Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The Toronto City Council unanimously passed a motion on May 22 for the city to work with the Tamil community to build a Tamil Genocide Monument in Scarborough. The motion was brought forward by Parthi Kandavel, city councillor for Scarborough Southwest, and seconded by fellow councillor Josh Matlow, representing Toronto-St. Paul’s. It requests the city to identify a potential site in a City of…

Sinhala only reports postpones debate in Sri Lankan parliament

The Sri Lankan government failed to provide Tamil or English translations of reports on the treasury bond scandal and of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate into serious acts of fraud and corruption (PRECIFAC), leading to a postponement of the scheduled debates.

TNA Parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran raised the lack of translations in parliament, clashing with Joint opposition Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who is a former Sri Lankan Minister of National Languages.

Families of the disappeared mark 1 year of protests in Kilinochchi

Families of the disappeared in Kilinochchi marked today one year of continuous protests calling on the government to release information on the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. 

North-East civil society call for action marking 1 year of disappearance protests


Civil society groups across the North-East have called for action in a joint statement, marking one year of protests by families of the disappeared. 

UN suspends deployment of Sri Lankan peacekeeper over human rights concerns

Photograph: Sri Lankan troops prepare for deployment to Lebanon earllier this month.

The United Nations has confirmed that it has out “on hold” the deployment of a Sri Lankan commander who was set to lead troops as a peacekeeper in Lebanon, after concerns over his involvement in war crimes.

Militant Buddhism: Sri Lanka soldiers construct walls of Buddhist vihara in Amparai

The Sri Lankan military declared that it had completed the construction of the walls of a Buddhist vihara in Amparai, as the army continued its involvement in consolidating Sinhala Buddhist presence in the North-East.

Sri Lanka govt attempting to replace PTA in time for UN Human Rights Council

The Sri Lankan government is attempting to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act in time for the start of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, the Sunday Times reports.

The final draft was given to the cabinet for approval last Wednesday by the Foreign Minister, Tilak Marapana, and gave rise to objections from the housing minister Sajith Premadasa.

The foreign minister reportedly said that it would be imprudent to stop the new counter terror legislation passing into law so close to the upcoming human rights council session.

Still no answers for families of the disappeared reaching one year of roadside protest

Tamil families of the disappeared have seen out almost a year protesting on the roadsides of various towns, in search of answers about their disappeared family members.

Sri Lanka's ministries grind to halt amid political crisis

Work at Sri Lanka's ministries has ground to a halt as the country's political turmoil continues, the Sunday Times reports. 

The country's unity government was thrown into crisis this month after the country's local government elections delivered a bruising defeat to both main parties of the coalitions, and a victory to the newly established party of the former president, the SLPP. 

"The entire state machinery including the Treasury is operating at a snail’s pace as many officials adopt a wait and see attitude in exercising their official functions," the paper reported. 

SLFP members decide to quit government, Sirisena urges them to wait for SC decision

The SLFP has decided to quit the national unity government, the party spokesperson, MP Thilanga Sumathipala told reporters on Sunday night. 

The announcement came following a meeting between senior UPFA members, including senior figures within the SLFP, and the president, Maithripala Sirisena.

Mr Sirisena has urged them to wait for a decision from the Supreme Court regarding the president's power over the appointment of the prime minister, before making such a decision, the spokesperson added this morning. 

Fishermen massacred by Sri Lanka Navy remembered in Vadamarachchi

Ten Tamil fishermen massacred by the Sri Lankan Navy in 1984 were remembered in Vadamarachchi, Jaffna on Sunday.