Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Thirteen more skeletal remains were exhumed from the Chemmani mass grave on Monday and a further seven newly identified, bringing the total identified at the site to 412, of which 390 have now been exhumed, as the excavation, the largest at any mass grave on the island, entered its 31st day. Monday, the 31st day of the third phase of the court-supervised process, saw three sets of remains…

Karuna arrested over misuse of state vehicle

Paramilitary leader and former Sri Lankan minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan (alias Karuna) was arrested on Tuesday by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the misuse of a bullet proof vehicle. 

According to reports, Karuna was arrested after being requested to give a statement at the FCID. 

Maaveerar Naal marked by Myanmar Tamils

Tamils in Myanmar commemorated Maaveerar Naal at an event in the nation's largest city Yangon.

The event, organised by the Tamil Youth Association, saw participation by many second and third generation Burmese Tamils.

Tamils in USA commemorate Maaveerar Naal

American Tamils in several states marked Maaveerar Naal with events in their localities.

Commemoration events took place across the US, including in Boston, the DC metro area, Florida, San Francisco, North Carolina and New York City.

Events saw participants lay flowers and light candles at pictures of fallen combatants, shrines or replica tombstones. Cultural performances were conducted and speeches were made, including by NPC Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan in Virginia.

All Party Parliamentary Group For Tamils calls for public commemoration of Maaveerar Naal

The chair of the British All Party Parliamentary Group For Tamils called on Sri Lanka to allow the Tamil community to publically mark Maaveerar Naal annually, without intimidation or harrassment from Sri Lankan security forces.

In a statement released to mark Tamil National Remembrance Day, parliamentarian James Berry said “remembrance is a vital tool in healing and reconciling communities traumatised by conflict”. “It is also an important element of transitional justice, because there can be no true reconciliation without proper accountability,” he added.

Sri Lankan president appeals to Trump to drop war crimes charges

Sri Lanka’s president has written to US President-elect Donald Trump in the hope of pressuring the United States to stop pursuing accountability for war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops.

“I will write to President (Donald) Trump to ask him to free us from these accusations,” the New Indian Express reported Maithripala Sirisena telling a  Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) membership drive in Galle.

Thousands of British Tamils mark Maaveerar Naal

Thousands of Tamils marked Maaveerar Naal in the UK on Sunday, November 27th. 

Maaveerar Naal commemoration in Amparai

Tamils in Amparai laid karthigaipoo, lamps and the Tamil Eelam national flag in their commemoration of Maaveerar Naal.

Students at Eastern University commemorate Maaveerar Naal

Over 200 students at Eastern University commemorated Maaveerar Naal at the Vantharumoolai campus in Batticaloa and the Swami Vipulananda Institute in Kalladi on Saturday.

Mirroring their counterparts at the University of Jaffna, students lit candles and lamps in memory of those who gave their lives to the Tamil struggle. 

Thousands gather at destroyed LTTE cemeteries to mark Maaveerar Naal

Tamils across the North-East marked Maaveerar Naal by gathering at the site of destroyed LTTE cemeteries across the North-East, where they collected broken gravestones and held memorial events to remember cadres that lost their lives in the struggle for liberation.

Catholic service in Mannar to remember Maaveerar

A congregation in Mannar held a mass this morning, in remembrance of all Tamil liberation fighters who died in the war against oppression by Sri Lanka.

The service, led by Father Sebamalai, was held at Karisal St Mary's Church.