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…

Trawling for trouble - the Economist

See here for the Economist's story on worsening relations between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

Extracts reproduced below:

"Tamil Nadu’s hostility to Sri Lanka is growing more overt."

Sri Lankans look to boycott India...

Dock workers at one of Sri Lanka’s main container ports have called for a boycott of cargo shipped from neighbouring India in response to the anti-Colombo protests continue to take place in Tamil Nadu.

The workers, who were all affiliated with the ruling party, staged the protest at Colombo harbour, demanding that the government retaliate to calls, by Tamil Nadu politicians, for trade sanctions against Sri Lanka.

Buddhists threaten Sri Lankan cricketers

Hundreds of people have attended a protest organised by the “Ravana Balaya” Buddhist group, which includes several monks, outside the headquarters of Sri Lanka’s cricket board.

The protestors demonstrated against the decision by Sri Lankan players to take part in the Indian Premier League, despite widespread protests against their country.

Tamil newspaper office attacked in Kilinochchi

The office of the Tamil newspaper Uthayan was vandalised and its employees attacked on Wednesday morning by a group of unidentified persons.

According to one of the owners and TNA MP E. Saravanapavan, masked attackers used poles to attack the manager and staff including two delivery boys at the Uthayan office in Kilinochchi. Three employees have been admitted to hospital with serious injuries, whilst four others sustained minor injuries. Equipment such as an office computer and distribution vehicles including two motorcycles were also vandalised.

Sri Lankan conspiracy theories ...

The Sri Lankan Army dispelled allegations of media intimidation, claiming instead, that special interest groups were being funded to highlight that there is no media freedom in Sri Lanka.

Addressing a workshop organised by the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission, Army spokesman, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, purported that groups were engaged in funded efforts to portray to the international community that there is no media freedom in Sri Lanka.

ACF reiterates call for international investigation

French charity Action Contre La Faim (ACF) has reiterated calls for an international, independent investigation into all allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka, noting that the recently passed resolution at the UN HRC on Sri Lanka was "not enough".

Speaking to AlertNet,  ACF's Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor Pauline Chetcuti, said,

Ranil visits India

The leader of the UNP, Ranil Wickremasinghe, left on a two day official visit to India today.

According to party sources the visit is following an official invite by the Indian government.

He is to hold bilateral talks with the Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, reports Colombo Page.

Charges against Buddhist attackers dropped

The suspects in an attack on a Muslim business have been released, after a court in Colombo dismissed all charges against them.

Seventeen people, including 3 monks, were arrested after last week’s attacks on a clothing store owned by Muslims, one of several attacks on Muslims in recent months.

"The case was dropped because the parties (police and the victim) did not want to proceed," a court official said, who declined to be named.

JVP calls for rejection of LLRC, UNHRC resolutions and OHCHR report

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, an opposition Marxist party in Sri Lanka, has called upon all 'Sri Lankans' to completely reject the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Comission, a report by the Office of the High COmmissioner for Human Rights, and resolutions passed at the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2012 and March 2013.

Kollywood stars gather in solidarity

Prominent members of Tamil Nadu's film industry held a day-long fast on Tuesday, in solidarity with state-wide student protests.

The protest by the South Indian Artistes Association, led by Sarath Kumar, appealed to the Union government to recognise the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly calling for a referendum on the issue of Eelam. Concerns about Tamil fishermen's grievances at the hands of the Sri Lankan navy were also voiced.