Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

A protest march was held last month opposing limestone excavation, mineral sand mining and a proposed wind power project across the villages of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, in the Poonakary Divisional Secretariat division of Kilinochchi. The demonstration was organised against plans to establish wind power stations and to carry out mineral sand and limestone extraction in the…

Mandaitivu disappearance victims are buried in mass grave, says TNA MP

More than 100 victims of an infamous disappearance from 1990 may be buried in a mass grave on the islet of Mandaitivu, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Sritharan in a statement to Sri Lanka’s Office on Missing Persons (OMP) last Thursday.

Sritharan told the OMP that hundreds of youth had disappeared from Mandaitivu, Allaipaddy and Mankumban from August to September 1990, as the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive.

TNA leader calls on Sri Lanka to release funds allocated to North-East

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R Sampanthan has called on the Sri Lankan government to released funds that were pledged for the North-East without further delay. 

Impunity entrenched in Sri Lanka says ITJP as case filed against Gota

Yasmin Sooka, the executive director at the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) said the culture of impunity related to torture and sexual violence was entrenched in Sri Lanka during a press conference today, following two civil lawsuits being filed in the United States against Sri Lanka's former defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over torture. 

Sri Lankan military in Jaffna briefs ICG at occupying Palaly base

The Sri Lankan military held a meeting with the International Crisis Group (ICG) Sri Lanka desk representative Alan Keenan at its occupying military base in Palaly last week.

Sri Lanka asks India for more military training

Sri Lanka’s president called on the Indian government to increase its training of the country’s war crimes accused military, as he met with India’s defence secretary in Colombo on Monday.

UN torture prevention team visits Vavuniya prison

The UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture visited Vavuniya prison on Sunday as part of their trip to the island. 

26 Tamils arrested in Kilinochchi

Twenty-six Tamils were arrested in Kilinochchi accused of trying to flee Sri Lanka by boat to Canada. 

Former NPC member disputes Buddhist rewriting Mullaitivu history

A Sinhala Buddhist monk is attempting to rewrite and erase the history of a Tamil Hindu temple in Mullaitivu, former Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member T Ravikaran has said.

Mental health disorders affect over half of North reveals new study

A study by researchers from Britain’s  Anglia Ruskin University found that 58% of the northern population suffered from mental health disorders from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The study, which was based of interviews with around 1,000 displaced adults at 25 hospitals across the north, also revealed that despite the high prevalence of mental illness, 83% of people reported they had not seen a mental health specialist in the previous three months.

Dr Shannon Doherty, Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin and lead researcher in this project, said:

Crowds honour Major Pasilan's mother at funeral

Locals, family members and political figures from the TNA and TNPF paid their respects to the mother of the senior LTTE commander, Major Pasilan yesterday at her funeral. 

His mother had lit the lamp at Mulliyavalai Thuyilum Illam for Maaveerar Naal the past two years.