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…

An animated history of the Tamil struggle

We explore figures from the early decades of the Tamil struggle by animating and bringing to life photographs taken throughout the decades.

Using the ‘Deep Nostalgia’ feature, developed by the genealogy platform MyHeritage, the animated photographs offers a chance to see some of the Tamil struggle’s most memorable figures and moments in a new form.

For many of these figures, no video footage of them exists.

Religious disharmony' order 'threatens minorities' says HRW

<p>Human Rights Watch called on the Sri Lankan government to immediately withdraw a recent order that "allows two-years of detention without trial for causing religious, racial, or communal disharmony," in a statement this week.&nbsp;</p> <p>The regulation which expands on the "draconian and abusive" Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) "will&nbsp;allow the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to more easily target religious and racial minorities, in violation of their basic rights," the rights group stated.&nbsp;</p> <blockquote><p>

‘Immediate obligation’ to ‘monitor, protect and promote human rights’ of Tamils and Muslims - Oakland Institute and French Tamil NGO at UNHRC

Speaking at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Oakland Institute states that it is the international community’s “immediate obligation” to “monitor, protect, and promote human rights of ethnic Tamil and Muslim communities” in Sri Lanka.

South American relatives of the disappeared and NGOs urge UNHRC to pass the draft resolution on Sri Lanka

In a joint statement, the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a human rights organisation established by the mothers of children kidnapped and “illegally adopted” during the Argentine dictatorship, urged the UN Human Rights Council to pass the draft resolution on Sri Lanka.

Blinken, Yang, Sri Lanka and the global competition for democracy

Photograph: US and Chinese delegations in Alaska this month.

Earlier this month the United States and China publicly clashed, capturing global attention as the first face-to-face talks between the two superpowers since the Biden administration came into power, descended into a chaotic opening day. 

British High Court quashes SL Brigadier conviction despite recognising ‘criminal activity’

The British High Court has handed their ruling in support of former Sri Lankan defence attaché Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, who has appealed his conviction of breaching section 4A of the Public Order Act by making a cut-throat gesture at peace Tamil demonstrators outside Sri Lanka’s embassy.

In their ruling, Sir Julian Flaux C and Mrs Justice McGowan recognised the criminal behaviour of the Sri Lankan Brigadier, however, upheld his claim of diplomatic immunity.

Members of Congress call on the US to make ‘accountability and institutional reform in Sri Lanka a priority’

In a bi-partisan statement addressed to the US Secretary of State, 9 members of the US Congress have called upon their government to “actively seek support” for the passage of the current UN resolution as well as to ensure that “accountability and institutional reform in Sri Lanka” remains “a priority on the international stage”.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister decries charges of human rights abuses as ‘politically biased’

In advance of a vote at the UN Human Rights Council on a draft resolution concerning Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena decried the allegations levied against the country as being politically biased and called upon India for support to “defeat the false accusations”.

In his statement, Gunawardena claimed that it was “not the responsibility of an internationally recognized Human Rights Council to accuse or take a vote on the internal affairs of our country”.

Bus crashes into a train in Mannar; 14-year old student dies and over 20 injured

                                                          People gather around the tumbled bus trying to rescue passengers.

A bus crashed into a moving train bound from Anuradhapura to Talaimannar on Tuesday causing an accident leaving a 14-year old school boy dead and 25 people injured.