Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

A fisherman in Keppapulavu, Mullaitivu, was assaulted during a visit by Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, as tensions flared during the Minister’s local government election campaign on 24 April. Chandrasekaran, who was touring the North-East with National People’s Power (NPP) candidates, visited Keppapulavu where he met with representatives of the Keppapulavu Fishermen…

Ranil promises to resolve debt crisis by 2025

Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday promised to resolve the island's debt crisis by 2025. 

"Just like good parents don't pass on their debt burden to the children, this government will not hand over the country's debt to the future generations and Sri Lanka will be a country free of debt by 2025," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by Colombo Page as saying. 

Sri Lankan minister briefs Buddhist monks on draft constitution

A Sri Lankan government minister met with a senior Buddhist monk today, to brief the clergy on the process to draft a new constitution for the island.

US Defence Attaché meets Sri Lankan commanders

The newly appointed Defence Attaché at the US embassy in Sri Lanka met with commanders of the Sri Lankan security forces in Kilinochchi and Jaffna this weekend.

Tamil journalists concerned after photos published by Sinhala website

A Sinhala-language website has falsely used the photographs of three Tamil journalists in a story about a fraud incident in Dubai.

The website alleges that six Tamil youths working at a security firm in Dubai defrauded that firm of over a million Emirati dirhams.

In a collage of the supposed suspects, the website used the photographs of three prominent Tamil journalists based in Jaffna.

The journalists said they had brought the incident to the attention of the Inspector General of Police during his visit to Jaffna and were assured the IGP would be taking swift action against the website.

UK welcomes renewed defence ties with Sri Lanka and calls for more land releases

Britain’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka praised renewed defence links between the two governments and called on the military to release more land, which is currently being occupied by the armed forces in the North-East.

CID question 3 NPC Councillors in Jaffna

Three Northern Provincial Council members were questioned by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department in relation to a press conference on Mullivaikkaal remembrance.

M. K. Sivajilingam was last week summoned to Colombo by the CID for questioning although the councillor declined to travel, suggesting instead that questioning could take place in the Jaffna district.

CID personnel travelled to Jaffna on Monday and questioned the councillor about a press conference at Jaffna Press Club on May 8th.

Sri Lankan military donates computers to Jaffna school

The Sri Lankan army donated a batch of computers to a school in Jaffna earlier this month, in a town that has become the site of a controversial Sinhala settlement.

Tamil man found dead in Batticaloa

A 38 year old Tamil man identified as father of four, Rasaiya Ravichandran, was found dead in Vaalaichchenai, Batticaloa on Friday.

His body was found within bushes on abandoned land, reported Batti News

Mr Ravichandran left home around midday on Thursday before calling home around 5pm, his wife told the police. 

His body has been taken to Vaalaichchenai hospital by police for a post mortem examination. 

Sirisena - no one can form a government without my blessing

As the splits within Sri Lanka's national unity government continued to widen president Maithripala Sirisena warned on Monday that no one could form a government without his approval according to the constitution.  

"Everybody should keep in their minds that his blessing is essential to form a new government though some groups are dreaming of changing the numbers in Parliament and capture power to form a government," the Daily Mirror quoted him as saying. 

Sri Lankan army to patrol Jaffna in search and arrest crackdown - IGP

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundare, who visited Jaffna in response to an attack on two police constables in Kokuvil on Sunday, said Sri Lanka's Army will help patrols and searches in the North-East.

The IGP, who was in Jaffna on Monday to brief the police forces on a new strategy involving search and arrest on suspicion to deal with recent attacks against police constables, said,  

“We are going to have the assistance of the STF and Armed Forces. We are going to start combined patrols and searches to find those responsible for the attack."