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…

Sixteen Tamils from North-East arrested by Sri Lanka over past 100 days

May 3, 2015
The Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) has arrested at least 16 Tamil men from the Batticaloa district at Colombo’s Katunayake International Airport over the past 100 days.

A vast majority of those detained at the airport were former Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres that had gone through Sri Lanka’s ‘rehabilitation’ scheme, reports Tamilnet.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian P Selvarasa, confirmed to press on Sunday there had been at least 16 separate incidents of arrests of Tamils at Colombo’s international airport.

Sri Lankan army organises Buddhist festival in Jaffna

May 3, 2015

The Buddhist festival of Vesak is currently being held in Jaffna, organised by Sri Lanka's security forces.

The first day of the festival was declared open on Sunday by the commander of the security forces in Jaffna, Major General Nandana Udawatta.

Will agree to CEPA with India only if beneficial to us - Sri Lanka

May 3, 2015

Sri Lanka will only sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India if it is advantageous to the country, deputy minister of policy planning and economic development Harsha de Silva said at an event in Colombo.

“We have to be convinced that this agreement is beneficial to Sri Lanka. I don’t represent the government of India, I am representing the government of Sri Lanka,” he said at a seminar on CEPA and its implications on the Sri Lankan economy, organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in Colombo.

“We will win for this country and therefore our government will not enter into any agreement that is not in the best interest of our country.”

Sri Lankan president calls for strengthening of Buddhist vision

May 3, 2015
The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, on Sunday called for a strengthening of the Buddhist vision, reports Colombo Page.

Speaking at the Buddhist festival of Vesak, Mr Sirisena said "Buddhist philosophy is the only solution for social ills brought on due to the commercialization of the society by new technology".

He called for the Buddhist vision to be strengthened nationally "as well as international levels to create a virtuous society."

US reassures Tamils of commitment to genuine accountability

May 2, 2015
The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, on Sunday reassured Tamils of the US' commitment to seeing genuine accountability for mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people.

Mr Kerry, who is currently visiting Sri Lanka, met with senior MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Colombo on Sunday. Following the meeting the US embassy in Sri Lanka tweeted: "[John Kerry] stresses to TNA leaders US commitment to genuine & credible process for accountability and reconciliation."

Speaking to BBC Tamil, the TNA spokesperson, Suresh Premachandran said the party had told Mr Kerry of the urgent need for a political solution to the ethnic conflict, as well as the need for demilitarisation and resettlement in the North-East.

6 years on Tamils search for loved ones - LA Times

May 2, 2015
As the 6th anniversary of the end of the armed conflict approaches this month, the American journalist Shashank Bengali reporting from Kilinochchi, described the ongoing suffering of the many Tamils who continue to search for the whereabouts of their missing loved ones six years post conflict, in an article published in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday.

See full article here. Extract published below.
"Tamil leaders say Sirisena's government has not fulfilled pledges to withdraw security forces from the north, where soldiers still watch over public sites and counter-terrorism police patrol towns and villages on bicycles. Sirisena has not said whether he will repeal a controversial anti-terrorism law that activists say is being used to detain hundreds of Tamil prisoners without charges.

Sri Lanka navy denies firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen

May 2, 2015
The Sri Lankan navy denied firing shots at Tamil Nadu fishermen accused of crossing into Sri Lankan waters.

“We have in the past, and still continue to discourage Indian poachers in the Palk Strait using minimum force but have stopped short of firing on them," a senior naval official was quoted by Sri Lanka's Sunday Times newspaper as saying.

"Indian fishermen were always treated in a humane manner and despite several warnings Indian fishermen continued to illegally cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)," he reportedly added.

Sri Lanka misses fiscal deficit target in 2014

May 2, 2015

Sri Lanka's Central Bank said it has missed its fiscal deficit target and reversed its falling trend in 2014, due to a fall in revenue and higher government expenditure, Reuters reported.

