Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lankan minister’s driver assaults Tamil fisherman during visit
A fisherman in Keppapulavu, Mullaitivu, was assaulted during a visit by Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, as tensions flared during the Minister’s local government election campaign on 24 April. Chandrasekaran, who was touring the North-East with National People’s Power (NPP) candidates, visited Keppapulavu where he met with representatives of the Keppapulavu Fishermen…

‘Significant and credible progress’ needed on UN resolution by June says UK minister

Jan 16, 2016
Sri Lanka must “demonstrate significant and credible progress” in implementing a UN Human Rights Council resolution on accountability by June, said UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire.

Speaking at a press conference in Colombo yesterday, Mr Swire said “the UNHRC will look at the progress made by Sri Lanka in its June session, and it will be important for Sri Lanka to demonstrate significant and credible progress by then.”

The minister stated that he had discussed the issue with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and they both were expecting clear progress on accountability mechanisms.

“Prince Zed who I spoke to recently, is coming to Sri Lanka quite soon, and he is very certain that June is not just a cosmetic ticking the box exercise,” said Mr Swire. “It is to really measure that some of these long term measures are going to be properly addressed.”

The missing are considered dead says Sri Lankan prime minister

Jan 16, 2016
Missing people from the Tamil North-East of the island are considered to be dead said Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a speech to an audience in Jaffna this week.

Speaking at a Thai Pongal event in Jaffna, Mr Wickremesinghe stated both during and after the war many people had gone missing in the Tamil Northern and Eastern provinces.

In attendance were Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran and British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire.

Mr Wickremesinghe’s comments come just weeks after over 1,620 complaints were lodged before Sri Lanka’s presidential commission into disappearances, which held a sitting in Jaffna.

Buddhist monk arrested for filming abuse of German tourist

Jan 16, 2016

A Buddhist monk has been arrested in Sri Lanka for filming the abuse of a German tourist by two other Sri Lankan men, reports Hiru News.

The monk, who is 17 years old, was arrested in Gandara as he filmed two other men abuse the German tourist on Thalalla beach, Matara.

Mullaitivu residents call for Navy to release land immediately

Jan 16, 2016
Photograph Tamilwin


Residents in Mullaitivu this week called for land occupied by the Sri Lankan navy to be returned to them immediately, at a meeting chaired by the Northern Provincial Council member, Mr Ravikaran.

Remembering Colonel Kittu

Jan 15, 2016

Today marks the 23rd anniversary since the death of Sathasivam Krishnakumar alias Colonel Kittu, and nine other LTTE cadres, who committed suicide after being surrounded by Indian navy warships in 1993.

Swire discusses transitional justice and reconciliation with Chandrika

Jan 15, 2016
Photograph @HugoSwire

The UK's Foreign Office minister for South Asia, Hugo Swire, met with the former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga on Friday, during his visit of the island.

Mr Swire discussed transitional justice and the formation of a new Office for National Unity and Reconciliation.

Swire and Wigneswaran discuss land issues and political solution

Jan 15, 2016
Photograph @UKinSriLanka

The UK's Foreign Office minister for South Asia, Hugo Swire, the chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran on Friday, during his visit to Jaffna for the Tamil festival of Thai Pongal.

Discussions included the ongoing occupation of Tamil land by the military as well as the issues around a long term political solution and other key concerns facing the Tamil people.

Speaking at the 'National Thaipongal Festival' on Friday, Justice Wigneswaran had highlighted the military presence in the Tamil areas as a significant problem which laid the foundation for violence. See more here.

Buddhist monks will not answer to 'white man' legal system says BBS Gen-Sec

Jan 15, 2016

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Gnanasara Thera slammed Sri Lanka’s government for attempting to bring in an act that “puts conditions” on the Buddhist clergy.

Reiterating that Buddhist clergies would not be controlled by parliament, and that any rules on monks should only be proposed by the Buddhist Sangha, Gnanasara Thera said,

“We are facing these problems because of not taking the right decision at the right time, a point which has not been understood by political leaders. We will not let the Act to be brought to the parliament. Ordinary people cannot put conditions on the clergy. If rules are to be implemented they should be proposed by the Chief Sangha Nayaka.”

Adding that monks would not present themselves before any court or magistrate, Gnanasara said,

“We respect the country’s law but we are not going to bow before the white man’s law unless it is relevant to our country."

Hundreds of Jaffna students protest against private colleges

Jan 15, 2016

Hundreds of students in Jaffna took to the streets earlier this week, to protest against government plans to establish private medical colleges.

JVP led monks threaten street protests if bill against Buddhist clergy passed in Sri Lanka

Jan 15, 2016
JVP led monks threatened to launch street protests with other bhikkus if the government with what they called unnecessary laws to control the Maha Sangha, reports the Island.

Addressing the Centre for Society and Religion, the General Secretary of the JVP affiliated National Bhikku Front (NBF) Wakamulle Uditha thera said the government should discipline its politicians instead of making laws that looked to discipline Buddhist Monks.

The Buddhist monk added that the UNP governments throughout history had harboured a huge grudge against bikkhus.
The missing are considered dead says Sri Lankan prime minister
Buddhist monk arrested for filming abuse of German tourist
Mullaitivu residents call for Navy to release land immediately
Remembering Colonel Kittu
Swire discusses transitional justice and reconciliation with Chandrika
Swire and Wigneswaran discuss land issues and political solution
Buddhist monks will not answer to 'white man' legal system says BBS Gen-Sec
Hundreds of Jaffna students protest against private colleges
JVP led monks threaten street protests if bill against Buddhist clergy passed in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's accountability mechanism will have international element says UK Foreign Minister
The missing are considered dead says Sri Lankan prime minister
Buddhist monk arrested for filming abuse of German tourist
Mullaitivu residents call for Navy to release land immediately
Remembering Colonel Kittu
Swire discusses transitional justice and reconciliation with Chandrika
Swire and Wigneswaran discuss land issues and political solution
Buddhist monks will not answer to 'white man' legal system says BBS Gen-Sec
Hundreds of Jaffna students protest against private colleges
JVP led monks threaten street protests if bill against Buddhist clergy passed in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's accountability mechanism will have international element says UK Foreign Minister