Features

Features

Latest news from and about the homeland

Miliband speaking at British Tamil event at the Houses of Parliament in 2013. Ed Miliband, appointed Foreign Secretary on Monday in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first cabinet reshuffle, arrives at the Foreign Office with a longer record on Tamil affairs than almost any of his predecessors. During his time as Labour leader between 2010 and 2015, Miliband issued statements marking Mullivaikkal…

Tamils protest as Sri Lankan army obstructs religious rites at Vadduvakal temple

Tamil devotees are protesting at Vadduvakal Saptha Kannimar temple this evening after the Sri Lankan army blocked them from performing religious rites at the temple which sits on land currently occupied by the armed forces. 

Tamil Eelam – Tamil Nadu links draw closer as flight and ferries set to resume

Flights from Jaffna’s Palaly airport to Chennai are set to be resumed next month said Sri Lanka’s prime minister, as reports of restarting a ferry service from the North-East to India also emerged, drawing together closer links between the two Tamil regions.

A closer look at the Adani deal in Sri Lanka

Dozens of Sri Lankan protestors gathered outside the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Thursday, as controversy erupted over a renewable energy project that was handed to the Adani Group last year.

“Stop Adani, Stop Adani!” chanted the protestors in Colombo, as they held placards denouncing the Indian multinational conglomerate. “Hands off Sri Lanka,” rang another slogan.

History in flames: remembering the burning of Jaffna Library

At midnight on May 31, 1981, the Jaffna Public Library, the crucible of Tamil literature and heritage, was set ablaze by Sri Lankan security forces and state-sponsored mobs. The burning has since been marked by Eelam Tamils as an act of genocide.

‘They’ll be home soon’ - Hope for Biloela family, but other Tamils remain in limbo

After Labor leader Anthony Albanese emerged victorious in Australia’s election last week, fresh hope has been raised for the Murugappan family, a Tamil family of asylum seekers who were removed by Australian authorities from their home in Biloela almost four years ago.

Canada's Parliament recognises Tamil Genocide in landmark motion

Canada's House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion recognising May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, in a landmark move making it the first parliament in the world to recognise the Tamil genocide.

Tamil Genocide Day commemorated in North-East

May 18 marks Tamil Genocide Day, commemorating the tens of thousands of Tamils who were massacred by the Sri Lankan state 13 years ago.

Follow events from across the Tamil Guardian below and on our Twitter account here.

13 years today - A massacre in Mullivaikkal

Over 3,000 people have been killed over the last 24 hours, with another 25,000 critically injured.

Go Home Gota protestors in Australia tear up Tamil Genocide flyers

As Tamils handed out flyers on the upcoming Genocide commemorations at an anti-Sri Lankan government protest in Australia, they were harassed and subjected to racist abuse with at least one man tearing up their flyers – all of which was caught on camera this week.

The return of Ranil Wickremesinghe - Sri Lanka appoints a new prime minister

Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister today before Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe has served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2015, 2015 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019. With this announcement, Tamil Guardian takes a look back at the veteran United National Party (UNP) leader who has become Sri Lanka's Prime Minister for the 6th time with just one seat in Parliament.