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…

Not safe for Tamil diaspora to return to Sri Lanka says TNA spokesperson

Mar 7, 2015
The spokesperson for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) warned Tamils who had fled the country that it was not safe for them to return, stating that almost 10 Tamils who had returned had been arrested in the past two months by anti-terror officers.

"I would like to advice the Diaspora not to return to the country, as there is no gain in returning," Mr Premachandran told Ceylon Today, stating that the government has changed, however, there are no changes at the administrative levels.

""We have not spoken to the government with regard to the inconvenience faced by the Tamil Diaspora community when they return to Sri Lanka. But, we would seriously warn the Diaspora not to return," he added.

Visit will make Indo-Sri Lanka relationship stronger - Modi

Mar 7, 2015

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "eagerly looking forward" to meeting Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena and said he was confident is upcoming visit will strengthen the relationship between the countries further.

"I embark on my first visit to Sri Lanka with great joy and confidence that this visit will make India's relations with Sri Lanka even stronger, in the larger interest of our people. Robust ties with Sri Lanka signifies the importance India attaches to the South Asian neighbourhood," he said on Twitter on Sunday.

"Our ties with Sri Lanka have stood the test of time. We have a shared history, heritage and values. And yes, both our Nations share a love for cricket!"

"I consider it my good fortune that I would be the first Indian prime minister to visit Jaffna, where I would be laying the foundation stone for the iconic Jaffna Cultural Centre that will come up adjacent to the historic Jaffna Public Library."

EU parliament's 'Friends of Sri Lanka' in visit to help remove fishing ban

Mar 7, 2015

The ban on Sri Lankan fishing imports into the EU could be removed in a few months, according to MEP Jan Zahradil, Vice-Chair of the EU Committee on International Trade (INTA), who is currently in Colombo.

Mr Zahradil said his visit was aimed at removing "irritants" in trade, and the EU parliamentary group ‘Friends of Sri Lanka’, of which he is a member, wanted to assess how to help Sri Lanka on removing the ban fishery exports and resuming the GSP plus export scheme which the island lost owing to human rights issues.

"Once monthly progress reports are sent to the European Commission we could try to put this on the agenda as a special point and can help solve this issue as soon as possible, perhaps in a horizon of months and not let it last for too long," he said during a meeting Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka.

China unhappy at Port City suspension order

Mar 7, 2015

China expressed its displeasure at the Sri Lankan governments decision to suspend the Chinese funded $1.4bn 'Port City' project.

Investor China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) told media it had received official communication from the government requesting the suspension.

Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang was quoted by Xinhua as saying at a recent emergency meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera that Sri Lanka should respect bilateral agreements and contracts and protect the interests of its investors.

Xinhua said the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, a civic group in Sri Lanka, has urged the government to withdraw the suspension order as the Chinese-funded Port City has created job opportunities and benefited the local economy.

Mothers continue hunger strike by Nallur temple demanding Sri Lankan govt returns missing children

Mar 6, 2015
Photograph Tamil Guardian


Mothers in Jaffna continued their hunger strike on Saturday outside the iconic Nallur temple, demanding that the new Sri Lankan government returns their missing children.

Carrying photographs of their children and placards asking where they were, the mothers began protesting on Friday. See more here.

Indian fishermen will get shot by navy, warns Sri Lankan PM

Mar 6, 2015

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that Indian fishermen who venture into Sri Lankan waters will get shot by the Sri Lankan navy, in an interview with a Chennai-based TV channel.

“This is our waters,” said Mr Wickremesinghe. “If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed… law allows me to do that."

Justifying the frequent reports of attacks by the Sri Lankan security forces on Indian fishermen, the Sri Lankan prime minister added "they (the Sri Lankan Navy) have to shoot because they were poaching on Sri Lankan waters."

"On the fishermen issue, As far as I'm concerned, I have very very strong lines. This is our waters," continued Mr Wickremesinghe.

