Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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…

Uthayan reporter attacked

A reporter from the Uthayan newspaper was attacked on his way home from work on Wednesday evening, reports the newspaper.

Gunalan Dileepamuthan was dragged off his motorcycle by assailants in an auto-rickshaw, outside Mahajana College.

The incident is one of a long line of attacks on journalists and media workers in the Northeast, and specifically on associates of Uthayan, a mainstream Tamil paper in Jaffna.

Tamil Eelam team departs from 'unforgettable' tournament

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Sri Lanka signs maritime agreement with Maldives and India

Sri Lanka has signed a maritime cooperation agreement with the Maldives and India during a National Security Advisor (NSA) meeting in Colombo on Monday.

The trilateral agreement sets out cooperation on surveillance, anti-piracy operations and curbing illegal activities including maritime pollution, reported ColomboPage.

CHOGM will silence international critics: Buddhist prelate

 

Whilst giving his blessing to External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris, a Buddhist prelate, Buddharakkitha Mahanayake Thera, described the selection of  Sri Lanka as the venue for the Commonwealth Heads of Governers Meeting (CHOGM), as a ‘great victory’ that will silence international critics.

US tea company threatens to leave SL over employee murder

An American tea company, Walters Bay International, has threatened to leave Sri Lanka, following the murder of the estate manager in Nooriya Tea Estate in Deraniyagala, last Friday, reports BBC Sinhala.

The estate manager, Nihal Perara was hacked to death by 5 people who reportedly objected to Perara's attempts to fight corruption and wastage.

Karumpuli Naal marked in Canada

 

 
Photographs Tamil Guardian

Canadian Tamils came together on Friday July 5th to mark Karumpuli Naal remembering the lives of the elite LTTE force - the Black Tigers.

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Media Minister 'highly concerned' about NFZ director's activities in diaspora

Commenting on the recent controversy regarding a Sri Lankan diplomat threatening to ban Callum Macrae, the director of the documentary 'No Fire Zone' from attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, the country's Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, accused Macrae of funding his journalism by the Tamil diaspora.

Speaking to Ceylon Today, Rambukwella said:

 “On the pretext of being a press personnel, Macrae is doing his rounds funded by his well-wishers – the Tamil Diaspora.”

Country guidance case outlines perpetual human rights abuses, threats and cultural destruction

The Country Guidance Case on Sri Lanka, a process which reassessed the current guidance on Sri Lanka was released this week.

The report recognised the on-going militarisation and repression of cultural identity, finding that,

TAG expresses disappointment at Country Guidance exclusion of torture data

 

Speaking on the recently released Country Guidance ruling on Sri Lanak, Tamils Against Genocide’s (TAG) Advocacy Manager, Hettie Briscoe said,

Buddhist group calls for veil ban

The Bodu Bala Sena has called for a complete ban on face coverings in public faces.
The group said that the covering of faces is a big threat to the security of Sri Lanka and is now demanding that the government ban the practice, common amongst some Muslims in Sri Lanka.
Read more here.