Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Activists protest mineral sand mining threatening East coast
Environmentalists and civil society activists protested at Galle Face in Colombo on 17 June against proposed heavy mineral sand mining along the eastern coastline from Oluvil to Pothuvil, warning that the project threatens the land, fisheries and livelihoods of Tamil and Muslim communities across the Eastern Province. According to the People's Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), exploration…

Protests ease but Sri Lankan security forces remain in Jaffna

May 21, 2015
Sri Lankan riot police, Special Task Force officers and military personnel remained stationed across Jaffna on Friday, even as protests over the rape and murder of a Pungudutivu school girl last week, began to ease.

Photographs Tamil Guardian


Four senior police officers, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Superintendent of Police (SP), the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and the Officers-In-Charge of Jaffna and Kayts Police, were transferred to Jaffna with immediate effect, following an order by the Inspector General of Police, N K Ilankakoon.
 

The Chief Justice Shri Bhavan also visited the Jaffna Peninsula today, inspecting the damage to the Jaffna court complex following violent scenes yesterday, as protesters threw stones demanding justice for the 18 year old Advance Level student, Vithiya.

4 Sri Lankan ministers resign citing Ranil's grip on power

May 21, 2015
Four government ministers belonging to the Sri Lankan president's party, the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) resigned on Friday, accusing the prime minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe of exerting too much control over the coalition government.

The ministers are Dilan Perera, the SLFP spokesperson and state minister for housing; Mahinda Yapa Abewardene, the cabinet minister responsible for parliamentary affairs; C B Ratanayake, state minister for public administration and democratic rule and Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi, the minister of environment.

War heroes laid foundation for national unity' says Ranil

May 21, 2015
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe praised the efforts of the country's soldiers for defeating the armed Tamil resistance movement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), stating that "war heroes who eliminated terrorism that engulfed our country for a longtime laid the basic foundation to build national unity and harmony".

He made these remarks on May 19, as the Sinhala south commemorated 'Victory Day', recently renamed as 'Armed Forces Day', with a military parade in Matara. See here for more.

"We should remember with gratitude and respect our men and women who laid their lives in combating terrorism, peace keeping and humanitarian operations across the world and the ones who became disabled while doing their duty diligently," he said, reported the government's news portal, News.Lk.

Sri Lanka loses right to host Asian Youth Games 2017

May 21, 2015

Sri Lanka has lost the right to host the Asian Youth Games in 2017 due to government interference.

The Olympic Council of Asia withdrew the games from Sri Lanka citing problems with the autonomy of the National Olympic Committee from the government.

The games were set to be held in Hambantota, the home district of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa which saw massive regeneration during his term.

US congressional caucus on Sri Lanka stresses need for war crimes accountability

May 21, 2015
The US congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka convened on Wednesday to discuss the current human rights situation in Sri Lanka under the new Sirisena regime.

A packed room of congressman and senate representatives, was briefed by representatives from the International Crisis Group (ICG), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Freedom From Torture.

Sri Lanka must not be rewarded for reforms it hasn't made say NGOs (22 May 2015)

Welcoming the panel, US senate representative BIll Johnson stressed the need to see accountabiltiy for war crimes to see real progress in Sri Lanka.

US Senate representative Danny Davis, urging the international community to stay engaged in seeing change and progress in Sri Lanka, condemned previous attacks by Sri Lanka's air-force on Tamil orphanages during the US caucus meeting on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan coalition partner accuses Jaffna protesters of threatening Sinhalese

May 20, 2015
The government coalition partner and party consisting of Buddhist monks, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) on Wednesday called for the Sri Lankan security forces to take action against Tamil demonstrators in Jaffna who are protesting against the rape and murder of a school girl in Pungudutivu, accusing them of threatening the lives of Sinhalese residents.

The 18 year old Advance Level student, Vithiya, is believed to have been raped and murdered by local Tamil men last Wednesday, who are being held in remand at Jaffna police station by court order. The incident has sparked protests across the region, with Tamils demanding that the perpetrators face justice.

The JHU's media secretary, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, said that the demonstrators were "threatening the Sinhalese in Jaffna and forcing them to leave that area", the Daily Mirror reported.

"Racist, separatist and terrorist groups were trying to raise their heads again by hiding behind this incident and added they were resorting to violent acts as well," he added, urging that legal action be taken against those found responsible for the violence.

Sri Lanka's CID to lead murder investigation of Pungudutivu school girl

May 20, 2015
Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is to take over the investigation into the rape and murder of a Pungudutivu school girl last week, the police spokesperson, Ruwan Gunasekara said during a press conference on Wednesday. 

The decision was made by the Inspector General of the Sri Lanka police who visited Jaffna yesterday, and ordered the CID to take over.

Sri Lankan police deployed outside Jaffna court as protesters gather

May 20, 2015
Photographs Tamil Guardian


Sri Lankan police officers were deployed outside the Jaffna court complex on Thursday morning, as protesters gathered expecting three suspects, accused of the rape and murder of a Pungudutivu school girl last week, to be produced before court.



The police have denied this however, telling demonstrators that the suspects were not due to be produced before court today.

Sri Lanka's supreme court cancels stay order on Sampur land

May 20, 2015

Sri Lankan police pursue and assault protesters in Jaffna

May 20, 2015

Protesters in Jaffna were pursued and assaulted by Sri Lankan police on Wednesday after dispersing from a demonstration outside the Jaffna court complex.

A video obtained by IBC Tamil shows Sri Lankan police calling out an individual from a property and beating him on the street.

4 Sri Lankan ministers resign citing Ranil's grip on power
War heroes laid foundation for national unity' says Ranil
Sri Lanka loses right to host Asian Youth Games 2017
US congressional caucus on Sri Lanka stresses need for war crimes accountability
Sri Lankan coalition partner accuses Jaffna protesters of threatening Sinhalese
Sri Lanka's CID to lead murder investigation of Pungudutivu school girl
Sri Lankan police deployed outside Jaffna court as protesters gather
Sri Lanka's supreme court cancels stay order on Sampur land
Sri Lankan police pursue and assault protesters in Jaffna
LTTE began like Jaffna protests' - Mahinda
4 Sri Lankan ministers resign citing Ranil's grip on power
War heroes laid foundation for national unity' says Ranil
Sri Lanka loses right to host Asian Youth Games 2017
US congressional caucus on Sri Lanka stresses need for war crimes accountability
Sri Lankan coalition partner accuses Jaffna protesters of threatening Sinhalese
Sri Lanka's CID to lead murder investigation of Pungudutivu school girl
Sri Lankan police deployed outside Jaffna court as protesters gather
Sri Lanka's supreme court cancels stay order on Sampur land
Sri Lankan police pursue and assault protesters in Jaffna
LTTE began like Jaffna protests' - Mahinda