Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Photo : Newswire Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on Wednesday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), over his recruitment to the Sri Lanka Navy and the funding of his training at Britain's Royal Naval Academy. He appeared before the commission on 17 June in response to a summons,…

Myanmar accused of shooting dead two Tamils

Myanmar’s military has been accused of shooting dead two Tamils in the country, with tensions raised across the border in Manipur’s town of Moreh.

The two Tamils have been identified as 28-year-old P. Mohan and 32-year-old M. Pyanar. They had reportedly travelled across the short border from Moreh where they lived to Tamu on Tuesday morning. Mohan had just gotten married two weeks ago.

According to reports, they were shot dead by Pyu Shaw Htee, a militia affiliated with Myanmar military.

With Tamils dying in Swiss detention, protestors call for an end to cruel policy

Following the deaths of at least three Tamil asylum seekers in Swiss detention, campaigners have demanded an end to the policy of forcibly deporting Eelam Tamils to Sri Lanka and called for justice to be served.

Dozens of protestors gathered outside of a deportation prison Bässlergut last month shouting slogans and carrying placards that denounced Switzerland’s deportation of Tamils. Campaigners accused the Swiss government of working with the Sri Lankan state and being complicit in Colombo’s repression of Tamils.

Rare moment of sunshine for Mannar’s fishermen

As Tamils across the North-East continue to grapple with Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, there was a moment of joy in Mannar last month after fishermen caught a rare giant tropical sunfish.

Fishermen on the Gulf of Mannar noticed the unusual catch in their nets on June 22. As they pulled their nets up, they were stunned to see the large ocean sunfish.

Britain warns against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka due to economic crisis

As Sri Lanka’s economic crisis worsens, the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka.

British government refuses to comment on investigation into KMS war crimes in Sri Lanka

Responding to independent MP Claudia Webbe’s question on the Home Office’s investigation of war crimes committed by the Keenie Meenie Services (KMS) in Sri Lanka, Kit Malthouse, Minister of State in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, refused to comment.

“It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing investigations” he claimed.

All smiles for Gotabaya Rajapaksa in parliament

Sri Lanka’s president was seen laughing in conversation with his newly appointed prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in parliament this morning, shortly before lawmakers staged an impromptu protest demanding his resignation.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, an accused war criminal who has overseen Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis, is facing anti-government protests in the south of the island.

‘Bankrupt’ Sri Lanka may reach inflation of 60% admits prime minister

Sri Lanka’s prime minister admitted his government was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a “bankrupt country” and warned of more pain to come for the island’s crisis-hit economy.

Addressing parliament this morning, Ranil Wickremesinghe admitted that Sri Lanka will “face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations” with the IMF.

More Eelam Tamil refugees arrive in Tamil Nadu

Eight Eelam Tamils from Valvettithurai arrived in Tamil Nadu as refugees today after fleeing the island due an unprecedented economic crisis.  

The refugees were apprehended by the Rameswaram coast guard  and were taken to the police station to be investigated. Following an investigation, the eight Tamils will be placed in Mandapam refugee camp where thousands of other Eelam Tamil refugees remain. 

Sri Lanka's fuel supply to run out in a matter of days

Sri Lanka's energy minister Kanachana Wijesekera warned that the cash-strapped nation fuel supply will last less than a day under the current demand as the country's economy continues to cripple. 

On Sunday Wijesekera said that Sri Lanka has 12,774 tonnes of diesel and 4,061 tonnes of petrol left in its reserves while the next shipment is due in two weeks. 

Black Tigers Day commemorated in secret at Jaffna University

A group of university students marked Black Tigers Day at Jaffna University this morning, as they paid tribute to the fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in secret.

Flowers were laid and lamps were lit below a portrait of a Black Tiger fighter.

The Black Tigers were an elite commando unit of the LTTE responsible for some of the most successful attacks on the Sri Lankan military.