Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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'Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing'
Mannar Urban Council Chairman Daniel Vasanthan has strongly condemned the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), stating that the detention reflects a situation where "Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing". Speaking at a media briefing held at the Mannar Urban Council on Friday, Vasanthan criticised the decision to arrest the…

No Fire Zone' screening organisers to be charged in Malaysia

Sep 17, 2013
One of the three people, Lena Hendry, who were arrested following the screening of 'No Fire Zone' documentary in Malaysia is to be charged on Thursday at the KL Magistrate Court under the Film Censorship Act.

Hendry, the program officer of the organisation PUSAT KOMAS, was arrested on the 3rd July along with the Executive Director, Arul Prakkash and one of the Board of Directors Anna Har, after the screening was raided by Malaysian police, on apparent instructions of the Malaysian Home Ministry (KDN).

Below is a press statement by PUSAT KOMAS:

TNA sets out to win support of the masses

Sep 17, 2013
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) held a mass election rally in Nallur today, with several candidates addressing the crowds, and urging them to come out and vote.


   
Front page of the TNA electoral publication  

See below  for commentary from the event as it took place.

SL military and MoD receive high corruption ratings

Sep 17, 2013

In a recent study conducted by the Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP) , Sri Lanka was placed amongst the 14 most likely countries that were likely to suffer from high level corruption in their Ministry of Defence and armed forces.

ICP questions UN on impunity for SL peacekeepers

Sep 17, 2013
Questioning the UN's claim of 'zero tolerance' for sexual abuse, the Inner City Press (ICP), asked the UN whether it was denying the allegation of rape against Sri Lankan peacekeepers in Haiti.

Sri Lanka brought up again in UNHRC general debate

Sep 16, 2013

Rajapaksa: 'army will never be withdrawn completely' from North

Sep 16, 2013
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa answered a wide range of questions concerning the end of the armed conflict and the time that has passed since then. See here for full interview, extracts reproduced below.

Asked about militarisation of the North-East and why a phased withdrawal was not possible, Rajapaksa commented:

SL collecting data for citizen identity cards

Sep 15, 2013

Sri Lanka’s Department of Registration of Persons will commence issuing new electronic National Identity Cards to all ‘citizens’ from November, reported Colombo Page.

Tamil TNA campaigner killed in Mullaitivu

Sep 15, 2013

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) campaigner, Rasiah Kavithan, was killed by a group of supporters of the ruling party UPFA in Mullaitivu today, reports TamilNet. 

The Sri Lankan police force in the area handed over the dead body to the mortuary in Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital.

Sri Lankan Cricket preparations

Sep 15, 2013
Sri Lankan cricket players take part in a ceremony in preparation of the Champions League Twenty20, in Colombo.

SL court brings criminal charges against impeached chief justice

Sep 15, 2013
A Sri Lankan court brought criminal charges of corruption against the former chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake, who was impeached earlier this year, in a move that was condemned internationally.

Speaking to AFP, the head of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Upul Jayasuriya, said:
"This is a frivolous allegation. She is accused of not declaring bank accounts where she had a zero balance."
TNA sets out to win support of the masses
SL military and MoD receive high corruption ratings
ICP questions UN on impunity for SL peacekeepers
Sri Lanka brought up again in UNHRC general debate
Rajapaksa: 'army will never be withdrawn completely' from North
SL collecting data for citizen identity cards
Tamil TNA campaigner killed in Mullaitivu
Sri Lankan Cricket preparations
SL court brings criminal charges against impeached chief justice
Rajapapksa: 'easy for the western countries to talk, to criticise'
TNA sets out to win support of the masses
SL military and MoD receive high corruption ratings
ICP questions UN on impunity for SL peacekeepers
Sri Lanka brought up again in UNHRC general debate
Rajapaksa: 'army will never be withdrawn completely' from North
SL collecting data for citizen identity cards
Tamil TNA campaigner killed in Mullaitivu
Sri Lankan Cricket preparations
SL court brings criminal charges against impeached chief justice
Rajapapksa: 'easy for the western countries to talk, to criticise'