• UK Prime Minister celebrates British Tamils in Thai Pongal message

    Jan 15

    The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May celebrated the contributions of British Tamils in a Thai Pongal message.

    “We should all celebrate our Tamil community,” the Prime Minister said.

    “Small in number but big in impact, every day and in every corner of the country you help make Britain the successful, thriving, diverse place it is today.”

  • TGTE calls for universal jurisdiction to be exercised against Sri Lankan leaders
    <p>The appointment of Shavendra Silva as chief of staff of the Sri Lankan army “is a staggering affront to the international community,” said the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)&nbsp;, who called on the international community to exercise universal jurisdiction against those accused of crimes.</p>
  • IMF reschedules Sri Lanka meeting, with USD $1 billion due for repayment today
    <p>The International Monetary Fund has rescheduled a crucial meeting with Sri Lanka as a snowstorm hit Washington DC, with Colombo due to repay an estimated USD $1 billion today.</p> <p>Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Reform Harsha de Silva, who is in Washington with finance minister Mangala Samaraweera, tweeted details of the loan repayment figure, stating it was due today and confirming the meeting have been rescheduled.</p>
  • Sri Lankan navy arrests man in Mannar over alleged drug charges

    The Sri Lankan navy announced that it had arrested a man in Mannar, after it apprehended a haul of over 180 kilograms of Kerala cannabis.

  • Foreign minister calls on diplomats to improve Sri Lanka's image abroad
    <p>Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Tilak Marapana, called on diplomats to improve the country's image abroad through their diplomacy, the Sunday Times reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>Marapana, speaking at an awarding ceremony of the Public Diplomacy and Media Relations training programme on Friday, stressed the importance of presenting Sri Lanka as a civilised nation with untapped potential and talent.&nbsp;</p>
  • OMP officials to accompany Mannar bone samples to Florida

    Officials from the Sri Lankan government’s Office of Missing Persons (OMP) will join the chief investigator of the Mannar mass grave, where over 200 skeletons have been unearthed, in accompanying samples from the grave to a laboratory in Florida where they will be analysed.

  • Rajapaksa - govt has no legitimacy to change constitution, call election
    <p>The former president and now opposition leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the government to call a new parliamentary election, stating that it did not have the legitimacy to change the country's constitution.&nbsp;</p> <p>"There should be legitimacy prior to introducing a new constitution. We doubt if the present government has that legitimacy," Rajapaksa told the Constitutional Assembly.</p>
  • Alleged war criminal's appointment confirms lack of will for justice - Adayaalam, PEARL
    <p>The appointment of the alleged war criminal, Major General Shavendra Silva as Sri Lanka's new Chief of Staff confirms the government's "lack of political will to address accountability and justice", the Jaffna based research group, Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, and the Washington based group, People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), noted in a joint statement.</p>
  • Jaffna youth found dead after assault

    A Tamil youth was found dead on Sunday night, after what locals say was an assault by unknown men. 

    Vasuthevan Amalkaran, aged 22 and from Katkovalam, Vadamarachchi, is understood to have been attacked by sharp instruments by his house, before the assailants escaped from the area. 

    The reason for the attack is not known. 

    Sri Lankan police are investigating the incident. 

  • 20 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka navy
    <p>The Sri Lankan navy has arrested at least twenty Tamil Nadu fishermen on Sunday for allegedly poaching fish, PTI reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>The fishermen were detained off the coast of Neduntheevu during the early hours of Sunday morning.&nbsp;</p> <p>Their boats have been impounded and the men taken to Karainagar for investigation. &nbsp;</p>
  • Gotabhaya hints at Sri Lankan presidential election run

    Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary, accused of orchestrating the military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils, has hinted at running in the island’s upcoming presidential elections

    Gotabhaya’s spokesperson tweeted that Rajapaksa addressed a gathering of “key activists” this weekend, where he spoke of the importance of a presidential election and said he was “ready to take own any challenge if the people, too, are ready”.

  • Two Tamil youths arrested over burning tyres during Batticaloa hartal
    <p>Two Tamil youths were arrested in connection with the burning of tyres during the hartal which took place across the Batticaloa District on Friday in protest of the appointment of former UPFA MP Hizbullah as governor of the Eastern Province.</p> <p>The youths aged 19 and 23 were arrested by Kattankudy police and were due to be produced in court.</p>
  • Ranil denies federal solution and pledges to uphold Buddhism in new constitution
    <p>Sri Lanka’s prime minister has vowed to ensure that Buddhism will continue to hold “foremost” place in the island’s constitution and denied that there had been any federal proposals for power sharing to Tamil provinces, as he presented an experts’ report on the proposals to draft&nbsp;a new constitution.</p> <p>Presenting the report Ranil Wickremesinghe declared:&nbsp;"there is no federal proposal in this. All have accepted the unitary character, although they may have different views on its terminology”.</p> <p>"There were no plans to divide the country," he added.&nbsp; "This report consists of proposals made by all parties including the chief ministers of provinces."&nbsp;</p>
  • Batticaloa High Court validates Pararajasingham murder confessions
    <p>The Batticaloa High Court ruled last week that the confessions of the two main suspects in the murder of TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham were made voluntarily and admissible in court.</p> <p>Judge M.Y.M. Irshadeen granted permission to the prosecution to produce the confessions of Rengasamy Kanaganayagam alias Kajan Mama and Edwin Silva Krishnanantharajah alias Pradeep Master.</p>
  • Sri Lanka has failed to investigate and prosecute for war crimes - Amnesty International
    <p>The promotion of Shavendra Silva to chief of staff of the Sri Lankan army <strong>“highlight(s) the urgent need for thorough, impartial, independent and effective criminal investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity,”</strong> said Amnesty International in a statement this week, accusing the government of failing to investigate war crimes.</p>
Subscribe to Tamil Affairs

Most-Read Articles

Velupillay makes history as first Tamil at a FIFA World Cup
Photograph: @Socceroos Nishan Velupillay has been selected in Australia's squad…
Tamil rapper arrested for ‘terrorism’ over TikTok video
A Tamil rapper from Kilinochchi has been arrested and remanded under Sri Lanka's…
Supreme Court challenge filed as Tamil artist remains jailed under PTA
A fundamental rights petition will be filed before Sri Lanka's Supreme Court seeking…
Catholic divide deepens as North-East clergy defend Tamil genocide recognition
A Tamil woman mourns in Mullivaikkal on Tamil Genocide Remembance Day, May 18. A…
Sri Lankan police halt Eelam song at Jaffna concert, summon singer Kokulan
  Three Tamils, including singer Kokulan, the son of late musician S.G. Santhan,…