Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The LGBTQIA+ community in Jaffna held their fifth annual Pride Walk, under the theme  “We Exist For Each Other".  The walk, organised by the Jaffna Transgender Network, began outside the iconic Jaffna Public Library and proceeded along Hospital Road and Pannai Road before ending at Jaffna Fort.  Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, human rights activists, civil society…

Organiser of Thileepan memorials summoned by TID

A frontline organiser of the recent commemorations in Jaffna of Thileepan’s fast unto death, has been summoned by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID).

TID officers went to the home of Kanthaiah Prabhakaran, a local organiser and former LTTE cadre, in Maravanpulavu, Chavakachcheri on Thursday and issued a summons slip calling him in for questioning on October 29.

No reason has been stated on the notice for the summoning.

Video captures Sinhala men threatening Tamil students

A video has emerged capturing the moment that a group of Sinhala men threatened Tamil students who had completed a 194km protest walk to Anuradhapura prison on Saturday, demanding the release of political prisoners.

The group of men approached the students just outside the prison complex and threatened them, accusing the Tamils of “representing the LTTE”.

‘Tamil diaspora working with RAW to conspire in Sri Lanka’ claims Sinhala MP

Joint Opposition parliamentarian and leader of the National Freedom Front Wimal Weerawansa claimed that the Tamil diaspora are working with India intelligence series, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to “conspire in Sri Lanka”.

His comments come after Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department announced it was investigating allegations that an Indian national was involved in a plot to assassinate current Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Weerawansa claimed that the Indian national had a RAW identity card.

BJP minister says reappearance of Prabhakaran would make Tamils ‘immensely happy’

Union Minister of State and BJP representative in Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan said that the prospect of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran being alive would make Tamil society “immensely happy” this week, ahead of reports that his party is looking to partner with the AIADMK.

His comments come after current Madurai-based Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran claimed that LTTE chief Prabhakaran was "very much alive and will soon make a public appearance, at an appropriate time".

Radhakrishnan’s comments were met with criticism, particularly in northern India, and also by the opposition Congress party.

Sri Lankan navy returns from military training with India

A contingent of Sri Lankan naval troops have returned from a military training exercise in India last week, as Colombo continues to expand its military relations despite concerns over human rights abuses.

Both Sri Lankan naval ships Sagara and Suranimala took part in exerecises with Indian troops at the southern port of Cochin in Kerala.

Sri Lanka receives $1 billion loan from China as economic crisis continues

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank announced that it had secured a USD $1,000 million loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) on Wednesday, just days after the prime minister warned that the island’s economic crisis will worsen.

In a press release earlier today, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said that after a “a strict evaluation and negotiation process” an offer from the CDB was accepted “arranger based on least cost and longer maturity period”.

“The interest cost is highly competitive and linked to 6 Month USD  LIBOR with a grace period of three years,” said the bank.

Sirisena denies reports of accusing Indian involvement in assassination plot

The Sri Lankan President’s Media Division issued a statement this morning, dismissing reports that Maithripala Sirisena had told a cabinet meeting that Indian intelligence agencies were involved in an alleged plot to assassinate him.

The press release claims that Sirisena “has not mentioned any involvement of an Indian intelligence service” and instead he had “emphasized the need to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged assassination plot”.

Massive military parades across North-East as army marks anniversary

The Sri Lankan military held a series of events across the heavily militarised North-East this month, as it marked the 69th anniversary of the army.

Thousands of troops took part in all the events that the military organised, in particular lavish Buddhist ceremonies and massive military marches through the streets of the North-East.

Sri Lankan president accuses India of involvement in assassination plot

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena told his cabinet of India’s involvement in an alleged assassination plot to murder him and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, reports EconomyNext.

“The president said that RAW (India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing) was behind the plot,” a minister, who declined to be named, said.

EconomyNext also reported that Sirisena was “visibly upset” as he addressed the cabinet and accused the United National Party of not taking his claims seriously.

Militarisation: Army holds interviews for construction jobs at private firm in North

The Sri Lankan military collaborated with a Jaffna-based company to hold job interviews for unemployed Tamils in Kilinochchi this week, as the armed forces continue to interfere with civilian life in the Tamil North-East.

The military announced that the “conduct of interviews [were] launched under the supervision of Major General Vijitha Ravipriya, General Officer Commanding, 57 Division with the able support of the 573 Brigade Commander”.