Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sinnathurai commemorating Maaveerar Naal in London, 2022. Selvachandran Sinnathurai, the father of Lieutenant Shankar, the first fighter from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be killed in the Tamil armed struggle, passed away in London earlier this month. Lieutenant Shankar holds a significant place in Tamil history as the first cadre to sacrifice his life in the early…

23 Indians arrested in Colombo

Sri Lankan authorities arrested 23 Indian nationals today in Colombo, for allegedly violating their visas. 

The arrests were made in a morning raid by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. 

The arrested people, including 9 fortune tellers will be repatriated, the assistant controller, M G V Kariyawasam said. 

Under pressure Sri Lanka looks to end social media ban

The Sri Lankan government is to end the restriction on Viber tonight, the Director General of Government Information Sudarshana Gunawardana said in a statement, amid rising pressure to end the social media ban. 

Yesterday the US ambassador to Colombo, Atul Keshap tweeted:

"The longer the #SriLanka #SocialMediaBan persists, the greater the damage to tourism, the IT sector, business, and the nation's reputation for freedom and openness.  So many Sri Lankans also rely on #socialmedia to connect with loved ones overseas."

Sinhala doctors refused to treat attacked Muslims during riots – JDS

Sinhala doctors at a government hospital refused to treat Muslim victims that had been attacked by Sri Lankan security forces during riots in Kandy last week, reports JDS.

Abdul Saleel Mohamed Fazil, a local councillor, told JDS that commandos from Sri Lanka’s elite Special Task Force (STF) broke into his house and attacked him last week, as anti-Muslim violence flared in the area.

Militant Buddhism: Sri Lankan navy constructs vihara office in Nainativu

A senior Sri Lanka navy commander declared open a newly constructed office for a Buddhist vihara in Nainativu earlier this year, as Sri Lankan military involvement in consolidating Sinhala Buddhism in the North-East continues.

International community must ‘move beyond rhetoric’ on Sri Lanka – SLC

The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice (SLC) has urged the international community to “move beyond mere rhetoric” on Sri Lanka, as Colombo falls behinds on commitments made in a United nations resolution more than two years ago.

Former LTTE cadre's body found washed ashore in Vadamarachchi

The body of a former LTTE cadre who was reported missing on March 9th was found washed up on the coast of Vadamarachchi.

Fisherman and 38-year-old father of three, Thevathas Julio Alexan, of Kattaikkadu did not return home after work on the March 9. Although his boat and equipment washed ashore, locals were unable to find him out at sea.

His body was discovered on Tuesday morning.

Mr Alexan was a former member of the LTTE’s border force, locals said.

Jaffna Tamils protest in solidarity with victims of anti-Muslim violence in Kandy

Tamils in Jaffna held a protest condemning the anti-Muslim violence in Kandy and across the island last week.

The protestors called for perpetrators of racist violence to face justice.

‘Sri Lanka's culture of impunity is a ticking time bomb’ – M A Sumanthiran

Tamil National Alliance MP warned that Sri Lanka’s “culture of impunity is a ticking time bomb,” as he criticised failure to ensure justice and accountability, in the wake of anti-Muslim violence last week.

Petrol bomb attack on Muslim restaurant in Puttalam

A Muslim restaurant in Puttalam was attacked with a petrol bomb this weekend, just days after anti-Muslim violence erupted in Kandy, reports The Island.

The restaurant in Anamaduwa saw a group on motorcycles hurl a petrol bomb at it, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The police said they suspect the attack was “racially motivated”.

A group of seven suspects have since been arrested by the Sri Lankan police after CCTV footage captured the attack.

Anti-Muslim riots caused ‘heavy blow’ to Sri Lanka’s economy says PM

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister lamented the “heavy blow” dealt to the economy and tourism to the island, after anti-Muslim violence by Sinhala Buddhist mobs last week.

"The work of a handful of saboteurs has caused a heavy blow to the country both economically and socially," AFP reported Ranil Wickremesinghe as saying in a statement.

Al Jazeera Mr Wickremesinghe as stating the violence has dealt “great social and financial damage to the country”.