Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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The number of skeletal remains identified at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna has risen to 366, as excavators uncovered further remains of children on Tuesday, at one of the largest mass graves unearthed on the island and a site long tied to the enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing of Tamils by the Sri Lankan military. Six sets of skeletal remains, including those of children,…

Sri Lanka's TID summons former LTTE cadre over Facebook account

Former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre and activist Selvanayagam Aravinthan has been summoned for an investigation on March 12 by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) over a Facebook account. 

Aravinthan was arrested by Vavuniya police in November 2023 after he questioned army intelligence officers for holding an exhibition opposing Maaveerar Naal.

Tamils in Batticaloa condemn violence and arrests at Vedukkunaari

Tamils in Batticaloa are protesting today to condemn the violence and arrests by Sri Lankan police that disrupted Shivarathri celebrations at the Vedukkunaari Athi Sivan temple on Friday. 

Buddha statue placed in Jaffna removed following outcry

A newly erected Buddha statue near the Chulipuram Chaukkadi Pillaiyar temple in Jaffna has been removed following protests and outcry from residents who feared it could pave the way for the construction of a Buddhist Vihara in the region.

Tamil families of disappeared demand justice on International Women's Day

Tamil families of the disappeared staged a protest in Mullaitivu today, marking International Women’s Day as a black day of mourning and demanding answers from the Sri Lankan government. For the eighth consecutive year, these families find themselves in anguish, with no resolution in sight regarding the fate of their loved ones.

Sri Lankan police unleash violence at Vedukkunaari during Shivarathri: MP assaulted, 8 Tamils arrested

The observance of Shivarathri at the Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple in Vavuniya North, descended into chaos today (08.03) as police violence marred the religious proceedings. Member of Parliament Selvarajah Kajendren was assaulted by Sri Lankan police, and a further 8 worshippers were arrested during the incident.

British MPs urge Sri Lanka to decriminalise Tamil self-determination

UK Parliamentarians urged the Sri Lankan state to decriminalise the Tamils' right to self-determination at an event last week at Westminster, London, organised by the World Tamil Co-ordinating Committee in association with Tamils for Labour and other British Tamil organisations. International scholars and activists also expressed their solidarity with the Tamil struggle for an independent state at the event.

We are victims of our elder brother’s actions' - Fishermen in Tamil Eelam call for permanent solution

Tamil fisherfolk in Jaffna held a rally on Tuesday, demanding authorities take action to solve the issue of Indian trawlers encroaching on their fishing grounds as tensions continued to flare across the Palk Strait.

Sinhala parliamentarian tried to assault me in Prime Minister’s office, says Tamil MP

Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told Sri Lanka’s parliament that Sinhala lawmaker Rohitha Abeygunawardena attempted to assault him, whilst they were in the Prime Minister’s  office earlier today.

“This member threatened me and he was about to physically assault me and he was stopped by State Minister Ashoka Priyantha,” Rasamanickam told parliament, stating MP Jagath Priayankara was a witness to these events. 

“I have been threatened, my life is under threat,” he continued.

Sinhala Buddhist monks call on Sri Lankan police to halt Shivarathri at Vedukkunaari Temple

Sinhala Buddhist monks are planning to disrupt Maha Shivarathri festivities at Vedukkunaari Adi Shiva temple, after having appealed to Sri Lankan police to halt the festival this week.

TNPF remember assassinated Tamil MP 16 years on

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) commemorated the assassination of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Kiddinan Sivanesan at their Jaffna office today. 

Sivanesan was travelling from Colombo to Mullaitivu when he was killed by the Sri Lankan army's Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LLRP) in Mankulam on March 6, 2008.