Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

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…

No media freedom on island says Batticaloa bishop

Aug 10, 2014
The bishop of Batticaloa condemned the lack of media freedom on the island, adding that "freedom of speech and media freedom for journalists is essential," the Uthayan reports.

“There is currently no media freedom in our country. Media freedom is important [and] everyone has freedom of speech, but here, journalists or media are not able to function freely," he said, speaking at an event in the Marai region of Batticaloa.

Access to Sri Lanka not necessary for investigation says UN Human Rights Chief

Aug 10, 2014
The United Nations top human rights official stated investigators do not need to visit Sri Lanka, in order to carry out a full and credible investigation into war crimes committed by the government.

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,  told the Thomson Reuters Foundation,
"There is a wealth of information outside of Sri Lanka which can be tapped into."

"The credibility of the report will depend on it reflecting proper standards of corroboration of evidence, whether the team is allowed into the country or not."
Citing the cases of Syria and North Korea, both of which had UN investigations into human rights abuses carried out, Pillay went on to add,
"Hardly anyone, apart from the Syrian and Democratic People's Republic of Korea governments, are questioning the credibility of these two inquiries, so I don't see why it should be any different in the case of Sri Lanka”.
See more from Business Insider here.

Sri Lanka says US should examine root causes of anti-Western sentiment

Aug 10, 2014
Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry rejected a security message issued by the United States last week, which had warned its citizens about increased anti-Western sentiments and violent demonstrations in Sri Lanka, stating that the US should itself examine the root causes of the widening gap in relations between the two countries.

In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry said it "takes serious note" of the message, which it said "regrettably creates a false and alarmist view of the conditions prevalent in Sri Lanka".
"There have been no instances of violent protests targeting the US Embassy, its diplomats, officials or citizens, though claimed by the US State Department’s Security Message, that such incidents could occur."

BBS tells Rajapaksa - discipline ministers or 'we will have to tame them'

Aug 10, 2014
The leader of the Buddhist monk group, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) told the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to take action against ministers whose actions the group condemned, warning, "if he [Rajapaksa] fails to correct those [ministers] behaving incorrectly then we will have to tame them".

“The President cannot shy away from taking the responsibility for the action of ministers. We cannot allow him to mollycoddle everyone including the wrongdoers," BBS leader, the Buddhist monk, Galagodaatte Gnanasera told a press conference, the Daily Mirror reports.

'Sinister' demographic changes made in North-East to stop need for political solution - TNA

Aug 9, 2014
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) accused the government of ‘sinister’ militarisation and land appropriation in the North-East with a ‘definite purpose’ of changing the demographic composition of the North-East with the aim of making a political solution for the Tamils ‘irrelevant and unnecessary.'

Highlighting that thousands of Tamil families lost their land to the Sri Lankan military in High Security Zone in the North-East, the TNA leader R Sampanthan, during a statement made in parliament on Thursday, asked if there was a ‘sinister’ motive to the appropriation of Tamil land.

Sampanthan said that the land appropriation in the eastern provinces was to break the linguistic continuity of the North-East, whilst highlighting that the Northern and Eastern provinces were historically Tamil areas, and insisting they must become one unit of devolution, with one provincial council. His statement further warned that there was a strategy to break up the ‘linguistic continuity’  of the North-East as part of the government plan to remove the need for a meaningful political solution for the Tamils.
 
He added that, though promises had been made by the Supreme Court to release these lands back to the Tamil people, the commitments had not been met and civilians were not able to resettle in their original lands.

Extracts reproduced below.
“There are tens of thousands of Tamil families in this position. Why is there no serious effort to address this issue? Despite all the protests and demonstrations that are taking place in the North and the East, despite the matter having been raised in Parliament on several occasions, why is this issue not being addressed seriously? Is this attitude of the Government not indicative of the Government having a sinister objective? I want to pose this question."

