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 chairman demands rapper's release
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…

TNA appoints C.V. Wigneswaran as NPC candidate

Jul 14, 2013
C.V. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as the Tamil National Alliance's Chief Minister candidate for the upcoming Northern Provincial Council election.

In a statement, the TNA leader R. Sampanthan said:

"It was unanimously resolved that the candidate for the position of Chief Minister at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections for the Northern Province would be Mr. C V Wigneswaran, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka,"

French film festival halted

Jul 14, 2013
The French Film Festival in Colombo was halted after the screening of an internationally-acclaimed film that the Sri Lankan military considered insulting.

A defence ministry official told reporters that the film, "Flying Fish" had been banned in Sri Lanka saying:

"It's an illegal film which insults the security forces and the government of Sri Lanka,"

Solution within unitary state is 'unfeasible' say diaspora youth

Jul 14, 2013
In a joint policy statement published on Monday, eight young Tamil activists from the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada reiterated the call for Tamil sovereignty "to be the basis of a principled minimal demand of the Eelam Tamil nation", and asserted that "a solution for the Eelam Tamil nation within a Sri Lankan unitary state is unfeasible".

Citing a "need for greater transparency regarding the policy decisions taken by diaspora organisations", the youth said that "Tamil organisations and activists must be held accountable to the democractic will of the people".

Commonwealth Lawyers Association call for CHOGM venue change

Jul 14, 2013

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association, whilst calling for a venue change, questioned the validity of holding the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, in an interview today.

Sri Lanka ready to face ‘LTTE propaganda’ during CHOGM

Jul 13, 2013

Senior government officials have told The Sunday Island that international media, including Channel 4, would not be barred from attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November.

SL deputy High Commission receives bomb threats

Jul 13, 2013
Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commission in Chennai has stepped up security after officials received bomb threats via a letter, reports Hirunews.lk.

According to officials, a postcard warned that bombs would go off at the mission, and condemned the Sri Lankan government's activities.

The Chennai police's cyber crime wing will be investigating the incident.

"Firstly, we need to secure the Tamil nation from the ongoing genocide" - Gajendrakumar

Jul 13, 2013
Speaking to The Weekend Leader, the leader of the Tamil National Peoples' Front (TNPF), Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, explained his reasons for calling for a Transitional Administration in the North-East, stating that "firstly, we need to secure the Tamil Nation from the ongoing Genocide."

See here for part 1 of the interview, extract reproduced below:

Jayalalithaa calls for ‘bold stand’ from India

Jul 13, 2013

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has called upon India’s central government to "take a bold stand in support of (Sri) Lankan Tamils" and stated that the aspirations of Tamils on the island could only be realised through an independent state.

Matter for humanity that justice is done' - interview with Callum Macrae

Jul 12, 2013
Tamil Guardian's correspondent based in Toronto, Canada, caught up with the director of the documentaries 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' and 'No Fire Zone - the killing fields of Sri Lanka', Callum Macrae, at the sidelines of FETNA 2013, to find out how he viewed Sri Lanka's reaction to the documentaries, himself and others who are speaking out against the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils.

No European monitors at provincial polls

Jul 12, 2013
Political parties were told by the Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya that no European countries would be invited to monitor provincial elections.

According to Deshapriya, the decision was made based on an uncited request that monitors from countries that voted against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should not be entertained by Sri Lanka.
French film festival halted
Solution within unitary state is 'unfeasible' say diaspora youth
Commonwealth Lawyers Association call for CHOGM venue change
Sri Lanka ready to face ‘LTTE propaganda’ during CHOGM
SL deputy High Commission receives bomb threats
"Firstly, we need to secure the Tamil nation from the ongoing genocide" - Gajendrakumar
Jayalalithaa calls for ‘bold stand’ from India
Matter for humanity that justice is done' - interview with Callum Macrae
No European monitors at provincial polls
Sri Lanka pledges to allow 'free' press at CHOGM
French film festival halted
Solution within unitary state is 'unfeasible' say diaspora youth
Commonwealth Lawyers Association call for CHOGM venue change
Sri Lanka ready to face ‘LTTE propaganda’ during CHOGM
SL deputy High Commission receives bomb threats
"Firstly, we need to secure the Tamil nation from the ongoing genocide" - Gajendrakumar
Jayalalithaa calls for ‘bold stand’ from India
Matter for humanity that justice is done' - interview with Callum Macrae
No European monitors at provincial polls
Sri Lanka pledges to allow 'free' press at CHOGM