Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

""
'Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing'
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…

UK FCO is 'deeply concerned' about Sri Lanka

Nov 8, 2018

The UK's Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mark Field said the FCO was "deeply concerned by the political situation in Sri Lanka". 

Responding to a written question by the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry asking if the UK recognised Ranil Wickremesinghe or Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister, Field replied, "it is our position that we recongnise states not governments."

"Naturally the FCO is deeply concerned by the political situation in Sri Lanka," Field added. 

Sri Lanka police force acting under President Sirisena's orders

Nov 8, 2018
<p>The Sri Lankan police force follows the orders of the Sri Lankan president, the force’s top chief has said, as the country’s political crisis over who is the rightful Prime Minister continues.</p> <p>Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara made the comments at a media briefing at the police headquarters in Colombo. He said that Sri Lanka Police would operate according to the gazette notification issued by President Maithripala Sirisena.</p>

Over 230 skeletons and counting unearthed from Mannar mass grave

Nov 7, 2018
<p>The skeletal remains of at least 232 people have been unearthed from a mass grave in Mannar, with over 100 days of excavations having taken place thus far and more bodies reportedly still to be discovered.</p> <p>Senior Judicial Medical Officer Saminda Rajapakse said that since excavations began over fove months ago, 224 complete bodies have been discovered with the remains of other people making up a total of 232. The remains of children are amongst those found at the mass grave, with many bearing&nbsp;“deep and unusual” lacerations on their bones, according to those excavating the site.</p>

IMF is ‘monitoring situation closely’ in Sri Lanka

Nov 7, 2018
<p>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated it was “monitoring the situation closely” in Sri Lanka, political turmoil in Colombo continues.</p> <p>"The IMF is not in the political realm but clearly we take note of recent developments," IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said.</p> <p>"We are monitoring the situation closely and we remain in contact with our counterparts at the technical level."</p> <p>Rice went on to state that, “I don't have any assessment as yet on potential program implications there in Sri Lanka".</p>

‘No action’ on MCC program as US assesses situation in Sri Lanka

Nov 7, 2018
<p>The United States has said that “no actions” were being taken on Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding worth several million dollars, as political turmoil continues to rock Sri Lanka.</p> <p>“No actions are being taken either to move the compact forward or to suspend it while we assess the situation,” press secretary Laura Allen told the Tamil Guardian on Tuesday.</p> <p>“MCC is closely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka to determine its potential impact on the proposed compact,” she added.</p>

Gotabhaya hits out at critics and denies that ‘a single Tamil journalist was killed’

Nov 7, 2018

Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa denied that any Tamil journalists were killed during his tenure and lashed out at critics in an interview this week.

Speaking with Johan Mikaelsson, Rajapaksa claimed he was “100% sure” that no Tamil journalists were killed or disappeared and lamented that “there is no end to complaints”.

Sinhala monk storms Muslim-owned store in Trinco over Buddha print fabrics

Nov 7, 2018

A Muslim-owned textile boutique in Trincomalee was the centre of tensions on Saturday for selling fabrics bearing prints of the Buddha’s face.

Tensions rose to a head after the head monk of a nearby Buddhist vihara turned up at the popular boutique in Trinco town on hearing word of the fabrics being sold.

The monk and his entourage attempted to seize the fabrics as the business owner resisted. However Trincomalee police arrived at the scene a short while later and seized the fabrics.

BBS and Buddhist monks slam ‘Western interference’

Nov 7, 2018
<p>A group of Buddhist monks and leaders from the extremist Bodu Bala Sena organisation have slammed Western countries for “unnecessary interference and influence” amidst calls to reconvene parliament as Sri Lanka’s political crisis continues.</p> <p>“As an independent and sovereign state , Sri Lanka can resolve our political issues on our own,” said a letter delivered by Sinhala Buddhist monks to the British High Commission in Colombo last week. “We do not want any so called western international community unnecessary interference and influence to resolve our own problems (sic).”</p>

Protestors condemn 'sell-out' Tamil MP who defected to Rajapaksa

Nov 7, 2018

The former TNA MP S Viyalendiran who defected to the Rajapaksa-Sirisena government was condemned by protestors in Batticaloa on Sunday.

At a UNP-organised protest against the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister, protestors accused Viyalendiran of selling out his Tamil constituents.

“Don’t bring us slave status for your minister status,” one placard read.

Viyalendiran, a former PLOTE member, defected from the TNA to Rajapaksa's governmet, being appointed as a deputy minister of regional development in the East.

Sinhala monk requests presidential pardons for fellow Sinhala monks and murderers

Nov 6, 2018

The Buddhist monk who leads the Sinhala Buddhist group ‘Sinhala Ravaya’ has requested presidential pardons for fellow monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, the founder of the Sinhala Buddhist hate group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) who is currently serving jail time for contempt of court, and Duminda Silva, the SLFP politician with strong links to the drug trade and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, currently on death row accused of the murder of a fellow politician.

Sri Lanka police force acting under President Sirisena's orders
Over 230 skeletons and counting unearthed from Mannar mass grave
IMF is ‘monitoring situation closely’ in Sri Lanka
‘No action’ on MCC program as US assesses situation in Sri Lanka
Gotabhaya hits out at critics and denies that ‘a single Tamil journalist was killed’
Sinhala monk storms Muslim-owned store in Trinco over Buddha print fabrics
BBS and Buddhist monks slam ‘Western interference’
Protestors condemn 'sell-out' Tamil MP who defected to Rajapaksa
Sinhala monk requests presidential pardons for fellow Sinhala monks and murderers
Sri Lanka's LGBTQI+ community disappointed by Sirisena's homophobic remarks
Sri Lanka police force acting under President Sirisena's orders
Over 230 skeletons and counting unearthed from Mannar mass grave
IMF is ‘monitoring situation closely’ in Sri Lanka
‘No action’ on MCC program as US assesses situation in Sri Lanka
Gotabhaya hits out at critics and denies that ‘a single Tamil journalist was killed’
Sinhala monk storms Muslim-owned store in Trinco over Buddha print fabrics
BBS and Buddhist monks slam ‘Western interference’
Protestors condemn 'sell-out' Tamil MP who defected to Rajapaksa
Sinhala monk requests presidential pardons for fellow Sinhala monks and murderers
Sri Lanka's LGBTQI+ community disappointed by Sirisena's homophobic remarks