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…

Sri Lanka’s anti-terror police summon NPC member for questioning

Feb 12, 2015

Sri Lanka's Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) has summoned Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran for questioning reports the Uthayan.

Mr Ravikaran was sent a warrant from the Mullaitivu police on Wednesday, requiring him to report to the TID's Kilinochchi branch on the 18th of February at 10am. No reason was given for the summoning.

Sivajilingam calls on Tamils to pressure international community to provide justice in Sri Lanka

Feb 12, 2015
Welcoming a recent Northern Provincial Council resolution calling for the UN to investigate the crime of genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka, Northern Provincial Councillor M K Sivajilingam, called on Tamil parties, Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora to bring about change in the international community to provide justice.

Mr Sivajalingam further added,

“Whilst the new government came to power wanting to put behind the international accountability mechanism, the Tamil nation is demanding justice. The UN’s report should be submitted in March.”

Sri Lanka asks UN to delay report into mass atrocities against Tamils

Feb 11, 2015
The new Sri Lankan government is seeking a delay in the publishing of the UN inquiry investigating allegations of mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people, the country's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.

"Once the report is finalised, we are hoping they can refer it to our domestic mechanism for action," Mr Samaraweera was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.

"We are hoping they could hold on to it until our mechanism is in place – maybe August, you know, or so," he added.

The report, which was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014, is scheduled to publish its findings at the end of next month.

Sri Lanka's foreign minister tells world to 'be patient'

Feb 11, 2015


Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, urged the international community to "be patient", stating that the new government was attempting a "fragile transition".

Addressing the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace in Washington on Wednesday, Mr Samaraweera said "the Government of Sri Lanka is committed to the success of this journey of strengthening democracy, good governance and the rule of law while ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights of all her citizens," however, added, "but remember, this is also a sensitive process involving the participation of a multitude of political parties that are essential to ensure the success of this  journey."

"There are still some extremist elements within and outside the country who, for obvious reasons, want this journey derailed," Mr Samaraweera warned.

Sri Lanka to hold 'War Heroes Day' in Galle

Feb 11, 2015
Sri Lanka's new government on Thursday approved President Sirisena's motion to hold this year's 'War Heroes commemoration' in Galle.

Sri Lanka to seek $4 billion IMF assistance

Feb 11, 2015
Sri Lanka will look to start talks on a $4 billion dollar loan by sending a high level team to Washington, said the Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake, on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Colombo, Mr Karunayake, said,

“There is a lot of international goodwill and we can get finance from the IMF and World Bank at 0,5 percent.”

TCSF urges UN to avoid delaying report into Sri Lanka's atrocities, take steps towards accountability

Feb 11, 2015
The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF), highlighting the Tamil peoples' lack of faith in Sri Lanka's domestic processes,  urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, to release the findings of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation into Sri Lankan atrocities (OISL) without further delay, and initiate steps for international prosecution should people be found responsible for serious crimes. 

In a letter to the UN rights chief, the TCSF spokespersons, Kumaravadivel Guruparan and Elil Rajendran, referring to a Northern Provincial Council resolution on the genocide of Tamil people, said,

“We wish to respectfully urge you not to take any promise for domestic investigations seriously, particularly in the absence of any concrete proposals that demonstrate such intentions. We also would kindly refer you to the resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council on the 10th February 2015 also expressing disbelief in the credibility of domestic mechanisms delivering on accountability, truth and justice.”

Sri Lanka cabinet spokesperson rejects NPC resolution as 'extremist'

Feb 10, 2015
Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesperson, and minister of health, Rajitha Senaratne, rejected the Northern Provincial Council's resolution on the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state, which was passed on Tuesday, as an "extremist position'.

"They cannot call it genocide,” Mr Senaratne told The Hindu, adding that “choosing confrontational ways will hamper forward movement on the issue.”

Poster in Jaffna uni condemns TNA attendance at Sri Lanka Independence Day event

Feb 10, 2015


An anonymous poster found inside the student hall at the University of Jaffna condemns the attendance of the TNA leader, R Sampanthan, and the TNA MP M A Sumanthiran, at the Sri Lankan government's Independence Day event on February 4.

Stating that the event, which includes a large scale military parade, symbolises Sinhala chauvinism that has oppressed the Tamil people since the island gained independence from British colonial rule, the poster said attendance by senior TNA figures has cause "shock and grief" to the Tamil people.

"Tamil parties have boycotted any [Sri Lankan] national event for the past 43 years in order to demonstrate that Tamils never accepted Sri Lanka's constitution. This has been observed since 1972 to 2014. However, the Tamil’s senior representative “Sampanthan” has pawned all of that at once. Tamils’ senior representative “Sampanthan” and Sumanthiran’s attendance to an event which the entire Tamil population boycotted has caused shock and grief to Tamils," the poster read.

TNPF welcomes NPC resolution on genocide as a 'victory for all of us'

Feb 10, 2015

TNPF President Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam (right) and General Secretary Selvarajah Kajendran (left)

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) welcomed the resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council calling for an UN inquiry into the genocide of the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state, as a "victory for all of us".

"We fully support yesterday's resolution, and highly praise the Northern Provincial Council and its chief minister, C V Wigneswaran," the TNPF president, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam told a media briefing at the Jaffna Press Club on Wednesday.

Acknowledging the party's long-standing objection to the provincial council system as an inadequate starting point to resolving the ethnic conflict on the island, Mr Ponnambalam said he nonetheless wholly praised the passage of the resolution within such an oppressive system, and pledged to work under the leadership of Mr Wigneswaran to work towards the issues raised in the resolution.

"[The resolution] is a big blow to a system that seeks to repress our [Tamil] nation's politics into a unitary state," he said.

Sivajilingam calls on Tamils to pressure international community to provide justice in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka asks UN to delay report into mass atrocities against Tamils
Sri Lanka's foreign minister tells world to 'be patient'
Sri Lanka to hold 'War Heroes Day' in Galle
Sri Lanka to seek $4 billion IMF assistance
TCSF urges UN to avoid delaying report into Sri Lanka's atrocities, take steps towards accountability
Sri Lanka cabinet spokesperson rejects NPC resolution as 'extremist'
Poster in Jaffna uni condemns TNA attendance at Sri Lanka Independence Day event
TNPF welcomes NPC resolution on genocide as a 'victory for all of us'
We welcome NPC resolution – Batticaloa MP Ariyanethiran
Sivajilingam calls on Tamils to pressure international community to provide justice in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka asks UN to delay report into mass atrocities against Tamils
Sri Lanka's foreign minister tells world to 'be patient'
Sri Lanka to hold 'War Heroes Day' in Galle
Sri Lanka to seek $4 billion IMF assistance
TCSF urges UN to avoid delaying report into Sri Lanka's atrocities, take steps towards accountability
Sri Lanka cabinet spokesperson rejects NPC resolution as 'extremist'
Poster in Jaffna uni condemns TNA attendance at Sri Lanka Independence Day event
TNPF welcomes NPC resolution on genocide as a 'victory for all of us'
We welcome NPC resolution – Batticaloa MP Ariyanethiran