Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Namal Rajapaksa, parliamentarian and son of accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa, has called on the Sri Lankan government to summon the Canadian High Commissioner to formally protest the unveiling of a Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton, Canada, claiming it promotes a “false genocide narrative” and “distorts history.” In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Rajapaksa accused the…

In Pictures - Maaveerar Naal commemorated in Norway

Hundreds of Tamils gathered in the capital city Oslo to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom for Tamils. 

Sri Lankan police summon family of children dressed as LTTE cadres for Maaveerar Naal

Sri Lankan police summoned Tamils for interrogation on Wednesday, after their children were dressed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, as part of Maaveerar Naal commemorations this week.

On Monday, Tamils gathered outside Koppay Thuyilum Illam, an LTTE cemetery which was destroyed and built over by the Sri Lankan army’s 51st Division, to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

Sri Lanka reaches an agreement on debt restructuring

Sri Lanka has reportedly reached an agreement with the Official Credit Committee, formed of 17 countries including the US and UK, on debt restructuring as it continues to grapple with an economic crisis.

The agreement established the "main parameters of debt treatment" and aligns with the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangements between Sri Lanka and the IMF - a badly needed bailout loan for Colombo.

The EFF had previously depended on Sri Lanka securing an agreement with its creditors. This arrangement will allow IMF staff to present the first review of Sri Lanka's EFF deal and may potentially lead to the approval of the second disbursement under the arrangement.

I just feel like there’d be no joy without art' - Interview with Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran

The deconstructed mechanical procedure of visiting a museum/gallery is similar to that of going to a Hindu temple: one enters, spends a little time at each piece/God, perhaps spends a little more time with those that interest you/you have a personal connection with. Looking through Tamil Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s latest exhibition, ‘Idols of Mud and Water,’ this is what initially came to mind. 

Maaveerar Naal dominates Tamil newspaper headlines

 

The day after Maaveerar Naal was commemorated across the Tamil North-East, stories on the remembrance events and the Sri Lankan police crackdown on them dominated the Tamil press on the island.

Eelanadu led with the headline “Thousands of Tamils gather in defiance of bans to pay tribute in scenes of great emotional outpouring on heroes' day”.

The lead photograph showed an aerial view of thousands marking Maaveerar Naal in Mullaitivu.

 

‘Most Tamils accept my offer’ claims Sri Lanka’s president

In a wide-ranging interview by First Post, Sri Lanka’s president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claimed that Tamils have accepted his "offer" on the subject of Tamil autonomy and rejected India’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council that "progress has been inadequate".

In Pictures - Thousands in Nallur commemorate Maaverar Naal

Thousands of Tamils gathered in Nallur on Monday to commemorate Maaveerar Naal and pay tribute to those who died for the liberation of Tamil Eelam.

See photographs and video from the event in Nallur below.

Sri Lankan police blocks commemoration in Trincomalee

Sri Lankan police officers disrupted and blocked Tamils trying to mark Maaveerar Naal in Alankulam, Trincomalee yesterday.

A group of Tamil youth and mothers were stopped by Sri Lankan police as they tried to make their way to Alankulam Thuyilum Illam to pay their respects to fallen LTTE cadres. However, the police put up roadblocks to obstruct them accessing the LTTE cemetery. 

Ayyankulam massacre remembered 16 years on

Students and family members gathered to remember the Ayyankkulam massacre in Mullaitivu, where 6 students and 2 healthcare workers were killed by the Sri Lankan army.  

In Pictures - Tamils in Oxford mark Maaveerar Naal

Hundreds of Tamils in Oxford, England, joined Tamils in the homeland and across the diaspora in marking Maaveerar Naal. 

A similar event was also held at the ExCel convention centre in London yesterday. 

See more photographs from Oxford below: