Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

16 years today - Thousands killed in one day
  To mark 16 years since the Sri Lankan military onslaught that massacred tens of thousands of Tamils, we revisit the final days leading up to the 18th of May 2009 – a date remembered around the world as ‘Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day’.  After providing an initial death toll of 40,000, the UN found evidence suggesting that 70,000 were killed. Local census records…

Sri Lanka hires another American lobbying firm

Oct 23, 2014
Sri Lanka hired its eighth American public relations firm this year to reach out to US media, officials and policy makers.

Levick, an organisation subcontracted to the Liberty International Group, has been hired to speak on behalf of the Sri Lankan central bank.

Sri Lanka warns of increased 'LTTE rump' activity after EU ruling

Oct 23, 2014
The Sri Lankan military spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said they would be vigilant of "acts of [LTTE] rump groups" following the decision by the General Court of the European Union to annul the anti-terror measures against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on procedural grounds earlier this month.

"The LTTE through its network of 'Sencholai' schools promote their doctrine of separatism and inculcate a negative image of the country, especially in the minds of the children of the Tamil expatriate community," he told journalists at a press conference on Thursday, reports Colombo Page.

"Although there are no more armed terrorists in the country authorities are always vigilant on the acts of rump groups," he added.

Body found in Nuwara Eliya plantation

Oct 23, 2014
The body of a 41 year old Tamil man was found floating in a pond in Meraya plantation, in Nuwara Eliya, this week.

The man, identified as father of two, Ramasamy Ramachandran, went missing after leaving his home one morning, reports Uthayan.

His body was recovered by Lindula police, and handed over to the Nuwara Eliya district hospital for post mortem.

The police are reportedly investigating the incident further.

Tamil Civil Society Forum endorses North-East councillors' call for genocide inquiry

Oct 23, 2014
A network of Tamil civil society groups in the North-East, the Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF), endorsed the call by councillors in the Northern and Eastern provinces for an international inquiry into the crime of genocide.

Defending the councillors' right to state make such a call, the TSCF disputed an earlier statement by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which argued that a draft NPC resolution which argued the mass killing of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state was a genocide, would prejudice the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) currently underway.

"Tamils and their representatives have the right to form a legal opinion that the atrocities that were committed (and continue to be perpetrated) against them amounts to Genocide. There are sufficient, reasonable grounds to form such a legal opinion, such that this is not a spurious claim," the TSCF statement, published on Friday, read.

The people's budget

Oct 23, 2014

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his last budget presentation before the presidential election in January, granted several concessions and handouts to the people of Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa pledged that families of military personnel and police officers would receive Rs. 1000 per a month, as well as a guaranteed a 17.6% rise in rice prices, and pledged to provide farmers with free rice for the next season.

Journalists will be given interest-free car loans and school teachers and university lecturers will receive a rise in allowances, his budget further proposed.

The president also promised free health check-ups for all citizens and a pension scheme for garment sector employees.

Body of missing mother found in Vadamarachchi

Oct 23, 2014
The body of a mother of two children was found on Friday morning in the Mulli region of Vadamarachchi, reports Uthayan.

The 36 year old mother, who was from the Nagarkoyil area of Jaffna, went missing on October 20th after visiting a friend's house in Point Pedro.


Budget besties

Oct 23, 2014
TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah and leader R. Sampanthan delighted to shake hands with President Rajapaksa. (Photographs BBC Sinhala)


The leadership of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) celebrated the 2015 budget with the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday.

TNA MP Suresh Premachandran smiles on at Sampanthan-Rajapaksa exchange.

The opposition party, UNP, JVP and JHU meanwhile, were not in attendance, according to BBC Sinhala.

Commonwealth secretary general to visit Sri Lanka on 5 day trip

Oct 23, 2014
The Commonwealth secretary general will visit Sri Lanka tomorrow to brief the Sri Lankan president on Commonwealth goals and review progress made by Sri Lanka in their national development plan and post-conflict plans, reports Colombo Page.

Kamalesh Sharma is due to visit the government officials including the external affairs minister, G L Peiris and visit the Northern Province on his 5 day visit to Sri Lanka from the 25-29 October.

TNA leadership distances itself from NPC genocide resolution as case filed against councillors

Oct 22, 2014
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) issued a statement on Wednesday, apparently distancing itself from a draft resolution tabled within the TNA led Northern Provincial Council (NPC) which calls on the international community to recognise the genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state.

The draft resolution, tabled by the NPC councillor M. K. Shivajilingham, said that the NPC "wished to inform the international community of its strong belief that the Tamil people have been, and continue to be subjected to genocide by the Sri Lankan government and its forces" and "requests the international community and United Nations to create a mechanism to protect the Tamil people from the ongoing genocide of the Tamil people".

Whilst stating that "acts specified in article 2 of the Genocide Convention of 1948 have undeniably been perpetrated on the Tamil people by functionaries of the Sri Lankan state over several decades", the TNA leadership said it would be "improper and inappropriate for the Northern Provincial Council or any other political body to make pronouncements in the form of resolutions or otherwise on matters of evidence and law currently being considered by the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL).

Tamil Nadu parties urge Modi not to form closer defence ties with SL

Oct 22, 2014
Political parties in Tamil Nadu urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to form close military ties with the Sri Lankan government on Wednesday, following meetings between the Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Indian counterpart.

Describing such a move as a "diplomatic blunder", the head of the National Committee of the Naam Tamilar Party (NTP), Ayyanathan, asked what how this would benefit India's security given Sri Lanka's close ties with China.

"Now, what is the point in saying that this is for our security. Are you sharing your southern security with the Sri Lankan Government and China? This is ridiculous, it is a diplomatic blunder," he told ANI.

"You [the Indian government] have decimated Tamils and you are going with Sri Lanka, but Sri Lanka is going with China. This is the mockery of southern security of the country," he said.

Sri Lanka warns of increased 'LTTE rump' activity after EU ruling
Body found in Nuwara Eliya plantation
Tamil Civil Society Forum endorses North-East councillors' call for genocide inquiry
The people's budget
Body of missing mother found in Vadamarachchi
Budget besties
Commonwealth secretary general to visit Sri Lanka on 5 day trip
TNA leadership distances itself from NPC genocide resolution as case filed against councillors
Tamil Nadu parties urge Modi not to form closer defence ties with SL
Canadian Tamils condemn Ottawa attack
Sri Lanka warns of increased 'LTTE rump' activity after EU ruling
Body found in Nuwara Eliya plantation
Tamil Civil Society Forum endorses North-East councillors' call for genocide inquiry
The people's budget
Body of missing mother found in Vadamarachchi
Budget besties
Commonwealth secretary general to visit Sri Lanka on 5 day trip
TNA leadership distances itself from NPC genocide resolution as case filed against councillors
Tamil Nadu parties urge Modi not to form closer defence ties with SL
Canadian Tamils condemn Ottawa attack