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,…

India to deliver warships to Sri Lanka

Dec 19, 2014
India is to send two indigenously built warships to Sri Lanka, the country's minister of state for defence production said on Saturday.

"From Sri Lanka, we have received an order to build two off-shore patrol vehicles (OPV) and they are under construction in Goa Shipyard," Minister Rai Inderjit Singh, was quoted by the Times of India as saying, during an address at the delivery of warships to Mauritius.

Tamil Nadu CM demands Sri Lanka releases fishing boats before Xmas

Dec 19, 2014
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam, expressed disappointment that the Sri Lankan government had failed to hand over the fishing boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen, and called on the Indian Prime Minister to ensure the boats were delivered before Christmas.

Body of youth found in Manipay

Dec 19, 2014
The body of a young man was found in Kattudai Kaattu region of Manipay on Saturday, reported Uthayan.

Local residents suspect the body is that of a youth who was reported missing three days previously, the paper said.

Manipay police, who unearthed the body, are reportedly carrying out investigations.


Maithripala manifesto released: vows to prevent international justice mechanisms and protect SL sovereignty

Dec 18, 2014
Photograph: BBC Sinhala


The common opposition candidate for Sri Lanka's presidential election next month, Maithripala Sirisena, released his election manifesto on Friday in only Sinhala and English, setting out his vision for "compassionate governance and a stable country".

The manifesto, following on from the joint opposition's election campaign pledges to date, fails to address key Tamil concerns of accountability, justice and the right to self-determination.

Pledging to protect every citizen from international justice mechanisms targetting individuals responsible for mass atrocities against the Tamil people during the armed conflict against the LTTE, Maithripala said that he would disseminate an image of Buddhism as that of non-violence amongst the West in order to improve, what he described as, Sri Lanka's poor international image at present.

Reiterating his commitment to the "stability, security and sovereignty of the country", Maithripala pledged that he would not change any aspect of the constitution that would potentially be detrimental to these aspects and that he would not change anything that required a referendum.

Extracts relating to key Tamil issues are published below:


Accountability and justice for mass atrocities against the Tamil people

"No international power will be allowed to ill-treat or touch a single citizen of this country on account of the campaign to defeat terrorism."

Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders

Dec 18, 2014
A leaked United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report warned of the negative effects that assassinations could have, recommending targeted strikes that could exploit leadership divisions and a combined counterinsurgency strategy.

The report, compiled in 2009, analyses the impact of  "high value targeting" (HVT) in conflict scenarios across the world, including in Sri Lanka.

Entitled “Best practises in Counterinsurgency: Making High-Value Targeting Operations an Effective Counterinsurgency tool” the report stated that HVT operations may,
“by eroding the ‘rules of the game’ between the government and insurgents, escalate the level of violence in a conflict, which may or may not be in a government’s interest.”
The report noted that the Sri Lankan government had used “antibunker bombs” to target LTTE leaders  in 2007 and 2008, adding
“Geocoordinate information provided by a former bodyguard of Prabhakaran’s contributed to an accurate Sri Lankan military bombing raid that killed LTTE political spokesman S.P. Tamilchelvan and other LTTE leaders on 2 November 2007, according to a clandestine source with whom a relationship was just beginning.”

Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General

Dec 18, 2014
Sri Lanka's army Commander, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake hailed the military increase in “strength”, whilst addressing troops in Colombo this week reports Colombo Gazette.

“The Army and its strength has increased in a significant manner in the past three decades and the organization has proved itself to be an integral and indispensable force to be reckoned with,” said Ratnayake. “It has performed arduous tasks which is impossible for others and won commendation from all quarters.”

Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka

Dec 18, 2014
Twenty-six asylum seekers were deported back to Sri Lanka by Japan on Thursday, along side six to Vietnam.

The deportation of mainly men aged 25 to 64 has been condemned by human rights activists and lawyers as "inhumane", the Japan Time reported.

"Lawyers blasted the move as dangerous for the individuals involved because some of them, including at least one political dissident, presented a “fairly believable” story of persecution," the paper noted.

See here for more.

NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015

Dec 18, 2014

According to Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran, the Northern Provincial Council has only been granted a fraction of the funds it requested for 2015.

The NPC which passed a budget for 2015 on Friday, requested a total of 149.95 million rupees to carry out its planned projects, but has only received 27.2 million rupees from the central government.

Uthayan reports the Chief Minister as saying that the council did not receive even a tenth of the requested funds for certain sectors.

Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate

Dec 17, 2014
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has made a “secret deal” with opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at an election rally in Chilaw this week.

Rajapaksa stated that a team from the TNA, which included parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, had formulated the deal with Sirisena, ahead of the presidential elections next month.

“We are watching these things very closely. These things need to be revealed,” said Rajapaksa.

India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj

Dec 17, 2014
India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stated the Indian government attaches the “highest importance” to the safety of Indian fishermen, as reports of attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy continue to take place.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha last week, Swaraj responded to a question on the harrassment and abduction of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy by saying,
“At the outset, let me take this opportunity to reiterate, in no uncertain terms, that Government attaches the highest importance to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen.”
Tamil Nadu CM demands Sri Lanka releases fishing boats before Xmas
Body of youth found in Manipay
Maithripala manifesto released: vows to prevent international justice mechanisms and protect SL sovereignty
Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders
Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General
Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka
NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015
Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate
India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj
There is no point in replacing Rajapaksa with another 'Rajapaksa' - TNPF
Tamil Nadu CM demands Sri Lanka releases fishing boats before Xmas
Body of youth found in Manipay
Maithripala manifesto released: vows to prevent international justice mechanisms and protect SL sovereignty
Leaked CIA report analyses Sri Lanka's assassination of LTTE leaders
Army strength increased in 'significant manner' claims Lieutenant General
Japan deports 26 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka
NPC receives fraction of requested funds for 2015
Rajapaksa claims TNA signed 'secret deal' with opposition candidate
India attaches 'highest importance' to safety of fishermen says Swaraj
There is no point in replacing Rajapaksa with another 'Rajapaksa' - TNPF