Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed Sri Lanka earlier this month, New Delhi’s media was already hailing the visit as a diplomatic triumph. A raft of development projects had been announced and a significant new defence pact between the two governments signed. Images broadcast showed Modi beside a smiling Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, arms raised aloft in symbolic…

Sri Lanka’s Medical Association calls for travel restrictions but is too late to stop spread of Omicron?

In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka’s Health Minister, Sri Lanka’s Medical Association and the Intercollegiate Committee have called for the banning of flights from 6 South African countries and to strengthen quarantine laws.  However the virus has already been detected in the country.

TNA MP Sumanthiran condemns army’s assault on Tamil journalist

M.A. Sumanthiran, a parliamentarian from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), condemned the recent attack by the army on a Tamil journalist in Mullivaikkal. Vishvalingam Vishvachandran was physically assaulted when he was in the area as a reporter to take pictures. 

In a statement he put out, Sumanthiran said the incident was “highly condemnable” and called for justice to be delivered to Vishvachandran. 

Sri Lanka's inflation hits 12 year high as food prices soar

Sri Lanka's inflation hits 12-year high at 9.9% in November, as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) issued a high alert warning for the country as food prices soar.

I support the rights of Tamils to mourn their deceased'- Australian MP marks Maaveerar Naal

Marking Maaveerar Naal, Australian MP, Hugh McDermott, expressed his solidarity with the Tamil community as those in the North East faced a brutal crackdown on memorialisation events.

Another Rajapaksa visits Delhi as Indo-Lanka tensions grow and crisis deepens

Sri Lanka’s finance minister and another brother of the Rajapaksa regime, Basil Rajapaksa, is in Delhi this week, as his government looks to India for crucial financial support amidst a deepening economic crisis and growing tensions between the neighbours.

Rajapaksa arrived in Delhi on Tuesday, with a range of meetings scheduled. He is expected to meet with Indian prime minister Narendra Modia, as well as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and others.

In Pictures - Thousands commemorate Maaveerar Naal across Australia

Thousands of Tamils across Australia commemorated Maaveerar Naal at events across the country, as they gathered to pay tribute to the fallen fighters of the Tamil liberation struggle this weekend.

Events took place across the country, with speeches, performances and commemorations. Australian politicians joined many of the events that took place.

See photos from across Australia below.

Italian Tamils mark Maaveerar Naal

Tamils in Naples, Italy marked Maaveerar Naal - Great Heroes Day - to commemorate the tens of thousands of cadres who laid down their lives in the struggle for Tamil liberation. 

Sri Lanka misses deadline to submit report to the UN Committee against Torture

The Committee against Torture noted that Sri Lanka was amongst the nations that failed to submit their report to the Committee within the allocated deadline, during a discussion held on Tuesday.

Tamils in France commemorate Maaveerar Naal

French Tamils commemorated Maaveerar Naal on November 27th by lighting candles and observing a moment of silence for fallen cadres who sacrificed their lives for Tamil liberation. 

Flowers were laid at the gravestones of Captain Gajan, Lt. Colonel Nathan and Colonel Parithi. 

Sri Lanka refuses to repeal draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L.Peiris said that the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will not be rescinded in a meeting with the Sri Lankan Collective for Consensus (SLCC), a civil society organisation. 

Peiris heads the Ministerial Subcommittee on amending the PTA and said that the law will not be repealed due to “security issues.” 

The act was introduced in 1978 by then-President J.R. Jayawardena and has been disproportionately used to target Tamils in the island.