Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

""
  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…

Israelis warned to hide religion in Sri Lanka, as arrests made over terror threat

Israel's National Security Council called on Israelis in Sri Lanka to immediately leave tourist areas over the threat of an imminent terrorist attack, as police arrested two people on Wednesday.

Israel's National Security Council called on Israelis in Sri Lanka to immediately leave tourist areas over the threat of an imminent terrorist attack, as police arrested two people on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan Air Force now requires ‘certified copies’ of ID for any RTI requests

The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) has faced criticism for demanding certified copies of National Identity Cards (NICs) from individuals seeking information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a practice that is not legally required.

The controversy surfaced when a Tamil resident from the North was told by the SLAF's RTI office to provide a certified copy of their NIC, even though they had already submitted a standard copy, which is usually sufficient.

Sri Lanka's president urges voters to get rid of any opposition in parliament

Sri Lanka's newly elected president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, declared there is no longer a need for an Opposition in Parliament, as he addressed supporters last week.

Speaking at the first rally for the 2024 Gampaha District parliamentary election in Katunayake, he urged voters to ‘eradicate political opposition’ and elect a government capable of handling both ‘internal and external challenges’ effectively.

Sri Lanka flips decision not to censure Israel over UN ban on UN Secretary-General

The Sri Lankan government has reportedly reversed a decision not to sign a letter which has been backed by 105 states, criticising Israel’s decision to bar United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) António Guterres from entering the country.

Cleaning at Vannivilankulam LTTE cemetery begins ahead of Maaveerar Naal

Cleaning at Vannivilankulam Thuyilum Illam in Mullaitivu has begun in preparation of Maaveerar Naal next month. 

Tamils laid flowers at a destroyed LTTE gravestone to remember fallen cadres before they started the cleaning process. The LTTE built cemetries, also known as Thuyilum Illams, across Tamil Eelam to house the bodies of their fallen fighters. Following the end of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan army bulldozed over the cemetries and in some areas, built army bases over them. 

Safety concerns as vital link bridge left in disrepair

In a concerning development, the Sangupiddy Bridge—a crucial transportation link connecting the Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna districts along the A-32 road—faces significant safety risks.

Anywhere but Jaffna - Gotabaya Rajapaksa refuses to testify in disappearance case

Former Sri Lankan president and credibly accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has refused to travel to Jaffna to testify in the case concerning the enforced disappearances of political activists Lalith Kumar and Kugan Murugananthan.

Both activists, members of the Frontline Socialist Party, went missing on December 9, 2011, in Jaffna while Rajapaksa served as the Defence Secretary.

Diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka warn 'serious risk' of attack on tourist hot spot

The US Embassy, Russian Embassy, British High Commission and Australian High Commission in Colombo have cautioned its personnel and warned its citizens from travelling to Arugam Bay in the East, stating there is "credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area." 

 

Tamil asylum seekers in Diego Garcia excluded from new transfer agreement

Tamil asylum seekers stranded on Diego Garcia have been excluded from a new agreement between the UK and St Helena governments to transfer asylum seekers arriving at the Chagos Islands to St Helena.

Protests over illegally constructed Buddhist temple continue in Thaiyiddy

Tamils protested outside the Tissa Raja Vihara, a Buddhist temple which was illegally constructed and encroaches on the lands owned by local residents in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna. 

Every Poya (full moon) day, Tamils gather at the site to protest the Buddhist temple which was illegally constructed on land that is occupied by the Sri Lankan army.