Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka claimed it is committed to repealing the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), during the latest round of human rights discussions with the European Union, a move tied to its continued access to preferential trade benefits under the GSP+ scheme. At the eighth meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission,…

Ongoing torture of Tamils in Sri Lanka must be investigated by UNHRC - Freedom From Torture

The UK based NGO, Freedom From Torture, called on countries to halt the ongoing deportation of Tamil asylum seekers, citing the continuing use of torture by Sri Lankan state authorities against Tamils accused of being affiliated with the LTTE.

A new report released on Wednesday, documented at least 40 new cases in the last 8 months of post-war torture perpetrated between 2009-2013.

The new findings brings the total number of cases of post-war torture documented by the organisation to 140.

Calling on Sri Lanka to allow access to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a matter of urgency, the group called on Prince Zeid al-Hussein to include the torture of Tamils still taking place, into the ongoing investigations into Sri Lanka.
 

President Rajapaksa joins Hilary Clinton in drive to conserve African elephants

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa joined the former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in supporting the Elephant Action Network, a project of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), at the foundation’s 10th annual meeting in New York.

The project aims to put an international spotlight on the crisis facing African elephants.

Several other leaders were present at the event, including Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba and the deputy prime minister of Vietnam, Pham Binh Minh.

According to the official government news site, the president was invited by Hillary Clinton earlier this year.

CM Jayalalithaa files two more cases against Subramaniam Swamy

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Jaya Jayalalithaa filed two more defamation cases against the BJP’s Subramaniam Swamy for comments he made on Twitter, reported PTI on Tuesday.

The City Public Prosecutor (CPP) M L Jegan filed the cases on behalf of the chief minister, who said Swamy ridiculed her.

Jayalalithaa already filed cases against Swamy for comments in which he alleged the chief minister had financial interests in the fishing boats held by Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka doesn’t appreciate our assistance – Indian official

The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka YK Sinha said at an event in Colombo, Sri Lanka “under-appreciated” the assistance it received from its neighbour, reported NewsFirst.

Sinha highlighted the lack of reporting in Sri Lankan papers on India’s involvement in the launch of the train service between Jaffna and Colombo and pointed out that Sri Lanka had forgotten what India has done for millennia, while speaking during a symposium on Anagarika Dharmapala and India – Sri Lanka Relations, organised by the Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies of the Colombo University.

“We felt that there was need to let people in Sri Lanka in particular, know, what India has done in the last few years, for Sri Lanka. Because I think the emphasis is on a ‘Look East’ policy, and to try and glorify what countries have done, for Sri Lanka in the recent past, forgetting what a country like India has done for millennia.”

Tamil recruits shown southern places of 'historic importance' by army

Tamil recruits from Mullaithivu were taken on a four-day familiarisation tour of Colombo by the Sri Lankan Army to visit places of "historic importance", reports the Sri Lankan army website.

Man injured in machete attack in Jaffna

A man has been injured in a machete attack in Puttur, Jaffna on Tuesday, reports Uthayan.

A group of masked men arrived on motorbikes to the victim's house on Tuesday night around 10.30pm with their face covered in black clothes, and attacked the man with a machete.

The victim, identified as a 53 year old man named Uthayarasa was admitted to Atchuveli hospital having sustained serious injuries. He was later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for further treatment.

Atchuveli police are reportedly investigating the incident.

#GetThePicture campaign maps Sri Lankan state massacres of Tamils


The United States Tamil Political Action Council released an updated version of their #GetThePicture campaign map this week, detailing the long history of massacres that took place across the Tamil North-East, at the hands of the Sri Lankan state.

Announcing the updated maps, Dr. Karunyan Arulanantham, President of USTPAC said,
"The Tamils have suffered massacres and violence at the hands of the mono-ethnic Sinhala military since 1958 with increasing frequency and barbarity."

"This unchecked and systematic decades-long violence culminated in a genocidal onslaught in 2009 in which 146,000 Tamils are unaccounted for, and the continuing military occupation of Tamils in the North-East and forced land grabs all point to the intention and designs of Sri Lankan state to marginalize the Tamils and reduce them into a submissive minority."

China to strengthen military ties with Sri Lanka

China is to strengthen military ties with Sri Lanka, announced the vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Xu Qiliang, following a meeting with Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday, reports Xinhua.

“Leaders of two countries attach great importance to military-to-military ties and the Chinese military is willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields with the Sri Lankan military,” Qiliang reportedly said.

Sajith Premadasa appointed UNP deputy leader

Sajith Premadasa with UNP leader Ranil at party conference September 6th. Photograph Colombo Page


Sajith Premadasa has been formally appointed as the leader of the United National Party (UNP), following a nomination by Ranil Wickremasinghe earlier this month.

 

Addressing crowds as the UNP's 68th annual convention on September 6, Wickremasinghe said he was "confident that Sajith is qualified to lead the party same way as his father did to create another golden era of the party",

 

Australia would have breached refugee convention if Tamils detained at sea deported says UN

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Australia would have breached the UN refugee convention if it had deported over 150 asylum seekers detained at sea, to India, whilst making a submission to the High Court in Australia, reports an Australian news agency.

The court is currently looking the legality of the Australian government’s handling of the incident, when 157 asylum seekers originally fleeing from Sri Lanka were detained on board a boat heading for Australia and kept at sea for 4 weeks.

"Intercepting a refugee in international waters and taking him or her back to the place of persecution would violate the spirit of the refugee convention," the UNHCR submission said, stating that it would have been a case of refoulement, which is prohibited by the convention.