“Why are you coming into our waters? Why are you fishing in our waters? Stay on the Indian side…There will be no issue…No one will shoot anyone else,” he said. “You stay on the Indian side, Let our fishermen stay on the Sri Lankan side… Otherwise don’t make accusations of human rights violation by the Navy. You came in there.”

Reconciliation only possible if truth is accepted, Wigneswaran tells Norwegian ambassador

Mar 6, 2015
The chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran told the Grete Løchen, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, during her visit to Jaffna this week.

"Reconciliation is only possible between communities, only if the truth about what took place is accepted," Mr Wigneswaran told Ms Løchen when she asked if the resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council calling for an international investigation into the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state would affect favourable conditions heralded by the new government.

Speaking to media after the meeting on Friday, Mr Wigneswaran said the Norwegian ambassador had assured him that the deferral of the publishing of the findings of the UN inquiry into mass atrocities of the Tamil people was only till September.

India must help ensure meaningful devolution to merged North-East says TNA

Mar 6, 2015
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, that the country must ensure a solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka through the meaningful devolution of power to a merged North-East.

The TNA also urged India to exert pressure on Sri Lanka to release Tamil political prisoners and to address the issue of disappearances.

Ms Swaraj, who arrived in Colombo on Friday for a two day visit in order to prepare for the Indian prime minister's visit next month, met with the TNA leader, R Sampanthan, and MPs, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran, M A Sumanthiran and Selvam Adaikkalanathan, reported BBC Tamil.

Modi to visit Jaffna and inspect Indian housing scheme

Mar 5, 2015
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jaffna and Talaimannar next week after arriving in Colombo on March 13 for a two day visit of the island.

Whilst in Jaffna, Mr Modi is to inspect the Indian funded housing scheme, handing over houses to locals. He is also expected to flag off the first train restarting the Talaimannar - Medawachchiya service which was reconstructed with Indian credit assistance.

"During the visit, the Indian Premier is expected to discuss defence and security cooperation and push for further energy agreements, including the approval of a 500MW thermal power plant to be built in Trincomalee," Sri Lanka's ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday.

Forum Asia calls for international scrutiny on Sri Lanka until tangible results achieved

Mar 5, 2015
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia), calling for sustained “international scrutiny” until tangible results were achieved on the ground, urged Sri Lanka to “fully demilitarise” the North-East of the island, release political prisoners and allow the OHCHR investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) team full access into the island.

Calling on the Sri Lanka to honour the trust placed in it by the High Commissioner for human rights by allowing the OISL team access to the North-East, the NGO said,
Visit will make Indo-Sri Lanka relationship stronger - Modi
EU parliament's 'Friends of Sri Lanka' in visit to help remove fishing ban
China unhappy at Port City suspension order
Mothers continue hunger strike by Nallur temple demanding Sri Lankan govt returns missing children
Indian fishermen will get shot by navy, warns Sri Lankan PM
Reconciliation only possible if truth is accepted, Wigneswaran tells Norwegian ambassador
India must help ensure meaningful devolution to merged North-East says TNA
Modi to visit Jaffna and inspect Indian housing scheme
Forum Asia calls for international scrutiny on Sri Lanka until tangible results achieved
South African spy cables reveal Sri Lanka exaggerated LTTE threat
Visit will make Indo-Sri Lanka relationship stronger - Modi
EU parliament's 'Friends of Sri Lanka' in visit to help remove fishing ban
China unhappy at Port City suspension order
Mothers continue hunger strike by Nallur temple demanding Sri Lankan govt returns missing children
Indian fishermen will get shot by navy, warns Sri Lankan PM
Reconciliation only possible if truth is accepted, Wigneswaran tells Norwegian ambassador
India must help ensure meaningful devolution to merged North-East says TNA
Modi to visit Jaffna and inspect Indian housing scheme
Forum Asia calls for international scrutiny on Sri Lanka until tangible results achieved
South African spy cables reveal Sri Lanka exaggerated LTTE threat