Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Sri Lankan MP says TNA manifesto threatens country's sovereignty

Jul 25, 2015

The Sri Lankan MP and former UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake, said the Tamil National Alliance's (TNA) manifesto was a threat to Sri Lanka's sovereignty stating that it called for LTTE members to be pardoned, reports the Daily Mirror.

"The TNA’s manifesto released on Saturday is a challenge to the war victory because it wants a re-merger of the North and East under federal structure and right to self determination for Sri Lankan Tamils," he was further reported as saying by the newspaper.

Sri Lanka approves East oil exploration by French company

Jul 25, 2015

The Sri Lankan cabinet has approved the exploration of the Eastern coast by the French oil company, Total, after the bid went for open tender following the end of Cairn India's exploration from Mannar basin, reports the Sunday Times.

"The company would gain exclusive rights for scanning, data collection and mapping in the seas off the Eastern coast," the power and energy ministry secretary B M S Batagoda was quoted as saying.

Bids were also received from Shell and ExonMobil.

Commenting on the departure of Cairn India's Sri Lanka branch from the Mannar basin, Dr Batagoda said:

“However, the two wells in the basin had yielded two trillion cubic metres of natural gas which would be sufficient to meet the demand of the country for ten years."

Sri Lanka's PM claims to have saved Mahinda Rajapaksa from ICC

Jul 25, 2015

Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed to have saved former president Mahinda Rajapaksa from the International Criminal Court (ICC) by not ratifying the Rome Statute.

Reiterating that Sri Lanka would conduct a domestic probe in response to the release of the UN report into Sri Lanka’s atrocities, Mr Wickremesinghe added that an independent judiciary under Maithripala Sirisena meant that an international judicial process would not be needed.

Speaking to the Sunday Leader, Mr Wickremesinghe said,

“I have saved Mahinda Rajapaksa from the electric chair and ICC (International Criminal Court) since we have not signed Rome Statute. He should always be grateful to me for that. No one can take our soldiers to ICC. But wherever a soldier commits a crime and an issue pertaining to the reputation of our armed forces, it is an offence punishable both under our domestic common law system as well as the military law. Therefore we don’t need ICC or any international probe. We have firmly stood by the premise that no international probe can be initiated since we are not a signatory to the Rome Statute and so we will have our own domestic mechanism instead.”

ITJP to document evidence of sexual violence and torture under new Sri Lanka government

Jul 25, 2015

At least 8 accounts of torture and sexual violence under Sri Lanka’s new government are expected to be documented in a report released by the International Truth and Justice Project Sri Lanka (ITJP) this week.

The ITJP will release a report that expands on a previous study entitled “An Unfinished War:Torture and Sexual Violence in Sri Lank

United National Front rejects claims of working with TNA to grant further autonomy

Jul 24, 2015

The right to autonomy will not be granted in Sri Lanka, said a senior government minister when responding to questions regarding claims by the Tamil National Alliance that a United National Front (UNF) government would grant Tamils self-rule.

TNA manifesto calls for constitutional change that accepts Tamil right to self-determination

Jul 24, 2015

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) election manifesto, released today, called for constitutional changes that accept the Tamil people's entitlement to their right to self-determination under the United Nations International Covenants on Civil political rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICCPR).

TNA launches manifesto in Jaffna Photograph:Tamil Guardian

Noting that any political solution should accept the Tamil people’s right to self-determination and that Sri Lanka had ratified the international treaty, the TNA election manifesto, said:

“The Tamil People are entitled to the right to self-determination in keeping with the United Nations International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which Sri Lanka has accepted and acceded to.”

On accountability and reconciliation, the manifesto added that “truth, justice and reparation and the guarantee of non-recurrence are fundamental to the national question being comprehensively addressed so as to ensure permanent and genuine reconciliation.”

TNPF campaigner detained by Sri Lankan police

Jul 24, 2015

A campaigner with the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) was detained by the Sri Lankan police in Poonahari on Thursday.

The detained campaigner was falsely accused of distributing election leaflets after 11pm in the Kilinochchi district, said the party's media spokesperson and Jaffna district candidate, V Manivannan. The detained campaigner has been since released on bail.

Indian fishermen attacked by Sri Lankan navy personnel

Jul 24, 2015

Indian fishermen were attacked by Sri Lankan navy personnel on Saturday night, off the coast of Katchatheevu islet, reported PTI.

The navy officers fired into the air and threw stones, bottles and fuel wood at the boats, PTI quoted one of the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, named Murugan as saying.

Sri Lanka considers building naval base at Hambantota

Jul 23, 2015

Sri Lanka’s new government has approved a proposal to conduct a feasibility study that looks to construct a naval base at the Hambantota port.

The Hambantota port, which was built using a Chinese loan of $316 million, faced criticism from the United National Party (UNP) for being underutilized, reports the New Indian Express.

Sri Lanka's army chief reiterates commitment to maintaining and strengthening military camps

Jul 23, 2015

Sri Lanka’s military chief Chrishanthe de Silva reiterated that no army camps will be removed from their current locations.

Speaking at a press event following the visit of Buddhist monks to an army base in Kandy on Friday, De Silva, said,

“None of the military camps will be removed from where they are situated. We have fortified those camps.”

Adding that soldiers had been stationed in the North and South to "reinforce national security," he said, "we will not reduce any of those troops."

At least 160,00 Sinhalese military soldiers are assumed to be stationed in the predominantly Tamil Northern and Eastern provinces. After the end of the ethnic conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, Sri Lanka stands accused of continuing a silent war against Tamils in the North-East through military occupation.

Sri Lankan army strengthens High Security Zone in Valikaamam North (22 Jul 2015)

Sri Lankan Army demolishing civilian homes in Vali North (16 Jun 2015)

Sri Lanka's army 'categorically denies' closing down 59 military camps in North-East (16 Jun 2015)

We have not removed a single army camp from North – Minister (15 Jun 2015)

Military camps in Jaffna needed for ‘national security’ says army commander (11 Jun 2015)

Sri Lankan military continues to build Buddhist temples in North-East (10 Jun 2015)

Silent war against Tamils through Sri Lanka's military occupation finds US think-tank (28 may 2015)