Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Mannar Urban Council Chairman Daniel Vasanthan has strongly condemned the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), stating that the detention reflects a situation where "Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing". Speaking at a media briefing held at the Mannar Urban Council on Friday, Vasanthan criticised the decision to arrest the…

Message delivered? Lack of accountability underscores Sri Lankan minister’s UK visit

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Ali Sabry undertook a tour of Britain this week, where he met with senior British politicians who have all called for justice and accountability for mass atrocities on the island, despite his government repeatedly refusing to deliver on the issue.

Stop sand mining or Mannar will go under water, warn protestors

Illegal development activities destroying the environment in Mannar must be stopped immediately, protestors demanded, as they called on the government to conserve Mannar’s natural resources.

The protestors who started a march from the Mannar main bridge, made their way to the District Secretariat where they continued demonstrations, dding that livelihoods are at risk. 

Jaffna University student union call for boycott on Sri Lanka's Independence Day

The Jaffna University Students' Union has called for a boycott on Sri Lanka's Independence Day and to declare it as a 'black day' in protest over unmet demands of the Tamil community, including a permanent political solution.

Tamils in Jaffna demand justice for murdered and disappeared journalists

Tamils in Jaffna marked 'Black January' with a protest calling on Sri Lanka to protect media freedom across the island. 

Renowned playback singer Bhavatharini Raja passes away in Colombo

Bhavatharini Raja, a renowned singer and the daughter of legendary music composer Ilayaraja, passed away on January 25, succumbing to a battle with cancer. The 47-year-old singer had been undergoing treatment in Colombo.

Arrests made after Sinhala party leader shot dead

Sri Lankan police announced that arrests have been made over the murder of the leader of a right-wing Sinhala nationalist party, with reports that criminal elements involved in drug trafficking are implicated in the killing.

Saman Perera, the leader of the 'Ape Janabala Pakshaya' (meaning “Our Power of People Party” in Sinhala), was confirmed to be among the five individuals shot dead in Tangalle, on Monday.

Sri Lanka’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission 'is a joke' - TNPF leader tells Tamil Guardian

Tamil Guardian caught up with Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam to hear his thoughts on Sri Lanka's Truth and Reconcilication Commission, international accountability, the repressive environment of the North-East and Tamil political representation. 

The time to give life to Tamil nationalism is now' - Shritharan tells Mannar

The Sinhalese people have started to experience the suffering that the Tamil people have long suffered said the newly elected leader of the Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Sivagnanam Shritharan, claiming that with the Sri Lankan government overwhelmed with fear and panic, “it is also an opening for the Tamil people to come together and unite for our collective cause”.

Tamils demand removal of illegal Buddhist Vihara in Kankesanthurai

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), joined by members of the public, initiated protests on January 24 demanding the removal of the Thissa Raja Vihara, an illegally constructed Buddhist structure encroaching upon the lands of the people in Kankesanthurai.

The ongoing protests, occurring every Poya (full moon) day, highlight the collective effort to address the contentious issue of the Thissa Raja Vihara, which is being built on privately owned land that is being occupied by the Sri Lankan army. 

Ask Sri Lanka to release Tamil Nadu fishermen: Stalin writes to Jaishankar

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressing deep concern about the "troubling pattern" of apprehending Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu urged the Centre to re-establish a collaborative working group and emphasised the "urgent need" for diplomatic initiatives to arrest the ongoing situation.

In a letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, Stalin highlighted the recent arrest of six fishermen from Ramanathapuram district in the state, along with two fishing boats, by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 22.