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…

60 kg of cannabis seized by Sri Lankan police in Jaffna

Mar 2, 2016

Over 60 kg of cannabis was seized by Sri Lankan police in Jaffna last month, amidst a growing drug problem in the Northern Province.

The cannabis, with a street value of approximately 15 million rupees, was seized in a pre-dawn raid by Sri Lankan police in Jaffna. The drugs were though to have originated in Kerala and smuggled into the North-East via Inparutti, by Point Pedro.

UNHRC must remain involved as Sri Lanka confronts rights issues says US

Mar 2, 2016
It is important that the United Nations Human Rights Council remains engaged in countries like Sri Lanka as they confront human rights, said the United States in its address to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Noting that there was hope and promise in nations such as Burma and Sri Lanka, the US caveated,

“While we celebrate and support their progress, we believe it is important for the Council to remain engaged, as the governments confront their legacies of human rights violations and address the challenges that remain.”

See full statement made below.

New Sri Lankan govt continues Rajapaksa's website registration

Mar 1, 2016
The new Sri Lankan government, which was elected on a promise of good governance and press freedom, on Wednesday continued the Rajapaksa regime's regulation of the press, issuing a warning against unregistered websites.

The state run paper, the Daily News, on Wednesday featured an advertisement warning websites that they must be registered by the end of March, failure to do so would be considered "unlawful".

Families in Jaffna call for immediate release of Tamil political prisoners

Mar 1, 2016


Families of Tamil political prisoners protested in Jaffna on Wednesday, urging the government to release them immediately.

Normality remains elusive in Sri Lanka's North - Joshua Hammer

Mar 1, 2016
Seven years after a brutal war, peace and tourism have returned to Sri Lanka’s north, but normality remains more elusive, concludes New York Times travel journalist Joshua Hammer.

See full article below.

Sri Lanka finance minister dismisses Fitch Ratings downgrade

Feb 29, 2016
Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister and Central Bank Governor dismissed the recent downgrading of Sri Lanka’s ratings by global ratings agency Fitch Ratings, reports Economynext.com

Speaking to reports in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s finance minister Ravi Karunayake said,
“That’s only one institution. These are only perceptions of certain institutions.”

Fitch ratings lowered Sri Lanka’s ratings from ‘BB-‘ to ‘B+’ stating that Sri Lanka faced “increased refinancing risks on account of high upcoming external debt maturities on foreign exchange reserves” and an increased “likelihood of Sri Lanka requiring external liquidity support from the IMF and other multilateral institutions.”

The rating agency added that Sir Lanka’s budget did little to address the of Sri Lanka’s gross general government debt (GGGD).

Sri Lanka to hold discussions with IMF in March-April (29 Feb 2016)
IMF and Sri Lanka 'hammering out a way forward' from debt (26 Feb 2016
Sri Lankan govt considers IMF bailout conditions (16 Feb 2016)

The dangers of trade deals with the Sri Lankan military - Andreas Scheuller

Feb 29, 2016
Unscrutinised investment from the European countries “risks reinforcing ethnic discrimination and hindering reconciliation in Sri Lanka,” writes the head of the International Crimes and Accountability program at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights Andreas Schueller.

Adding that the biggest economic actor in Sri Lanka’s “heavily northern and northeastern regions,” Mr Schueller expressed concern that trade agreements and investment could end up “profiting the military and thus strengthening its position in the region, denying the resettled Tamil population any development opportunities.”

See full piece below.

International community has an important part to play in Sri Lanka's reconciliation - UK High Commissioner

Feb 29, 2016

The international community has an important part to play in Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process,  said the British High Commissioner whilst visiting the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy.

Missing LTTE cadre identified by parents as captured alive

Feb 28, 2016
The parents of a missing LTTE cadre on Monday told the President's Missing Persons Commission in Chavakachcheri their son was one of the LTTE cadres photographed alive under the custody of the Sri Lankan military at the end of the armed conflict.

 Photograph ITJP

Sri Lanka to hold discussions with IMF in March-April

Feb 28, 2016
Sri Lanka will hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the next two months, reported LBO.

The discussions will be aimed at gaining an endorsement of the government's fiscal consolidation plan and at establishing a support mechanism for its balance of payments.

Depending on the outcome of the discussions, Sri Lanka may seek to raise up to 1.5 billion dollars from international markets this year.

See here.

UNHRC must remain involved as Sri Lanka confronts rights issues says US
New Sri Lankan govt continues Rajapaksa's website registration
Families in Jaffna call for immediate release of Tamil political prisoners
Normality remains elusive in Sri Lanka's North - Joshua Hammer
Sri Lanka finance minister dismisses Fitch Ratings downgrade
The dangers of trade deals with the Sri Lankan military - Andreas Scheuller
International community has an important part to play in Sri Lanka's reconciliation - UK High Commissioner
Missing LTTE cadre identified by parents as captured alive
Sri Lanka to hold discussions with IMF in March-April
Myanmar to seek legal expertise from Sri Lanka
UNHRC must remain involved as Sri Lanka confronts rights issues says US
New Sri Lankan govt continues Rajapaksa's website registration
Families in Jaffna call for immediate release of Tamil political prisoners
Normality remains elusive in Sri Lanka's North - Joshua Hammer
Sri Lanka finance minister dismisses Fitch Ratings downgrade
The dangers of trade deals with the Sri Lankan military - Andreas Scheuller
International community has an important part to play in Sri Lanka's reconciliation - UK High Commissioner
Missing LTTE cadre identified by parents as captured alive
Sri Lanka to hold discussions with IMF in March-April
Myanmar to seek legal expertise from Sri Lanka