Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Environmentalists and civil society activists protested at Galle Face in Colombo on 17 June against proposed heavy mineral sand mining along the eastern coastline from Oluvil to Pothuvil, warning that the project threatens the land, fisheries and livelihoods of Tamil and Muslim communities across the Eastern Province. According to the People's Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), exploration…

Australian embassy offers staff flights out of Sri Lanka

The Australian government has offered staff in the country and their families flights out of Sri Lanka, after more warnings that terror attacks may be possible in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings.

An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said "voluntary departures to return to Australia" were being made available to embassy staff and their families, as well as for volunteers in the country working under the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) program.

"We continue to encourage all Australians in or travelling to Sri Lanka to consider the travel advice, including volunteers and volunteer organisations," a DFAT spokesperson told the ABC.

Hundreds of troops deployed to search South Eastern campus

South Eastern University’s campus in Oluvil, Amparai was subjected to intense military search operations on Monday.

Hundreds of Sri Lankan army and navy personnel, in dozens of vehicles including armoured vehicles were deployed to the campus following an anonymous tip-off.

Vavuniya families of disappeared pay tribute to blast victims on 800th day of protest

Families of the disappeared marked 800 days of protest in Vavuniya on Monday with prayers at the town’s Church of St Anthony.

‘Ban madrasas in Sri Lanka’ says former president CBK

Sri Lanka’s former president Chandrika Kumaratunga has called for a ban on madrasas, or Islamic schools, on the island, claiming that they teach “extremism” to children.

Speaking at an all party-all faith conference held at Sri Lanka’s parliament last week, Kumaratunga said she was concerned as she had “been told that some Muslim children who were studying at Ladies College have left that school and had joined a Madarasa school”.

She went on to state,

“Madarasa schools have been existing in Sri Lanka for the last ten years. Children are taught extremism in these schools. I informed about these to the present regime as well but no action was taken.”

Easter Sunday victims remembered at Thanthai Chelva memorial

An event held to mark the death anniversary of S J V Chelvanayakam was held in Jaffna last week, where victims of the Easter Sunday attacks were also commemorated.

TNA parliamentarians were amongst the crowd gathered in front of the Chelvanayakam statue in Jaffna to remember the politician, fondly referred to as 'Thanthai Chelva'. Chelvanayakam is known as the father of Tamil nationalism, and was responsible for spear heading the Vaddukoddai resolution, which was overwhelmingly ratified by the Tamil votes in the 1976 parliamentary elections.

Amma!' cry out children as mother succumbs to Zion church blast injuries

Kirija Pirishanth's son cried out "amma! (mother)" as her body was laid to rest yesterday

Sri Lankan military orders former LTTE cadres to become informants

In the wake of the Easter Sunday blasts by Islamist extremist groups, the Sri Lankan military summoned over 50 former LTTE cadres in Jaffna and ordered them to provide intelligence. 

Court postpones case against Tamil journalist

The Mullaitivu court postponed the case against the Tamil Guardian correspondent, Shanmugam Thavaseelan, until September 10. 

New Zealand foreign minister slams Sri Lanka’s ‘cheap shot’ terror theory

New Zealand’s foreign minister has slammed the Sri Lankan government’s early attempts to paint the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Colombo and Batticaloa as reprisals for the massacre of 50 Muslims by a white supremacist in Auckland earlier this year.

“It’s a slightly cheap shot, I suppose, to try to explain it away. Let’s see the evidence,” foreign minister Winston Peters told Sky News.

Vigils for Easter Sunday attacks continue

More vigils have been held by Tamils across the island for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Batticaloa and Colombo.