Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Pon. Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle, was remembered today in Urumpirai, Jaffna, on the 52nd anniversary of his death.  Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. On 5th June 1974, Sivakumaran was surrounded by Sri Lankan security forces. He had…

Former Sri Lankan Navy Commander arrested over abduction and murder allegations

Former Sri Lankan Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations linked to the abduction and murder of an individual in the Pothuhera area, in a case drawing renewed scrutiny over Sri Lanka’s accountability for human rights violations.

Child found cradled in mass grave as Chemmani death count grows

Excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna have revealed further chilling discoveries, with the number of identified skeletal assemblages now rising to 118, including one adult skeleton found in a posture cradling the remains of a small child.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa agrees to testify in disappearance case – but not in Jaffna

Former Sri Lankan President and credibly accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the Supreme Court that he is willing to testify in the habeas corpus case relating to the 2011 enforced disappearance of human rights activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan - but has requested that proceedings be held in Colombo, citing “security concerns.”

Michelle Ananda-Rajah becomes Australia’s first Tamil senator

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah has made history as the first Tamil to enter the Australian Senate, following her official signing of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) Caucus book during the 48th Parliament.

French MPs call for international investigation into mass graves and war crimes in Sri Lanka

A group of French parliamentarians have issued a joint statement calling for an independent international investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka, following the recent discovery of mass graves in the North-East.

Sri Lanka waives visa fees for Israelis amid concerns over war crimes

Sri Lanka has announced visa fee waivers for travellers from 40 countries in a bid to revive its struggling tourism sector - among them Israel, despite international concern over war crimes being committed in Gaza.

Sri Lanka Supreme Court orders $1 billion in damages for X-Press Pearl disaster

In a landmark ruling, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered the owners and affiliated companies of the X-Press Pearl cargo vessel to pay USD 1 billion in compensation for the environmental devastation and economic losses caused by the catastrophic maritime disaster that unfolded off the island’s western coast in 2021.

Sinhala-Buddhist monk disrupts Aadi Amavasai ancestral rites at Kanniya Hot Springs

An incident of religious disruption was reported on 24 July at the historic Kanniya Hot Springs Shivan Temple in Trincomalee, where a Sinhala-Buddhist monk attempted to impose unauthorised restrictions during Aadi Amavasai observances.

March held in Mannar demanding international justice for Tamil mass graves

A peaceful march demanding justice for mass graves uncovered across the North-East was held on Thursday, 24 July, by the Union of Mass Organisations in Mannar.

Top Sri Lankan police officer sacked over Easter Sunday attacks, as PM vows legal action 

Sri Lanka’s National Police Commission (NPC) has dismissed former State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief and Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena from service, following a disciplinary inquiry into his role in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 270 people.