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…

Muslim man dies following police custody in Mannar

A Muslim man has died after spending a night in police custody in Mannar.

A 29-year-old householder identified as Ramzan died at the Mannar District General Hospital, where he was admitted by Mannar police this morning.

Ramzan and another individual were arrested on Friday night when their three-wheeler was stopped and searched by Mannar police, allegedly on suspicion of possessing drugs. 

Ramzan’s family have alleged that he may succumbed to injuries he sustained as a result of being beaten by police.

His body is being kept at the hospital for further investigations.

Sri Lankan Military intelligence personnel leading suspects in Mattakkuliya murder case

Colombo Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema has ordered the remand of 14 military personnel in connection with the murder of the captain of the Thotalaga Elee Sports club,Pinchadewage Akila Sampath Ratnasiri.

The suspects will be held in prison until the 15. Lawyers representing the accused had requested the court to issue orders to the Superintendent of Prions to provide them with security inside the prison but the magistrate had denied the request stating that the suspects had not carried out an intelligence operation. It is noted that the wife of the victim was also remanded by the magistrate.

Sri Lanka's Defence Minister claims prisoner officers should be fired if they don't display professional conduct



Speaking at a conference on "contingency plan for riot and hostage situations in prisons" Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, Kamal Gunaratne, claimed that if prison officials should be fired if they failed to display "professional dignity" in their conduct". 

Tamil prisoners demand relief after Prison Minister threatens them at gun point

Eight Tamil prisoners, detained under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), in Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura prison have submitted a fundamental rights petition to Sri Lanka's Supreme Court requesting relief after they were threatened at gun point by State Minister, Lohan Ratwatte.

Sri Lankan police deny abduction of former LTTE cadre

Sri Lankan police have denied abducting a former LTTE cadre at gunpoint in Trincomalee, claiming instead that the abduction was an arrest for which police had a warrant.

On Tuesday, 39-year-old Manoharadas Subas was forced into a vehicle at gunpoint by unknown persons who said that he was being taken to the Uppuveli police station. Subas’s family went to the Uppuveli police station but were told that no police officers there had any involvement in the incident.

People's tribunal formed by press freedom groups to hold Sri Lanka 'accountable' and 'investigate murdered journalists'

Three leading press freedom groups have established a People's Tribunal to "investigate their murders and hold governments accountable", in an effort to achieve justice in the killing of journalists, with an opening hearing to be held on the 2nd November 2021 in the Hague. 

Iran ready to provide financial assistance to debt-ridden Sri Lanka

File photograph

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has noted that it is ready to provide the necessary financial mechanisms for financing trade transactions between Iran and Sri Lanka. 

SWRD Bandaranaike memorial held in South, despite bans on Thileepan memorials across North-East

Memorials for former Prime Minster SWRD Bandaranaike were held in the South last week, despite the Sri Lankan government restricting gatherings across the North-East citing a COVID risk. 

The memorial was at the Nithambuwa Koregolla Bandaranaike Samadhi  on the 26 September marking the 62 anniversary of the assassination of Bandaranaike. Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk. In attendance in the ceremony were former Presidents and members of Parliament. 

First Design of Canadian Tamil Community Centre released

For more information about the TCC or to submit your feedback on the first design visit www.tamilcentre.ca

The first design of the groundbreaking Tamil Community Centre (TCC), to be built in Toronto, has been released. 

Vavuniya Families of the Disappeared call on EU to speak with Tamil victim communities

The secretary of the Vavuniya Families of the Disappeared association, Gopalakrishnan Rajkumar, has called on the EU delegation visiting Sri Lanka to visit the North-East and to speak with Tamil victim communities to understand their plight, particularly the mothers of children enforcibly disappeared.