Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed a campaign rally in Vavuniya this week, making a series of pledges ranging from land restitution to “national reconciliation”, ahead of local government elections next month. Dissanayake announced that all lands marked by the Sri Lankan Forest Department using Google Maps—including farmlands and reservoirs—would be re-evaluated and…

OIC calls for justice over anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka

The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) today called for judicial action against those responsible for anti-Muslim violence following the Easter Sunday bombings by Islamist extremists supportive of Islamic State. 

Jaffna uni students remember Sivakumaran

Students at the University of Jaffna this week remembered Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle. 

Northern governor removes local journalists from another meeting

Local journalists were removed from a meeting about development of the Mullaitivu District, at the the behest of the Northern Province governor.

A broadcast journalist attached to a private Tamil media firm was stopped from filming a confrontation between the governor Suren Raghavan and TNA MP Shanthi Sriskantharajah, and made to leave.

Muslim traders convicted for selling replica army uniforms for children

Eight Muslim traders have been handed suspended jail sentences for selling replica Sri Lankan army uniforms for children.

The traders, all hailing from Kattankudy, Batticaloa, were arrested on May 14 during a police search of Point Pedro town, for displaying the replica uniforms in their stores.

They were all convicted of illegally selling replica army uniforms by the Point Pedro magistrate’s court and handed suspended sentences.

Modi to visit Sri Lanka this weekend

The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is to visit Sri Lanka from June 8 - 9 along side the Maldives, the country's External Affairs Ministry said today. 

Two fishermen reported missing

Two fishermen have been reported missing in Kayts this week after they failed to return home after a fishing trip. 

Kodeswaran Kukapriyan (23) and Thavaraja Sathiyaraj (25) left to go fishing on June 3. 

Their families filed a missing persons complaint with Kayts police. 
 

UK travel advisory altered but continues to warn of terror attacks

The United Kingdom's travel advisory to Sri Lanka was downgraded but the High Commission continued to warn of the possibility of further terror attacks as 'very likely'. 

"The UK is no longer advising British travelers and tourists against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka," the High Commission said in a statement today. 

Police chief says president promised ambassador post if he resigned

Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara told the Special Parliamentary Select Committee today of how the president, Maithripala Sirisena, had co-erced him into resigning following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks and even offered him an ambassador position if he did so. 

TNA activist found dead in Neduntheevu

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) activist was found dead in Neduntheevu (Delft) on Tuesday.

The body of 50-year-old Nadesu Ananthakumaran, known as Kannan, was found with stab wounds, leading locals to believe he was murdered.

Police sent the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for investigation.

Injured Batticaloa bombing victim dies

A Tamil man has died from the injuries he sustained in the Easter Sunday bombings, 45 days after the attack took place.

The victim, 30-year-old S Arunprasath of Iruthayapuram, Batticaloa, was admitted to the district’s Teaching Hospital for his injuries from the bombing at the Zion church on April 21.

He was transferred to Kandy by helicopter on April 22.

Arunprasath died on June 4, bringing the Batticaloa death toll to 30.