Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Hundreds march in Kilinochchi against limestone, sand mining and wind turbines
A protest march was held last month opposing limestone excavation, mineral sand mining and a proposed wind power project across the villages of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, in the Poonakary Divisional Secretariat division of Kilinochchi. The demonstration was organised against plans to establish wind power stations and to carry out mineral sand and limestone extraction in the…

US Ambassador to UN discusses accountability and on-going violations with former Sri Lanka president

May 12, 2016
The US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power met with former Sri Lankan President Chandrika, Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, currently Chairperson of Sri Lanka’s Office of National Unity Reconciliation (OUNUR) , and Mano Tittawella, Secretary General for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms on Wednesday.

A statement released by the US embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said they “discussed the importance of accountability. Ambassador Power emphasised the necessity of addressing human rights abuses and urged that transitional justice efforts move forward as soon as possible."

Sri Lankan military intimidates Tamil protestors in Poonakari

May 11, 2016

Armed Sri Lankan soldiers surrounded and photographed a group of Tamil demonstrators in Poonakari this week, as they protested against military land grabs in the area.

 

Sri Lankan minister warns against 'LTTE remembrance'

May 11, 2016

Sri Lanka's state minister of defence on Thursday warned the police has been ordered to crackdown on any activities it deemed were in remembrance of LTTE cadres, during next week's Mullivaikkal remembrance week commemorated by Tamils.

“We will not allow the LTTE flag to be raised or any event to be held in support of the LTTE leader or LTTE cadres,” he was quoted by Colombo Gazette as saying.

"If anyone violates the law by holding events in support of the LTTE, legal action will be taken against them."

The government does not have a problem with remembering dead civilians, he reportedly added.

Protests continue in London against Sirisena

May 11, 2016

Tamils in London continued to protest against the visit of the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena to the UK for an anti-corruption summit.

Sri Lanka's former foreign affairs minister warns of increasing EU conditions for GSP+

May 10, 2016
Former foreign minister GL Peiris said that any the number of conditions that the EU was imposing on Sri Lanka to regain the GSP+ trade concession had increased since his tenure as Sri Lanka’s foreign minister.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Peiris said that there were only 11 conditions that Sri Lanka had to fulfil to regain the trade concession.

“Now it has been increased to 58” he added stressing that full approval from the cabinet had not been approved for these conditions, reports adaderana.lk.

Sri Lanka committed to prisons reform says minister

May 10, 2016
The Sri Lankan government is committed to reforming prisons in line with UN standards, the minister D M Swaminathan said on Wednesday, the Colombo Page reported.

Pledging to improve the humanitarian conditions, Mr Swaminathan failed to comment on the recent comments by the UN Special Rapporteur highlighting the ongoing use of torture against those in detention.

UN Special Rapporteurs urge Sri Lanka to stop torture and repeal PTA

May 10, 2016
UN Special Rapporteurs on Wednesday urged the Sri Lankan government to stop the ongoing torture taking place and ensure the legal framework allowing human rights violations is replaced and the Prevention of Terrorism Act is removed.

“Sri Lanka is taking steps to draft a new constitution, an undertaking that presents an opportunity to reinforce the independence and impartiality of the justice sector and provide more safeguards against torture and other serious human rights violations,” Mónica Pinto, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Juan E. Méndez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, said in statement following their recent visit to the island.

Sinhale threaten LGBT activists in Sri Lanka

May 10, 2016
The far-right Sinhala group, Sinhale, has threatened to attack Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activists organising a pride event in Colombo next month.

Threatening to take the law into their own hands to stop the event, Sinhale members accused foreign embassies of paying NGOs to "put this filth into the minds of our Sinhala people and make us all extinct."

Translation of Facebook posts written in Sinhalese:
"How many fags do we have here in Colombo? NGOs are obtaining a good dowry from embassies. They are going to attempt to put this filth into the minds of our Sinhala people and make us all extinct."

"The scum of the earth f**kers who hide behind colourful rainbow flags are preparing to have an event from June 10th to 18th, and before that they're preparing to try and legalise faggot f**kery."

"Faggot activities aren’t legal. Let’s take the law into our own hands. If the police aren’t going to do anything about it our community is ready to do it ourselves. We will not let these mother f**king dogs to ruin our culture. Ladies and Gents of Sinhale, join us on the 28th to look at the faces of these faggots at Race course.”

British Tamils protest against Sri Lankan president

May 10, 2016

Protestors in London are currently demonstrating against Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who is visiting the United Kingdom today.

Tamils suffered genocide in Sri Lanka says British MP at parliamentary Mullivaikkal remembrance event

May 10, 2016
Photograph: Tamil Guardian


“What happened to Tamils in Sri Lanka is Genocide,” said Member of Parliament for Enfield Joan Ryan and vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG-T), speaking at a Mullivaikal remembrance event at the House of Commons on Tuesday.

See live tweets from the event here.

The event which was organised by the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee (TCC), saw a cross-party turn-out from MPs.

Condemning ongoing torture of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils MP for Kingston and Surbiton James Berry, said, “We must also shine a spot light on the disgraceful and continuing practice of torture. Whether or not it is sponsored at the highest level, it is taking place in Sri Lanka – last year, last month and probably yesterday. It is taking place frequently and Freedom From Torture produced a compelling report on this.”

Mr Berry highlighted the need for the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to be repealed whilst stressing the need to pressure Sri Lanka to demilitarise the Tamil homeland in the North-East of Sri Lanka.

MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting, lamenting that the world looked away and did not act fast enough in 2009, reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the UNHRC resolution is fully implemented, adding,

“We have not taken our eye of the ball in ensuring the resolution is implemented. Plenty of parliamentarians who will not look away this time.”

“It is important Sirisena knows that the international community is watching,” he concluded.
Sri Lankan military intimidates Tamil protestors in Poonakari
Sri Lankan minister warns against 'LTTE remembrance'
Protests continue in London against Sirisena
Sri Lanka's former foreign affairs minister warns of increasing EU conditions for GSP+
Sri Lanka committed to prisons reform says minister
UN Special Rapporteurs urge Sri Lanka to stop torture and repeal PTA
Sinhale threaten LGBT activists in Sri Lanka
British Tamils protest against Sri Lankan president
Tamils suffered genocide in Sri Lanka says British MP at parliamentary Mullivaikkal remembrance event
Justice cannot be compromised' - civil society organisations
Sri Lankan military intimidates Tamil protestors in Poonakari
Sri Lankan minister warns against 'LTTE remembrance'
Protests continue in London against Sirisena
Sri Lanka's former foreign affairs minister warns of increasing EU conditions for GSP+
Sri Lanka committed to prisons reform says minister
UN Special Rapporteurs urge Sri Lanka to stop torture and repeal PTA
Sinhale threaten LGBT activists in Sri Lanka
British Tamils protest against Sri Lankan president
Tamils suffered genocide in Sri Lanka says British MP at parliamentary Mullivaikkal remembrance event
Justice cannot be compromised' - civil society organisations