Interviews

Interview

Latest news from and about the homeland

Jegatheepan outside Le Fournil Didot, the bakery he took over in 2022 Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan fled the Tamil homeland not knowing the language, where to go, or what lay ahead. Last month, he was crowned the best baguette baker in Paris and will soon deliver bread to the Élysée Palace. Tamil Guardian spoke to him about his journey. On the morning of 26 February, a baker in Paris's 14th…

‘Resolutions are not enough’ - Human Rights Watch calls for justice at Mullivaikkal

Human Rights Watch’s Asia Director Elaine Pearson called for renewed international efforts towards accountability and justice, whilst attending Mullivaikkal remembrance events in the Tamil homeland on Sunday.

British-Tamil football player speaks on her success at the Deaflympics

Lucindha Lawson, a British-Tamil deaf football player from London, who won Bronze at the 2025 Deaflympics spoke to the Tamil Guardian about her medal winning journey.

The 34-year-old brought home the medal from Tokyo last month as part of the Great Britain (GB) Deaf Women’s Football team. 

'Tamils are now breaking through set expectations' - Interview with Arji Manuelpillai

Following the success of his royally commissioned sonnet for Armistice Day, British-Tamil poet Arji Manuelpillai sat down with Tamil Guardian to discuss his poetry, performances and the transformative power of the arts.

'Justice means seeing the Tamil people as equals' - Interview with Ranitha Gnanarajah

Human rights advocate and lawyer Ranitha Gnanarajah has spent over a decade working at the intersection of justice and grief. Her work reflects both a legal and personal struggle, from families still searching for their disappeared loved ones to lands hiding mass graves beneath them. For Gnanarajah, the pursuit of justice has become an act of defiance against Sri Lankan state's refusal to reckon with the atrocities on the island, where the wounds of the past remain open. In 2021, she received the prestigious International Women of Courage Award, coinciding with the International Women's Day during a virtual event conducted by the United States Secretary of State. Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, she reflected with honesty and compassion on her journey, one that began within the lived struggles of her own people.

Jaffna activist calls for ICC referral ahead of UN High Commissioner's visit

Mariranjini Nirmalanathan, the secretary of the Association for Enforced Disappearances in Jaffna, has called on the UN High Commissioner to take steps to advance accountability at the International Criminal Court and meet with families of the disappeared during his visit to the island.

In recent weeks, Tamil families of the disappeared have been calling on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to meet with them during his four day visit to the island to hear directly from victim survivors. 

The UN High Commissioner will be visiting from June 23 to June 26 and is expected to go to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Colombo and Kandy.

'I am absolutely certain that Pillayan was involved in my brother's disappearance'

In December 2006, Professor S. Raveendranath, the Vice-Chancellor of Eastern University in Sri Lanka, disappeared after attending an official meeting in a high-security zone in Colombo. Despite repeated requests for state protection and the deepening threats he faced, no meaningful investigation has brought answers. Nearly two decades on, his family continues to demand truth and justice.

'Bharathanatyam is a way to stay connected to your roots' - Interview with Usha Jey

Shortly before her performance at the V&A Museum, Tamil Guardian sat down with dancer and choreographer Usha Jey to discuss her artistic journey so far. 

British MPs praise Tamils and pledge justice at Pongal

British lawmakers praised the immense contribution Tamils have made to the UK, in interviews with the Tamil Guardian at the side lines of the Pongal in Westminster event in London last week.

Sanctions on Sri Lanka are Britain's 'responsibility' - Interview with Yasmin Sooka

In an interview with the Tamil Guardian, Yasmin Sooka, Executive Director of ITJP and human rights lawyer, outlined her hopes for sanction on Sri Lanka, discussed how the requests came about, and how she supports a referral to the International Criminal Court.