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 Lankan police officer attacks diners in Kilinochchi restaurant for not wearing face masks

A mob which included the Sri Lankan police Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of a local station in Kilinochchi attacked diners at a restaurant last month, allegedly for not wearing face masks.

CCTV footage from the restaurant shows the masked men raiding the premises on November 24th and attacking diners as well as employees.

British MP continues call for sanctions on Shavendra Silva


British MP for Harrow West, Gareth Thomas, has continued his calls for Magntisky style sanctions on Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal, Shavendra Silva.

On Twitter Thomas asked:

Chinese fertiliser company sues Sri Lanka in Singapore

A Chinese fertiliser company, Seawin Biotech, has launched a legal case against Sri Lanka for turning away scheduled exports of fertilisers worth 49.7 million US dollars, the Global Times reported.  

A ship loaded with 20,000 tons of fertilisers was heading to Sri Lanka, but it would now go to Singapore instead because Colombo has expressed concerns regarding the quality of the product. 

Testimony of Sondra Anton on Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka

Sondra Anton, student attorney at the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School, addressed the United States House of Representatives Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights yesterday, as it held a hearing on 'Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka'.

See the full text of her address and video footage of the event below.

Impunity reigns in Sri Lanka as accused war criminal Wasantha Karannagoda appointed as governor of North-Western province

Former Sri Lankan Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda who has been investigated as a suspect in the case of the disappearance of 11 victims, has been appointed as the new Governor of the North-Western province today. 

Karannagoda served as Sri Lanka's Navy Commander from 2005 to 2009, during the armed conflict which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils. In 2019, Karannagoda was named as the 14th suspect in the case of the abduction and forced disappearance of 11 people, who were predominantly Tamil. 

Murders happen when emotions are high' – Pakistani minister faces backlash after Sri Lankan man lynched

Pakistan's Defence Minister Pervez Khattak is facing a backlash after he claimed “murders take place” when young people get emotional following the lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Pakistan by a mob last week.

The mob reportedly accused the Sri Lankan of blasphemy for tearing down a poster with Islamic holy verses. 

Belarus seeks to strengthen collaboration with Sri Lanka

Image Credit: Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikalai Barysevich met with Sri Lankan Ambassador J. A. Liyanage on Tuesday during a meeting in which she expressed a desire to enhance the bilateral relations despite ongoing concerns over Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

Six bodies wash up on Jaffna coast in six days

Police have launched investigations after six unidentified bodies had washed ashore in Jaffna within six days, last week.

Two bodies had washed ashore on the Point Pedro and Chundikkulam coast while the others were discovered on beaches in, Vadamarachchi, Valvettithurai, Neduntheevu and Maruthankerny.

The incident has raised doubts if there was a fishing accident or a boat carrying migrants attempting to enter Jaffna may have capsized at sea.
 

UN Rapporteur on slavery highlights plight of Malayaha Tamils and language discrimination in Sri Lanka

Image Credit: @TomObokata on Twitter

As the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery concluded his visit of Sri Lanka, he told journalists that “Sri Lanka must become more inclusive and embrace all sectors of society” to end the contemporary forms of slavery that persist in the country.

Tamil youth killed and teenager injured in Kilinochchi explosion

A 25-year-old Tamil youth has been killed and a 13-year-old injured after a disused mortar shell reportedly exploded in Kilinochchi on Sunday.

The explosion, in the town of Umayalpuram, reportedly was due to an old, unexploded mortar shell that had been accidentally triggered.