Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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  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…

Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor resigns amidst economic turmoil

Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor, Ajith Nivard Cabraal resigned this morning after a series of Cabinet Ministers tendered their resignations as the island plunges into a national crisis. 

 

Sri Lankan police abandon barriers as protestors storm barricades near prime minister's residence

Updated 1130GMT

Video footage has emerged from Sri Lanka, showing police officers abandoning barriers as protestors stormed barricades near Carlton House in Tangalle, close to the residence of prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Latest reports indicate that tear gas and water cannons have once again been deployed by the Sri Lankan security forces.

Sri Lanka's new cabinet - familiar faces are back

Just hours after Sri Lanka’s entire cabinet resigned, apart from prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, a new cabinet of four ministers has been sworn in this morning, with some familiar faces making a return.

Several sources are reporting Ali Sabry has been appointed finance minister, Dinesh Gunawardena the education minister, Johnston Fernando as minister of highways and G L Peiris remaining the foreign affairs minister.

All four are from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). It remains unclear whether these are temporary appointments or not, with the situation still developing.

Read more on each of the four new ministers below.

 

‘Go Home Gota!’ – Jaffna students demand Sri Lanka’s president resign as crisis continues

Students at the University of Jaffna rallied through the town today, as they demanded the resignation of Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amidst a political crisis in Colombo.

Streets quiet in the Tamil homeland as protests flare in the South

There was relative quiet across the streets of the North-East on Sunday, as few ventured out amidst a military-enforced curfew even as protests flared in the South against the ruling Rajapaksa regime.

A 36-hour curfew had been declared by Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amidst increasing unrest as the island’s economic crisis deepened.

Sri Lankan police bar Tamil journalists from entering TNPF offices

The Tamil National People’s Front has reported that Sri Lankan police prevented Tamil from entering our office in Kokkuvil and harassed them.

Turmoil in Sri Lanka as entire cabinet resigns except Prime Minister Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka has been thrown into turmoil as all of the government’s cabinet ministers tender their resignation apart from Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the wake of protests as the island plunges into deepening political and economic crises. 

 

Social media ban lifted in Sri Lanka as anti-government protests continue

The Ministry of Technology has reportedly announced that the social media ban imposed following Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declaration of a state of emergency, was lifted at 3:30pm today as requested by The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).

Due to the ban the PUCSL were unable to communicate with consumers about on-going power cuts in Sri Lanka. The PUCSL requested that all Mobile Service Providers and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka activate/restore all social media platforms immediately.

Go Home Gota' - Global Sri Lankan diaspora protest against Rajapaksa administration

Tasmania, Australia

The Sri Lankan diaspora has staged protests in London, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Toronto among numerous countries all over the world as well as in Sri Lanka to express solidarity against the Sri Lankan government's failure to address the current crisis.  Auckland, New Zealand

India denies soldiers have been dispatched to Sri Lanka as protests continue

The Indian High Commission Sri Lanka issued a statement that “strongly denies” rumours that Indian troops have been deployed to the island, as anti-government protests continue.

“High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka,” said a tweet from the Indian High Commission on Saturday.

“The High Commission also condemns such irresponsible reporting and expects the concerned to desist from spreading rumours.”