Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka's Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Media and Health, Nalinda Jayatissa, has said that the government cannot unilaterally disclose the contents of a recently signed Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India without mutual consent from New Delhi. The agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo.  Responding to questions…

Sri Lankan police officer assaults protester in Hambantota

A video has emerged of an Assistant Superintendent of Police assaulting an arrested protester in Hambantota on Friday. 

The National Police Commission on Saturday announced it had launched an investigation into the alleged assault. 

See video here

Sri Lankan govt making progress on land release, Northern Province governor tells UK minister

The British minister for Asia and the Pacific met with the Sri Lankan government-appointed governor of the Northern Province during his trip to Jaffna on Friday.

The minister, Mark Field, and governor, Reginald Cooray, are reported to have discussed the current situation in the Northern Province and steps needed to achieve reconciliation.

NPC urges Sri Lankan government to intervene in case of hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners

The Northern Provincial Council has urged the Sri Lankan government to intervene in the case of Tamil political prisoners hunger striking in Anuradhapuram prison.

Following a resolution passed at the 107th sitting of the council on Friday, the council chair C. V. K. Sivagnanam wrote to the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister and Minister of Resettlement and Prison Reforms.

The NPC urged the government to cancel the transfer of the political prisoners’ cases to Anuradhapuram courts which the detainees have been hunger striking against. The NPC requested that the trials be allowed to continue in Vavuniya.

UN Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparations to visit Sri Lanka next week

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on truth , justice, reparations and guarantees of no recurrence Pablo de Greiff is to carry out an official visit to Sri Lanka, from 10 to 23 October 2017.

UK FCO minister visits Jaffna

The UK’s Foreign Office Minister for Asia and the Pacific visited Jaffna today, as part of an official visit to the island.

Sri Lankan navy detains 4 Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan navy on Thursday detained four Indian fishermen and confiscated their boat, for allegedly entering the island's waters. 

The fishermen have been identified as Tamilselvan (50), Appadurai (52), Rangasamy (45) and Jeeva (55). 

The men have been taken to Karainagar in Sri Lanka, Times of India reported. 
 

Sri Lankan police arrest man in Mullaitivu over alleged LTTE links

Sri Lankan police have raided a house in Devipuram, Puthukudiyiruppu on Tuesday arresting a man who they claim was manufacturing arms, Ceylon Today

The police claim to have found "three dipping guns, seven muzzle-loaders, 12 pipes used for making guns, ten kilos of T-56 bullets, 500 grams of explosives, saws, pliers and a large quantity of equipment" at the time of arrest. 

The man who has not been identified, has been accused by police of being a previous member of the LTTE, working within the arms manufacture section. 
 

Sri Lankan troops donate blood in Jaffna

Soldiers from Sri Lanka’s Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment donated blood at Jaffna Teaching Hospital earlier this month.

India, Sri Lanka talks underway on Trinco oil tanks

Talks between India and Sri Lanka on the development on oil tanks on Trincomalee are underway, officials from the Joint Working Group (JWG) were quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The Managing Director of Lanka Indian Oil Company Shyam Bohra told the paper, "the government to government talks were taking place through the JWG to work out modalities for the development of the Oil Tank Farm in Trincomalee."

"No final decision had been taken yet in this regard," he added. 

Two Jaffna Uni students killed by police remembered in Ponnalai

Two Jaffna University students shot dead by police last year were remembered in Jaffna, ahead of the one year anniversary of their murders this month.

A memorial service for N. Kajan and V. Sulaxan was held at the Venkaram library in Ponnalai on Wednesday.