Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Hundreds march in Kilinochchi against limestone, sand mining and wind turbines
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…

12 Tamil Nadu fishermen attacked by Sri Lankan navy

Aug 24, 2015
Twelve Tamil Nadu fishermen reported being attacked on Monday night by Sri Lankan navy personnel, reported Indian newspapers.

The fishermen said that the navy personnel stripped some members, before beating them with sticks and stones.

The fishing equipment was damaged, and there remain unconfirmed reports that twenty boats were damaged in the attack.

See here and here.

Fishermen from Tamil Nadu have reported attacks by the Sri Lankan navy, who accuse the fishermen of straying into Sri Lankan waters.

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara offered diplomatic posting

Aug 24, 2015
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has offered cricketer Kumar Sangakkara the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, after the batsman concluded his final test match on Monday.

Mr Sangakkara, a cricketer from the south of the island, had been widely tipped to go into politics, following his retirement. He said he respected the offer but has not yet accepted the role.

 The offer was reportedly made after former UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake confirmed that she rejected offers to take up the post last week.

Mr Sangakkara, who the president called "a great honour to Sri Lanka", was widely hailed for his 2011 Cowdrey lecture at Lord's in London, igniting rumours that he may enter politics after his sporting career. In his speech, the cricketer spoke out against Sri Lankan cricket administrators, whom he accused of losing “accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of conduct”.

He went on to suggest the solution in tackling the sport's mismanagement may lie in international cricketing authorities “taking a stand to suspend member boards with any direct detrimental political interference and allegations of corruption and mismanagement”.

Whilst his criticism of the cricketing administration drew appreciation from abroad, the call for international intervention sparked an investigation by the Sri Lankan sports minister.

Mannar villagers face eviction by conservation department

Aug 23, 2015

Residents of a Mannar village are facing land-grab and eviction by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The 22 families of Kuruvilvaan village have complained to the civil society group, Mannar Citizen’s Committee of having long faced intimidation from department officials, including their homes being trespassed upon, with the ultimate purpose of having their lands grabbed.

Villagers said that despite the land disputes awaiting a decision in the courts, signs have appeared in the village, declaring the land as ‘Giant’s Tank Sanctuary’.

Sri Lankan president to receive OISL report this week

Aug 23, 2015
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is to receive a copy of a United Nations report into mass atrocities committed during the final stages of the armed conflict, which saw tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed, according to the Daily News.

Quoting diplomatic sources, it was reported that Mr Sirisena receiving the report will coincide with the visit of US Assistant State Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal.

The report is expected to state that tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died predominantly due to the actions of the Sri Lankan government forces. The report was initially due to be released in March of this year, but was delayed until September.

At the time of the delay, which the Sri Lankan government celebrated as a diplomatic success, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein spoke directly to the victims and gave his “personal, absolute and unshakable commitment that the report will be published by September."

“I want this report to have the maximum possible impact in ensuring a genuine and credible process of accountability and reconciliation in which the rights of victims to truth, justice and reparations are finally respected,” he had said.

Political settlement with Tamils is most urgent' – Financial Times

Aug 23, 2015

The Sri Lankan government must reach a political settlement with Tamils in the North-East of the island and devolve power to the provinces as a matter of urgency, said the Financial Times.

In an editorial on Sunday, the Financial Times said the new government must now deal with “several legacy issues”. It continued to say:

“Most urgent is to reach a political settlement with the minority Tamils in the north and east. They must be convinced that the Sinhalese chauvinism practised by Mr Rajapaksa is over. Power is already devolved to some extent, but this may have to go further. Any settlement must also involve a credible inquiry into the final months of the civil war in 2009 when the government launched a crushing offensive against the Tamil Tigers. Its victory involved the shelling and bombing of civilians and other alleged atrocities. The UN estimates that 40,000 civilians died in the final stretch of the war.”

No legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka says Ranil

Aug 23, 2015
Sri Lanka will look to solve the Tamil national question in the North-East within the framework of Sri Lanka’s 13th amendment to the constitution said the new prime minister.

On accountability processes to deal with findings from the UN investigation into Sri Lanka's atrocities, Ranil Wickremesinghe added that there was no “legal basis” for an international investigation within Sri Lanka, stating,

“But we always said, the UNP, that there was no legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka; it had to be domestic. We would like to put forward a domestic mechanism which would be within the four corners of our Constitution but would also be acceptable to all the communities in Sri Lanka plus the international community.”

In an interview with The Hindu, Ranil Wickremeshinge, said,

“Substance is what we have to look at. So let us look at how we could work this whole system out and go ahead. The formula which was accepted by India also, let’s see how we work it out within the13th Amendment, maximise it. Let’s build on this. That’s what we are talking about now.”

Commenting on further devolution of power to the provincial councils, Mr Wickremesinghe added,

India plans to establish skills centre for Jaffna uni's Kilinochchi campus

Aug 23, 2015
The Indian government is to establish a skills centre for the University of Jaffna's faculty of agriculture, located at their Kilinochchi campus, reports the Island.

The project, which was awarded to Link Engineering Ltd specifically, will include not only the building of the premises, but also the supply of equipment, training and introduction of the curriculum.

Mangala pledges to focus on building international goodwill

Aug 23, 2015
Mangala Samaraweera pledged to focus on building international goodwill for Sri Lanka, following his appointment as the country's minister of foreign affairs for the third time.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Samaraweera, said he would “build, with even greater vigour, on the tremendous goodwill the international community extended to Sri Lanka after the January 8 revolution”.

Sri Lanka to sign trade MoUs with Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand

Aug 23, 2015

Sri Lanka will sign three MoUs with Hong Kong, Thailand and Korea to promote trade and investment announced Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB) on Monday.

The agreements are to be signed at the 28th meeting of the Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) which will be hosted by the EDB in Colombo from 24-26th August reports ColomboPage.

Ranil seeks blessings from Buddhist clergy

Aug 23, 2015
Photographs Ranil Wickremesinghe's Facebook page

Sri Lanka's new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday sought blessing from the high influential Buddhist clergy and at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth.

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara offered diplomatic posting
Mannar villagers face eviction by conservation department
Sri Lankan president to receive OISL report this week
Political settlement with Tamils is most urgent' – Financial Times
No legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka says Ranil
India plans to establish skills centre for Jaffna uni's Kilinochchi campus
Mangala pledges to focus on building international goodwill
Sri Lanka to sign trade MoUs with Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand
Ranil seeks blessings from Buddhist clergy
Army officers questioned over disappearance of Sinhala journalist
Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara offered diplomatic posting
Mannar villagers face eviction by conservation department
Sri Lankan president to receive OISL report this week
Political settlement with Tamils is most urgent' – Financial Times
No legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka says Ranil
India plans to establish skills centre for Jaffna uni's Kilinochchi campus
Mangala pledges to focus on building international goodwill
Sri Lanka to sign trade MoUs with Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand
Ranil seeks blessings from Buddhist clergy
Army officers questioned over disappearance of Sinhala journalist