Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Jaffna LGBTQIA+ community holds fifth annual Pride Walk
The LGBTQIA+ community in Jaffna held their fifth annual Pride Walk, under the theme  “We Exist For Each Other".  The walk, organised by the Jaffna Transgender Network, began outside the iconic Jaffna Public Library and proceeded along Hospital Road and Pannai Road before ending at Jaffna Fort.  Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, human rights activists, civil society…

Everybody should consider this as a one country' says President in Kilinochchi

Jul 28, 2015
Photograph Colombo Page


The  Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena, currently on a visit to Kilinochchi said that "everybody should consider this as a one country," reports Colombo Page.

"The demographic divisions of the country such as North, South, East, and West are only in maps," Mr Sirisena told those gathered at the opening of a supermarket in the town, which was the former administrative capital of Tamil Eelam.

Sri Lanka continues 'multifaceted assault of terror' on Tamils under new government

Jul 27, 2015

Abductions, torture and sexual abuse of Tamils by Sri Lanka's security forces continue under the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena, according to a new report released on Tuesday, which calls on the UN to refer its reports to the International Criminal Court for further action against those responsible for the crimes.

Location of a secret torture camp in Trincomalee - International Truth and Justice Project Sri Lanka report

The report, by the International Truth and Justice Project Sri Lanka (ITJP), says 100 so-called "white-van" abductions occurred between 2009 and 2015, one from as recent as this month, and describes torture and sexual violence by military forces and police against Tamils in locations across the North-East and Colombo.

ITJP in its report published 41 locations on the island where victims say they were tortured since the end of the armed conflict, revealing the GPS coordinated for the notorious intelligence detention facility in the Trincomalee Naval Dockyard. The locations include 15 military camps, 15 police stations, 10 "Rehabilitation Camps" and Menik Farm internment camp.

UK diplomats warned not to fly with Sri Lankan air force company

Jul 27, 2015
British diplomats in Sri Lanka have been advised against travelling with a Sri Lankan air force operated company, after it was revealed it had been functioning with an expired air safety certificate.

The Sunday Leader reported that Helitours, the commercial wing of the Sri Lankan air force, has an expired Air Operating Certificate (AOC) which had been previously issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL).

Since then staff at the British High Commission have subsequently been advised against flying with the company by the UK Foreign Office.

Sri Lanka studies building navy base at Hambantota port

Jul 27, 2015
The Sri Lankan cabinet approved a feasibility study to examine the prospect of building a naval dockyard at the Chinese-built Hambantota port on the south of the island.

Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports Arjuna Ranatunga made the announcement, which will allow him to negotiate with the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), who initially put forward the proposal for the building and repair of navy ships.

Hambantota Port was built at a cost of $1.5 billion, financed through a loan from EX-IM Bank of China. Work is currently underway on the second phase of development at the port, at a cost of $808 million. It was built by CHEC, who also won a $1.4 billion contract to construct the Colombo ‘Port City’, a project that has been stalled by the current government.

SLMC reiterates desire to re-establish Tamil homeland by re-merging Northern and Eastern provinces

Jul 27, 2015
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress welcomed calls to create a homeland for Tamil speaking people by re-merging the Northern and Eastern province, reports Ceylon Today.

Speaking to press, the SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali, said,

“We welcome the stance of the Tamil National Alliance in its election manifesto to create a home land of Tamil speaking people, by re-merging the North and East. This decision shouldn’t be mere talk but both Muslim and Tamil leaders should jointly discuss about the stance to win over the demand.”

Reiterating that this had been a continuous stance of the SLMC, Mr Ali added,

Internal UN document details plan for “domestic probe” in Sri Lanka

Jul 27, 2015

An internal UN document, obtained by Channel 4 News, outlines a purely domestic process for accountability and redress for the gross violations of human rights during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka.

The document says the establishment of the mechanism would be overseen by the Sri Lankan government and its foreign ministry, while UN involvement would be limited to support and technical assistance.

The Northern Provincial Council is mentioned as one of the key implementing partners of the project, alongside the Sri Lankan government, however Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran described the document as a “betrayal” of the hopes pinned on the UN process by the war victims and that the plan undermined calls for an international court.

 

The chief minister said the NPC was not consulted in the process and was minded to reject it. He also accused a UN official of attempting to "strong-arm" him to agree to the plan.

Tamils tell Sri Lankan president to return their missing children

Jul 27, 2015
Tamils in the North-East today demanded the Sri Lankan president returned their missing children to them, during a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena in Jaffna.

Mr Sirisena, who visited Jaffna on Tuesday, met with families of the disappeared at the house of the SLFP regional organiser, Ankajan.

"Our loved ones were taken away by the military and armed men. We don't know if they are alive or not," the families told Mr Sirisena.

Tamils demonstrate against disappearances as Sri Lankan president visits Jaffna

Jul 27, 2015
Photograph Tamil Guardian


Families of the disappeared protested in Nallur on Tuesday, as the Sri Lankan president visited the region, demanding their missing children by returned to them.

Stating that they would not vote for anyone in this election or in any election until their missing loved ones were returned to them or they received news about them, the protesters condemned both the previous government and the present government.

UPFA election manifesto limits political solution to ethnic conflict to 13A

Jul 27, 2015
Sri Lanka’s main opposition party the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), led by Sri Lanka’s current president Maithripala Sirisena, committed to limiting any political solution from going beyond the widely criticised 13th amendment of the current Sri Lankan constitution.

The UPFA manifesto, released on Tuesday, said,

“We aim to arrive at a solution acceptable to all by strengthening the provincial and local governments by not venturing the 13A,” said the UPFA constitution.

The 13th amendment has been rejected as a starting point for a solution to the ethnic conflict by all Tamil political actors including the Tamil National People’s Front, the Tamil National Alliance and the Chief Minister of the Northern Province.

TNA manifesto calls for constitutional change that accepts Tamil right to self-determination (25 Jul 2015)

‘13A can never be the final solution’ says Chief Minister Wigneswaran (12 March 2015)

TNPF: 13A is not a starting point, interim or final solution (13 Jun 2013)

Google Loon to launch in Sri Lanka

Jul 27, 2015

The Government of Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Google to be the first country to launch the Google Loon project, which will provide high-speed internet services across the island.

A statement by the Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs minister Mangala Samaraweera, said,

Sri Lanka continues 'multifaceted assault of terror' on Tamils under new government
UK diplomats warned not to fly with Sri Lankan air force company
Sri Lanka studies building navy base at Hambantota port
SLMC reiterates desire to re-establish Tamil homeland by re-merging Northern and Eastern provinces
Internal UN document details plan for “domestic probe” in Sri Lanka
Tamils tell Sri Lankan president to return their missing children
Tamils demonstrate against disappearances as Sri Lankan president visits Jaffna
UPFA election manifesto limits political solution to ethnic conflict to 13A
Google Loon to launch in Sri Lanka
UK money transfer company looks to tap into US $7 billion transferred by diaspora to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka continues 'multifaceted assault of terror' on Tamils under new government
UK diplomats warned not to fly with Sri Lankan air force company
Sri Lanka studies building navy base at Hambantota port
SLMC reiterates desire to re-establish Tamil homeland by re-merging Northern and Eastern provinces
Internal UN document details plan for “domestic probe” in Sri Lanka
Tamils tell Sri Lankan president to return their missing children
Tamils demonstrate against disappearances as Sri Lankan president visits Jaffna
UPFA election manifesto limits political solution to ethnic conflict to 13A
Google Loon to launch in Sri Lanka
UK money transfer company looks to tap into US $7 billion transferred by diaspora to Sri Lanka