Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Commemorations were held across Jaffna over the weekend to mark 43 years since the Black July pogrom, honouring the thousands of Tamils killed in the anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 and the Tamil political prisoners massacred while in state custody. At the Thanthai Selva Auditorium in Jaffna, a common flame of remembrance was lit on Saturday, 25 July, and candles were lit in memory of the…

ITAK youth leader released on bail

 

The leader of ITAK's youth wing, Subramaniyam Sivakaran, has been released on bail after being arrested by the Sri Lankan government’s Terrorism Investigation Department (TID).

Mr Sivakaran was released from custody on Thursday morning after putting up 1 lakh rupees for bail alongside 2 sureties. As part of his bail conditions Mr Sivakaran has been banned from leaving the country and must report back to authorities.

Sri Lankan police confirmed that the arrest was made as part of an investigation into the discovery of a cache of explosives, including an apparent suicide bomber vest, late last month. Mr Sivakaran is being accused of being involved with other former LTTE cadres who have also been arrested around the incident.

Sri Lanka Campaign criticises the return of the white vans in Sri Lanka

The rights group, Sri Lanka Campaign, on Thursday criticised the return of enforced disappearances via white vans in Sri Lanka.

"The “white van” occupies a particular place in the Sri Lankan psyche. It was the method of choice for gangs linked to the military to snatch human rights defenders and political adversaries off the streets," Sri Lanka Campaign said in a statement.

"Most victims disappeared forever, although some were detained and tortured before being released. To this day Sri Lanka ranks second in the world for enforced disappearances according to the UN working group on the subject, and was joint first for new cases in 2015."

Buddhist monks oversee vihara construction in Mullaitivu

 

Sinhala Buddhist monks have been overseeing the construction of a Buddhist vihara in the Tamil North-East, despite an order from the Mullaitivu District Secretariat to halt further proceedings.

The construction, under way in Kokkilai, is reportedly taking place with assistance from the Sri Lankan army, the navy and the police.

TamilNet published footage of one Buddhist monk, identified as Sri Thissapura Gunarathna, assisting in construction work earlier this week.

Buddhist monks and Sinhala party leaders protest against Sampanthan

Photograph Tamilwin


The leader of seven Sri Lankan parties, including Buddhist monks protested against the Tamil National Alliance's leader, R Sampanthan, demanding he resign from the position of opposition leader.

The protest, which was held outside the official residence of the opposition leader, condemned the alleged illegal entrance of Mr Sampanthan into an army camp.

Sri Lankan military accompanies Buddhist monks to Tamil Hindu temple

A Sri Lankan military commander accompanied a group of Sinhala Buddhist monks as they attended a Hindu ceremony at a Tamil temple in Jaffna last week.


Commander of the Sri Lankan Security Forces in Jaffna Major General Mahesh Senanayake alongside troops of the 51 Division accompanied a group of Buddhist monks to the Ganesh Temple in Urumpirai, Jaffna on Friday.

Govt-appointed committee on constitutional reform rejects federalism

The Sri Lankan government's Public Representations Commission on Constitutional Reforms (PRCCR) has rejected a proposal for a federal constitution made by the Tamil Peoples' Council, according to Ceylonews.

Head of the (PRCCR) Attorney Lal Wijenayake has told representatives of the TPC that their proposal to abolish the unitary nature of the state was unacceptable.

"We exchanged views after handing over the proposals. When we mentioned that our proposals included demands a federal-based solution and right to self-determination for the Tamil people, Mr. Wijenayake told us that there won’t any change in the character of the state, which is unitary,” Lawyer Nadaraja Kandeepan of the TPC told Ceylon News.

Fourth former LTTE member arrested by Sri Lanka's TID

A fourth former LTTE cadre was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department on Monday.

The former head of the LTTE's Trincomalee intelligence wing Thalaiarasan was taken into custody in relation to the alleged find of a suicide vest in Chavakachcheri in March.

The Island said that 11 Tamils with previous connections to the LTTE had so far been arrested due to the discovery of the vest.

Economic growth falls due to exit of foreign funds and lacklustre export market

Economic growth in Sri Lanka fell to 4.8 per cent in 2015 from 4.9 per cent in the previous year, with the slowdown attributed to a slowing export sector and foreigners taking away their funds from Sri Lanka owing to a stronger US economy, according to the Central Bank’s annual report for 2015 released on Tuesday.

“The impact of these developments was offset to some extent by lower international commodity prices,” the 2015 annual report said, according to The Sunday TImes.

Year-on-year headline inflation by end 2015 was recorded at 2.8 per cent, compared to 2.1 per cent at the end of 2014, the report further said.

TNA MP slams Sri Lanka's Sinhala colonisation project

Tamil National Alliance MP Shanthi Sriskantharajah criticised the Sri Lankan government's attempt to launch new Sinhala residential villages in the Tamil North-East, stating it was part of a colonisation project.

The parliamentarian said two new residential villages have been opened up in the Mullaitivu district in the North-East, named Sampathnuvara and Isurupura. The villages were opened on April 11th by Sri Lanka's Minister of Housing, with a total of 24 houses unveiled.

“The Manalaaru area is an ancient settlement of the Tamil people,” said Ms Sriskantharajah.

“Under the guise of Mahavali Development Zone, land grabs are still happening here,” she added calling for a halt to further colonisation.

Former LTTE cadres summoned by Rehabilitation Ministry as arrests continue

Sri Lanka's rehabilitation ministry has ordered former LTTE cadres to present themselves to Colombo on April 30th.

The former cadres received no information on what the purpose of the summons is or the location of the meeting. They have been instructed to gather in the city and await details regarding the precise location.

The summons has caused many of the cadres to express fear over their safety.

The order came as four former LTTE cadres, including senior commanders were abducted and detained by the Terrorism Investigation Division in the space of one week.