Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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'Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing' - Mannar chairman demands rapper's release
Mannar Urban Council Chairman Daniel Vasanthan has strongly condemned the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), stating that the detention reflects a situation where "Tamils do not even have the freedom to sing". Speaking at a media briefing held at the Mannar Urban Council on Friday, Vasanthan criticised the decision to arrest the…

Sritharan to be ousted from parliament – Sinhala paper

Dec 30, 2013

The government is planning a proposal to oust Tamil National Alliance MP S Sritharan from parliament, according to Sinhala newspaper Divaina.

The report accused Sritharan of being involved in anti-government activities and is supposedly attempting to rouse communal unrest, including for praising LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in parliament.

Mahinda and a monk put an end to Milco strike

Dec 29, 2013
A strike at the state-owned Milco company, which started on December the 9th, has ended after intervention from the President of Sri Lanka, who held talks with a Buddhist monk, representing the strikers.

A representative from the Milco branch of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya, a trade union on the island, stated,
“We suspended our strike action for one month after Ven. Murethtuve Ananda mediated on our behalf with President Mahinda Rajapaksa who promised to resolve our concerns very soon. Our three demands have been directed to an arbitration board and would be settled within a month during which all strike action is prohibited.”

Canadian Tamil MP meets Tamil MPs in Jaffna

Dec 29, 2013
The Canadian MP, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, met with Tamil MPs in Jaffna yesterday, reported Tamilwin.

Arriving on Saturday, Sitsabaiesan visited the militarised zone in Valikaamam North and the Sababathipillai ICP camp, before meeting informally with the Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan, and the TNA MP Sreetharan in Kilinochchi.



Karunanidhi criticises 'atrocious' arrests

Dec 29, 2013

The leader of the Tamil Nadu opposition M Karunanidhi has slammed the latest arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Speaking to media in Chennai, the DMK chief expressed concerns that no proactive steps were being taken to put an end to the issue.

"The arrest of 22 fishermen from Pudukottai is atrocious," he said, adding that 227 fishermen had been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy in the past three months.

A very militarised Christmas

Dec 28, 2013
The Sri Lankan Army organised a series of events across the Tamil North-East to mark Christmas, earlier this week.

Maj. General L. B. R. Mark, oversaw the festivities in Mullaitivu, with the Ministry of Defence noting that ‘under his patronage’, the army’s 59th division organised a show, complete with signs in Sinhalese.

Elephant Pass to be rebuilt and renamed by SLA

Dec 28, 2013

Sri Lanka's Education Minister has plans to renovate the Elephant Pass railway station and to rename it to the Sinhalese 'Senahasaka Thotupola', reports Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).

A significant marker in the Tamil homeland, Aanaiyuravu or Elephant Pass, serves as a gateway to the Jaffna peninsula from Kilinochchi.

I was subjected to psychological torture' says deported Tamil Nadu journalist

Dec 28, 2013

Tamil Prabhakaran, the Tamil Nadu journalist arrested in Kilinochchi on Christmas Day arrived in Chennai on Saturday after being deported by Sri Lankan authorities.

Prabhakaran told reporters at the airport that he had been psychologically tortured by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID).

22 more Indian fishermen arrested in Palk Strait

Dec 28, 2013

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 22 Indian fishermen off the coast of Neduntheevu, Jaffna, for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

SL Intelligence call TNPF organiser for questioning again

Dec 27, 2013
Sri Lanka's Special Intelligence Branch called the Tamil National People's Front's (TNPF) Vice President and Trincomalee organiser, Rasakone Hariharan for questioning again on Thursday over a commemoration event being planned by TNPF for the assassinated TNA MP, Joseph Pararajasingham on Sunday. 

Hariharan was previously questioned on December 23rd by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) in Trincomalee.

The questioning was undertaken in a "very hostile and threatening manner", said Hariharan.

Govt census designed to minimise death toll - TNA MP

Dec 27, 2013
Slamming the Sri Lankan government's proposed census count, the TNA MP, Suresh Premachandran said the it was designed to minimise the death toll, reports Arab News.

“We strongly believe this is an attempt to give lower figures for war fatalities,” said Premachandran.

Highlighting the need to provide social services to those in need including single parent families and orphans, he added, “for planning purposes of the council, we want the actual numbers, not watered down figures.”

See our TG View - Erasing the dead and related articles:

Sri Lanka rejects dismissal of ethnic conflict census (26 Dec 2013)

Mahinda and a monk put an end to Milco strike
Canadian Tamil MP meets Tamil MPs in Jaffna
Karunanidhi criticises 'atrocious' arrests
A very militarised Christmas
Elephant Pass to be rebuilt and renamed by SLA
I was subjected to psychological torture' says deported Tamil Nadu journalist
22 more Indian fishermen arrested in Palk Strait
SL Intelligence call TNPF organiser for questioning again
Govt census designed to minimise death toll - TNA MP
SL Navy opens resting point for Buddhist pilgrims in Jaffna district
Mahinda and a monk put an end to Milco strike
Canadian Tamil MP meets Tamil MPs in Jaffna
Karunanidhi criticises 'atrocious' arrests
A very militarised Christmas
Elephant Pass to be rebuilt and renamed by SLA
I was subjected to psychological torture' says deported Tamil Nadu journalist
22 more Indian fishermen arrested in Palk Strait
SL Intelligence call TNPF organiser for questioning again
Govt census designed to minimise death toll - TNA MP
SL Navy opens resting point for Buddhist pilgrims in Jaffna district