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…

Chinese FM meets Sri Lanka foreign minister

Feb 6, 2016
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Sri Lanaka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera during a short stay, reports Ceylonews.

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Harsha de Silva said,

“Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and I had fruitful discussions with him and agreed on several steps ahead of the proposed visit to China by PM later this year.”

The meeting came ahead of a two day visit by India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Sri Lanka

India must play an active role in resolving the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka – GTF

Feb 5, 2016
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) called on the Indian government to take “an active role in resolving the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka” and for closer engagement with Tamil diaspora groups across the world.

Speaking to the New Indian Express, GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran said India’s role is vital “not just as the regional super power but as the closest neighbour who also has a large Tamil constituency”.

“Historically, India has played an active role in attempting to resolve the Tamil national question,” he said and called for “formal engagement and acknowledgement” by the Indian government with the Tamil diaspora.

Stating that although progress has been made on the island, Mr Surendiran said it has been “very slow” and highlighted a number of steps that the Sri Lankan government was yet to take.

UN Human Rights chief says he will 'listen to everything' as he arrives in Sri Lanka

Feb 5, 2016

Indian FM discusses political solution and militarisation with TNA

Feb 5, 2016

India's minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, met with a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Friday.

A number of issues including a political solution, the release of land held by the Sri Lankan military, the excessive military presence and bottom trawling were discussed at the meeting, the TNA said.

India to renovate schools and hospital in North-East

Feb 5, 2016
India on Friday signed agreements with the Sri Lankan government to build a hospital in the East and renovate schools in the North.

Twenty-seven schools in the North will be renovated and a surgical unit will be constructed in Batticaloa hospital, the spokesperson of India's ministry of external affairs, Vikas Swarup, said on Friday via Twitter.

Sri Lankan police construct Buddhist shrine in Jaffna

Feb 5, 2016

The Sri Lankan police force has constructed a new makeshift Buddhist shrine in Kayts in Jaffna, according to latest reports.

Sri Lanka: Looking for a deal, not truth and justice – Frances Harrison

Feb 5, 2016
Deep rooted reform in Sri Lanka is not on the government’s agenda writes Frances Harrison, in a piece for Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka.

The author of Still Counting the Dead and former BBC correspondent noted that for Sri Lanka, “it’s getting impossible to paper over embarrassing public differences between the country’s President and its Prime Minister on the issue of war crimes”.

“The most immediate crisis is over interviews the President gave to the BBC and Al Jazeera in which he rolled back on the country’s commitments in Geneva regarding international involvement in a special court yet to be set up,” she said. “Tamil victims don’t have faith in a process that’s purely domestic - it’s not a question of ability and professionalism - but one of trust, given many of the alleged war criminals are still in positions of power.”

“Worse still, the President now says there were no war crimes, perhaps just a few human rights violations by the odd rotten apple in the military,” she added. “No matter that a UN investigation has been very clear the violations were systematic and widespread and could result in convictions for war crimes and crimes against humanity when tested in a court. “But perhaps not in the court currently envisaged for Sri Lanka.”

Swaraj says India 'fully satisfied' with Sri Lanka's programme - Daily Mirror

Feb 5, 2016

The Indian government is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's programmes and is grateful to the new administration's policies on reconciliation and development, visiting foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said according to the Daily Mirror.

“The Indian government will give its fullest support to implement those policies mentioned in that statement”, she said, while speaking about a recent speech delivered by President Sirisena in Sri Lanka's parliament.

Mr Sirisena also thanked India for its assistance.

Tamils in Trincomalee call for return of disappeared persons

Feb 4, 2016

Tamil protestors in Trincomalee marked Sri Lankan Independence Day on Thursday, by staging a demonstration calling for the return of their loved ones who have disappeared.

The protests took place alongside others across the Tamil North-East, where families of the disappeared called for the government to be held accountable for the missing.

Zeid to arrive tomorrow for 4 day visit

Feb 4, 2016
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein will commence his four day visit of the North-East and Sri Lanka tomorrow.

"During his visit, the High Commissioner will discuss a range of current challenges and opportunities for strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights in Sri Lanka, including reviewing the implementation of the recommendations made in his report to the Human Rights Council, and in its subsequent Resolution 30/1 on “promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka," his office said in a statement on Friday.

India must play an active role in resolving the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka – GTF
UN Human Rights chief says he will 'listen to everything' as he arrives in Sri Lanka
Indian FM discusses political solution and militarisation with TNA
India to renovate schools and hospital in North-East
Sri Lankan police construct Buddhist shrine in Jaffna
Sri Lanka: Looking for a deal, not truth and justice – Frances Harrison
Swaraj says India 'fully satisfied' with Sri Lanka's programme - Daily Mirror
Tamils in Trincomalee call for return of disappeared persons
Zeid to arrive tomorrow for 4 day visit
Wigneswaran appreciates national anthem being sung in Tamil
India must play an active role in resolving the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka – GTF
UN Human Rights chief says he will 'listen to everything' as he arrives in Sri Lanka
Indian FM discusses political solution and militarisation with TNA
India to renovate schools and hospital in North-East
Sri Lankan police construct Buddhist shrine in Jaffna
Sri Lanka: Looking for a deal, not truth and justice – Frances Harrison
Swaraj says India 'fully satisfied' with Sri Lanka's programme - Daily Mirror
Tamils in Trincomalee call for return of disappeared persons
Zeid to arrive tomorrow for 4 day visit
Wigneswaran appreciates national anthem being sung in Tamil