Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

""
A Guinness World Record set by nearly 5,000 Bharatanatyam dancers at Galle Face in Colombo has sparked controversy, after activists questioned why the official recognition was awarded to organisers and an overseas instructor rather than the thousands of performers who paid to take part. The SANGAMAM-2026 event, held on 14 June, saw 4,988 dancers successfully set a new Guinness World Record for…

He was shot in the head' - Sri Lankan security forces murder Tamil man in Batticaloa

Scene of shooting - MP Sathasivam Vivalendiran House

A Tamil man has been shot in the head by security forces outside of the Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Sathasivam Viyalendiran's house in Batticaloa earlier today.

Biloela refugee family reunited following resettlement to Perth

Photograph courtesy of Home to Bilo

A Tamil refugee family have been reunited after being moved to community detention in Perth, Australia, following the medical evacuation of their three year old daughter to a hospital as she was being denied treatment by detention centre staff at Christmas Island.

Sri Lankan soldiers suspended for forcing locals to kneel for ‘violating travel ban’ in Eravur

Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal Shavendra Silva has suspended several Sri Lankan soldiers after they were caught humiliating locals in Eravur by forcing them to kneel down and raise their hands last week.

The Sri Lankan army ‘launched the probe’ after viral images circulated on social media showing rows of men kneeling before soldiers for allegedly violating Sri Lanka’s current lockdown restrictions in Eravur.

Mohammed Ismail Marzook, 44, told The Hindu, “I just went on my bicycle to buy my diabetes medicine at our local pharmacy, and a little bit of rice nearby. I even showed the empty box of my pills, but the soldiers forced me to kneel down right there along with some others, with my hands raised.”

“I explained to them in Sinhala that I am a patient, and that I stepped out only to buy medicines, which is allowed. But they wouldn’t listen, and kept beating me, like they would cattle.”

Tamil youth ‘beaten to death’ to be exhumed for second autopsy

Batticaloa Magistrates court ordered a second autopsy last Friday for the Tamil youth "beaten to death" by police.

Tamil lawyer, Sugas Kanagaratnam described Batticaloa Magistrates ruling to exhume the youth’s body as a “historic judgement”.  

TID interrogates Hindu extremist leader over alleged links to LTTE

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) questioned the leader of the Hindu extremist organisation Siva Senai, Maru Sachithananthan over alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

Satchithananthan was questioned for over two hours by the TID on Thursday over the alleged connection to the organisation which was militarily defeated by Sri Lanka's security forces at the end of the armed conflict in 2009.

UK Home Office amends country policy guidance to reflect threat of torture in Sri Lanka

Tamil activists in London February 2019

Following a landmark Upper Tribunal ruling, the Home Office has been forced to amend its country policy guidance to reflect the threat of torture peaceful Tamil activists face in Sri Lanka.

As Sri Lanka faces increased human rights scrutiny, Britain seeks deep ties

Following the passage of a scathing resolution in European parliament, condemning Sri Lanka’s human rights record, UK Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord Tariq Ahmad, has met with Sri Lanka’s to discuss deepening bilateral relations.

Major Sinhalese parties celebrate diplomatic ties with China

12 Sri Lankan political parties joined a virtual conference hosted by China’s embassy to celebrate diplomatic ties with China on the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Tamil National Alliance and the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) did not attend the virtual conference. 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, and accused war criminal, Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked China for its contribution's during the war.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister meets Indian leaders and demands equality for Eelam Tamils

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, has met with India’s Prime Minister and the leader of the main opposition party, Sonia Gandhi, to put forwards the demands of Tamil Nadu.

A key demand of which is for:

“Eelam Tamils to have equal civil and political rights”

TNA MP urges PM to provide relief to families affected by COVID-19 in the North-East

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, Vino Noharathalingam signed a letter on Wednesday (June 16th), urging Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to provide relief assistance to COVID-19 affected families in the North East.