Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

A protest march was held last month opposing limestone excavation, mineral sand mining and a proposed wind power project across the villages of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, in the Poonakary Divisional Secretariat division of Kilinochchi. The demonstration was organised against plans to establish wind power stations and to carry out mineral sand and limestone extraction in the…

Sri Lankan army coordinates distribution of artificial limbs to war affected Tamil civilians 

Security Force Headquarters-Mullaitivu (SFHQ-MLT) coordinated and distributed artificial limbs to 48 war-affected civilians at Mullivaikkal School. 

The initiative was sponsored by Kandy-based Centre for the Handicapped. SFHQ-MLT undertook a similar project in July, in which they distributed 25 artificial limbs.

Maaveerar Naal marked in Netherlands

Tamils in the Netherlands marked Maaveerar Naal last month, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of people.

Army accused of setting up camp on LTTE cemetery in Amparai 

The Sri Lankan army has been accused of building a new army camp on an LTTE cemetery in Amparai.

The army has been clearing land belonging to the LTTE cemetery in Kanchikudichchcaru, Amparai. Concrete boundary pillars are also being constructed, says Eastern Provincial councilor Thavarasa Kalaiyarasan.

A commemorative event for Maaveerar Naal was held last month at the Kanchikudichcharu LTTE cemetery. 

Sri Lankan government ‘totally committed to spread Buddhism across world'

Sri Lanka’s president said his government is “totally committed to spread the Theravada Buddhism across the world,” reports the official President’s Media Division.

In remarks made at a religious ceremony in the South last week, Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena was quoted as saying, “Buddhism is the only religion which can calm the restless mind of the people and at present the western world also paying more attention to the Buddhism”.

Tamils across Italy mark Maaveerar Naal

Thousands of people across Italy marked Maaveerar Naal last month, in a series of events held across the country.

Eelam Tamil journalists honoured by IATAJ

Seven Tamil journalists were honoured by the International Association of Tamil Journalists at an event held in memory of Eelam Tamil journalists that were assassinated or killed by Sri Lankan state forces.

Sri Lanka hails ‘great victory’ in securing $1.34 billion loan

Sri Lanka has been granted $1.34 billion in loans from the World Bank announced the government’s finance ministry, as it looks to stabilise the island’s struggling economy.

"This is a great victory for us and it will help us in the fiscal consolidation programme that the new government has started," said Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The move will see loans spread out over 15 years, reports AFP. The loans will add to the government’s debt situation, which has reportedly seen over 95% of all government revenue is spent on repaying loans,

Sri Lankan army and Buddhist monks talk ‘reconciliation’ in Jaffna

The commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Jaffna met with senior Sinhala Buddhists monks from the South in Jaffna this month,  to discuss “reconciliation”.

Sri Lankan police officers remanded over murder of Jaffna Uni students

A group of Sri Lankan police officers have been held on remand over the murder of two Tamil students earlier this year.

The five policemen have been remanded until the 30th of December following a court order by the Jaffna additional magistrate.

The two students, 23 year old Nadarasa Kajan and 24 year old Pavunraj Sulaxan, were shot dead on the 20th of October.

 

Chief Buddhist monk from Batticaloa released on bail

Batticaloa Chief Buddhist Monk, Ampitiye Sumanarathana, was released on bail after being charged for gathering people in a manner that disrupted law and order.

On December 3rd he led a group that insisted on letting a bus full of Bodhu Sala Sena (BBS) monks from the south into Batticaloa. Sumanarathana climbed on top of police barriers and recited hate speech against Tamils and Muslims.