Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu yesterday for local election campaigning saw an intense security clampdown across the district, with heavy deployment of armed forces and police. Security presence was notably heightened in key areas including Mullaitivu town, Mullivaikkal, and Puthukudiyiruppu. Members of the public attending the meeting…

British Tamil missing in Colombo

A 37 year old British Tamil man has been reported missing in Colombo, reports Uthayan.

The man, Arumugam Yogeswaran, is originally from Karainagar, but is now a British citizen. He is believed to have recently visited his wife and relatives in Jaffna, before travelling to Colombo in order return to London.

 

Sri Lankan Navy to 'assist' at Kachchativu festival

The Sri Lankan Navy has confirmed that they will be providing pilgrims with 'assistance' for the upcoming St Anthony's Church annual feast in Kachchativu.

Apart from providing 'security', the Navy will be providing jetties for boats, deploying medical teams, building roads and painting the Church, all 'under the instruction of Northern Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral Shirantha Udawatte ', reported ColomboPage.

Protests cut short UNP MP trip to India

Protests in India against UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya have forced him to return to Sri Lanka, cutting his trip in India short.

Protestors from various organisations, including DMK, BJP, MDMK, PMK, VCK, Naam ThamizharIyakkam gathered outside the hotel where Jayasuriya was staying and chanted slogans demanding that he leave India immediately.

India 'making progress' on Tamils, claims President

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee claimed that India was 'making progress in our engagement with Sri Lanka' on the issue of equality for Tamils, when addressing the Indian Parliament on Thursday.

Speaking to Parliament, Mukherjee said,

Tamil Nadu blocks sports event due to Sri Lankan participation

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalitha has said that the state will not host the Asian Athletics Championships, due to be held in July, because of the participation of Sri Lankan athletes.

Government to announce North election date

The government is to announce that elections in the North will be held on 7th September, reports Uthayan.

The move is seen as a pre-emptive attempt to diffuse the criticism Sri Lanka is expected to receive at the upcoming UNHRC session, as well as controversy surrounding the Commonwealth summit due to be held in November in Colombo.

Tamil Nadu breaks its silence

Speaking at a function in Chennai, The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalilitha broke her silence over the killing of 12 year old Balachandran, calling it an “inhuman act of extreme cruelty,” urging for those accountable to face international trial.

The evidence of the killing of Balachandran and systematic killing of other Tamils “reveals the mindset of the present government in Sri Lanka” she said.

Rewarding 'war heroes'...

The Chairperson of the Defence Ministry, Ioma Rajapaksa, handed over the keys of a newly constructed house to its owner, a ’war hero’, at a function today.

Sri Lanka's Authoritarian Turn - ICG

In its latest report, the International Crisis Group (ICG), reiterated the call for international action, arguing that the Sri Lanka government has "crossed a threshold into new and dangerous terrain".

Alan Keenan, ICG's Sri Lanka project director said:

“The Rajapaksa government’s politically motivated impeachment of the chief justice last month reveals both its intolerance of dissent and power sharing and the weakness of the political opposition”

General Fonseka says army knew nothing

Commenting on the evidence of the execution of Vellupillai Prabhakaran's son Balachandran, the former commander of the army has said that the army had "no information" as to the whereabouts of Prabhakaran's family.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Fonseka said: