Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, met with Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in Islamabad this week on the sidelines of the 5th Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue, the Sri Lankan government announced. The meeting took place on Tuesday 29 April, the second day of the three-day dialogue, which aims to enhance defence cooperation…

‘Psychological elimination of threat’ still ongoing says Army Commander

The Commander of the Sri Lankan Army said that the military was still working on the “psychological elimination of the threat” since the end of the armed conflict and rejected suggestions of reducing the size of Sri Lanka’s armed forces.

Speaking in an interview to Adaderana, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake justified the increased involvement of Sri Lanka’s expanding military in civilian affairs, saying,

“Winning a war of this nature has basically two parts. That is physical elimination of a threat and psychological elimination of the threat. What we achieved in May 2009 is physical elimination of the threat. Thereafter achieving psychological elimination is a process and there are no shortcuts to it,” added Ratnayake.

Visa for US journalist ‘put on hold’ says Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s External Affairs ministry has confirmed that a visa for US journalist Gardiner Harris has been “put on hold” following advice from the Sri Lankan High Commission in India, reports the Sunday Leader.

Harris, South Asia Correspondent for The New York Times, tweeted that he had applied for a visa more than 50 days ago, yet was still waiting to hear from Sri Lankan authorities.

 

Mahinda Rajapaksa leaves for US - SL papers

According to Sri Lankan news sources, President Mahinda Rajapaksa left suddenly to the United States on a private jet, Saturday.

The Sunday Times and LankaNewsWeb, Rajapaksa is travelling to Houston to meet with his brother Dudley Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa 'livid' at TNA-Modi meeting

The Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday was "livid" on hearing the news that a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was to meet with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Sunday Times reports.

The meeting, which took place on Saturday, was preceded by a meeting with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and included the TNA leader R. Sampanthan and MPs Mavai Senathirajah, M.A. Sumanthiran, Suresh Premachandran, Ponnambalam Selvarajah and Selvan Adaikalanathan.

According to the newspaper, prior to the meeting, President Rajapaksa "conveyed to Sampanthan his displeasure through an emissary" and "was angry that there was no intimation to the Government", believing the meeting "was aimed at cornering him and his Government."

Modi meets TNA, calls for political solution addressing Tamil aspirations



The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Saturday called for a political solution in Sri Lanka "that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka" and "builds upon the 13th Amendment".

The six-member delegation led by TNA leader R. Sampanthan included MPs Mavai Senathirajah, M.A. Sumanthiran, Suresh Premachandran, Ponnambalam Selvarajah and Selvan Adaikalanathan.

Military briefs international advisors to presidential disappearances commission

Senior Sri Lankan military commanders last month briefed international experts appointed by President Rajapaksa to advise his commission on disappearances.

The briefing, which took place after the appointment of the first three experts, including all but "one or two senior officers who had commanded ground troops during the final phase", the pro-government newspaper, The Island reports.

According to the paper, a subsequent military briefing has also taken place.

Earlier this month two additional international experts were appointed to the panel, one from India and the other from Pakistan.

Despite the high profile appointments, President Rajapaksa has stressed the international experts will not have any investigative power

Judge orders soldier accused of rape to be detained

A judge has ordered that the Sri Lankan soldier accused of raping a 14 year old girl in Mannar should be held in remand until September 5, after police said officials at the army base where he resides were obstructing their inquiries.

Police filed a case regarding the incident at Mannar Magistrate Court on Friday, in the presence of Judge Ananthy Kanagaratnam, the Uthayan reports.

The soldier is accused of raping a 14 year old girl in woods by the military base in Mannar.

The soldier first met the girl, originally from the village of Panagakattukottu West, at Mannar hospital three months ago. He gave her his contact number on a phone registered under his wife's name, and proceeded to harass the girl, forcing her to speak with him, the paper went on to add.

TNA MP calls for release of Tamils in Kurdistan

Tamil National Alliance MP P Ariyanenthiran called for the release of Tamil labourers, held against their will in Kurdistan.

Over 100 Tamils from Batticaloa were being held as hostages, he charged in the letter dated August 11, adding that family members of the men approached him about the issue.

"[...] hundreds of employees [...] have been taken into custody as hostages by the Iraq forces of in Kurdistan Republic of Iraq where severe [clashes  are taking place]," Mr Ariyanenthiran said in the letter.

Police confirms 14y girl raped by soldier

The police spokesperson Ajith Rohana confirmed on Thursday that a 14 year old girl in Mannar had been sexually assaulted by a Sri Lankan army soldier, reports BBC Tamil.

The attack took place at the beginning of this month said Rohana, adding that a complaint had been filed with the police four days after.

A medical examination by the legal medical officer confirmed the 14 year old had been sexually assaulted, he added.

Bones found by fisherman's ID card in Batticaloa

Bones have been unearthed in farm land in Pandariyaveli in Batticaloa by the Kokkaddicholai police, reports Uthayan.

According to the paper, the police are suspecting the discovery is that of human bones, with one fragment representing a bone in the wrist.

A shirt, a burnt towel and a fisherman's identity card, with the name and photo illegible due to decay, were found along side the bones, the police said.

Police also suspect that this discovery may be linked to a skull found previously in the same area.