Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

UK urged to sanction Kamal Gunaratne for war crimes and torture
The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has submitted a dossier to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office calling for targeted sanctions against retired Sri Lankan General Kamal Gunaratne, citing his direct involvement in war crimes, torture, and systemic human rights abuses. The submission, dated 8 May 2025, outlines a detailed case for the designation of Gunaratne…

UN inquiry could have been avoided if handled 'pragmatically' says Sri Lanka's new FM

Jan 24, 2015
Sri Lanka's new foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, said that the UN inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka could have been avoided if the issue had been handled "carefully and pragmatically" by the previous government.

"This whole investigation was brought upon the country by the bungling of the previous government. If we had handled it carefully and pragmatically, it could have been avoided,” Mr Samaraweera said.

Asked if the team of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conducting the inquiry had requested a meeting with the new government, Mr Samaraweera said: "Not so far but we have requested the President’s senior adviser, Mr [Jayantha] Dhanapala, to meet the UN Human Rights Commissioner in Geneva to discuss matters pertaining to this inquiry."

Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land

Jan 24, 2015
The Sri Lankan military re-erected a sign, at the entrance of the Valikamam North High Security Zone, reading ‘Army Cantonment,' last week.

Local Tamil inhabitants of the region, have been calling for the abolishment of the High Security Zone and the return of their lands, remain concerned about whether the army controlled area will ever be released back to the people, reports the Uthayan.

The re-erection of the ‘Army Residence’ sign comes as amidst promises from the new governemnt to release Tamil land occupied by the Sri Lankan army.

We didn’t really ask for help but India in mood to help Sri Lanka' says foreign minister

Jan 24, 2015
Sri Lanka's new foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, said Sri Lanka "didn't really ask for help but India is in a mood to help Sri Lanka", following his visit to India to meet with this counterpart in New Delhi and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.

Speaking to Sri Lanka's Sunday Times, Mr Samaraweera compared Sri Lanka with Myanmar's recent development: “I think, frankly, not only India but the whole world should help Sri Lanka. This is Sri Lanka’s Burma moment.”

Denying that there was any discussion of demilitarisation and any pressure from India to implement the 13th amendment to the constitution which includes devolution of power to the provinces, Mr Samaraweera said that he had spoken about it "before he [Modi] had even mentioned it".

“What we told them, which they also agreed with, is we will take practical measures in the first 100 days,” he said. “Then, once this new system is in place, especially after the general election after April, sometime in June, we will certainly look at the full implementation of the 13th Amendment.”

Sri Lanka's new president receives blessings at sacred Buddhist site

Jan 24, 2015

Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, received blessings from Buddhist monks and performed religious rites at the Sri Maha Bodhiya tree.

He also participated in religious ceremonies at a historical Sinhala Buddhist site in Polonnaruwa, his home town, thanking locals for voting him in as the new president.

Hunger strikers told commission will review Chunnakam oil leak on Feb 6

Jan 24, 2015
Hunger strike continues - 24 Jan 2015


Locals protesting against the contamination of water supplies by waste oil seepage by Chunnakam power station, paused their ongoing hunger strike on Saturday, after officials said a commission would investigate the situation on February 6.


Tamil man assaulted by Sri Lankan army in Valvettithurai

Jan 24, 2015


A Tamil man in Valvettithurai reports being assaulted by Sri Lankan military personnel when he went to an army camp asking for his ball to be returned to him.

The victim, 29 year old father of three children, Selvaraja Jegan said the ball went into the military base, as he had been playing with friends at a sports ground in the Ellangulam region of Valvettithurai.

When he went there to ask for the ball to be returned, he was taken away and beaten by soldiers, he said.

Swiss asylum applications from Sri Lanka soar in 2014

Jan 24, 2015

The number of asylum applications in Switzerland by individuals from Sri Lanka has increased by 87% in 2014, compared to the previous year.

A total of 1,277 refugees from Sri Lanka, the vast majority of whom are thought to be Tamils, made claims for asylum, making them the third-largest group of asylum seekers, after Eritreans and Syrians.

Catholic priests call for release of prisoners, accountability and resettlement

Jan 23, 2015
The Commission for Justice & Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Jaffna has called for the release of political prisoners, accountability for those killed or disappeared during the war and for the resettlement of people back in their land, in an open letter to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

Writing to the newly elected president, the priests called for the urgent needs of the people of the North-East to be addressed as part of his “100 day programme”.

Citing three major concerns, the priests called for the “release of thousands of political prisoners who are languishing in the jails and detention centres” without charge. “Some of these people have been there for 10 to 15 years,” said the priests.

EU announces €14 million funds for housing construction in North-East

Jan 23, 2015
The European Union has initiated a €14 million programme for an ‘incremental’ housing project to resettle people displaced in the North East, reports the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website.

The scheme is intended to aid the construction of 3,000 incremental owner driven houses and improve the local construction supply chain.

The decision was announced by the EU manager of the Infrastructure and Reconstruction programme of the delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jaime Royo-Olid during a meeting with the Sri Lankan Minister of resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs, DM Swaminathan, on Saturday.

Sri Lanka's disappearances commission requests meeting with new president

Jan 23, 2015
The chairman of the disappearances commission set up by the former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has requested a meeting with the new president, Maithripala Sirisena, in order to discuss the future of the commission, reports Colombo Page.

The commission, which was set up on August 15 2003, was extended by Mr Rajapaksa for a six month period, which is due to end on February 15.

The inquiry, which has been severely critiqued by domestic and international NGOs and civil society actors over its lack of independence and witness protection, amongst other aspects, is currently holding public sittings in the North-East.

Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land
We didn’t really ask for help but India in mood to help Sri Lanka' says foreign minister
Sri Lanka's new president receives blessings at sacred Buddhist site
Hunger strikers told commission will review Chunnakam oil leak on Feb 6
Tamil man assaulted by Sri Lankan army in Valvettithurai
Swiss asylum applications from Sri Lanka soar in 2014
Catholic priests call for release of prisoners, accountability and resettlement
EU announces €14 million funds for housing construction in North-East
Sri Lanka's disappearances commission requests meeting with new president
Gota safe from war crimes probe in Sri Lanka says dep justice minister
Sri Lankan military re-erects 'Army Cantonment' sign on Tamil land
We didn’t really ask for help but India in mood to help Sri Lanka' says foreign minister
Sri Lanka's new president receives blessings at sacred Buddhist site
Hunger strikers told commission will review Chunnakam oil leak on Feb 6
Tamil man assaulted by Sri Lankan army in Valvettithurai
Swiss asylum applications from Sri Lanka soar in 2014
Catholic priests call for release of prisoners, accountability and resettlement
EU announces €14 million funds for housing construction in North-East
Sri Lanka's disappearances commission requests meeting with new president
Gota safe from war crimes probe in Sri Lanka says dep justice minister