Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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  A memorial sports tournament commemorating Colonel Shankar, the Special Commander of the Tamil Eelam Air Force (Sky Tigers) who was killed in an attack carried out by Sri Lankan deep penetration forces in Ottusuddan, Mullaitivu, on 26 September 2001, was held in Switzerland on 7 June 2026. Organised by the Sports Division of the Swiss Tamil Coordinating Committee, the event took…

Liberal Party of Canada calls for protection of Tamil nation and travel ban on genocide perpetrators

The Liberal Party of Canada called for the protection of the Tamil nation as part of a long term political solution in Sri Lanka and pledged to implement a travel ban on those in the Sri Lankan armed forces who may have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Announcing three pillars of Canada’s engagement with Sri Lanka, the Liberal Party stated on accountability it would “exercise universal jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute those perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide who may be in Canada” and that it would “implement a travel ban against those who might have been a part of the chain of command within the Sri Lankan armed forces”.

The party also said it would “continue to seek a criminal, international, independent, investigation into serious international crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide for the period 1948 to date”.

On a long term political solution on the island, the party said that addressing “the legitimate grievances of Tamils and other minorities is required” and stated:

“We believe that the Tamil nation and other minorities must be protected”.

Protestors in Vavuniya join calls for release of Tamil political prisoners


Protestors in Vavuniya held a hunger strike on Friday, demanding the Sri Lankan government release Tamil political prisoners held in jails across the island.

The protest joins others that took place across the North-East, supporting the over 200 Tamil detainees who have entered a fifth day of hunger strikes.

Remains of two women found in former Sri Lankan High Security Zone in Jaffna

Skeletal remains of two women have been discovered in a former Sri Lankan military High Security Zone in Jaffna.


The remains were discovered in Mulli, a village in Ariyalai, Jaffna, alongside a pair of sandals, womens’ clothing and stationery including pens and pencils – suggesting that at least one of the bodies belongs to a student.

Diaspora festival delayed by Sri Lanka's foreign ministry

The government has postponed a diaspora festival that was scheduled to take place this December announced Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry on Friday.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera previously announced the plan to hold such a festival in order to encourage diaspora members to engage with Sri Lanka, with hope of making it an annual event.

Diaspora festival 'threat to national unity' - JHU (21 Jun 2015)

Protestors in Jaffna call for the release of political prisoners

 


A protest was held in Jaffna today calling for the immediate release of Tamil political prisoners.

TNA MP pledges to join hunger strike if Sri Lankan government does not release Tamil political prisoners

 

Tamil National Alliance MP and spokesperson M.A. Sumanthiran called on the Sri Lankan government to release all political prisoners, as he visited hunger striking inmates at Anuradhapura Prison.

Mr Sumanithran, accompanied by Provincial Council members Asmin Yakoob and Sanankiyan Sayandan, demanded the government release the prisoners as agreed and stated if there was no response in the coming days, he too would join the prisoners in their hunger strike, according to a party press release.

‘There are no political prisoners’ says Sri Lanka’s justice minister

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe declared “there are no political prisoners in the country’s prisons,” as protests continue across the island.

Mr Rajapakshe, the government’s justice minister and minister of the Buddha Sasana, told reporters:

“The prisoners are ones who are held for aiding and abetting the activities of LTTE terrorists. They are not political prisoners.”

Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said he would take a decision on Tamil political prisoners detained in jails across the island, after a report was compiled and submitted to him on the issue.

The government response comes as over 200 Tamil inmates started a hunger strike across the island, now entering its fourth day. Protests in support of the prisoners and calling for their immediate release, have also been held in the North-East.

ColomboPage reports the president asked Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Law and Order Minister Thilak Marapana and government minister Mano Ganesan to meet with the Attorney General and discuss the issue before submitting a report to the president’s office.

Once the report has been submitted, the president would examine it and come to a decision, said Mr Ganesan.

Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe visited the prisoners on hunger strike on Thursday morning and “assured speedier action,” reports
The Hindu

However, yesterday the minister told reporters that “there are no political prisoners in Sri Lanka”.

Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East

The Northern Provincial Council Minister for Rural Development P Deniswaran said that data collection had started in the Jaffna district to assess the needs of former LTTE cadres.

The data collection forms the first stage of a livelihood assistance programme for former Tamil militants, learns Tamil Guardian.

The NPC minister further data collection is expected to happen in Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu throughout this month said the NPC minister.

The news comes amidst several reports of on-going land appropriation and construction of Buddhist Stupas in the North-East.

Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners

The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF) extended its support to the hunger strike protest undertaken by Tamil political prisoners demanding their immediate release.

Outlining its intention to participate in protests in support of the political prisoners, the TCSF said,
“We also support and will take part in the token strike and protests being planned to be staged by their relatives all across the North-East in the forthcoming days.”

Calling for the removal of the PTA and granting of bail for all those detained indefinitely, the civil society organisation added, 

“TCSF adopts the definition of political prisoners that Amnesty International uses in its work. Accordingly it is our opinion that our brethren who took up arms for the sake of the liberation of the Tamil people and those who supported it, despite being criminalized by Sri Lankan laws, did so for a political reason and hence belong to the category of political prisoners. It has been 6 years since the end of the war and it is our opinion that if the Sri Lankan Government is interested in genuine reconciliation that they should immediately release all political prisoners languishing in its prisons.”