Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

A newly published study has identified the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric human settlement on Velanai Island in the Jaffna Peninsula, dating back around 3,460 years and overturning an erroneous long-held Sri Lankan assumption that the region was largely uninhabited until much later. The study, published in the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology and led by…

Tamil journalists targeted in crackdown via restraining order

Two Tamil journalists have been targeted for restraining orders by Sri Lankan police, amidst the dozens that have already been issued against Tamil politicians and community leaders across the North-East, preventing them from organising commemorations for Maaveerar Naal.

Koppay police filed the applications at the Jaffna Magistrate's Court, for injunctions against Jaffna-based journalists T Premananth and T Kandeepan, alleging that the journalists were involved in planning Maaveerar Naal activities.

Paramilitary leader accused of murdering Tamil MP released on bail

Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) leader and Batticaloa district MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, has been released on bail by the Batticaloa Court today. 

Pillayan, head of the government-aligned paramilitary group, is accused of assassinating former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Joseph Pararajasingham. Pararajasingham was shot dead by two gunmen on Christmas Day 2005 as he was attending midnight mass at St Mary's Cathedral, Batticaloa. 

Sri Lankan Navy arrests Tamils suspected of ‘illegal fishing’ and ‘drug smuggling’

Sri Lanka’s Navy has conducted several operations which led to the detention of 10 Tamils, who they accuse of “illegal fishing” in Eastern and North-western seas, as well as several others accused of “drug smuggling”.

Rajapaksa lied to ‘powerful ambassador’ over evacuation of Tamils in 2009 – Sri Lankan MP

File photograph: Mahinda Rajapaksa meets with former US Ambassador Robert O'Blake

A Sri Lankan parliamentarian revealed how Mahinda Rajapaksa lied to “an ambassador of the most powerful country” about the evacuation of trapped Tamil civilians in 2009, in order to allow a Sri Lankan military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils to continue.

When they try to destroy us, we must rebuild'

On the 27th of November we remember the thousands of Tamil heroes who died fighting for our country. Fighting for our freedom. Fighting for our future.

Every year we come together to honour and pay our respects to our fallen soldiers and give our love and support to the families who have lost their loved ones. We remind each other of who we are and why we should be proud to be Tamil through our speeches and cultural performances. We think about the bravery showcased by our heroes who had to say their farewells to their families knowing full well they may never see them again. These courageous heroes put their lives on the line to combat the discrimination, torture and killings inflicted upon the Tamil people by the racist Sri Lankan state.  They will go down in history as martyrs inspiring us to carry on the fight for our freedom.

My mama, the maaveerar' - A British Tamil teenager reflects on the sacrifice of her uncle

In the lead up to Maveerar Naal, an 18-year-old British Tamil in London reflects on the sacrifice made by her uncle.

The day, which is marked by Eelam Tamils around the world, commemorates those who gave their lives in the Tamil liberation struggle.

TNPF MP commemorates LTTE's Major Sothiya

Tamil National People's Front general secretary and parliamentarian Selvarajah Kajendran paid tribute to the LTTE's Major Sothiya as the Tamil nation prepares for Maaveerar Naal this week. 

The parliamentarian joined Major Sothiya's mother, to pay respects to the fallen cadre who was the commander of the LTTE's first female unit. 

‘You have failed the Tamils even on the question of development’ – Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam

The leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) highlighted the state’s failure to rebuild the North-East during the government’s second budget reading on November 21st, despite numerous interruptions by Sinhala politicians attempting to overturn the focus of his speech.

‘War is over but defence expenses going higher’ – C V Wigneswaran

Speaking in parliament on Sri Lanka’s new budget, Tamil parliamentarian C V Wigneswaran slammed Colombo’s continued inflated defence expenditure, questioning whether the government is “expecting another war” and “if so with whom?”

“Whom is our government afraid of?” questioned the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) lawmaker and former Supreme Court justice asking whether it was the “Tamils or the Indians or the Western Countries”.

“Why are we arranging for war time security needs rather than post war security needs?” he continued.

Muslim Maaveerar of the Tamil Struggle

The Tamil nation, in the homeland and in the diaspora, holds steadfastly to records of the liberation struggle. The well-known dates and the lesser known dates are tirelessly observed. Heroes are canonised in the Maaveerar Naal calendar.

But with the destruction of LTTE records and cemeteries, it becomes inevitable that some names are lost to us, at least momentarily.

The record of Muslim fighters remains incomplete. Their contribution to the Tamil struggle for liberation is often overlooked in the mainstream commemoration of Maaveerar Naal.