Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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‘Where is the LTTE?’ Lawyer challenges terror charges against jailed Tamil rapper
  The lawyer representing detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar challenged allegations that his client sought to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during proceedings before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court this week, arguing that the material cited by police contains no reference to the organisation or its leadership. Sangeethsan, better known by his stage name…

Black flags raised in Jaffna to mark Sri Lankan Independence Day

Feb 3, 2016

Black flags were hoisted at Jaffna University to mark Sri Lankan Independence Day today, as a symbol of protest against the ongoing repression in the Tamil homeland.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Mullaitivu mark independence day with protest

Feb 3, 2016
Tamil families of the disappeared held a protest in Mullaitivu to mark Sri Lanka’s independence day.
Photograph: Tamil Guardian

Marching from the Mullaitivu people’s bank to the Mullaitivu district secretariat, the protestors chanted slogans condemning the island’s celebration of independence day whilst Tamils were yet to obtain their freedom.

Sri Lanka's president receives death threats in light of BBS arrest

Feb 3, 2016
Sri Lanka’s CID has launched an investigation into death threats aimed at Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena said police on Thursday.

The Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara said that the number of messages had increased in the wake of the arrest of Bodu Bala Sena leader Gnanasara Thera.

The Police spokesman told press that “the presidential secretariat has complained to the police about this matter and the investigations have been now handed over to the CID.”

Families of the disappeared mark Independence day with protest in Batticaloa

Feb 3, 2016
As part of protests that took place across the Tamil North-East to coincide with Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, families of the disappeared in Batticaloa took to the streets demanding answers from the Sri Lankan state.
 
Banners questioned which communities actually experienced freedom in Sri Lanka.

TNA welcomes singing of Sri Lanka's national anthem in Tamil

Feb 3, 2016
The Tamil National Alliance welcomed the singing of Sir Lanka’s national anthem in Tamil, as a ‘giant step’ towards reconciliation, reports eocnomoynext.

Tamil National Alliance spokesperson MA Sumanthiran, said,

“It may be a small symbolic thing, but a very important step in telling the Tamil speaking people that they are equal members of this country and that the state recognises that. It is in fact a giant step from that perspective. I hope more substantial issues that remain to be resolved will be resolved from that perspective.”

Though the leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan attended Sri Lanka's independence day celebrations, the TNA official party policy has been to boycott Sri Lanka’s independence day events.

Speaking to Ceylon News, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian that won the most votes during parliamentary elections MP S Sritharan said,

“Until the Tamils achieve dignified status in the country, they do not consider Sri Lanka’s independence as their own.” We as a party, did not make any decision on attending Sri Lanka’s 68th independence day functions. The situation has still not arisen for us to take part in that.”

UN warns Australia asylum policy risks contravening international law

Feb 3, 2016
The UN this week expressed concern that Australia's policy of transferring asylum seekers to off-shore detention facilities, contravenes international human rights law in letter and spirit.

Expressing concern about the Australian High Court's decision on the deportation the spokesperson for the High Commissioner on Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said, “broader aspects of Australia’s policy on the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers arriving without prior authorisation, significantly contravenes the letter and spirit of international human rights law.”

"We believe that transferring these 267 individuals to Nauru could further damage their physical and mental health, and would put Australia at risk of breaching its obligation not to return any person to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under the Convention against Torture,” Mr Colville added.

Sri Lanka anthem in Tamil confirms hierarchical relationship of Sinhala Buddhists to others - TCSF

Feb 3, 2016
The singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Tamil confirms the hierarchical relationship of Sinhala Buddhists and other communities on the island said the Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF) spokesperson.

 Guruparan Kumaravadivel questioned whether the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Tamil could be marked as progress in comments given to Ceylonews.

Speaking to the news outlet, the spokesperson said,

Families of the disappeared call for justice in Mannar

Feb 3, 2016

 

Tamil villagers in Mannar staged a demonstration calling for the Sri Lankan government to account for the massive number of people who have disappeared across the North-East.

 

Holding the protest alongside other demonstrations in the North-East, relatives of the disappeared said the Sri Lankan government must give them answers to account for their loved ones.

Families of the disappeared in Vavuniya angered by Independence Day celebrations

Feb 3, 2016

Families of the disappeared protested in Vavuniya on Thursday, expressing anger at the celebrations to mark 'Independence Day' and the participation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members.

Fonseka's party joins UNP led coalition

Feb 2, 2016

The Democratic Party, led by the former army commander, Sarath Fonseka, joined the United National Party led coalition, the United National Front (UNF) today.

The agreement came following discussions between Mr Fonseka, who was in charge of the army in 2009 when tens of thousands of Tamils are believed to have killed by the Sri Lankan military, and the current UNP leader and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two parties at Temple Trees on Wednesday.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Mullaitivu mark independence day with protest
Sri Lanka's president receives death threats in light of BBS arrest
Families of the disappeared mark Independence day with protest in Batticaloa
TNA welcomes singing of Sri Lanka's national anthem in Tamil
UN warns Australia asylum policy risks contravening international law
Sri Lanka anthem in Tamil confirms hierarchical relationship of Sinhala Buddhists to others - TCSF
Families of the disappeared call for justice in Mannar
Families of the disappeared in Vavuniya angered by Independence Day celebrations
Fonseka's party joins UNP led coalition
Ties with Sri Lanka have matured says Indian president
Tamil families of the disappeared in Mullaitivu mark independence day with protest
Sri Lanka's president receives death threats in light of BBS arrest
Families of the disappeared mark Independence day with protest in Batticaloa
TNA welcomes singing of Sri Lanka's national anthem in Tamil
UN warns Australia asylum policy risks contravening international law
Sri Lanka anthem in Tamil confirms hierarchical relationship of Sinhala Buddhists to others - TCSF
Families of the disappeared call for justice in Mannar
Families of the disappeared in Vavuniya angered by Independence Day celebrations
Fonseka's party joins UNP led coalition
Ties with Sri Lanka have matured says Indian president