Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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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…

Ranil meets with Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the opposition leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa today to discuss economic issues following the Easter Sunday bombings. 

The MPs Dinesh Gunawardena, Susil Premajayantha, Bandula Gunawardena, Udaya Gammanpila, and Gamini Lokuge have accompanied Rajapaksa, who has publicly criticised the government for failing to prevent the bombings. 

The Minister of Finance, Mangala Samaraweera is also said to be taking part. 

Tamil man killed by army vehicle in Nedunkeni

An elderly Tamil man was hit and killed on Sunday by a Sri Lankan army vehicle in Nedunkeni in Vavuniya district.

Witnesses said that the army officer driving the vehicle had been speeding when he hit the man on a bicycle in front of Nedunkeni Maha Vidyalayam.

Assassinated Tamil journalist remembered in North-East

Aiyathurai Nadesan was remembered by journalists and media workers at commemorative events in the North-East on the fifteenth anniversary of his assassination.

Police chief says president failed to prevent bombings

Sri Lanka's police chief, who was suspended after the Easter Sunday bombings, has accused the president of failing to prevent the attacks. 

Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara submitted a 20 page complaint to the Supreme Court stating there were communication gaps between the intelligence agencies and pointing to Sirisena as being ultimately responsible. 

"The head of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena, did not take seriously the intelligence shared by neighbouring India which warned of an impending attack by the NTJ," Jayasundara said in the complaint, AFP reported. 

Mannar Tamil civil society org raided and threatened by Sri Lankan army

A Tamil civil society organisation in Mannar was raided by the Sri Lankan army and harassed by a senior army official on Thursday.

The Mannar Social and Economic Development Organisation (MSEDO), a group that has supported land rights campaigns around Mannar was subjected to a sudden search operation involving dozens of army personnel.

Despite the staff acquiescing to the search, the senior army official present threatened and verbally abused the staff present and ordered them to switch off the office’s CCTV camera.

Sri Lankan army personnel killed in Palaly landmine explosion

<p>A Sri Lankan army personnel was killed and two others severe injured from an explosion in Palaly, reportedly caused by a land mine in the occupied area.</p> <p>The personnel were clearing some land within the army camp’s premises, reportedly setting off a landmine when attempting to move a large rock.</p> <p>One personnel died on the spot from the impact. The other two were admitted to hospital.</p>

38 years on - Remembering the burning of the Jaffna Public Library

On midnight 31st May 1981, the Jaffna Public Library, famous for being the crucible of Tamil literature and heritage, was set ablaze by Sri Lankan security forces and state-sponsored mobs. The burning has since been marked by Eelam Tamils as an act of genocide.

Over 95,000 unique and irreplaceable Tamil palm leaves (ola), manuscripts, parchments, books, magazines and newspapers, housed within an impressive building inspired by ancient Dravidian architecture, were destroyed during the burning. Some texts that were kept in the library, such as the Yalpanam Vaipavama (a history of Jaffna), were literally irreplaceable, being the only copies in existence. It was one of the largest libraries in Asia.

Buddhist monk hunger strikes calling for removal of Muslim minister

A senior Buddhist monk, Athuraliye Rathana today launched a hunger strike in Kandy calling for the removal of a Muslim minister and two Muslim governors from their posts. 

Alvai temple massacre by SL army remembered 32 years on

The massacre of 63 people at the Alvai Muththumari Amman temple by the Sri Lankan army in 1987 was remembered on Wednesday, 32 years on. 

Sri Lanka military erects Sinhala welcome arch in Vavuniya

Vavuniya residents have been angered by the Sri Lankan army’s construction of a welcome arch to the district with images of soldiers and slogans exclusively in Sinhala.

The military arch was erected a few yards in front of an old traditional arch which marked entry into the Vavuniya district from the south.

Residents of Vavuniya expressed anger at the region’s Tamil politicians saying they were blindly allowing Sinhalisation to take place, especially through the military forces and government agencies.