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…

Disappearances campaigner Jeyakumary released on bail

Tamil disappearances activist Balendran Jeyakumary has been released on bail by a Sri Lankan court on Wednesday, despite objections by the police force.

Ms Jeyakumary was detained last week after being summoned to Kebithgollawa courts following the issue of an arrest warrant. The court subsequently remanded her as she did not have two sureties and the police objected to her bail application, according to campaigners.

National Patriotic Movement warns of international conspiracy against Sri Lankan military

Sri Lanka’s National Patriotic Movement (NPM) warned that an international conspiracy was underway to destroy Sri Lanka’s military intelligence.

NPM Secretary Wasantha Bandara said that foreign governments were part of the latest conspiracy and called on the Sri Lankan government to be wary. “They have broken into the inner cells of our intelligence network and are all out to destroy it,” said Mr Bandara.

Sampanthan well placed to ‘ensure justice prevails’

The South African Tamil Federation congratulated the Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan on being appointed leader of the opposition in Sri Lanka, stating that he was now in a position to “ensure that justice prevails”.

In a congratulatory message to the TNA leader, the SATF said that having had “robust and sometimes very candid” meetings with Mr Sampanthan, it could “safely say he is a matured intelligent politician who can get some resolution on the National Question for the Tamil speaking people”.

“Mr Sampanthan is also well placed now, to interrogate the UNHRC report, on the atrocities that took place in Sri Lanka, and ensure that justice prevails for the people that was killed in the 2009,” added the statement.

The SATF which represents 650,000 Tamil speaking people in South Africa and has Provincial Structures in 8 Provinces of South Africa, continued to say it “wishes Mr Sampanthan well in his new role as the official opposition leader in the Sri Lankan Parliament”.

Signature campaign for international accountability continues at Jaffna University

The signature campaign, calling for an international accountability mechanism to provide justice for the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed during the final stages of the armed conflict has continued at the University of Jaffna on Thursday.

Sinhala hardliner selected by Sirisena to be on Constitutional Council

President Maithripala Sirisena has selected the leader of the Sinhala hard line JHU to represent him in the new government’s Constitutional Council.

Patali Champika Ranawaka, whose JHU plays an instrumental part in the UNP-led ruling coalition, will serve on the council which is responsible for establishing independent commissions.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe nominated Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who is also the minister for Buddhist affairs, to the council.

Signature campaign moves to Batticaloa


A signature campaign calling for an international process of justice and accountability for the mass killing of Tamils in 2009 spread to Batticaloa on Wednesday.

 

Sri Lanka's domestic mechanism must include prosecution of most responsible says Stephen Rapp

The United States' former ambassador at large for war crimes, Stephen Rapp stressed that Sri Lanka's proposals for a domestic mechanism for accountability and justice for the killing of tens of thousands at the end of the armed conflict in 2009 must include the prosecution of the most responsible individuals.

Speaking at length to Just Security, Mr Rapp said the Sri Lankan government's proposals "cannot be something that is brought out and put into effect in order to just answer the mail from Geneva."

"It must answer Sri Lankans’ own need to actually deliver on accountability — the establishment of the truth, the prosecution of the most responsible individuals, and a reconciliation of society based upon the fact that crimes were committed by individuals, not whole communities."

‘US stand on Sri Lanka perverts international justice’ – J. S. Tissainayagam

The United States’ reported backing for a domestic process of accountability with ‘international technical assistance’ perverts international justice said exiled Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam on Tuesday.

Writing in the Asian Correspondent, Mr Tissainayagam said:

“the U.S. and the international community are misguided in believing that the two elections and a national government have brought about enduring change that merits Washington to collaborate with Colombo on the forthcoming resolution at the UNHRC. This is because despite regime change there is little evidence that the new government has either the capacity or the political will to domestically investigate, try and punish perpetrators of international crimes.”

He went on detail the inadequacy in “important institutions of state that will be vital in determining if the process of accountability effectively delivers justice to the victims”.

“Even as he campaigned for the presidency, Sirisena, who has admitted being acting minister of defence “when most of the LTTE leaders were killed,” was insistent that Rajapakse and the military leaders implicated in mass atrocities against Tamils would not be brought before an international tribunal for war crimes,” said Mr Tissainayagam, adding, “Installed in power, the Sirisena government intervened directly to protect the status of those in the military implicated in war crimes”.

The journalist also stated that Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe “has been no less emphatic in expressing similar reservations on an international investigation”.

International accountability signature campaign continue in Kilinochchi

A signature campaign calling for an international accountability mechanism to provide justice for the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed during the final stages of the armed conflict has continued in Kilinochchi town on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of signatures have been collected across the North-East to date by the campaign - organised by the Tamil Action Committee for International Accountability Mechanism (TACIAM).

However the Sri Lankan authorities have disrupted the campaign on several occasions in both Jaffna and Trincomalee.

Signatures are being collecting signatures ahead of the United Nation Human Rights Council session later this month, where a report into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka is to be discussed.

Tamil Nadu govt criticised for death in custody of refugee

The Tamil Nadu government was criticised by the New Delhi based National Human Rights Commission over the death of a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka, calling for reports into the death within four weeks.

"The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging death of a Sri Lankan refugee, Mohan, aged about 45 years, in the custody of Pallikaranai Police, Chennai, Tamil Nadu on the 4th September, 2015. Notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Tamil Nadu calling for reports within four weeks," the human rights group said in a statement publish on Tuesday.

The man, named Mohan, was taken into custody and interrogated for three days before he collapsed and was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.