Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has reiterated her government’s commitment to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), despite widespread rejection of such domestic mechanisms by victims' families and Tamil civil society. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday in response to a question raised by Ilankai Tamil Arasu katchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Amarasuriya claimed the…

India boycott of CHOGM necessary - TNPF

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) in a statement, urged the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to fully boycott the CHOGM due to take place in Sri Lanka and criticised Northern Provincial Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran’s attempts to discourage CHOGM boycotts.

The TNPF said that a boycott of CHOGM was necessary to “isolate Sri Lanka from the international community” and that India’s decision as “regional power” was key

Tamil Nadu holds 'slipper waving protest' against CHOGM


Activists from the Balachandran Student Movement held a protest oustide the British High Commission in Chennai on Wednesday, protesting against Prince Charles and Indian Foreign Minister Salaman Kurshid's decision to attend CHOGM.

No demos allowed around CHOGM - The Island

The government will prevent any planned protests around the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka next week, according to The Island.

When asked whether police would be deployed to break up protests in Colombo or Jaffna, a senior government official told the paper that protestors wouldn’t be allowed to interfere with the schedule of the summit.

Rajiv Gandhi statue vandalised in Tamil Nadu

A statue of the former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was found vandalised on Wednesday morning near the Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu.

According to PTI a letter was found nearby calling on the Indian government to boycott the CHOGM later this month.

More defence of the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma has gone on the defensive once again in an interview with Channel 4.

Sharma told Jon Snow of the decision to go ahead with CHOGM in Sri Lanka:
"In the time to come, I trust that people will see… that indeed very significant advances have been made in the interests of the people of Sri Lanka,"
See Channel 4's interview video below.

Further unrest in Tamil Nadu over Indian Prime Minister's potential attendance at CHOGM

Demonstrations against the Centre over its participation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka continued in Tamil Nadu today.

13 activists of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) were arrested for allegedly burning effigy of the Minister of State for Commerce after he reportedly made remarks favouring India’s involvement at CHOGM.

Two Tamil fishermen drown after being pursued by SL Navy

Two fishermen from Tamil Nadu drowned off the coast of Rameswaram after being chased by the Sri Lankan Navy, reported TOI.

Thirty fishermen were arrested, after the Sri Lankan Navy accused them of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

According to the injured fishermen, the Navy pelted their boats with stones, and cut all the fishing nets.

Leadership Council of UNP falters day 2

The Leadership Council of the UNP, a body appointed just yesterday in order to save Sri Lanka's faltering opposition party, lost yet another member today.

The Ratnapura District parliamentarian, Thalatha Atukorale withdrew her membership stating that the Council did not reflect the hopes and expectations of the party's majority.

India denies visa for director of No Fire Zone

India has denied a visa to the director of No Fire Zone, Callum Macrae. Speaking to TOI, Macrae said:

"I am due to fly out on November 6 for a screening of my documentary in Delhi the next day. I find it extraordinary that I still do not have my visa, despite the fact that I first applied more than eight months ago,"

Shock, disbelief, anger - Twitter reacts to #NoFireZone

British television channel Channel 4's broadcast of No Fire Zone - Callum Macrae's third documentary about the final months of the war in Sri Lanka - on Sunday night sparked an array of social media response pushing #NoFireZone to the top of the UK Twitter trend list.

Below we've shared a selection of Tweets from among the thousands of twitter responses to the film. Explore fully using #NoFireZone on Twitter.