Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Today marks 52 years since the death of Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle.  Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. With decades of Sri Lankan state repression and deadly anti-Tamil pogroms already having taken place, Tamil militant…

Sinhala Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka rally in support of Myanmar

Sinhala Buddhist monks staged a rally in Colombo yesterday in support of Myanmar’s military offensive in the Rakhine state, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims.

TNPF pay tribute to Thileepan marking 2nd day of fast

The Tamil National People's Front continued its commemorations of Lt. Col. Thileepan with tributes to mark the second day of his hunger strike.

Three arrested in latest Thunnalai police round-up

A sudden police operation round-up in Thunnalai on Friday morning has resulted in three arrests.

Point Pedro police said they carried out the operation in the early hours following an anonymous tip-off.

Thunnalai and surrounding villages in the Vadamaradchi area have been subjected to repeated operations, including deployments of Special Task Force troops.

Relations between locals and security forces remain tense since police shot and killed a Thunnalai man in July.

TNPF remembers Thileepan in Mullaitivu

Thileepan was remembered in Mullaitivu at an event organised by the Tamil National People’s Front in Puthukudiyiruppu.

Victims of 1999 Sri Lankan Air Force strike on Manthuvil remembered in Mullaitivu

24 Tamil civilians killed in a Sri Lankan Air Force strike on Mullaitivu in 1999 were remembered in Manthuvil, the location of the massacre, today.

Tamils remember Thileepan at memorial in Nallur

Families of former LTTE cadres and members of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) gathered in Nallur today to remember the 30 year anniversary of Lt Col Thileepan commencing his fast unto death. 

The event was held at the Thileepan memorial, which was cleaned and decorated yesterday by TNPF members ahead of the commemorations. 

Jaffna University students remember Thileepan 30 years on

Students at the University of Jaffna today remembered the day Lt Col Thileepan commenced his fast unto death in Nallur on September 30, 1987. 

Laying flowers in his memory, many students and members of staff gathered on the campus grounds to recall his sacrifice 30 years on. 

The grounds were cleared and decorated, and a temporary monument set up, by the university's Student Union.

The event was watched by intelligence personnel, which student union leaders said they had grown accustomed to.

LTTE cemetery can be restored, Kilinochchi court rules

The Kanagapuram LTTE cemetery can be restored with the Divisional Secretariat’s permission, the Kilinochchi Magistrate Court has ruled.

Judge A. A. Anantharajah made the ruling on Thursday in the case filed by families of fallen cadres who were stopped from restoring the cemetery by police.

UN must ‘tighten its grip on Sri Lanka’ – IMADR

The International Movement Against all forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) called on the United Nations to “tighten its grip on Sri Lanka” to ensure it fulfills commitments laid out in a resolution passed in 2015.

In a statement delivered at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council said it shared “growing concerns on the slow progress of the Government in fulfilling its promises in Resolution 30/1”.

TNPF clears Thileepan memorial ahead of 30 year commemoration

Preparations have been underway to commemorate the hunger strike of Thileepan, whose fast began 30 years ago on Friday.