Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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‘Where is the LTTE?’ Lawyer challenges terror charges against jailed Tamil rapper
  The lawyer representing detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar challenged allegations that his client sought to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during proceedings before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court this week, arguing that the material cited by police contains no reference to the organisation or its leadership. Sangeethsan, better known by his stage name…

‘There are no political prisoners’ says Sri Lanka’s justice minister

Oct 14, 2015

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe declared “there are no political prisoners in the country’s prisons,” as protests continue across the island.

Mr Rajapakshe, the government’s justice minister and minister of the Buddha Sasana, told reporters:

“The prisoners are ones who are held for aiding and abetting the activities of LTTE terrorists. They are not political prisoners.”

Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted

Oct 14, 2015
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said he would take a decision on Tamil political prisoners detained in jails across the island, after a report was compiled and submitted to him on the issue.

The government response comes as over 200 Tamil inmates started a hunger strike across the island, now entering its fourth day. Protests in support of the prisoners and calling for their immediate release, have also been held in the North-East.

ColomboPage reports the president asked Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Law and Order Minister Thilak Marapana and government minister Mano Ganesan to meet with the Attorney General and discuss the issue before submitting a report to the president’s office.

Once the report has been submitted, the president would examine it and come to a decision, said Mr Ganesan.

Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe visited the prisoners on hunger strike on Thursday morning and “assured speedier action,” reports The Hindu. 

However, yesterday the minister told reporters that “there are no political prisoners in Sri Lanka”.

Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East

Oct 14, 2015
The Northern Provincial Council Minister for Rural Development P Deniswaran said that data collection had started in the Jaffna district to assess the needs of former LTTE cadres.

The data collection forms the first stage of a livelihood assistance programme for former Tamil militants, learns Tamil Guardian.

The NPC minister further data collection is expected to happen in Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu throughout this month said the NPC minister.

The news comes amidst several reports of on-going land appropriation and construction of Buddhist Stupas in the North-East.

Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners

Oct 14, 2015
The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF) extended its support to the hunger strike protest undertaken by Tamil political prisoners demanding their immediate release.

Outlining its intention to participate in protests in support of the political prisoners, the TCSF said,
“We also support and will take part in the token strike and protests being planned to be staged by their relatives all across the North-East in the forthcoming days.”

Calling for the removal of the PTA and granting of bail for all those detained indefinitely, the civil society organisation added, 

“TCSF adopts the definition of political prisoners that Amnesty International uses in its work. Accordingly it is our opinion that our brethren who took up arms for the sake of the liberation of the Tamil people and those who supported it, despite being criminalized by Sri Lankan laws, did so for a political reason and hence belong to the category of political prisoners. It has been 6 years since the end of the war and it is our opinion that if the Sri Lankan Government is interested in genuine reconciliation that they should immediately release all political prisoners languishing in its prisons.”

Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair

Oct 14, 2015
The proposal of appointing District Development Ministers for the Northern Province by Sri Lanka’s government unnecessarily weakens the powers of the province said the Northern Provincial Council Chairman CVK Sivagnanam.
 
Speaking at a sitting of the Northern Provincial Council last week, Mr Sivagnanam said that government attempts to appoint District Development Ministers weakens the powers devolved to the provinces.

Sri Lanka’s government intends to appoint District Development Ministers to manage development schemes for all districts on the island.

Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day

Oct 13, 2015

A fast in support of Tamil political prisoners was held on Tuesday in front of Nallur temple in the Jaffna district.

The protest fast, organised by the Jaffna Tamil Youth Organisation, was attended by relatives of political prisoners, politicians, including TNA MP Saravanapavan, and NPC members, Sukirthan, Kajatheepan and Paramsothy and other members of the public.

Over 200 Tamil political detainee across the island started a hunger strike on Monday, demanding to be released.

Wigneswaran urges president to ensure fasting Tamil detainees are not harmed (12 October 2015)

Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi

Oct 13, 2015

NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria

Oct 13, 2015
The leader of Sri Lanka's National Freedom Front stated his party is "pleased" to hear Russian military intervention in Syria is "continuing unabated," stating it was a "noble objective".

In a letter to the ambassador of Russia in Sri Lanka, Wimal Weerawansa said his party is "very pleased to hear about the military capabilities and the achievement of the Russian forces who conduct those humanitarian operations with noble objectives in mind".

"We are also very pleased to learn about the technological prowess of the Russian forces in using cruise missiles with perfect precision targeting terrorists as far as 1500 km away without causing any deliberate harm to innocent civilians anywhere in the region," he added. "The noble objective of this intervention is diametrically opposed to the objectives of military interventions carried out by the USA and its allies."

Tamil refugee in India goes on hunger strike calling for release of his wife

Oct 13, 2015
A Tamil refugee in India has gone on hunger strike, calling on Indian authorities to release his wife from Mandapam Camp prison in Rameswaram.

The 34 year old B Suthakaran from Mullivakkal fled Sri Lanka with his family in May last year, after repeated harassment from Sri Lankan security forces. The intelligence wing of the Sri Lankan Navy arrested and detained him for almost 2 years in 2008, reported The New Indian Express.  

However, once he arrived in India, despite claiming refugee status, he was imprisoned for a year in Puzhal Prison in Chennai.

"After I reached Dhanuskodi, I telephoned the Q branch police," said Mr Suthakaran. "I informed them that I am Sri Lankan and had come with my family thinking that they will register us as refugees and put us in the camps."

"But everything went awry as my wife and I were imprisoned and my children were separated from us," he said.

Sri Lanka's state minister of defence praises Buddhist education

Oct 13, 2015
Sri Lankan state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene donated Rs. 100,000 to Buddhist viharas as he praised religious education as the best way to cut the island's crime rate.

Receiving blessings from Buddhist monks, the minister donated the cash to five Temples in Biyagama on Sunday.

He added that his donation was for the Buddhist viharas' educational programs , stating, "this noble initiative would indirectly contribute to trim-down the rising crime rate in the country while making younger generation aware and attentive on religious based education."
Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted
Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East
Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners
Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair
Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day
Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi
NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria
Tamil refugee in India goes on hunger strike calling for release of his wife
Sri Lanka's state minister of defence praises Buddhist education
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence hands over houses to 'War Heroes'
Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted
Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East
Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners
Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair
Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day
Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi
NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria
Tamil refugee in India goes on hunger strike calling for release of his wife
Sri Lanka's state minister of defence praises Buddhist education
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence hands over houses to 'War Heroes'