Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Thai Pongal celebrated for the first time at a British school
The students and staff of Burlington Junior and Infant School in New Malden, UK, celebrated Thai Pongal, marking the first time it has been observed in a British school with its school students.  Thai Pongal is an ancient, secular Tail festival that gives thanks to the sun and for the harvest.  On January 14, pongal was cooked in the school playground which was decorated with…

BFF...?

Jul 26, 2014
Photograph Lalith Perera

The TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran engages with the former Sri Lankan army commander Sarath Fonseka.

Displaced families settled in Koppai dispute orders to vacate 'government land'

Jul 26, 2014
Displaced Tamil families from the High Security Zones in Valli North that settled in occupied land vacated by the Sri Lankan Army in Koppai protested against an order from the Regional Secretary instructing them to leave ‘government land,' reports Uthayan.

The families disputed the Regional Secretary’s demand, arguing that they were initially displaced due to Sri Lankan army occupation and questioned why then they could not settle on government lands left unoccupied.


Court case against SL navy postponed again

Jul 25, 2014
The court proceedings against 7 Sri Lankan navy personnel accused of gang raping two Tamil school girls were postponed again on Friday until July 31st, reports Uthayan.

The case was postponed as no one attended court on behalf of the victims, aged 9 and 11, the paper said.

Military stop Tamil journalists travelling to press workshop, driver detained

Jul 25, 2014
08:45 BST

The Sri Lankan security forces stopped and interrogated a group of 11 Tamil journalists travelling from Jaffna by road to a press workshop in Colombo on Friday evening for over six hours, before releasing the journalists and detaining the driver for further questioning.

Unidentified men, suspected to be military intelligence, followed the group as they travelled through Jaffna town in a hired private vehicle, sources in Jaffna told the Tamil Guardian.

Shortly after passing through Kilinochchi, the vehicle was stopped by police officers at Maankulam, who accused the occupants of failing to stop at the Elephant Pass check point.

Questioning the occupants, officers attempted to search the vehicle, only allowing the group to continue the journey after they had identified themselves as journalists and informed the police of the details of the workshop they were due to attend.

The check point and routine screening of vehicles at Elephant Pass stopped many months previously, locals told the Tamil Guardian.

Shortly after, two plain clothed police officers and three army personnel stopped the vehicle at the Oomanthai check point, interrogating the journalists and inspecting the vehicle once again, when one of the soldiers was seen placing a small bag under the driver seat of the vehicle, the journalists said.

Judicial Medical Officer confirms rape injuries on school girl

Jul 25, 2014
The Judicial Medical Officer at Jaffna Teaching Hospital confirmed the rape and sexual violence of two school girls following a physical examination of their injuries, TamilNet reported, citing legal sources in Jaffna who had access to the medical report.

"The physical injuries suffered by the first victim have established repeated vaginal penetration by the abusive SL navy men. The girl has injuries also in other parts of her body," the news site said. See more here.

Protesters disrupt workshop in Colombo for Tamil journalists

Jul 25, 2014
11:12 BST

A press workshop in Colombo for Tamil journalists was disrupted today after protesters gathered outside Sri Lanka's Press Institute, where the workshop was to take place, the journalist Dushyanthini reports.

Last night, eleven Tamil journalists travelling to the workshop were stopped and questioned by security forces, whilst the driver of the vehicle was detained. See more here.

"This was the 3rd training for northern journalists which was disrupted in just 2 months (May-July 2014)," Dushyanthini tweeted.

Regions in the Jaffna unidentifiable after military flattening say Tamil IDPs

Jul 25, 2014
Tamils that were allowed to temporarily leave the Sri Lankan Army’s enforced High Security Zones (HSZ) to return to visit their original areas of residence have found that homes,  schools and community buildings have been flattened, reports BBC Tamil.

One of those that was allowed to leave the HSZ in Valikamam North to see his home region, told reporters that many temples and schools that previously existed in the region could not be found.

Military intimidate media at inquiry into gang rape of Tamil school girls

Jul 24, 2014

Sri Lankan military personnel on Friday threatened and evicted journalists from the court room where the inquiry into the gang rape of two Tamil school girls, aged 11 and 9, in Karainagar by Sri Lankan navy personnel is currently taking place.

Dressed in civilian uniform, the military officers confiscated cameras and mobiles phones from the journalists, and deleted any photographs that had been taken, sources in Jaffna told Tamil Guardian.

The media personnel were told not publish news related to the incidents and the parents of the victims were offered money and threatened to drop the case.

Outside the court room, locals held a protest condemning the ongoing rape and sexual assault against Tamil children by military personnel, as well as calling for an end to the intimidation and harassment of victims.

CPA criticises expansion of presidential commission mandate

Jul 24, 2014

The Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives has expressed “deep concern” over the recent expansion of the presidential commission, which was initially found to solely investigate disappearances in the Northeast.

A recent gazette notification by the government expanded the mandate of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons (COI), to include “from violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) including the recruitment of child soldiers and suicide attacks, to the criminality of financial and other resources obtained by the LTTE”.

Important we never forget' Black July - Labour leader Ed Miliband

Jul 24, 2014

The leader of the British opposition Labour Party, Ed Miliband has stressed the importance of not forgetting the lives lost during Black July, in a statement to commemorate the pogroms in 1983.

“This month, in remembrance of Black July, we commemorate the lives of Tamil men, women and children that were lost and those who were displaced and exiled as a result of the regrettable violence,” Mr Miliband said in his statement, released on Friday.

"We may never know exactly how many lives were lost, but it is clear that the memories of the violence that ensued still live on. And it is important that we never forget."

Displaced families settled in Koppai dispute orders to vacate 'government land'
Court case against SL navy postponed again
Military stop Tamil journalists travelling to press workshop, driver detained
Judicial Medical Officer confirms rape injuries on school girl
Protesters disrupt workshop in Colombo for Tamil journalists
Regions in the Jaffna unidentifiable after military flattening say Tamil IDPs
Military intimidate media at inquiry into gang rape of Tamil school girls
CPA criticises expansion of presidential commission mandate
Important we never forget' Black July - Labour leader Ed Miliband
We stand with the Tamils in commemorating Black July - Jason Kenney MP
Displaced families settled in Koppai dispute orders to vacate 'government land'
Court case against SL navy postponed again
Military stop Tamil journalists travelling to press workshop, driver detained
Judicial Medical Officer confirms rape injuries on school girl
Protesters disrupt workshop in Colombo for Tamil journalists
Regions in the Jaffna unidentifiable after military flattening say Tamil IDPs
Military intimidate media at inquiry into gang rape of Tamil school girls
CPA criticises expansion of presidential commission mandate
Important we never forget' Black July - Labour leader Ed Miliband
We stand with the Tamils in commemorating Black July - Jason Kenney MP