Tamil Affairs

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Latest news from and about the homeland

Hundreds march in Kilinochchi against limestone, sand mining and wind turbines
A protest march was held last month opposing limestone excavation, mineral sand mining and a proposed wind power project across the villages of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, in the Poonakary Divisional Secretariat division of Kilinochchi. The demonstration was organised against plans to establish wind power stations and to carry out mineral sand and limestone extraction in the…

Maithripala manifesto released: vows to prevent international justice mechanisms and protect SL sovereignty

Dec 18, 2014
Photograph: BBC Sinhala


The common opposition candidate for Sri Lanka's presidential election next month, Maithripala Sirisena, released his election manifesto on Friday in only Sinhala and English, setting out his vision for "compassionate governance and a stable country".

The manifesto, following on from the joint opposition's election campaign pledges to date, fails to address key Tamil concerns of accountability, justice and the right to self-determination.

Pledging to protect every citizen from international justice mechanisms targetting individuals responsible for mass atrocities against the Tamil people during the armed conflict against the LTTE, Maithripala said that he would disseminate an image of Buddhism as that of non-violence amongst the West in order to improve, what he described as, Sri Lanka's poor international image at present.

Reiterating his commitment to the "stability, security and sovereignty of the country", Maithripala pledged that he would not change any aspect of the constitution that would potentially be detrimental to these aspects and that he would not change anything that required a referendum.

Extracts relating to key Tamil issues are published below:


Accountability and justice for mass atrocities against the Tamil people

"No international power will be allowed to ill-treat or touch a single citizen of this country on account of the campaign to defeat terrorism."

Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders

Dec 18, 2014
A leaked United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report warned of the negative effects that assassinations could have, recommending targeted strikes that could exploit leadership divisions and a combined counterinsurgency strategy.

The report, compiled in 2009, analyses the impact of  "high value targeting" (HVT) in conflict scenarios across the world, including in Sri Lanka.

Entitled “Best practises in Counterinsurgency: Making High-Value Targeting Operations an Effective Counterinsurgency tool” the report stated that HVT operations may,
“by eroding the ‘rules of the game’ between the government and insurgents, escalate the level of violence in a conflict, which may or may not be in a government’s interest.”
The report noted that the Sri Lankan government had used “antibunker bombs” to target LTTE leaders  in 2007 and 2008, adding
“Geocoordinate information provided by a former bodyguard of Prabhakaran’s contributed to an accurate Sri Lankan military bombing raid that killed LTTE political spokesman S.P. Tamilchelvan and other LTTE leaders on 2 November 2007, according to a clandestine source with whom a relationship was just beginning.”

Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General

Dec 18, 2014
Sri Lanka's army Commander, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake hailed the military increase in “strength”, whilst addressing troops in Colombo this week reports Colombo Gazette.

“The Army and its strength has increased in a significant manner in the past three decades and the organization has proved itself to be an integral and indispensable force to be reckoned with,” said Ratnayake. “It has performed arduous tasks which is impossible for others and won commendation from all quarters.”

Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka

Dec 18, 2014
Twenty-six asylum seekers were deported back to Sri Lanka by Japan on Thursday, along side six to Vietnam.

The deportation of mainly men aged 25 to 64 has been condemned by human rights activists and lawyers as "inhumane", the Japan Time reported.

"Lawyers blasted the move as dangerous for the individuals involved because some of them, including at least one political dissident, presented a “fairly believable” story of persecution," the paper noted.

See here for more.

NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015

Dec 18, 2014

According to Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran, the Northern Provincial Council has only been granted a fraction of the funds it requested for 2015.

The NPC which passed a budget for 2015 on Friday, requested a total of 149.95 million rupees to carry out its planned projects, but has only received 27.2 million rupees from the central government.

Uthayan reports the Chief Minister as saying that the council did not receive even a tenth of the requested funds for certain sectors.

Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate

Dec 17, 2014
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has made a “secret deal” with opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at an election rally in Chilaw this week.

Rajapaksa stated that a team from the TNA, which included parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, had formulated the deal with Sirisena, ahead of the presidential elections next month.

“We are watching these things very closely. These things need to be revealed,” said Rajapaksa.

India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj

Dec 17, 2014
India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stated the Indian government attaches the “highest importance” to the safety of Indian fishermen, as reports of attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy continue to take place.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha last week, Swaraj responded to a question on the harrassment and abduction of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy by saying,
“At the outset, let me take this opportunity to reiterate, in no uncertain terms, that Government attaches the highest importance to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen.”

There is no point in replacing Rajapaksa with another 'Rajapaksa' - TNPF

Dec 17, 2014
The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) called on the Tamil people to boycott Sri Lanka's presidential election next month, stating that the policies in relation to the Tamil question of the common opposition coalition did not differ from that of the ruling regime.

"There is no doubt that every Tamil person wants an end to this regime's policies - that of targeting the Tamil nation," said the TNPF President Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam at a press conference on Thursday.

"However, what is important is that there is an end to the atrocities being committed. It is not merely to oust Mahinda Rajapaksa. The key aim of every Tamil person is to put an end to the things that he is doing."

"From our point of view, the most important question is to what extent will a new regime, brought in by someone new, provide progress to the Tamil nation."

"In order to defeat the Rajapaksa regime, what kind of person do we need to bring? Do we need to defeat Rajapaksa as an individual, or do we need to defeat his policies?"

"As far as we are concerned, it is not Mahinda Rajapaksa as an individual that is the problem, but his policies. If the next person [to assume the presidency] is going to follow his same policies then what is really taking place here is not the change of a regime, ie. that of policies, but merely a personality change."

"Our party's humble request to the Tamil people is that the wisest thing to do at present would be to stay away from this election. At no point in the future should it be said that the Tamil people willfully gave a mandate to destroy the Tamil nation."

Government aligned paramilitary members attack NPC councillors

Dec 16, 2014


Members of the government aligned paramilitary group, the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), attacked Northern Provincial councillors at a Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting, on Tuesday morning.

At least two councillors sustained injuries and were sent to hospital, as government forces failed to protect the assaulted northern provincial councillors.

Northern Provincial Council members that protested the EPDP MP Douglas Devananda’s political canvassing against the Tamil National Alliance and Northern Provincial Council during the development meeting were attacked by uninvited EPDP paramilitary party members, sources at the meeting told the Tamil Guardian.



Opposition reiterate rejection of UN inquiry

Dec 16, 2014
Common opposition Presidential candidate, Sirisena, at rally today. Photograph BBC Sinhala


A former cabinet minister, Rajitha Senaratne, who crossed over to join the common opposition platform led by Maithiripala Sirisena, reiterated their rejection of an international inquiry into mass atrocities against the Tamil people, in an interview with The Hindu on Thursday.

Stating that the opposition would strengthen domestic mechanisms, Senaratne stressed that they would "settle our matters in our country".

Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders
Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General
Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka
NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015
Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate
India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj
There is no point in replacing Rajapaksa with another 'Rajapaksa' - TNPF
Government aligned paramilitary members attack NPC councillors
Opposition reiterate rejection of UN inquiry
JHU local government members leave to back Rajapaksa
Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders
Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General
Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka
NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015
Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate
India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj
There is no point in replacing Rajapaksa with another 'Rajapaksa' - TNPF
Government aligned paramilitary members attack NPC councillors
Opposition reiterate rejection of UN inquiry
JHU local government members leave to back Rajapaksa