Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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The Point Pedro Urban Council has resolved to organise a large-scale public demonstration demanding the removal of Sri Lankan military camps within the council's administrative limits, accusing the authorities of failing to act despite similar demands raised a year ago. The proposal was tabled by Point Pedro Mayor Douglas Paul during the council's monthly sitting on Monday, chaired by the…

14 soldiers from Vavuniya camp admitted to hospital with 'breathing problems'

14 Sri Lankan soldiers from the Vavuniya - Pampaimadu camp were admitted to hospital on Sunday with alleged breathing problems.

The soldiers reportedly developed sudden breathing problems during a training exercise on Sunday morning and were rushed to Vavuniya General Hospital.

Several soldiers were also reported to have received first aid at the camp.

Two days after ‘release’, Sri Lankan Army blocks access to lands in Vali North

The Sri Lankan Army has re-seized some lands in Valikamam North that were released to their owners earlier this month.

Just two days after releasing around 683 acres from the 28-year occupation of the ’high security zone’, Sri Lankan soldiers blocked off access and reoccupied lands in Thaiyiddi South - Unthuvathai, and the area surrounding the Vellaivaikkal Vairavar temple.

Sri Lanka human rights abuses was priority for UK at CHOGM according to FCO

The legacy of Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses was planned to be a main topic of discussion at this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, according to a UK parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee document.

Referring to remarks made by the British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, the select committee document said that “the legacy of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka” would be a main topic to be discussed as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s strategic vision for the summit.

TNPF remember Annai Poopathy

The Tamil National People’s Front paid tribute to Annai Poopathy at the party’s Jaffna headquarters on Thursday.

Tamil diaspora groups urge Commonwealth to exercise universal jurisdiction on Sri Lanka

A collection of Tamil diaspora groups have called on Commonwealth countries to exercise universal jurisdiction “to provide accountability in cases where Sri Lanka itself fails to act”.

Sri Lankan minister pledges to ‘develop’ 2,000 Buddhist viharas across island

Sri Lanka’s Buddhasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said that some 2,000 Buddhist viharas across the island will be “developed” with extra facilities and accommodation for monks, according to a report in the Daily News.

The minister stated that about 2,469 temples “have no basic facilities” and these would be developed with support from the Education Ministry, Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidential Secretariat.

Sri Lankan army builds tennis court at occupying Mullaitivu base

Despite continued calls for the de-militarisation of the North-East, Sri Lankan military constructed a new tennis court exclusively for the use of its soldiers inside its military headquarters in Mullaitivu last month.

Sri Lankan prime minister commissions Indian built navy ship

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe commissioned a new Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) for the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday, a ship that was entirely Indian built.

Families of disappeared protesting in Kilinochchi pay tribute to Annai Poopathy

Families of the disappeared at Kilinochchi paid tribute to Annai Poopathy on the 30th anniversary of her death on Friday.

The protestors at Kilinochchi, particularly the mothers of forcibly disappeared young Tamils, paid tribute to Annai Poopathy’s commitment to obtain justice through peaceful protest, similar to their ongoing protest, and to her resilience as a mother that had suffered the shooting and killing of two of her sons by the Sri Lankan Army.

Sri Lanka deploys Special Task Force to protect tourists in South

The Sri Lankan government has deployed the notorious Special Task Force, in order to protect foreign tourists in the south of the island after a group were assaulted earlier this month.

Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara said the move was a “temporary measure to stabilize the law and order situation” according to the Daily Mirror.