Lankan government to produce a model where 'Tamils will have a major say in the socio-political and economic development of the island-nation', Kumar said,

Milking militarisation

Jul 27, 2013

Sri Lankan army soldiers embarked on their latest venture into the civilian life of Tamils in the North-East, with a milk programme.

The 51st Division of Kopay, have gave Tamil children in four Jaffna schools a cup of free milk on July 16th.



The four schools were: St James Maha Vidhyalaya, St. Roches Roman Catholic Vidyalaya, Seevari primary school and Thordarmalee school.

The Sri Lankan army's 'Civil Military Coordination' in Jaffna, proudly states, "The company sponsored the project not as a promotion to its product but as compliance to the request of the Army."

Black July commemorated in Toronto and London

Jul 27, 2013

Tamil youths have led commemorations of the Black July pogroms against Tamils in 1983, with events held in Toronto and London to mark the 30th anniversary.

TNPF: Black July was designed to 'ethnically cleanse Tamils from the Sinhala homeland'

Jul 26, 2013
Marking the 30 year anniversary of the Black July anti-Tamil pogrom, the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), said that it "was not an 'anti-Tamil riot' but the most naked act of Genocide committed by the Sri Lankan state against the Tamil nation", intended "not merely to cause death to the Tamils, it was also designed to ethnically cleanse Tamils from the Sinhala homeland and at the same time structurally undermine the self-sustaining economy of the Tamil nation".

In a statement to Tamils worldwide, marking the 30 year anniversary with remembrance events taking place Saturday, the TNPF added:

During Black July govt confirmed NE was Tamil homeland - TNA MP

Jul 26, 2013
In a statement in Sri Lanka's parliament, highlighting the 30th year anniversary of Black July, the TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, spoke of his own experiences during Black July when he was shipped to the North for his safety by the state, asserting that it was the actions of successive governments that had confirmed the North and the East as the homeland of the Tamils.

He said:
"We ourselves took shelter in a Muslim house nearby, who gave us shelter, and subsequently, Sinhalese friends, kept us in their house for four days and we were put in a ship and transported to Jaffna.

That was the second such incident in my life. The first being, in the year '77, when there was violence unleashed against Tamils in Colombo. Then too, I was transported that time by air, from Ratmalana airport to Palali, by the government of Sri Lanka.

So twice in my student days I was taken away from the capital city, once by air and once by ship, totally at the cost of the government of Sri Lanka, to the North. The government being unable to protect me, in its own capital, thought that I'd be safe in my home, and sent me to my homeland.

Armed forces granted interest free housing loans

Jul 26, 2013
The Sri Lankan government granted interest free housing loans, worth Rs. 300,000 each, to members of its armed forces.

In a special ceremony to take place on Saturday, the Chairperson of the Ministry of Defence Seva Vanitha Unit, Ioma Rajapaksa, granted loans to 47 members of the army, navy, air force and police force.



Freelance journalist attacked in Jaffna

Jul 26, 2013

 A freelance journalist, C Mayuran, was attacked by 5 individuals that ambushed him with a white van in Jaffna today, reported Lankasri news.

The journalist and a friend, C Sivadas, were taken to Jaffna Teaching hospital to have their injuries treated.

Tamil Nadu protest documentary to be released on Sunday

Jul 26, 2013
'Arappor', a documentary on the mass protests that swept across Tamil Nadu earlier this year, is set to be released in Chennai on Sunday the 28th of July.

Tamil Guardian will be tweeting live from the event. You can follow all the action live from our Twitter account here.

The event is set to start at 12:00 BST.
Special court for the Sangha
BJP: Tamils in SL should be given 'special protection'
Milking militarisation
Black July commemorated in Toronto and London
TNPF: Black July was designed to 'ethnically cleanse Tamils from the Sinhala homeland'
During Black July govt confirmed NE was Tamil homeland - TNA MP
Armed forces granted interest free housing loans
Freelance journalist attacked in Jaffna
Tamil Nadu protest documentary to be released on Sunday
Thirty years backwards
Special court for the Sangha
BJP: Tamils in SL should be given 'special protection'
Milking militarisation
Black July commemorated in Toronto and London
TNPF: Black July was designed to 'ethnically cleanse Tamils from the Sinhala homeland'
During Black July govt confirmed NE was Tamil homeland - TNA MP
Armed forces granted interest free housing loans
Freelance journalist attacked in Jaffna
Tamil Nadu protest documentary to be released on Sunday
Thirty years backwards