Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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  The lawyer representing detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar challenged allegations that his client sought to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during proceedings before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court this week, arguing that the material cited by police contains no reference to the organisation or its leadership. Sangeethsan, better known by his stage name…

Marina Beach candlelight vigil held for Mullivaikal


Thousands of people gathered on Marina Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to remember those that perished in Mullivaikal, shouting slogans of grievance and calling in international independent investigation into war crimes.

Organised by the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and the May 17th Movement, the crowd also called for a referendum in establishing a separate state and were heard to shout slogans such as, “We will never forget India’s betrayal” and “We will never condone”.


An organisation called Youth Against War Crimes and Genocide also took part in the event, collecting signatures for their campaign.

See below for more photos.

Over 200 Tamil prisoners on hunger strike

A total of 234 Tamil detainees are now on hunger strike at prisons across the country, which has stretched into its fifth day, with more detainees joining the protest.

The detainees, some who have been held without charge for several years, have asked to be either charged or released.

Row over lending of Buddha's relics

India’s plans to lend ancient fragments of the Buddha’s bones to Sri Lanka have been slammed by Tamil Nadu activists.

Sri Lanka signed an agreement with India on Friday, permitting the transfer of the relics for the celebrations marking the 2,600th anniversary of Buddha’s enlightenment.

The request was made by President Rajapakse to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a visit last year.

Tamil Nadu politician Vaiko criticised India’s decision in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Media organisations criticise Supreme Court decision

The Committee to Protect Journalists has slammed the Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s decision to rejection a petition on the government’s website censorship earlier this week, filed by members of the Free Media Movement.

Bob Dietz, coordinator of CPJ’s Asia Program stated,

Rajapaksa pardons General Fonseka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has used a presidential pardon to grant the former army General Sarath Fonseka release from prison, after he was jailed in 2010.

Around 2,000 supporters greeted Fonseka at his release, waving the Sri Lankan flag and chanting,
"Victory to our war hero! Victory to our leader!"

Honouring our symbols of strength and courage

Addressing the Mullivaikkal remembrance event in Trafalgar Square, London on Saturday, Jan Jananayagam of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) paid tribute to the thousands of Tamil lives lost, calling them “symbols of strength and courage”.

Taking the opportunity to remember life in the Vanni before the assault by the Sri Lankan Army, she stated,

“The Vanni was above all a sanctuary. A sanctuary from the horrifying lawlessness of the Sri Lankan state and its military apparatus.”

May 18th defines precisely what cannot be reconciled' - TYO UK

Addressing the Mullaivaikkal remembrance event in London, on Saturday, the Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYO UK), condemned the ongoing abuses, colonisation and oppression taking place in the North-East and asserted, "history makes two things very clear. Justice cannot be compromised on and oppression will not be tolerated forever."

Eelam Tamils 'will resist subjugation' - BTF

The British Tamil Forum condemned the continued oppression of the Tamil nation in their speech at London's Mullivaikal remembrance event on Saturday.

BTF asserted that the Tamil people will never accept 'servitude in their own land' and 'subjugation' will be 'resisted'.

For full BTF speech see here. See below for extracts:

UK Tamil university societies condemn Jaffna student attack

British Tamil students from across the United Kingdom have released a joint statement, denouncing the attack on the secretary of the Jaffna University Student Union.

In a statement released on Saturday, student organisations deplored the “brutal act of violence that seeks to terrorise Tamil youth”, after Paramalingam Tharsananth was assaulted by a gang, alleged to have been linked with Sri Lankan army intelligence.

The student was due to speak at a remembrance event in Jaffna University, marking three years since the massacre at Mullaivaikkal.

Signed by 12 British university Tamil societies and the Tamil Youth Organisation UK, the statement goes on to say,
"The attack marks yet another attempt by the Sri Lankan state, through intimidation, aggression and sheer violence, to deny Tamils the very basic of rights – the right to mourn our dead.
Justice is paramount. However, reflecting on over sixty years of genocide faced by the Tamil nation, we view this attack as another in that continuum. We note with dismay and abhorrence that it will no doubt be met with injustice and impunity. 

Our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters in the North-East who continue to face this genocide today."
See the full statement and list of signatories below.

Tamil detainees across island join hunger strike

Around 100 jailed Tamil prisoners have joined a hunger strike launched on Thursday, demanding either immediate court action or to be released.

The detainees include 50 being held in Vavuniya prison, 20 held in Kalutara prison and 30 in Colombo Remand Prison.

They joined another group of 80 prisoners who started their hunger strike earlier this week, with many of the detainees having been held without charge for several years.

The group earlier told the BBC that even though the armed conflict was over, "nothing has been done to expedite our legal process".