Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed a campaign rally in Vavuniya this week, making a series of pledges ranging from land restitution to “national reconciliation”, ahead of local government elections next month. Dissanayake announced that all lands marked by the Sri Lankan Forest Department using Google Maps—including farmlands and reservoirs—would be re-evaluated and…

Another 4 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan navy

The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested another four Indian fishermen for allegedly crossing into Sri Lankan waters, reported TNN and The Hindu

The men and their fishing boats were taken to Sri Lanka's navy station, Elara. 

The arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy. 

In total 81 men are currently detained. 

Singapore and Sri Lanka commit to FTA by end of 2017

Singapore and Sri Lanka committed to arriving at a free trade agreement by the end of this year, Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan said following his meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart in Colombo on Monday. 

Sri Lanka detained Indian citizen for wearing dress with Buddha image

Sri Lankan police detained an Indian citizen from Tamil Nadu who was on a family holiday in the island for wearing a dress with the image of Buddha on it, The Hindu reported. 

She was only released after she signed a statement and apologised. 

“Just as we were about to make the payment at the counter, three cops came up to us and said they needed to arrest and take my niece. We were terrified,” aunt of the woman who was detained told the paper. 

Sri Lankan police visit IBC Colombo office twice in 4 days

Sri Lankan police officers visited the Colombo office of the Tamil diaspora TV station, IBC Tamil two times over a four day period and sought the personal details of staff members. 

"The visit was on the same day a news item published in a Sinhala ultra-nationalist daily carrying accusations against an unnamed "Tamil Tiger diaspora TV" that provides information to London on  "protests against government, security forces activities in the north and allegations against the government by visiting UN officials", JDS reported.  

IMF approves US $167 million tranche after Sri Lanka review process

A US $167.2 million disbursement has been approved by the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after completing the second review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The IMF Executive board completed the review on Monday, allowing for the release of US $167.2 million which forms part of a 3 year arrangement to provide up to US $1.45 billion of assistance during Sri Lanka’s monetary reform process.

To date a total of approximately US $501.5 million has been released to Sri Lanka, reports adaderena.lk.

Sri Lanka's president questions cabinet on decision to allow UN rapporteur to meet detained LTTE suspects

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena reportedly questioned his cabinet on how the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Emmerson was allowed to meet Tamils detained as alleged Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters.

The Daily Mirror reported the meeting request was sanctioned by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Tamil journalist harassed by Sri Lankan soldiers en route to disappearances protest

A Tamil journalist was harassed by Sri Lankan soldiers in Vadamarachchi while on the way to report on the protest of the families of the disappeared in Maruthankerny.

Jaffna-based journalist Uthayarasa Shalin was stopped by two soldiers on a motorcycle on Monday afternoon on the route to Maruthankerny.

Having questioned Mr Shalin about his destination, the soldiers told him he could not go on as the mentioned protest had finished.

Mr Shalin denied that the protest had ended and insisted that he had to continue, identifying himself with his media accreditation.

Tamil journalist interrogated for 3 hours by CID and pressured to sign statement in Sinhalese

A Tamil journalist who was summoned to Colombo by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department was today interrogated for three hours in Jaffna and made to sign a statement written in Sinhalese, despite not being able to understand the contents.

Jaffna-based broadcast and print journalist T. Pratheepan faced investigation at Achuveli police station this morning over the broadcast of a politician’s press conference.

Sri Lankan Army and Canadian charity hand out ‘gifts’ to children in Batticaloa and Amparai

The Sri Lankan Army partnered with Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) of Canada to hand out “gifts” to schoolchildren in Batticaloa and Amparai last week, declared an official military website.

UK and EU must help dismantle torture in Sri Lanka - FFT

Freedom From Torture said members of the international community, particularly the United Kingdom and European Union, must do more to dismantle the structures that allow torture to continue in Sri Lanka.

Responding to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson, FFT said his findings corroborated many of their own reports.