Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Jaffna and Palaly protests mark 36 years since Valikamam North displacement
Displaced residents of the Valikamam North region of Jaffna held protests on Monday, in front of the Jaffna District Secretariat and near Palaly Junction, marking 36 years since their forced displacement and demanding the right to return and resettle in their lands. The people of Valikamam North were displaced from their homeland on 15 June 1990 by the Sri Lankan military. Thirty-six years on…

UNP: 'no one can take the President before any international tribunal'

Mar 2, 2014
Sri Lanka's opposition party, the UNP, reiterated its support for the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government today, stressing that 'no one can take the President of the country or any other before an international tribunal since Sri Lanka is not signatory to the Rome Convention of 2012', reported Colombo Page.

The chair of the UNP Leadership Council, Karu Jayasuriya, added that the UNP was 'instrumental in bringing independence to the country and would work to safeguard it'.

Tamil Nadu students call on Delhi to support international investigation in Sri Lanka

Mar 2, 2014
Students at Nanthanam Arts College

In a number of separate protests, students in Tamil Nadu took to the streets demonstrating against the Central government's failure to lead the call for the international investigation into allegations of mass atrocities in the final stages of the armed conflict, whilst others also went onto to demand a referendum to be held on an independent state of Tamil Eelam.

Tamil Youths & Students Federation and Progressive Students Front

Draft resolution is a 'disappointing start' says TAG

Mar 2, 2014
Commenting on the draft UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka released today, the rights group, Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), said it was "disappointing start both for Tamil victims/survivors and for INGOs who have campaigned for a International Investigation into Sri Lanka's mass atrocities of 2009 to be established at this 25th session of the Human Rights Council."

Draft UNHRC resolution fails to offer meaningful progress - CTC

Mar 2, 2014
The draft resolution tabled today at the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka "falls short" said Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) in a statement released this evening.

Calling on the Council to take "decisive action", CTC said that the draft resolution "fails to offer any meaningful progress towards accountability, let alone reconciliation."

CTC added,
"The proposed resolution effectively mutes the chorus of calls for an International Commission of Inquiry, and instead continues to give Sri Lanka time and space. The proposal appears to seek the High Commissioner’s assistance in undertaking an investigation, however, it does not give her the mandate, resources, or direction to investigate and make a legal finding of fact."

Strong calls for international investigation on first day of HRC session

Mar 2, 2014

Opening of Human Rights Council 25th Session (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Calls for an independent investigation into crimes in Sri Lanka featured strongly on the first day of the 25th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.

India downplays Mahinda meeting

Mar 2, 2014

The Indian government said today that the meeting between Manmohan Singh and Mahinda Rajapaksa may occur “only on the sidelines” of the BIMSTEC summit in Burma, and that it would not be an exclusive meeting; PTI quoted Union Minister V Narayanasamy.

DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi had slammed the Indian prime minister for agreeing to a meeting with Rajapaksa.

Sources in Burma also said that India was looking for much more progress on reconciliation on Sri Lanka.

SL minister calls for unity against moves for sanctions

Mar 1, 2014
Sri Lankan officials today, reiterated that they were ready to face any challenge and allegations tabled against Sri Lanka, and urged the country to be united in the event of attempts by the United States to impose sanctions on Sri Lanka.

Urging Sri Lankans to remain united when confronted with challenges from the international community, government minister, Wimal Weerawamse, said,

Army denies involvement in Mullaitivu grave

Mar 1, 2014
The Sri Lankan army has denied involvement in the recently unearthed grave in Mullaitivu arguing that there was an "an attempt to use these premature conclusions to support their claims for an international investigation which is not really necessary" 

The Northern Province's Minister T. Raviharan of the TNA had said local residents believed many more graves existed in the area.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency, acting judicial medical officer Sinnaiyah Sivaruban said,
"We have found nine skeletons of mostly women with burn injuries,"

"Three local people have said the bodies were dumped in this land on February 9, 2009, after they were killed in an army multi-barrel shell attack, and that there is another mass grave 200 meters from this. But we don't know the truth."

Tamils demand international investigation into political prisoner death

Mar 1, 2014
Tamils demonstrated in Jaffna today, demanding an international investigation into the death of the Tamil political prisoner, and British citizen, Gopithas, in a Sri Lankan prison last week.

Photo:Tamilwin
 
Calling for an international investigation into the death, Tamils demanded wider accountability for all enforced disappearances, as well as the de-militarisation of the North-East and for the Tamil people’s right to self-determination to be respected.

Sinhala parties unite against SLMC over report to UN Human Rights chief

Mar 1, 2014
Two parties from the ruling government coalition have campaigned against another government partner, the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC), after reports that the party leader Rauf Hakeem had handed over a report to UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay detailing attacks on Muslims.

Both the National Freedom Front (NFF) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) have slammed Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem over the incident, which led to a reported clash from an irate Sri Lankan President, who accused him of “betraying the country”.
Tamil Nadu students call on Delhi to support international investigation in Sri Lanka
Draft resolution is a 'disappointing start' says TAG
Draft UNHRC resolution fails to offer meaningful progress - CTC
Strong calls for international investigation on first day of HRC session
India downplays Mahinda meeting
SL minister calls for unity against moves for sanctions
Army denies involvement in Mullaitivu grave
Tamils demand international investigation into political prisoner death
Sinhala parties unite against SLMC over report to UN Human Rights chief
Karunanidhi slams Singh’s plan to meet Rajapaksa
Tamil Nadu students call on Delhi to support international investigation in Sri Lanka
Draft resolution is a 'disappointing start' says TAG
Draft UNHRC resolution fails to offer meaningful progress - CTC
Strong calls for international investigation on first day of HRC session
India downplays Mahinda meeting
SL minister calls for unity against moves for sanctions
Army denies involvement in Mullaitivu grave
Tamils demand international investigation into political prisoner death
Sinhala parties unite against SLMC over report to UN Human Rights chief
Karunanidhi slams Singh’s plan to meet Rajapaksa