Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lankan minister’s driver assaults Tamil fisherman during visit
A fisherman in Keppapulavu, Mullaitivu, was assaulted during a visit by Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, as tensions flared during the Minister’s local government election campaign on 24 April. Chandrasekaran, who was touring the North-East with National People’s Power (NPP) candidates, visited Keppapulavu where he met with representatives of the Keppapulavu Fishermen…

Sri Lankan president pledges government will 'not in any way weaken' military

Jun 27, 2016

Sri Lanka’s president said that his government “would not in any way weaken” the armed forces and boasted of international support for the military, at a ceremony on Monday.

According to Sri Lanka’s official army website, the “President Maithripala Sirisena in his address to the occasion re-iterated that his government would not in any way weaken the forces, nor would it cut down their privileges or other benefits currently available to them”.

“He also told the gathering that as alleged by some quarters his government has not allowed any member of the armed forces to get demoralized or be humiliated,” the website continued.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website quoted Mr Sirisena as saying soldiers had “sacrificed their lives, limbs and families to protect the race, sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of the country” and that “each drop of blood fallen from the war heroes were devoted towards the future and strength of the country in defeating ruthless terrorists”.

As losses pile up, Sri Lankan Airlines suspends flights Paris and Frankfurt

Jun 27, 2016

SriLankan Airlines announced that it will be suspending flights to Paris and Frankfurt as the carrier continues to make losses.

The airline said in a statement that the Sri Lankan government has made it clear that it will no longer fund continuing losses and that the “route network is being continuously evaluated in the context of changing market dynamics”.

The European market travelling with the airlines has reportedly dropped which has been “further exacerbated by the depreciation of the Euro against the Dollar”.

BBS leader threatens ‘second Aluthgama’

Jun 27, 2016
The leader of Sinhala Buddhist organisation Bodu Bala Sena made threats that there would be a ‘second Aluthgama’ where Muslims were killed in riots by Sinhala nationalists, in a speech earlier this month, stated the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL).

In a letter addressed to the Sri Lankan police, the president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, N. M. Ameen, called for urgent action to prevent any violence.

Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the Buddhist monk that leads BBS, reportedly addressed a rally in Mahiyangana, threatening riots if Sri Lankan police sided with Muslims in the town.

Sri Lanka 'cannot backtrack' on foreign judges – Sumanthiran

Jun 27, 2016
Tamil National Alliance MP M A Sumanthiran stated that the Sri Lankan government “cannot backtrack” on implementing a UN resolution which will see foreign judges involved in a accountability mechanism.

“The TNA is very firm on an investigation with the involvement of the foreign legal luminaries,” said the parliamentarian in an interview to Ceylon Today.

Speaking on his meeting with the UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein, Mr Sumanthiran said “even the UNHRC Commissioner is firm on implementing whatever agreed upon by the Lankan Government in the resolution".

"So, the Lankan Government cannot backtrack from what it had agreed upon on accommodating the foreign legal luminaries.”

Unwarranted praise' will cause SL to further withdraw from commitments - TCSF

Jun 26, 2016

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al Hussain should identify the "fundamental transgressions in the approach of the Government to the resolution", the Tamil Civil Society Forum said on Monday, days before the release of the high commissioner's oral report.

Victim confidence in Sri Lanka's ability to deliver on accountability and justice fading - NGOs at UNHRC

Jun 26, 2016
More to follow
"Initial hopes for accountability and justice are fading fast in the Tamil population," said Mr. Mario Arulthas, Advocacy Director for People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (P.E.A.R.L.) during an informal event at the 32nd Human Rights Council on Friday June 24th. The panel moderated by David Whaley (a former UN Resident Coordinator), also featured Ms. Nimalka Fernando (IMADR), Mr. Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon (Campaign for Free and Fair Elections, CaFFE), and Mr. Ruki Fernando (INFORM).

Tamil North-East leads island in taxes from intoxicants

Jun 26, 2016

The Sri Lankan government gains the most amount of tax from intoxicants from the Tamil North-East stated Maithripala Sirisena.

The Sri Lankan president said that the areas were the government collects the most tax was from Jaffna, Nuwara Eliya and Batticaloa respectively.

Alongside a rises in alcohol use, there has been an increase of illegal drug usage across the North-East, which civil society activists and politicians say has been contributing to the breakdown of the social fabric of the North-East.

Protestors in Jaffna demand accountability for the missing and release of land

Jun 26, 2016

Tamil protestors took to the streets of Jaffna today to demand the Sri Lankan government deliver accountability for their disappeared relatives, as well as release land that continues to be occupied by the military.

Fonseka joins UNP, dissolves Democratic Party

Jun 26, 2016

Sarath Fonseka, current leader of the Democratic Party and former Commander of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, will be receiving membership in the United National Party (UNP) this week.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe will be conveying membership to Fonseka this Thursday at the UNP Headquarters in Sirikotha. The Democratic Party will subsequently be dissolved. 

This past February Fonseka was given the vacant UNP National List seat in parliament.


Little progress on Tamil issues in North-East say US Congress members

Jun 26, 2016
In a letter to the US Secretary of State John Kerry 24 US Congress members expressed growing concerns about Sri Lanka’s “political will and ability” to implement the United Nations Council Resolution on accountability and justice that was co-sponsored by the government last year.

Stressing that there had been “little progress on the key issues o concern to Tamils in the North and East reflected in the text Resolution 30/1,” the joint letter called for,

“The release of hundreds of detainees under the PTA, the return of land held by military to Tamil and Muslim civilian owners, investigations into the tens of thousands of forcibly disappeared people, the safe return of internally displaced (IDPs), and the removal of the military from civilian affairs in the North and East.”
As losses pile up, Sri Lankan Airlines suspends flights Paris and Frankfurt
BBS leader threatens ‘second Aluthgama’
Sri Lanka 'cannot backtrack' on foreign judges – Sumanthiran
Unwarranted praise' will cause SL to further withdraw from commitments - TCSF
Victim confidence in Sri Lanka's ability to deliver on accountability and justice fading - NGOs at UNHRC
Tamil North-East leads island in taxes from intoxicants
Protestors in Jaffna demand accountability for the missing and release of land
Fonseka joins UNP, dissolves Democratic Party
Little progress on Tamil issues in North-East say US Congress members
"Sri Lanka wants the world to forget about justice for war victims. Please don't" - Guardian
As losses pile up, Sri Lankan Airlines suspends flights Paris and Frankfurt
BBS leader threatens ‘second Aluthgama’
Sri Lanka 'cannot backtrack' on foreign judges – Sumanthiran
Unwarranted praise' will cause SL to further withdraw from commitments - TCSF
Victim confidence in Sri Lanka's ability to deliver on accountability and justice fading - NGOs at UNHRC
Tamil North-East leads island in taxes from intoxicants
Protestors in Jaffna demand accountability for the missing and release of land
Fonseka joins UNP, dissolves Democratic Party
Little progress on Tamil issues in North-East say US Congress members
"Sri Lanka wants the world to forget about justice for war victims. Please don't" - Guardian