Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

ITAK MP takes Hiphop Sangee case to Brussels, warns of GSP+ implications
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Parliamentary Group Leader Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has raised the recent detention of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar and the wider continued use of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act with senior officials of the European External Action Service during meetings in Brussels. The meetings, which Rasamanickam set out on X, included a session with…

Remembering Pon. Sivakumaran 52 years on

Jun 5, 2026

Today marks 52 years since the death of Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle. 

Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. With decades of Sri Lankan state repression and deadly anti-Tamil pogroms already having taken place, Tamil militant movements began to form. Sivakumaran was involved in assassination attempts on both Somaweera Chandrasiri and Alfred Duraiappah.

""

UNP rallies to defend Buddhist institutions amid clergy misconduct controversy

Jun 4, 2026

Sri Lanka's United National Party (UNP) has accused the National People's Power (NPP) government of attempting to undermine Buddhism and interfere in the affairs of the Buddhist clergy, as controversy continues over proposed reforms aimed at addressing misconduct within the Buddhist Sangha.

""

Chemmani mass grave toll rises to 283 as more remains unearthed

Jun 4, 2026
Investigators identified eight additional skeletal remains at the Chemmani mass grave site on Thursday, bringing the total number of victims uncovered during ongoing excavations to 283.

41 years on, Tamils still await justice for the Vattavan massacre

Jun 4, 2026
Relatives of victims and members of the public gathered in Verugal this week to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Vattavan massacre, one of a number of deadly attacks on Tamils in the region, as families renewed calls for truth, justice and accountability.

‘Jail for a song?’ Protest grows over Tamil rapper's PTA detention

Jun 4, 2026
Calls for the release of Tamil rapper HipHop Sangee continued to grow this week, with Tamil civil society organisations planning a protest in Kilinochchi and parliamentarians from both Tamil and Sinhala parties raising concerns over his detention under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Tamil rapper arrested for ‘terrorism’ over TikTok video

Jun 4, 2026
A Tamil rapper from Kilinochchi has been arrested and remanded under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) after sharing videos of a musical performance on social media.

Thirty Indian fishermen return to Chennai after release from Sri Lankan prisons

Jun 4, 2026
Thirty Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka return to Chennai following their release and repatriation after diplomatic intervention

Another $695 million from the IMF, but Sri Lanka's economic woes remain

Jun 4, 2026
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a further US$695 million disbursement to Sri Lanka following the completion of the fifth and sixth reviews of the country's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, bringing total IMF support since the island's 2022 sovereign debt default to approximately US$2.4 billion.
""

Children among latest remains at Chemmani as toll rises to 270

Jun 3, 2026
Investigators identified eight additional sets of human skeletal remains at the Chemmani-Siththupathy mass grave site in Jaffna on Tuesday, bringing the total number of victims uncovered during the ongoing excavation to 270.
""

Transfer of Jaffna judge raises fresh fears over pressure on the judiciary

Jun 2, 2026
The Jaffna Bar Association has written to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing "complete disbelief and shock" over the transfer of Jaffna High Court Judge A. G. Alexraja, while the Northern Province Governor's Office has denied any connection to the move.
Remembering Pon. Sivakumaran 52 years on
"" UNP rallies to defend Buddhist institutions amid clergy misconduct controversy
"" Chemmani mass grave toll rises to 283 as more remains unearthed
41 years on, Tamils still await justice for the Vattavan massacre
‘Jail for a song?’ Protest grows over Tamil rapper's PTA detention
Tamil rapper arrested for ‘terrorism’ over TikTok video
Thirty Indian fishermen return to Chennai after release from Sri Lankan prisons
Another $695 million from the IMF, but Sri Lanka's economic woes remain
"" Children among latest remains at Chemmani as toll rises to 270
"" Transfer of Jaffna judge raises fresh fears over pressure on the judiciary
Remembering Pon. Sivakumaran 52 years on
""
UNP rallies to defend Buddhist institutions amid clergy misconduct controversy
""
Chemmani mass grave toll rises to 283 as more remains unearthed
41 years on, Tamils still await justice for the Vattavan massacre
‘Jail for a song?’ Protest grows over Tamil rapper's PTA detention
Tamil rapper arrested for ‘terrorism’ over TikTok video
Thirty Indian fishermen return to Chennai after release from Sri Lankan prisons
Another $695 million from the IMF, but Sri Lanka's economic woes remain
""
Children among latest remains at Chemmani as toll rises to 270
""
Transfer of Jaffna judge raises fresh fears over pressure on the judiciary