Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, met with Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in Islamabad this week on the sidelines of the 5th Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue, the Sri Lankan government announced. The meeting took place on Tuesday 29 April, the second day of the three-day dialogue, which aims to enhance defence cooperation…

Massive tax hike as IMF prepare to meet

The Sri Lankan government has raised taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and automobiles in an attempt to meet conditions for an instalment from an IMF loan, according to an opposition MP.

Cyclone displaces the displaced within Manik Farm camp

9 people have been injured and over 2,000 refugees have been displaced from within Manik Farm camp, after a cyclone tore through the area on Saturday.

Over 200 temporary shelters within the camp were also destroyed within the camp, according to BBC Sinhala, who spoke to the Settikulam police.

Power supply and communication lines in Vavuniya were also downed after the storm, which lasted approximately an hour.

Rajapaksa tells Sri Lankan media to broadcast the truth

Addressing journalists and media workers in Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa asked the country's media to 'broadcast true information and render its service for the country with its great power of truth', the Colombo Page reports.

Rajapaksa added that it was the responsibility of the country's media to safeguard the country from the unnecessary challenges it faces from foreign media.

Rajapaksa made this address at the opening ceremony of yet another state orchestrated media project - the Media Development Center of the Department of Government Information Department.

Related articles:

Media Ministry rejects half of all media registrations (26 Mar 2012)

Sri Lanka censors text messages (12 Mar 2012)

Government to set up 'media authority' (27 Jan 2012)

Cricket amid war crimes unpunished' - Jon Snow

Writing in his online blog, the British news anchor, Jon Snow from Channel 4 questions whether the England cricket team should be playing in Sri Lanka on tour, whilst war crimes and crimes against humanity remain unaccounted for.

No one has to tell us what to do' - Rajapaksa

Addressing international buyers at Sri Lanka Expo 2012, the country's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, remained defiant in the face of the recently passed resolution at the UNHRC.

Rajapaksa asserted,

“Sri Lanka is in the midst of peace won at great sacrifice. We are progressing on the path of peace and reconciliation. Our government is committed to walk that extra mile to establish permanent peace through reconciliation. That is our commitment to our people and no one has to tell us what to do.”

Questions raised about UNHRC abstention in Malaysia

Questioned over the country's decision to abstained on the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, Malaysia's Foreign Affairs deputy minister, Richard Riot, stated that Sri Lanka's problems were too complex to solve in a short time, however, reiterating that "if during the period of reconciliation, that they don’t achieve peace, then the international community will meet and vote whether they will interfere or not.”

However, many MPs were not satisfied with Riot's response.

Vote for UNHRC resolution was in India's national interest - Menon

Military advisor to India's National Security Council Secretariat, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Prakash Menon said that India's decision to vote in favour of the resolution tabled at the UNHRC was a "calculated" vote in the national interest.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Challenges to India's National Security in 21 Century' jointly organised by the Indian Army and the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Menon said,

Elders urge for Accountability in Sri Lanka‏

Former UNHRC High Commissioner and current member of the Elders, Mary Robinson, emphasized the need for accountability in Sri Lanka in a recent interview with BBC Sandeshaya.

She stressed the fact that it was the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government to carry out the resolution so that Sri Lanka does not "come under the radars of UNHRC once again next year."

Robinson said,

UK reiterates call for LLRC implementation

UK Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne has welcomed the passing of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council and continued to urge Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations from its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

In a statement welcoming “landmark resolutions on key countries of concern”, the Minister stated,
“We have seen some great successes at the Human Rights Council over the past year, and I am delighted with the achievements of the latest session that the UK has worked hard to secure.

Mervyn steadfast in vow to “break limbs”

Sri Lanka’s Public Relations Minister Meryvn Silva remained obstinate on Tuesday in his pledge to “break the limbs” of those who work against Sri Lanka, as he continued to threaten those labelled as “traitors” to the country.

Speaking at a visit to the Kelaniya Vihara after a pooja, he compared his threatened punishment to that of ancient Kings to traitors, commenting,