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…

Sri Lankan court orders review of investigation into deadly Welikada riot

Sri Lanka’s Appeals Court ordered the Attorney General to present a review of an investigation into the 2012 Welikada Prison, in the coming weeks.

Sri Lanka military personnel arrested for gang rape of nurse

Several Sri Lankan military personnel were arrested in connection with the gang rape of a nurse in the south of the island.

A captain of the Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police was arrested on Wednesday by Narahenpita police, following the arrest of an army doctor and driver earlier in the week.

Read more on dailynews.lk.

UN urged to halt deployment of Sri Lankan commander as peacekeeper

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

Several human rights organisations have written to the United Nations calling for the deployment of a Sri Lankan military commander implicated in war crimes as the head of a peacekeeping force to be halted.

Sri Lankan navy discusses human trafficking with Australian government

Several officials from the Australian government met with the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Navy this week, where they discussed measures to be taken to prevent the trafficking of refugees fleeing the island.

Sri Lanka’s Election Commissioner reveals lack of Tamil speakers in election roles

The chair of Sri Lanka’s Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya revealed that a lack of Tamil speakers hired by the government for election roles led to a “serious hindrance” to the electoral process last week.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Deshapriya said there was a severe lack of Tamil speakers at district election offices and at the Government Printer.

More stays of legal action against Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

A Sri Lankan court has once again extended an interim injunction which prevents any legal action from being taken against the former defence secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa for alleged financial crimes.

Former Sri Lankan police officer arrested over Lasantha murder

A former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) has been arrested by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over the 2009 assassination of the Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickramatunga.

The retired senior DIG, named as Prasanna Nanayakkara by southern media, has been detained for allegedly concealing evidence from investigations into the murder, which took place in broad daylight in Colombo. Mr Nanayakkara headed the Mount Lavinia Police Division at the time of the killing.

Sri Lanka's foreign minister says UNP loss due to Tamil national anthem

Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Tilak Marapana said on Tuesday that the UNP's election losses at the recent local government polls was due to the singing of the national anthem in Tamil at Independence Day. 

Speaking at a meeting of the UNP chaired by the prime minister, Mr Marapana was quoted by the Sri Lankan Mirror as saying, "the Sinhala Buddhist vote base of the UNP suffered by the day, losing 50,000 votes every times the Tamil version of the national anthem was sung."

Militarised seascapes: Sri Lankan army builds viewpoint in Point Pedro

Despite repeated calls for Sri Lankan military forces to stay out of the tourism industry, the Sri Lankan Army constructed and opened a tourist viewpoint in Point Pedro on Monday.

Crisis talks for Sri Lankan government after election fallout

Sri Lanka’s government is in a crisis after coalition parties failed to reach a consensus on the way forward, following a massive defeat to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa at local government elections this week.

Both Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are in dire straits after their parties suffered heavy losses at the polls. Crisis talks have taken place between the two, but no outcome has been announced thus far. Talks in Colombo earlier today led to reports that a “special committee” will be formed to submit reform proposals within the next 3 days.