Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Alongside Tamil Americans in New Jersey and across the United States, I honor the memory of the tens of thousands of Tamils who were killed or forcibly disappeared during Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. We continue to advocate for a just and lasting political solution based on Tamil… — Congressman Herb Conaway (@RepHerbConaway) May 15, 2025 US Congressman Herb Conaway has expressed his support…

Sri Lanka wants to join BRICS 'to reduce reliance on western powers'

Sri Lanka is expected to apply for membership of BRICS, an intergovernmental organisation for emerging economies, at their next summit in Russia next week.

'Well-known' Tamil leader will support NPP government, claims Sri Lankan president

Sri Lanka’s president Anura Kumara Dissanayake claimed that a prominent Tamil political leader has expressed interest in collaborating with the National People’s Power (NPP) after the upcoming general elections, as various Tamil parties called on the president to honour longstanding demands.

The announcement was made during a gathering of NPP candidates in Thalawathugodai on Sunday.

Mannar mass grave goes to court again this week

The case regarding the mass grave at the Mannar 'Sathosa' site is set to be heard again in the Mannar Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, according to lawyer V.S. Niranjan, who is representing the Tamil families of the disappeared.

Remembering Pirambadi - India’s ‘first massacre of Eelam Tamils’ commemorated in Jaffna

The 37th anniversary of the Kokkuvil Pirambadi massacre, when over fifty Tamil civilians were shot dead or crushed with an armoured vehicle by Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF), was commemorated in Jaffna on Monday.

The massacre is claimed to be the first of many by Indian troops during their occupation of the Tamil homeland in the late eighties. During the event, a lamp was lit, and flowers were offered to remember the lives lost in the massacre. 

Blast from an unexploded ordinance injures one in occupied Jaffna

A young Tamil man was severely injured today in the Kodikamam area of Jaffna after triggering an unexploded ordinance while working in a field. He was immediately rushed to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for urgent medical attention.

File photograph.

Protest against another liquor store opening held in Jaffna

A protest was held in Jaffna on Monday to voice opposition against the opening of a liquor store in the area, as reports of alcoholism continues to plague the Tamil homeland.

Sri Lanka continues to target Tamil families of the disappeared as another summons issued

The Sri Lankan state continued to target the Tamil families of the disappeared last week, as police issued another summons to Thambirasa Selvarani, the head of the Association for Enforced Disappearances (AERD) in Amparai.

UN resolution on Sri Lanka underscores continued need for international scrutiny - Amnesty International

Amnesty International has welcomed the recent adoption of a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka, emphasizing the need for continued international scrutiny to address ongoing human rights concerns in the country.

PEARL calls on UN member states to take 'swift action' against Sri Lanka’s mass atrocity crimes

The People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) called on United Nations member states to take "swift action" to bring Sri Lankan perpetrators of human rights abuses to justice using the evidence collected by the OHCHR mandated Sri Lanka Accountability Project. 

Mannar's Tamil farmers demand their lands back

Amid heavy rains, Eelam Tamil farmers from Manthai West gathered in protest last week, demanding the return of their ancestral lands, which are at risk of colonisation from Sinhala settlers.

These lands, particularly the Cholamandala Pond land in Iluppaikadavi, under the Manthai West Divisional Secretary Division, have been cultivated by Tamil farmers for over 30 years, and now face the threat of losing them to external settlers.