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…

German Tamils serve kanji to pay tribute to Mullivaikkal victims and survivors

The Tamil Youth Organisation in Germany served Mullivaikkal kanji to the homeless yesterday in Berlin, as Tamils across the world mark the 12th anniversary of the massacre at Mullivaikkal.

Sri Lankan government websites hacked to mark Mullivaikkal genocide

A series of Sri Lankan government websites have been hacked today, with messages commemorating the Mullivaikkal genocide that was carried out by the state in May 2009. 

The websites hit by the hackers include Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in People's Republic of China and the Rajarata University website. 

Australian Tamils rally to commemorate Mullivaikkal genocide

Tamils in Australia rallied in Melbourne and Sydney on Sunday to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Mullivaikkal genocide which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in May 2009. 

The protests, which were organised by the Tamil Refugee Council, had four key demands: 

• End the military occupation of the traditional Tamil homelands in the North and East;

Sixth day of Mullivaikkal remembrance week marked amidst Sri Lankan military intimidation

Former Northern Provincial Council member, M.K Shivajilingham marked the sixth day of Mullivaikkal remembrance week despite facing intimidation by Sri Lanka's security forces.

Shivajilingham lit a flame at the Mullivaikkal memorial monument which was destroyed by the Sri Lankan army last week. The monument pays tribute to the tens of thousands of Tamils that were killed in the final days of the armed conflict by the Sri Lankan goverment. 

Social Media Platforms are Silencing Social Movements

Rights groups and activists have long complained that social media platforms are taking down content that is integral for human rights activism around the world. This has ranged from deleting evidence of chemical weapons attacks in Syria, to suspending some accounts linked to the farmer’s protest in India, and, just this week, removing content highlighting the violence in Sheikh Jarrah. Some of these removals seem to be happening by accident and are reinstated shortly after, while others are driven by mass reporting by digital activists working for various authoritarian governments. 

Palestine's 'legitimate right to statehood must be upheld’ – Rajapaksa

 

File photograph: Abbas meets Rajapaksa in 2014

Sri Lanka’s war crimes accused prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa released a statement in support of Palestine’s “legitimate right to statehood” and called for a ceasefire this morning, as Israel’s assault on Gaza continued.

Rights groups call for immediate release of poet detained for a year without charge

13 rights groups have called on Sri Lanka to immediately release Ahnaf Jazeem, who has been in detention for a year without charge "or promptly charge him with internationally recognisable criminal offences and try him in accordance with international fair trial standards." 

‘One law for the Sinhala people, another for Tamils’ – former NPC member Ravikaran

Former Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member, Thurairasa Ravikaran  questioned why Mullaitivu police issued an order against him carrying out Mullivaikkal commemorations, despite them ignoring a Sinhala festival that violated COVID-19 guidelines earlier this week.

LIVE: British Tamil youth remember Tamil genocide

Watch live as Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYOUK) and UK Tamil societies come together to remember those killed in the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state in 2009.

German Tamils demand justice for genocide

 

German Tamils protested in one of Berlin’s busiest train stations, Hermannplatz, to raise awareness of the Tamil genocide ahead of the Tamil Genocide Day.

Every May 12th to 18th, also known as the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week, Eelam Tamils across the globe mourn the deaths of tens of thousands of people who were killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces during the final phase of the armed struggle in May 2009.