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…

Sri Lanka’s CID investigates singer for ‘defaming Buddhism’

Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) said it has launched an investigation into a song by Iraj Weeraratne, over claims that it is “defaming Buddhism,” reports The Sunday Leader.

Following a court order pursued by the CID, Sri Lankan police have been ordered by the Colombo Fort Magistrate to investigate the song ‘Manusatha’. The music video to the song features clips of Buddhist monks from Bodu Bala Sena making speeches about Muslims on the island, to cheering rallies.

See the video here.

Germany to initiate resolution to back GSP+ reinstatement claims Sri lanka

The German government has initiated a resolution at the parliament of the European Union in support of Sri Lanka regaining the GSP+ trade concession, reports Colombo Gazette.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany Karunatilaka Amunagam said that Germany is satisfied with latest developments in Sri Lanka, adding that the German government feels Sri Lanka must be rewarded for the progress made on several issues.

Asylum seekers told by Australia's navy to go back to Sri Lanka and die


The Australian Navy told Sri Lankan asylum seekers to go back to Sri Lanka and die during interviews with asylum seekers, reports Colombo Gazette.

Two Tamil asylum seekers who were interviews by investigative journalist Phil Miller said that they had been told to go back to Sri Lanka and die, by Australian navy officials, who payed people smugglers to turn back.

India keen to build ADB funded road link to Sri Lanka

India said it was still interested in a bridge or undersea tunnel link between India and Sri Lanka after signing a road transport agreement with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Speaking to press, India’s roads minister Nitin Gadkari, said,

“When I met Asian Development Bank (ADB) officials (in June), the told me to look at a connectivity project between the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka as well. They said they would finance it. They proposed a bridge between Rameswaram and Sri Lanka.”

Adding examples of existing overseas connections, Mr Gadkari said,

“When I recently visited Rotterdam, I visited an immersed tunnel connecting Rotterdam and Belgium. So it could be an immersed tunnel or a bridge. We are looking at it.”

Sri Lankan government ‘not interested’ in bridge to India states Minister (31 Dec 2015)

See our editorial:
Sri Lanka’s Indophobia (07 Aug 2015)

ICRC offers assistance to Sri Lanka to deal with families of missing persons

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has offered to assist the government families of those reported missing reports ColomboGazette.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the ICRC delegation in Sri Lanka have held a meeting to discuss an ICRC meeting entitled ‘Needs of the Families of Missing Persons in Sri Lanka: Living with Uncertainty.’

Sri Lanka is overcoming obstacles internationally - President Sirisena

President Maithripala Sirisena said Sri Lanka was overcoming obstacles internationally, while some are making baseless accusations.

Speaking at an event in Polonaruwa, Mr Sirisena said that the government was not being influence, despite of what political opponents were saying.

The president also claimed that he can save former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and those who engaged in the war from the electric chair.

Sri Lanka not averse to international probe - Ranil

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government was not averse to international participation in the country's touted accountability mechanism, however stressed that "final judgement will be made by the internal judicial system".

The prime minister, who was visiting a temple in Guruvayur, said officials from neighbouring countries such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh would be able to participate in discussions on war crimes, alongside representatives from the US and human rights organisations.

Mr Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka wanted to ensure that those responsible for civilian deaths are held to account, whether they were from the military or the LTTE, adding that the UN said it was possible that up to 40,000 people were killed in the last phase of the war.

Former Rajapaksa cabinet minister appointed as Northern Province governor

A former cabinet minister under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime was appointed as the Governor of the Northern Province on Sunday, reports Colombo Page.

Reginald Cooray, was sworn in at President Maithripala Sirisena’s office on Sunday with his appointment to be effective from February 16th.

The position of Governor of the Northern Province which is appointed by parliament in Colombo, has sparked criticism and discontent within the Northern Province Council due to the overruling powers granted to the appointed Governor.

IMF to audit US $250 billion of Sri Lanka development projects initiated under former regime

Representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Sri Lanka next week for a joint ‘Forensic Audit’ on development projects that amount to US $250 billion launched by the former Rajpaksa regime.

Government Minister Sarath Amunagama told media that the consensual government was in a dilemma as to how capital investment could be raised for the projects, as the previous regime had commenced the project without full financial backing.