“All this is being done because you want to change the demographic composition of the North and the East and you want to change the cultural and linguistic identity of the districts in the North and the East. These things are being done with a definite purpose, the purpose being to change the demographic composition of the Northern and Eastern Provinces and the cultural and linguistic identity of the Northern and Eastern Provinces so as to make a political resolution, a political solution irrelevant and unnecessary. That is the objective with which you are pursuing this agenda,” he later said in an answer to his question.

IMF warns Sri Lanka on foreign borrowing

Aug 9, 2014

The International Monetary Fund has warned Sri Lanka over its increasing foreign debt, which has been growing year-on-year, according to the latest figures.

In its latest assessment the IMF Executive Board concluded that foreign borrowing by the government and banks has left the economy vulnerable and stated, “recent improvements in the trade and current account balances notwithstanding, Sri Lanka remains vulnerable to external shocks.”

Reporting after its latest consultations with Sri Lankan authorities, the IMF added,

Body found in Kilinochchi

Aug 9, 2014

The body of a male has been found in Visvamadu, Kilinochchi, reported Uthayan.

Local police recovered the body, which remains unidentified, on Sunday morning and brought it to Kilinochchi Hospital.

Puthukudiyiruppu police are reported to be investigating the death.

Bishop of Mannar refuses to participate in Sri Lanka's domestic inquiry on missing persons

Aug 9, 2014
The Bishop of Mannar in a letter to the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons said he would not contribute to the commission due to Sri Lanka’s historic failure of domestic inquiries in addressing injustices faced by Tamils.

Australia's 'cruel' asylum seeker policy slammed by over 190 experts

Aug 9, 2014
Over 190 individuals and organisations have signed a statement condemning Australia's asylum seeker policy, demanding the government adopt alternative solutions consistent with the Refugee Convention.

The Guardian reported that the 190 experts, which included leading human rights lawyers, religious leaders and refugee advocates, accused both major political parties of “wilfully and deliberately” pursuing harmful policies against asylum seekers.

The statement accused the Australian government of “pursuing a policy of detention for asylum-seekers, both adults and children, in spite of clear evidence that it causes psychiatric disorders, self-harm and suicide”, “engaging in forced deportations to situations of danger with confirmed fatal outcomes” and “encouraging racist media coverage.”

1 injured in attack by unidentified men on motorcycles in Jaffna

Aug 8, 2014

A 26-year-old man has been injured and admitted to hospital after being attacked by four unidentified men near his home in Jaffna, reports Uthayan.

Ranjan Ramanan, was attacked by his house in the Mayilani region of Jaffna Thondamanaaru, by four men on motorcycles.

His injuries led to him being initially admitted to the Oorani hospital before being transferred to Point Pedro and then to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, where he is currently receiving further treatment.

Access to Sri Lanka not necessary for investigation says UN Human Rights Chief
Sri Lanka says US should examine root causes of anti-Western sentiment
BBS tells Rajapaksa - discipline ministers or 'we will have to tame them'
'Sinister' demographic changes made in North-East to stop need for political solution - TNA
IMF warns Sri Lanka on foreign borrowing
Body found in Kilinochchi
Bishop of Mannar refuses to participate in Sri Lanka's domestic inquiry on missing persons
Australia's 'cruel' asylum seeker policy slammed by over 190 experts
1 injured in attack by unidentified men on motorcycles in Jaffna
Attack in Amparai leaves 9 men and women injured
Access to Sri Lanka not necessary for investigation says UN Human Rights Chief
Sri Lanka says US should examine root causes of anti-Western sentiment
BBS tells Rajapaksa - discipline ministers or 'we will have to tame them'
'Sinister' demographic changes made in North-East to stop need for political solution - TNA
IMF warns Sri Lanka on foreign borrowing
Body found in Kilinochchi
Bishop of Mannar refuses to participate in Sri Lanka's domestic inquiry on missing persons
Australia's 'cruel' asylum seeker policy slammed by over 190 experts
1 injured in attack by unidentified men on motorcycles in Jaffna
Attack in Amparai leaves 9 men and women injured