Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sinnathurai commemorating Maaveerar Naal in London, 2022. Selvachandran Sinnathurai, the father of Lieutenant Shankar, the first fighter from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be killed in the Tamil armed struggle, passed away in London earlier this month. Lieutenant Shankar holds a significant place in Tamil history as the first cadre to sacrifice his life in the early…

Tamil refugee found dead on Manus Island

A Tamil refugee who fled Sri Lanka has been found dead at an Australian offshore detention centre on Manus Island.

The man had apparently killed himself, having known to have made at least one previous suicide attempt. He was also known to have a history of mental health problems.

Abdul Aziz Adam, a fellow refugee told The Guardian, “three days ago he attempted to kill himself but his friends save[d] him ... they took him to the hospital”.

British MPs call for speedier implementation of UNHRC resolution 30/1

British parliamentarians attending the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva have called for action to ensure that Sri Lanka fulfils its commitments set out in the council resolution 30/1 which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka two years ago.

TNPF begin signature campaign for justice for massacred Tamil children

A signature campaign calling for justice for all the Eelam Tamil children killed by the Sri Lankan army took place in Jaffna on Sunday morning.

Dozens of locals signed a banner which displayed the child victims of several massacres perpetrated by the Sri Lankan military forces.

The campaign was organised by the Tamil National People’s Front’s youth chapter ahead of Universal Children’s Day in November.

Tamil fisherman killed in Sri Lankan Navy boat crash

A Tamil fisherman died when a Sri Lankan Navy boat crashed into a fishing boat in the waters of Karainagar, Jaffna on Saturday night. Another fisherman is seriously injured and is receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

Local fishermen have accused the navy personnel of sailing while intoxicated and expressed anger about the navy’s encroachment of fishing waters.

The crash caused the fishing boat to capsize, killing 38-year-old Kanapathipillai Ketheeswaran, a father of three from Karainagar.

Thavarasa Sathiyaraja from the same area, was injured and taken to hospital by navy personnel.

UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to visit Sri Lanka

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is set to visit Sri Lanka later this year.

The visit by the Working Group will take place from the 4th to the 15th of December 2017.

The announcement of the visit comes after United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence Pablo de Greiff’s visit to Sri Lanka next month.

Buddhism will hold foremost place in Sri Lanka assures prime minister

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that a proposed constitution for the island would continue to ensure that state holds a duty to protect and foster Buddhism in remarks made on Saturday.

Speaking to members of the United National Party (UNP) on Saturday, Mr Wickremesinghe said that “all are in agreement that Buddhism should be given the prominence as stated in current constitution (sic),” reports ColomboPage.

He went on to reiterate that “no room would be allowed to divide Sri Lanka” and assured the unitary nature of the island.

Further 5 arrested in connection with attack on Rohingya refugees in Mount Lavinia

A further 5 people have been arrested on Saturday in connection with the storming of a UN safe house in Mount Lavinia on Tuesday where 31 Rohingya refugees had been sheltering, the Colombo Page reported. 

The arrests following the initial arrest of a 34 year old suspect, a resident of Moratuwa. He is understood to be a member of the Bodu Bala Sena. 

He was brought before Mount Lavinia magistrate's court on Saturday and is to be detained until an identification parade on October 9. 
 

Protests by Boosa Detention Center banned

A Sri Lankan court has banned protests by Sinhala Ravaya organisation and Buddhist monks from the Sinhala National Force by the Boosa Detention Center, where 31 Rohingya refugees are currently sheltering. 

The order was issused by Galle Magistrate's Court following the storming of a UN Safe house in Mount Lavinia on Tuesday where the group of Rohingya refugees were previously sheltering. 

Sri Lanka consolidates army base in Mullaitivu

The Sri Lankan army declared open a new generator room for its military base in Mullaitivu last month.

An official military website reported that the 591 Brigade headquarters in Mullaitivu received a newly constructed generator room on the 26th of August.

Tamil and Muslim farmers attacked by Sinhalese Home Guards in Muthur

Three Tamil and Muslim farmers in Kankuveli - Padukadu, Muthur were hospitalised on Saturday morning after being attacked by Sinhalese workers attached to Sinhalese Home Guards from the Neelapola village.

34-year-old Tharmalingam Sivakumar was most severely injured in the attack, with the other victims Muhammad Jihad, age 51, and Muhammad Rishad, age 38, also having to receive treatment.