Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Jaffna commemorates Black July victims
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…

German parliamentarians visit North-East

Apr 7, 2016

A delegation from the German South Asia Parliamentary Group toured the North-East today, meeting with the Chief Minister of Northern Province C V Wigneswaran.

During their visit to the North-East the delegation also met with Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan, the Bishop of Jaffna, Rev Gnanapragasam and students at the site of new vocational training school in Kilinochchi.

Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqian on Thursday, as Sri Lanka looked to restructure $8 billion worth of debt to China amidst a worsening debt crisis on the island.

As the two met in Beijing and signed seven different agreements, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of State Enterprise Eran Wickramaratna told PTI that Sri Lanka was “looking to swap debt to equity”.

Mr Wickremesinghe was also looking to negotiate the terms of a $125 million compensation package demanded by the Chinese following delays in the Colombo Port City project.

The state owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) said delays in construction, which was put on hold once the current Sri Lankan government came into power last year, had cost more than $380,000 a day.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Megalopolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka told The Wire that his government would look to strategies such as rescheduling payments, admitting, “We can’t pay, we are going to negotiate”.

Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told a delegation of German parliamentarians that he was “totally committed to safeguarding national security as well as regional security,” during a meeting in Colombo on Thursday.

The President’s Media Division reported that Mr Sirisena went on to detail Sri Lanka’s relationship with India, which he said was “built on the firm foundation of the message of the Buddha”.

The German delegation, which included Ambassador Jurgen Murhad, Niels Annen, Michael Donth, Caren lay and Prof Egon Juttner, also met with Sri Lanka’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha de Silva, as part of an official visit to the island.

Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lanka’s fisheries minister Mahinda Amaraweera pledged to build homes for the 590 Sinhala families who are living in Mullaitivu, following a visit to the North-East on Saturday.

Mr Amaraweera said he would work towards granting land rights to the Sinhala families, who live in Nayaru and Kokilai villages, stating he had appointed a government committee to look into the issue.

The Sinhala villagers have reportedly been living in the North-East for 50 years.

Tamils had earlier protested that the Sinhala families were receiving unfair assistance form the government, including monitoring and protection from the military to venture into areas off limits to Tamils.

Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'

Apr 6, 2016
The British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka spoke on the importance of returning land to its rightful owners at the launch of a British funded documentary and report on the Sri Lankan military’s occupation of land in the North-East.

British High Commissioner James Dauris said his government was pleased to support a new report by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) that found over 12,500 acres of land remained occupied by the Sri Lankan military and called for reparations and the restitution of land to its rightful owners.

Also supported by the British was a documentary by Kannan Arunasalam entitled ‘Sampur’, examining the struggle of Tamils in the Eastern Province to reclaim back land occupied by the Sri Lankan military.

“Land is deeply and emotionally linked to family and identity,” said Mr Dauris. “It is not just a socio-economic issue. Land issues unresolved can become major sources of discontent and inhibit efforts to reconcile people and heal wounds.”

“We warmly welcome the return of land by the Sri Lankan government to its rightful owners,” he continued.

Watch the full documentary below.

TNA MP urges transparency in Sri Lankan govt's housing project

Apr 6, 2016
The Sri Lankan government's proposal to construct 65,000 houses for families affected by the armed conflict in the North-East, was on Thursday queried by a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, urging the process to be undertaken in a transparent manner.

In a letter to the minister of resettlement, D M Swamination, the TNA MP M A Sumanthiran, said,
"I consider it important that such a process is undertaken in a transparent manner with the present and future well-being of the conflict-affected families in mind."

Mangala tells Australia, Sri Lanka committed to implementing UNHRC resolution

Apr 6, 2016
The Sri Lanka foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday said Sri Lanka was committed to implementing the UN Human Rights Council co-sponsored by the government.

Speaking during an official visit to Australia, Mr Samaraweera pointed to three pillared approach of the government.
"Parliament will be convening for the first time Constitutional Assembly in order to start the process of designing Sri Lanka’s third republican constitution that will further strengthen parliament, the courts and independent bodies and reduce the centralization of power in the presidency.

Army hands out glasses to civilians

Apr 5, 2016

 

Sri Lanka's military provided eye surgery for Tamil civilians in Kilinochchi last month.

61 foot tall Buddha statue to be constructed in North-East

Apr 5, 2016

Plans are underway to construct a 61 foot tall statue of the Buddha in Nainativu, said Northern Provincial Councillors Vinthan Kanagaratnam and Balachandran Gajatheepan in an interview to TamilNet this week.

Following a fact finding mission to the islet, which has been the site of reported rapid Sinhalisation, the councillors stated that they were under pressure from the Sri Lankan navy to welcome plans for the construction of the statue.

US state dept officials conclude visit to North-East and Sri Lanka

Apr 5, 2016
The US state department's special coordinator for global criminal justice, Todd Buchwald, and the deputy assistant secretary of state for south and central asia, Manpreet Anand, concluded their visit to the North-East and Sri Lanka this week.

Meeting with the chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran, the US officials discussed challenges to reconciliations and livelihoods in the North.

Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt
Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’
Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East
Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'
TNA MP urges transparency in Sri Lankan govt's housing project
Mangala tells Australia, Sri Lanka committed to implementing UNHRC resolution
Army hands out glasses to civilians
61 foot tall Buddha statue to be constructed in North-East
US state dept officials conclude visit to North-East and Sri Lanka
AR Rahman postpones Colombo concert amid protests in Tamil Nadu
Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt
Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’
Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East
Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'
TNA MP urges transparency in Sri Lankan govt's housing project
Mangala tells Australia, Sri Lanka committed to implementing UNHRC resolution
Army hands out glasses to civilians
61 foot tall Buddha statue to be constructed in North-East
US state dept officials conclude visit to North-East and Sri Lanka
AR Rahman postpones Colombo concert amid protests in Tamil Nadu