Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Illustration:  Aravinthan Ganeshan Familiar scenes played out across the island last week as Sri Lanka marked 77 years since the end of British rule. In the Sinhala south, lion flags were hoisted with pride and Colombo’s streets saw yet another military parade. But in the Tamil North-East, a starkly different picture was evident once more. Black flags were raised, protests were held…

No other path to build the country than Buddhism says President

Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, hailed Buddhism as the "foundation for the culture and way of life of our people" and central to the building of the country, in a message marking the Buddhist festival of Poson today, the Daily Mirror reported.

"Even today we are on the correct path as we earnestly believe that there is no other path to build the country other than the teachings of the Buddha brought to us by Arahath Mahinda," President Rajapaksa said.

Sandra Beidas to coordinate OHCHR investigative team into Sri Lanka

Sandra Beidas, a senior official previously with the UN mission in South Sudan, has been appointed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to coordinate the investigative team examining mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, reports Al Jazeera.

According to the news agency, the team will comprise 12 members, including two experts in forensics as well as a legal analyst and a gender specialist. The investigation is intended to commence later this month and last for ten months.

NPC Chief Minister: occupying military force systematically seeks to subjugate

Condemning the on-going militarisation of the North, the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, C.V. Wigneswaran, said in an interview with The Hindu today, the province was "overwhelmed by an occupying military force" and said there was "an urgent need" to prevent military's on-going encroachment on civilian life.

Paramilitary, war crimes suspect appointed in EPC

A paramilitary leader, who has been accused of war crimes by the UN has been appointed as a new member of the Eastern Provincial Council, reports Colombo Telegraph.

K. Pushpakumar, known as Iniyapaarathi, took oath on Wednesday in Trincomalee, in front of Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama.

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Dead body found in Kilinochchi

A dead body was found in Kilinochchi this morning, near Selvanagar Utha Temple Street, the Uthayan reports.

The body has been identified as that of a 65 year old man, called Vaithilingam Wigneswaran.

Kilinochchi police are reported to be investigating the incident.


Canada is 'incredibly focused' to get Sri Lanka to take a different path says Foreign Minister

Condemning the lack of accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka, the Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird reiterated Canada's commitment to ensuring the Sri Lankan government takes a different path, when speaking at a press conference today during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

UNP: refusing to cooperate with UN inquiry is an 'injustice to valiant soldiers’

The opposition party, UNP explained its rationale for why the government should cooperate with the UN Human Rights Council mandated international inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, in a communique released today, reported Colombo Page.
“It would not only be an injustice to the valiant soldiers who sacrificed so much for this country but a betrayal of all our people who will have to suffer the consequences of international action,” the UNP said.

International pressure needed to stop impunity for crimes of sexual violence says UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Continued international pressure on states and institutions that allow sexual violence is needed to end impunity said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees speaking at the End Sexual Violence in Conflict global summit in London.

Sri Lanka’s eco-soldiers

The Sri Lankan military in the Northeast has organised a campaign to clear up plastic.

The campaign, organised by the Security Force Jaffna, saw soldiers throughout the peninsula collecting plastic and other rubbish, the government’s official media site reported.

Earlier today the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council condemned the militarisation of the province in an interview to The Hindu, saying that the province was "overwhelmed by an occupying military force" and said there was "an urgent need" to prevent military's on-going encroachment on civilian life.

Nigeria may follow Sri Lanka’s war strategy against Boko Haram

The Nigerian military is considering using Sri Lanka’s military strategy it used against Tamils, in its war against Boko Haram, reported AFP.

A high-level Sri Lankan military delegation led by Chief of Defense Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya, was in the Nigeria meet their counterparts to share experience and expertise.

During the meeting, the Sri Lankans explained their “total security” strategy, described as “the translation of all the nation’s assets into military power to counter the scourge of terrorism”.