Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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  A memorial sports tournament commemorating Colonel Shankar, the Special Commander of the Tamil Eelam Air Force (Sky Tigers) who was killed in an attack carried out by Sri Lankan deep penetration forces in Ottusuddan, Mullaitivu, on 26 September 2001, was held in Switzerland on 7 June 2026. Organised by the Sports Division of the Swiss Tamil Coordinating Committee, the event took…

Jaffna commemorates Thirumalai Natarajan, slain for defying the Lion Flag

The 69th anniversary of the killing of Thirumalai Natarajan was commemorated on Wednesday, in Jaffna, with Tamils gathering to honour a young life cut short during one of the earliest protests against Sinhala majoritarian rule on Sri Lanka’s ‘Independence Day’.

Sri Lankan military intelligence accused of intimidating Tamil protesters in Amparai

Sri Lankan military intelligence personnel have been accused of intimidating relatives of the forcibly disappeared travelling from the Amparai District to Batticaloa to participate in a protest march to mark Sri Lanka’s ‘Independence Day’ this week.

Pressure mounts on Sri Lanka to repeal PTA amid parliamentary and Church opposition

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has tabled a private members’ bill in Parliament seeking the swift repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), intensifying pressure on the government over what he describes as a broken election promise and the continued use of a law long condemned for enabling grave human rights abuses.

Sri Lanka expands Israeli job applications as labour ties persist amid Gaza crisis

The Sri Lankan government has announced a new concession aimed at expanding labour migration to Israel, further entrenching Colombo’s cooperation with Tel Aviv even as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza.

Sri Lankan military fells palmyrah trees despite assurances of land release

Even as assurances were given to civil authorities that civilian agricultural lands in Jaffna’s High Security Zone would be released, Sri Lankan military personnel have moved to fell palmyrah trees on privately owned land surrounding Jaffna International Airport, in preparation for military-run agricultural activity.

In Pictures - Sri Lankan police attempt to block Batticaloa march as Tamils mark ‘Black Day’

Sri Lankan police attempted to block a major march in Batticaloa on Wednesday as hundreds of Tamils took to the streets to declare Sri Lanka’s ‘Independence Day’ a day of mourning.

Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission warns of growing threats to freedom of expression

Press freedom

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has issued a warning over what it describes as deeply troubling threats to freedom of expression on the island, particularly targeting journalists and online speech.

Sri Lanka's proposed bill for tenants may scare off foreign investment

Sri Lanka’s proposed Protection of Occupants Bill, 2025 has ignited a debate, with critics warning that a law intended to shield tenants from harassment and unlawful eviction may instead destabilise the rental market, undermine legal certainty, and scare away much-needed foreign investment.

At a Buddhist temple, Sri Lanka launches programme to rebuild religious sites

temple reconstruction

The Sri Lankan government this week launched an island-wide programme to reconstruct religious sites damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, with the initiative inaugurated at a Buddhist temple in the central highlands under the direct supervision of Anura Kumara Dissanayake.