Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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…

‘Our people want credible and durable power-sharing’ - TNA leader

The Tamil National Alliance’s leader R Sampanthan said that the Tamil people wanted “credible and durable power-sharing” in comments made to The Hindu this week, ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential elections.

Britain’s RAF train Sri Lankan air force in Trincomalee

British troops from the Royal Air Force (RAF) were training Sri Lankan troops in Trincomalee last week, as the UK continues its military engagement with Sri Lanka despite concerns over human rights abuses.

An RAF Force Protection team delivered “a bespoke Force Protection Executives Course” to a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Regiment, according to an RAF press release.

Swiss government holds conference with Tamil diaspora on transitional justice

The Swiss government hosted a workshop with Tamil diaspora members from around the world last week, to discuss transitional justice initiatives and processes.

The conference, organised by the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, saw Tamil diaspora members gather in Zurich “to discuss potential contributions of the Tamil diaspora to Dealing with the Past initiatives and processes,” said a Swiss government statement.

“Switzerland has been supporting Dealing with the Past efforts for several years,” the statement continued. 

Sri Lankan parliament passes interim budget

<p>Sri Lanka’s parliament has passed an interim budget in the lead up to election pledging 1.47 trillion rupees (£6.32 billion) to be spent in the first four months of 2020.</p> <p>The budget passed unanimously and expects to raise 745 billion rupees during those first four months whilst seeking permission to gain a loan of 721 billion rupees. Sri Lanka currently holds a fiscal deficit of 2.2% of GDP.</p> <p>The two front-runners for the presidential candidates, Sajith Premasada and Gotabata Rajapaksa, have claimed that if they would provide a number of handouts including free of charge fertilizers and higher wages.</p>

Wives of arrested politicians go on hunger strike

<p>The wives of three politicians who were arrested for their alleged 'LTTE links' began a hunger strike on Thursday after&nbsp;hearing that their husbands will be held in detention for another week.</p> <p>Umah Devi, wife of Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, Sumathy,&nbsp;wife&nbsp;of S. Chandru, businessman&nbsp;and Vimala Jakumaran,&nbsp;wife of Melaka local authority councillor V. Suresh Kumar, started their hunger strike&nbsp;as they are frustrated with and disappointed at the arrests of husbands.</p>

Sri Lankan government says no evidence of troops intentionally killing civilians

<p>Sri Lanka's Health Minister, Rajitha Senaratne, said the government had no evidence of Sri Lankan&nbsp;troops killing Tamil civilians during the war.</p> <p>Senaratne claimed that people were killed in the crossfire but there is no evidence to show that civilians were directly targeted.</p> <p>Senaratne said the government rejected the "Darusman Report" on Sri Lanka&nbsp; which accused&nbsp;the Sri Lankan military of intentionally killing Tamil civilians.&nbsp;The "Darusman Report" was produced in 2011&nbsp;by a panel of experts appointed by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and headed by Marzuki Darusman.</p>

Sri Lankan special forces in UK for military training

A team of Sri Lankan army special forces were in the UK last week, where they took part in various military exercises with British troops, despite Sri Lankan troops still not being held accountable for human rights abuses committed against Tamils.

Tamil woman found murdered in her Jaffna home

A Tamil woman has been murdered at her home in Kondavil, Jaffna this week, with Sri Lankan police reportedly launching a murder investigation into her death.

According to reports, the woman was found with her throat slit by the back entrance of her home.

She has been identified as 61-year-old Chandra Thesi of Neddilipai, Kondavil.

Thesi had been living alone at the house, when her body with her clothes torn, was discovered on Monday.

Sri Lankan navy blocks sea access for Tamil fishermen in Mannar


The Sri Lankan navy has been blocking Tamil fishermen in Talaimannar from access to fishing waters for over two months, leaving their livelihoods threatened and their families facing various hardships, according to local groups.

Local fishermen state that the navy has brought back a “pass system” which means that only those that have military clearance can fish in the waters fishing around the islet of Theedai and its surrounding waters, where hundreds used to go for their daily catch.

LTTE uniform and documents uncovered in Mullaitivu

Sri Lankan police are currently investigating the alleged discovery of a cache of LTTE uniform and related documents that were reportedly uncovered in Mullaitivu on Monday.

The discovery was reportedly made in Iranaippalai in Puthukudiyiruppu.