Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Activists protest mineral sand mining threatening East coast
Environmentalists and civil society activists protested at Galle Face in Colombo on 17 June against proposed heavy mineral sand mining along the eastern coastline from Oluvil to Pothuvil, warning that the project threatens the land, fisheries and livelihoods of Tamil and Muslim communities across the Eastern Province. According to the People's Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), exploration…

China offers 500m Yuan as goodwill donation to Sri Lanka

Apr 7, 2016
China granted 500 million Yuan to Sri Lanka as a gesture of friendship, as the Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe continued his visit to Beijing.

The offer was made by the Chinese prime minister, Li Keqiang, during bilateral discussions with Mr Wickremesinghe on Thursday.

"China welcomes the resuming of the Colombo port construction and is willing to join hands with Sri Lanka to steadily expand the construction of the project," Mr Keqiang said, whilst expressing his wish that both sides will speed up the negotiation of the second phase of Hambantota port project.

Sri Lanka is taking action to dissuade Muslims from extremism says minister

Apr 7, 2016
Refuting allegations that Islamic State members were grouping in Sri Lanka, the minister of law and order, Sagala Ratnayaka said the government was taken "adequate measures to prevent foreign terrorist organisations from making use of Sri Lanka".

Stating that the government had made efforts to "dissuade the Muslim community from joining in extremist activities", the minister said the government had also "prevented the propaganda spread of extremist ideas though social media, and taken proper measures against this by deactivating accounts that spread ISIS ideas, as well as taking legal action against any lecturers or institutions who propagate such extremist ideas."

"It was found on the internet that a place was found in Dehiwala housing members of the ISIS," Mr Ratnayaka said.

Body found in Batticaloa

Apr 7, 2016
The body of an unidentified man was found in in Kalavanchikudi in Batticaloa this week.

The man is believed to have been in his 40s, Ceylon Today reported.

A bicycle was discovered nearby the paper added. Kalavanchikudi police will be investigating the incident.

Sinhala students assault security guard at Jaffna University hostel

Apr 7, 2016
Sinhala students have reported assaulted a security guard at the Jaffna University hostel, following a confrontation on Tuesday night.

The two students, reported to be in their third year at the faculty of science, were accompanied by a third unknown person said Ms Vasanthi Arasaratnam, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna.

They were caught trespassing into the men’s hostel on Tuesday at around 9pm by the security guard who questioned them. The students allegedly responded by saying they were part of a political party from the South and were there to carry out a political campaign.

When the guard tried to stop them, he was assaulted.

Nothing will impact ‘national security’ pledges Sri Lankan defence minister

Apr 7, 2016

Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardane pledged that nothing would affect “national security” on the island on Friday, at a ceremony to hand out benefit cards to Sri Lankan soldiers.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Mr Wijewardane said the “government will not allow any person or any organization to impact or influence on the national security”.


He went on to add that,

“President Maithripala Sirisena as the Defence Minister is continuously offering guidance and instruction to ensure and to further strengthen national security”.

German parliamentarians visit North-East

Apr 7, 2016

A delegation from the German South Asia Parliamentary Group toured the North-East today, meeting with the Chief Minister of Northern Province C V Wigneswaran.

During their visit to the North-East the delegation also met with Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan, the Bishop of Jaffna, Rev Gnanapragasam and students at the site of new vocational training school in Kilinochchi.

Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqian on Thursday, as Sri Lanka looked to restructure $8 billion worth of debt to China amidst a worsening debt crisis on the island.

As the two met in Beijing and signed seven different agreements, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of State Enterprise Eran Wickramaratna told PTI that Sri Lanka was “looking to swap debt to equity”.

Mr Wickremesinghe was also looking to negotiate the terms of a $125 million compensation package demanded by the Chinese following delays in the Colombo Port City project.

The state owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) said delays in construction, which was put on hold once the current Sri Lankan government came into power last year, had cost more than $380,000 a day.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Megalopolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka told The Wire that his government would look to strategies such as rescheduling payments, admitting, “We can’t pay, we are going to negotiate”.

Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told a delegation of German parliamentarians that he was “totally committed to safeguarding national security as well as regional security,” during a meeting in Colombo on Thursday.

The President’s Media Division reported that Mr Sirisena went on to detail Sri Lanka’s relationship with India, which he said was “built on the firm foundation of the message of the Buddha”.

The German delegation, which included Ambassador Jurgen Murhad, Niels Annen, Michael Donth, Caren lay and Prof Egon Juttner, also met with Sri Lanka’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha de Silva, as part of an official visit to the island.

Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East

Apr 6, 2016
Sri Lanka’s fisheries minister Mahinda Amaraweera pledged to build homes for the 590 Sinhala families who are living in Mullaitivu, following a visit to the North-East on Saturday.

Mr Amaraweera said he would work towards granting land rights to the Sinhala families, who live in Nayaru and Kokilai villages, stating he had appointed a government committee to look into the issue.

The Sinhala villagers have reportedly been living in the North-East for 50 years.

Tamils had earlier protested that the Sinhala families were receiving unfair assistance form the government, including monitoring and protection from the military to venture into areas off limits to Tamils.

Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'

Apr 6, 2016
The British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka spoke on the importance of returning land to its rightful owners at the launch of a British funded documentary and report on the Sri Lankan military’s occupation of land in the North-East.

British High Commissioner James Dauris said his government was pleased to support a new report by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) that found over 12,500 acres of land remained occupied by the Sri Lankan military and called for reparations and the restitution of land to its rightful owners.

Also supported by the British was a documentary by Kannan Arunasalam entitled ‘Sampur’, examining the struggle of Tamils in the Eastern Province to reclaim back land occupied by the Sri Lankan military.

“Land is deeply and emotionally linked to family and identity,” said Mr Dauris. “It is not just a socio-economic issue. Land issues unresolved can become major sources of discontent and inhibit efforts to reconcile people and heal wounds.”

“We warmly welcome the return of land by the Sri Lankan government to its rightful owners,” he continued.

Watch the full documentary below.
Sri Lanka is taking action to dissuade Muslims from extremism says minister
Body found in Batticaloa
Sinhala students assault security guard at Jaffna University hostel
Nothing will impact ‘national security’ pledges Sri Lankan defence minister
German parliamentarians visit North-East
Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt
Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’
Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East
Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'
TNA MP urges transparency in Sri Lankan govt's housing project
Sri Lanka is taking action to dissuade Muslims from extremism says minister
Body found in Batticaloa
Sinhala students assault security guard at Jaffna University hostel
Nothing will impact ‘national security’ pledges Sri Lankan defence minister
German parliamentarians visit North-East
Ranil in China as Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $8 billion of debt
Sri Lankan president ‘totally committed to safeguarding national security’
Sri Lankan minister pledges houses for Sinhala villagers in North-East
Britain highlights lack of land release as 'major source of discontent'
TNA MP urges transparency in Sri Lankan govt's housing project