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…

Sri Lanka's army discusses joint training with Sudan

Sri Lanka’s army hosted a three-member delegation from Sudan’s army for bilateral talks on training and future collaboration.

The delegation discussions focused on training modules that are underway in both organisations, with the potential for future joint training exercises to Sundanese delegations visiting Sri Lanka.

The Sudanese delegation comprised of the Director General of Joint Training of Sudan’s Armed Forces Isam Mohamed Hassan Karor and two other high ranking generals.

Destroyed LTTE cemeteries in Jaffna district to be restored

LTTE cemeteries in the Jaffna district and the Nallur monument to Thileepan will be restored and maintained by local authorities, the Jaffna coordinating committee has decided.

Sri Lankan military builds water purifying plant in Vanni base

The Sri Lankan military constructed a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant within its base in Vanni last week, reportedly after troops suffered illnesses from the local water supply.

No significant change in trade policy with Sri Lanka - US


There would be no significant change in trade policy with Sri Lanka, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mark Linscott said on Monday whilst visiting the island. 

Meeting wtih Sri Lankan officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Chinthaka Lokuhetti, Mr Linscott said, “it is tough to predict the future.”

“The new US administration has a significant shift in change towards several of its trade agreements - mainly the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal; and there is a big focus on re-negotiating NAFTA as well as correcting our current trade deficits too.”

Sri Lankan navy arrests 8 in Mannar over alleged illegal fishing

The Sri Lankan navy arrested 8 people for alleged illegal fishing activities in Mannar, Colombo Page reported. 

The people were arrested on September 13 and 16 in the Erukkulampiddi and Palakuda lagoon area of Mannar, for allegedly using unauthorised fishing nets. 
 
They have been handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries of Mannar and Puttalam. Their three dinghies and three fishing nets have been seized. 

Sri Lanka denies plans to halt visas from Myanmar

The Sri Lankan government rejected reports that it was planning to halt the issuing of visas to those travelling from Myanmar in a bid to stop Rohingya Muslims from entering the island. 

Nihal Ranasinghe from the Department of Immigration and Emigration told BBC Sinhala that there was "no truth" in such reports. 

Mullaitivu - Kaiveli villagers still not allowed to resettle

Villagers from Kaiveli in Mullaitivu have complained that they have still not been allowed to resettle in their homes, over eight years after the end of the war.

Sri Lankan government retreats over 20th Amendment

The Sri Lankan government has reportedly abandoned attempts to pass the 20th amendment to the constitution, according to the Daily Mirror.

The reported move by the government comes after Sri Lanka’s supreme court ruled that sections of the proposed amendment will need to be put to a referendum, as well as having two-thirds of parliament’s support.

If the government confirms that its pursuit of the amendment is abandoned, provincial council elections in Sabaragamuwa, North-Central and Eastern Provincial Councils will have to be held by the end of this year.

Sri Lanka co-hosts air force exercise with United States

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is co-hosting the Pacific Airlift Rally 2017, a military exercise currently underway on the island, alongside the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), a Major Command of the United States Air Force.

Third day of Thileepan’s fast marked in Jaffna

Tamils gathered at the Lt. Col. Thileepan memorial in Nallur on Sunday to mark the third day of his hunger strike that took place 30 years ago.