Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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In Pictures - Colonel Shankar memorial sports tournament 2026 held in Switzerland
  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…

Protestors in Jaffna call for the release of political prisoners

Oct 14, 2015

 


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

Oct 14, 2015
 

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

Oct 14, 2015

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

Oct 14, 2015
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

Oct 14, 2015
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

Oct 14, 2015
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.”

Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair

Oct 14, 2015
The proposal of appointing District Development Ministers for the Northern Province by Sri Lanka’s government unnecessarily weakens the powers of the province said the Northern Provincial Council Chairman CVK Sivagnanam.
 
Speaking at a sitting of the Northern Provincial Council last week, Mr Sivagnanam said that government attempts to appoint District Development Ministers weakens the powers devolved to the provinces.

Sri Lanka’s government intends to appoint District Development Ministers to manage development schemes for all districts on the island.

Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day

Oct 13, 2015

A fast in support of Tamil political prisoners was held on Tuesday in front of Nallur temple in the Jaffna district.

The protest fast, organised by the Jaffna Tamil Youth Organisation, was attended by relatives of political prisoners, politicians, including TNA MP Saravanapavan, and NPC members, Sukirthan, Kajatheepan and Paramsothy and other members of the public.

Over 200 Tamil political detainee across the island started a hunger strike on Monday, demanding to be released.

Wigneswaran urges president to ensure fasting Tamil detainees are not harmed (12 October 2015)

Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi

Oct 13, 2015

NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria

Oct 13, 2015
The leader of Sri Lanka's National Freedom Front stated his party is "pleased" to hear Russian military intervention in Syria is "continuing unabated," stating it was a "noble objective".

In a letter to the ambassador of Russia in Sri Lanka, Wimal Weerawansa said his party is "very pleased to hear about the military capabilities and the achievement of the Russian forces who conduct those humanitarian operations with noble objectives in mind".

"We are also very pleased to learn about the technological prowess of the Russian forces in using cruise missiles with perfect precision targeting terrorists as far as 1500 km away without causing any deliberate harm to innocent civilians anywhere in the region," he added. "The noble objective of this intervention is diametrically opposed to the objectives of military interventions carried out by the USA and its allies."
TNA MP pledges to join hunger strike if Sri Lankan government does not release Tamil political prisoners
‘There are no political prisoners’ says Sri Lanka’s justice minister
Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted
Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East
Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners
Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair
Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day
Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi
NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria
Tamil refugee in India goes on hunger strike calling for release of his wife
TNA MP pledges to join hunger strike if Sri Lankan government does not release Tamil political prisoners
‘There are no political prisoners’ says Sri Lanka’s justice minister
Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted
Data collection' for 'rehabilitated' LTTE cadre aid programme commences in North-East
Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil political prisoners
Government appointment of District Development Ministers weakens Northern Provincial Council says chair
Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day
Tamil protests halt military land appropriation surveys in Kilinochchi
NFF leader 'immensely appreciates' Russian military intervention in Syria
Tamil refugee in India goes on hunger strike calling for release of his wife