Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The Sri Lanka Air Force's upgraded Kfir C12 during its first test flight at SLAF Base Katunayake on 11 June. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force On 11 June, the Sri Lanka Air Force conducted the first test flight of an upgraded Kfir C12 fighter at its Katunayake base, presenting the flight as a military milestone. The aircraft is one of five being rebuilt — four C2 and C7 jets plus a TC2 trainer…

Sri Lankan Army offers 'helping hand' to Jaffna jobseekers

The Sri Lankan army has held employment awareness workshops for the unemployed youth of Jaffna, "with the sheer intention of exploring possibilities of getting employment openings for the unemployed in the Jaffna Peninsula" according to the official army website.

Sri Lankan military gives handouts to pregnant women in Kilinochchi

The Sri Lankan military's 66 Division this week gave handouts to pregnant Tamil women in Poonakary, Kilinochchi. 

The army's website described it as "another step forward to provide community assistance and reconciliation among the nations and in order to expect wealthy child birth from rural and low income families pregnant mothers". 

PHU tells Ranil to reveal secret promise made to TNA

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) on Monday urged the Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to reveal what promises he had made to the Tamil National Alliance and western forces, the Daily Mirror reported. 

Sri Lankan soldiers warns Sirisena of Ranil and OMP

A group of Sri Lankan soldiers met with Maithripala Sirisena last week to warn him that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would fill the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) with those who “couldn’t stomach Sri Lanka’s victory over LTTE terrorism”.

Buddhist monks tell Ranil not to remove shrines from North-East

Photograph: The Island

Senior Buddhist monks met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday, to urge him not to remove Buddhist shrines from the Tamil North-East and ensure that Buddhism continues to receive the foremost place in the island’s constitution.

Sri Lankan army runs Christmas Carol services in North

The Sri Lankan army arranged Christmas Carol services in Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi this week in order to "promote the relationship between military personnel and civilians", the army's website stated.

TNA will appeal Raviraj verdict

The Tamil National Alliance will appeal the aquittal of all suspects in the case of the assassinated former Tamil politician, N Raviraj this week. 

“The judgment is indicative of the people’s distrust in the country’s Judiciary. It is in this scenario that we demand an international panel of judges to probe the alleged war crimes. A lawyer who watched the interests of the aggrieved party, I will file an appeal,” Mr Sumanthiran was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

Maaveerar Naal marked in Strasbourg

Tamils in Strasbourg marked Maaveerar Naal last month, with a ceremony to remember those who gave their lives during the Tamil struggle.

Tamil restaurant owner abducted and assaulted by Sinhalese bus driver and conductor

A Tamil restaurant owner was assaulted and abducted by a Sinhalese bus driver and conductor in Vavuniya on Wednesday.

An argument had broken out the previous day when the assailants were told by T. Subaraj, the owner of the restaurant in Vavuniya’s main bus station that they could not smoke in the premises.

The bus driver and conductor returned to the restaurant the following night while Mr Subaraj was alone, calling him out to talk. While Mr Subaraj obliged, thinking he would be reconciling with the pair, he was knocked unconscious with metal rods, thrown into the bus and driven in the direction of Madawachi.

Sri Lankan president discusses protecting ‘historical sites’ with BBS

Photograph: Daily Ceylon

Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena met with senior government ministers and Buddhists monks in Colombo this week, including with the head of the extremist Bodu Bala Sena organisation, to discuss the protection of “historical places with great archaeological value”.