Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Chemmani mass grave toll reaches 366 ahead of ministerial visit
The number of skeletal remains identified at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna has risen to 366, as excavators uncovered further remains of children on Tuesday, at one of the largest mass graves unearthed on the island and a site long tied to the enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing of Tamils by the Sri Lankan military. Six sets of skeletal remains, including those of children,…

Fonseka booed by voters in Jaffna

Jan 1, 2015
The former army general Sarath Fonseka, and key member of the common opposition's presidential campaign, was booed at an election rally in Nallur in Jaffna on Tuesday, reports Ceylon Today.

Fonseka who was seeking support for the common opposition's candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, faced outcry after telling voters in Jaffna that he had carried out the military campaign against the LTTE with "only a few human casualties in Vavuniya".

"Don't lie, don't lie!" shouted Tamils who had gathered at the rally. 

See more here.

Stones thrown at Sirisena during election rally

Jan 1, 2015

Sri Lanka’s opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections escaped injury after stones were thrown at him, whilst he addressed an election rally in the south of the island.

Maithripala Sirisena was addressing a rally in Pelmadulla on Friday when an unknown group of people threw stones towards the stage.

Sirisena’s security guards and Sri Lankan troops stepped in to ensure he escaped unharmed but approximately 20 of his supporters who were present at the rally suffered injuries.

‘No room for anyone to take the country back’ warns Rajapaksa

Dec 31, 2014

Incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned that he will not allow anyone to “take the country back” after victory against separatism, in his New Year’s message.

“The separatism that was defeated with great commitment and sacrifice is raising its head again in different forms,” said Rajapaksa, in a statement released on Thursday.

“All those who value national unity and the sovereignty of the country should look far ahead with single-minded determination to protect the nation.”

Army bases in North will not be removed - Maithri

Dec 31, 2014
Sri Lanka’s common opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena, dismissing allegations that a future government under him would allow ‘terrorism’ to rise again, said that he would not remove any military camps from the North.

Addressing a public rally in Puttalam on Wednesday, Sirisena said that his government would keep army bases in the North to ensure an environment conducive to all Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims.

"One of Mahinda’s allegations is that if I became President, I would withdraw the army from Jaffna. But it’s a blatant lie since I have never said such a thing," he told voters in Puttalam.

“We will not remove any army barriers from North. However, we will make an environment for the Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims to live peacefully,” he added.

Earlier in the week Sirisena had stressed that common opposition was supported by people responsible for the defeat of the separatists militants, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Second NPC councillor refuses to endorse Maithri

Dec 31, 2014
A second Tamil National Alliance (TNA) councillor of the Northern Province has publicly stated he will not be backing the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena at the election on January 8.

"I cannot campaign endorsing any of them," Councillor Ravikaran told the Uthayan.

"I cannot vote or sing praise to them, stepping on the emotions of our people who died. I am not going to campaign for anyone, except those who honestly speak for Tamils from the Tamil homeland. This is my decision based on my aspirations."

We never wanted a separate district - SLMC

Dec 31, 2014
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which recently defected from the ruling government to endorse the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena in the election on January 8, rejected the government's allegations that the party wanted a separate Muslim district in the East.

“The government is making allegations that the SLMC and the TNA have secret agreement to amalgamate the North and the East. We strongly reject that allegation and regret even the President is making such allegations on stage. We do not have any hidden agendas between us. We left the government to uphold good governance in the country,” the SLMC leader and former government minister, Rauf Hakeem was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.

2014 in photographs

Dec 30, 2014
Here is our look back at 2014 and some of the year's most significant images:


 
Tamils remember Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, who self-immolated outside the UN Human Rights Council five years ago, protesting against the international community's inaction at the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.


 

Sri Lanka attacks UN Secretary-General over election comments

Dec 30, 2014
Sri Lanka's ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has slammed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, after he stated he “strongly expects” the upcoming presidential elections to be “peaceful and credible” in a telephone conversation with Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister GL Peiris.

In a statement released on Wednesday the UPFA expressed “strong resentment” over the Secretary-General's comments, saying,
“In fact this country has been enjoying democratic voting rights many decades before Mr Ban-Ki-moon’s country.”

I cannot vote against my conscience' – Ananthy Sasitharan

Dec 30, 2014
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) provincial councillor Ananthy Sasitharan has announced she will be boycotting the upcoming presidential election, stating that she cannot support a candidate that has a hostile policy towards the Tamil people.

Her comments come after the TNA announced its support for opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena earlier this week.

Speaking to BBC Tamil, Sasitharan said,
“My decision is that I will not vote... in the Nothern Provincial Council (NPC) election I campaigned for TNA, on a platform of recognising the Tamil homeland, the Tamil nation and the right to self determination. The people voted for me in support of that.”

“To vote for Maithripala Sirisena, whose stance is against that, is against my conscience. Therefore, I will withhold my vote in this election.”

TNA backs Maithripala

Dec 29, 2014


The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) announced its decision to endorse the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, at the election on January 8, in a press briefing this morning.

Stones thrown at Sirisena during election rally
‘No room for anyone to take the country back’ warns Rajapaksa
Army bases in North will not be removed - Maithri
Second NPC councillor refuses to endorse Maithri
We never wanted a separate district - SLMC
2014 in photographs
Sri Lanka attacks UN Secretary-General over election comments
I cannot vote against my conscience' – Ananthy Sasitharan
TNA backs Maithripala
We will not allow LTTE to rise aided by Tamil diaspora - Maithri
Stones thrown at Sirisena during election rally
‘No room for anyone to take the country back’ warns Rajapaksa
Army bases in North will not be removed - Maithri
Second NPC councillor refuses to endorse Maithri
We never wanted a separate district - SLMC
2014 in photographs
Sri Lanka attacks UN Secretary-General over election comments
I cannot vote against my conscience' – Ananthy Sasitharan
TNA backs Maithripala
We will not allow LTTE to rise aided by Tamil diaspora - Maithri