The 2014 fiscal deficit hit 6% of GDP, much higher than the 5.2% forecasted, as it reversed its declining trend for the first time since 2009, central bank data showed. It rose from the previous year's 5.9%.

US urges Sri Lanka to cooperate with UN to address 'painful issues' of truth and justice for alleged war crimes

May 1, 2015
The US Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking during his 3 day visit to Sri Lanka, urged the new regime to work with the United Nations to find the truth, “no matter how painful that truth may be,” and stressed the importance of justice and accountability for the “painful issues” of alleged war crimes.
Photographs: US Department of State

The US Secretary, received criticism from commentators for not planning a visit to the majority Tamil North-East of the island.

Speaking on the US official's trip to Sri Lanka, Human Rights Watch South Asia Advocacy director, John Sifton, said that the omission of the North showed "that the US no longer really cares about the massive rights abuses that occurred there and the rights issues which are still relevant today."

Speaking in Colombo on Saturday, Mr Kerry offered assistance in the field of justice and accountability, stating,

“Every citizen has a right to seek justice, and every citizen has a right to expect justice for victims of war crimes or crimes against humanity. They’re painful issues; I know that. But if you try to compel people to simply forget the past and try to wipe it away, believe me: They will be more likely, not less, to cling to it. And if you tell them to forego justice under the law, they will be more likely to seek it outside of the law. It will be harder, not easier, to move forward as one country at peace.”

Commenting on political detainees, the US Secretary of State, added,

“We also continue to urge your government to release remaining political prisoners, and we would be pleased to assist in those efforts by sending a team of legal experts to advise on assessment and release, which is a critical component of the documents that have to be made in that.”

Speaking on the United States’ desire to promote the Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor to connect South Asia to Southeast Asia, Mr Kerry added,

“We look forward to working with the Sri Lankan Government as it increases trade and investment with its neighbours in the Indian Ocean and beyond.”

Mr Kerry also announced that the two countries had agreed to establish an annual partnership dialogue, adding that a team of US officials form the US Departments of Treasury and Commerce would travel to Sri Lanka to help foster “greater investment and growth” in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, speaking after meeting Mr Kerry, expressed his government’s intention to make the island an “investor’s paradise,” and added that “ensuring accountability in the new Sri Lanka will feature as a key component of the reconciliation process.”

 

New Sri Lankan government run by 'western lackeys' says Rajapaksa

May 1, 2015
The former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the new government was run by western lackeys.

"The country had entered an era of ‘mega deals’ under the new government which was run by the lackeys of western powers," Mr Rajapaksa was quoted by The Island newspaper as saying, whilst addressing crowds at a May Day rally on Friday, organised by a splinter group of the UPFA.

Sri Lankan army organises Buddhist festival in Jaffna
Will agree to CEPA with India only if beneficial to us - Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan president calls for strengthening of Buddhist vision
US reassures Tamils of commitment to genuine accountability
6 years on Tamils search for loved ones - LA Times
Sri Lanka navy denies firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen
Sri Lanka misses fiscal deficit target in 2014
US urges Sri Lanka to cooperate with UN to address 'painful issues' of truth and justice for alleged war crimes
New Sri Lankan government run by 'western lackeys' says Rajapaksa
Assassinated Tamil journalists commemorated in Jaffna
Sri Lankan army organises Buddhist festival in Jaffna
Will agree to CEPA with India only if beneficial to us - Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan president calls for strengthening of Buddhist vision
US reassures Tamils of commitment to genuine accountability
6 years on Tamils search for loved ones - LA Times
Sri Lanka navy denies firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen
Sri Lanka misses fiscal deficit target in 2014
US urges Sri Lanka to cooperate with UN to address 'painful issues' of truth and justice for alleged war crimes
New Sri Lankan government run by 'western lackeys' says Rajapaksa
Assassinated Tamil journalists commemorated in Jaffna