Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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The Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared in the North-East (ARED) has appealed to the United Nations to ensure an international investigation into enforced disappearances and mass graves across the Tamil homeland, including the ongoing excavations at Chemmani, where more than 380 human skeletal remains have been uncovered. In a letter dated 19 June 2026, the association called…

Amidst military surveillance, Tamil politicians across parties join protest against Sinhala colonisation

Amidst surveillance from the Sri Lankan security forces, a protest was held outside the divisional secretariat in Nedunkeni this week, demonstrating against ongoing Sinhala colonisation in Vavuniya.

Plainclothed officers from the security forces were seen photographing the protestors as intimidation and surveillance of Tamil political activity continues across the North-East.

Sri Lanka to co-host international cricket tournament despite human rights concerns

The International Cricket Council has announced that Sri Lanka will co-host the 2026 Men's Twenty20 World Cup with India, despite growing alarm over the island's dire human rights record and growing authoritarianism.

UK parliamentarians demand Police Scotland ends training of Sri Lankan officers

Members of British and Scottish parliament, from across the political spectrum, have called on Police Scotland to end its police training program with Sri Lanka and for the British High Commission to heed the "voices of human rights campaigners and those who have either fled from or are still suffering state-driven violence in Sri Lanka".

Even if we die, we will not go to the IMF' claims Sri Lankan minister

Responding to former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's call for Sri Lanka to seek financial support from the US-backed International Monetary Fund Government Minister  Vasudeva Nanayakkara maintained that he would rather the government be destroyed than turn to the IMF.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry thanks Bangladesh for support at UN Human Rights Council

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, G.L. Peiris, met with Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, Dr A.K. Abdul Momen, in Dhaka today and expressed his gratitude to the country for its support at "international fora especially the Human Rights Council and the CMAG (Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group)".

TNPF leader calls out attempt to alter the demography of the Tamil homeland

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, chief of the Tamil National People’s Front, accused the Sri Lankan government of pursuing a plot to alter the demography of the Tamil homeland by confiscating Tamil lands and redrawing the borders of the North-East.  

Speaking in the parliament during a discussion on the Retirement Age Bill, Ponnambalam said that “Lands belonging to Tamils have been deliberately appropriated from them for generations by the army and the government.”

Sri Lanka closes its only oil refinery amidst  foreign exchange crisis

Sri Lanka's Energy Minister,  Udaya Prabath Gammanpila, has denied concerns that the country will face fuel shortages as he announced that the island's only oil refinery, the Sapugaskanda refinery, would remain closed for 50 days.

Default risk looms: Sri Lanka's finance minister pledges to pay back loans despite dwindling foreign reserves

Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has stated that loan payments in excess of USD $1.5 billion dollars due next year will be paid and that "there is no need to worry", despite low foreign reserves and a slashed credit rating but acknowledged economic turmoil will persist through 2022.

‘We are not protesting for compensation, we are protesting for justice’ - Tamil families of the disappeared react to Sri Lanka's budget

The families of forcibly disappeared Tamils have reacted to the recent announcement that 300 million rupees from Sri Lanka's national budget will be allocated “to do justice” to the families.

Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Division continues to target Kilinochchi council chair

The Sri Lankan Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) summoned Pachchilapalli council chair, Subramaniam Suren for questioning on November 17.

Suren was previously interrogated in August along with several other Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Pradeshiya Sabha members in Kilinochchi and Colombo.