Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed Sri Lanka earlier this month, New Delhi’s media was already hailing the visit as a diplomatic triumph. A raft of development projects had been announced and a significant new defence pact between the two governments signed. Images broadcast showed Modi beside a smiling Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, arms raised aloft in symbolic…

ADB president visits Sri Lanka, looks to increase funding portfolio

The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Takehiko Nakao met with Sri Lanka’s President on a two day meeting to the island reports Colombo Page.

President Sirisena during his meeting with the ADB president, discussed development projects including a electrification project in the southern city of Galle and called for further cooperation with the bank.

Sri Lanka’s victims demand and deserve credible justice - Nikhil Narayan

Meaningful international participation in an accountability process in Sri Lanka is vital for genuine reconciliation, writes senior legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists Nikhil Narayan.

“The call by domestic and international human rights activists and observers for an accountability process that involves, as a minimum prerequisite, the meaningful participation of a majority of foreign judges and other personnel is very simply a matter of restoring public trust in the rule of law in the country, through a credible, impartial, independent, victim-centric transitional justice process that effectively addresses victims’ right to truth, justice, remedy and reparation, and on whose foundation the country can move forward with genuine reconciliation.”

See full opinion peace below:

Tamil Political Prisoners restart hunger strike

A group of Tamil political prisoners have launched a hunger strike calling on the government to release them without further delay, reports Ceylonews.

In a letter to the Commissioner General of Prisons, they prisoners said that they had been held for several years without charge
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Two prisoners form the Colombo Magazine Prison and two from the Anuradhapura prison said they would continue the hunger strike until a solution was found.

Tamils protest against abduction and rape in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi

Tamil civil society held protests in Kilinochchi and Vavuniya calling on the government to take action on the ongoing sexual violence that people in the North-East faced.

Hundreds of members of civil society including teachers, school children, businesses and professionals marched through Vavuniya demanding justice for a series of rapes that had occurred in the North-East over the past month.

No re-merger of Northern and Eastern provinces says Sri Lanka PM

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leaders that there will be no drastic changes in the new constitution and the Northern and Eastern provinces will not be re-merged, reports Sudaytimes.lk.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the prime minister said,

“We have said that the government is willing to accommodate request for possible ‘working arrangements’ for co-ordination between the two Provincial Councils.”

German delegation to visit Sri Lanka to explore investment

 A high level delegation from the German government will visit Sri Lanka in March to explore investment opportunities said Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The finance minister said that the German delegation will assess and analyse the investment climate following an investor forum held in Germany during the Sri Lankan President’s visit to the capital, reports Colombo Page.

Sri Lanka airlines to scrap plans to reduce flights to Europe

Sri Lanka Airlines has cancelled plans to reduce flights to European destinations reports Sundaytimes.lk.

The airline in a statement issued on Sunday added that London will remain Sri Lanka’s main gateway to Europe.

The airline said that India and China had remained  the top two revenue generation markets in 2015.

Sri Lankan Airlines losses increase by 24% (05 Mar 2015)

Sri Lanka will not return Katchatheevu islet to India

Sri Lanka reiterated that it will not return the islet Katchatheevu to India, reports the Economic Times of India.

Speaking to press Sri Lanka’s deputy Minister for Child and Women’s Affairs Vijaayakala Maheswaran said,

“Katchatheevu is part of Sri Lanka according to an agreement and hence it was not possible to give it back to India.”

In 1974 India ceded the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has no enemies says Sirisena

Sri Lanka has no enemies in the world, said Preident  Sirisena addressing Sri Lankan expatriates in Vienna.

Speaking at the Austrian National Library in Vienna, Mr Sirisena said,

Sri Meenakshi Amman temple festival celebrated in Chavakachcheri


Tamils in Chavakachcheri celebrated the Sri Meenakshi Amman temple's annual festival.

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