Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed Sri Lanka earlier this month, New Delhi’s media was already hailing the visit as a diplomatic triumph. A raft of development projects had been announced and a significant new defence pact between the two governments signed. Images broadcast showed Modi beside a smiling Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, arms raised aloft in symbolic…

Wigneswaran discusses Tamil grievances with Mahanayake

The Chief Minister of the Northern Province met the Mahanayake Thero of the Malwatte chapter to discuss Tamil grievances on Saturday.

Chief Minister Wigneswaran described the problems faced by Tamils in their everyday lives to the senior Buddhist monk reports Uthayan.

Jaffna Muslims protest against Rohingya genocide

Muslims in Jaffna protested against the genocide of Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar government.

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi donates elephant to Sri Lankan president

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena received an elephant that was donated by the State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, offering it to a Buddhist temple in Kandy.

Rajapaksa aide jailed over corruption during election bid

A senior civil servant under the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sentenced for 3 years on Thursday over corruption, AFP reported.  

Lalith Weeratunga was found guilty of misappropriating funds belonging to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), spending 600 million rupees on gifting textiles and other items to Buddhist devotees during Mr Rajapaksa's 2015 re-election bid 

The director of the TRC at the time, Anusha Palpita was also sentenced for three years for allowing the misappropriation of funds to take place. 

Bangladesh seeks FTA with Sri Lanka before end of 2018

Bangladesh's commerce minister called for a swift Free Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka by the end of next year. 

“Let us sign before end-2018, it is time that we focus on much broader trade levels,” Bangladesh's minister, Tofail Ahmed was quoted by LBO as saying in Colombo recently. 

“Bilateral trade has been on the increase but the volumes are not so great, we can do better.”

Australia signs MoU with Sri Lanka on people smuggling

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Sri Lanka and Australia this week, as Sri Lanka's Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Kapila Waidyaratne led a delegation to Canberra on September 6. 

The MoU on People Smuggling and Transnational Crime was aimed at increasing cooperation between the two countries on smuggling operations and maritime crime. 

Sri Lanka tightens prisoners' access to hospital

Sri Lanka's Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, D M Swaminathan introduced new regulations on Friday tightening inmates' access to medical services in hospital. 

Inmates requiring medical treatment will need the approval of three doctors in order to be admitted to the prison's hospital. Previously the recommendation of one doctor was sufficient. 

US Senate committee approves harsher conditions on Sri Lanka funds

The US Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved the 2018 State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which includes new and harsher conditions on funds to be given to Sri Lanka.

The committee approved $51.35 billion in total for diplomatic and humanitarian programs that "strengthen U.S. national security and support American values abroad".

Strike at Jaffna Uni calling for action against Sinhalese admin officers who sexually harassed Tamil staff

The sexual harassment of female employees by two administrative officers at Jaffna University resulted in a strike by staff and employees on Friday, causing the university to come to a standstill.

Two Sinhalese administrative officers at the university had been sexually harassing several Tamil female maintenance workers, but the victims had been reluctant to report the incidents out of fear. One employee had not attended work for several days due to the harassment.

12 SLFP MPs threaten to quit Sri Lanka parliament following meet with Mahinda Rajapaksa

A group of 12 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs have reportedly informed Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena of their intention to leave their posts, reports Dailymirror.lk.

The parlimentarians raised concerns over ongoing allegations of corruption and the current government’s move towards power devolution.

The MPs informed the president after allegedly meeting with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday.