Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The LGBTQIA+ community in Jaffna held their fifth annual Pride Walk, under the theme  “We Exist For Each Other".  The walk, organised by the Jaffna Transgender Network, began outside the iconic Jaffna Public Library and proceeded along Hospital Road and Pannai Road before ending at Jaffna Fort.  Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, human rights activists, civil society…

Shock, disbelief, anger - Twitter reacts to #NoFireZone

British television channel Channel 4's broadcast of No Fire Zone - Callum Macrae's third documentary about the final months of the war in Sri Lanka - on Sunday night sparked an array of social media response pushing #NoFireZone to the top of the UK Twitter trend list.

Below we've shared a selection of Tweets from among the thousands of twitter responses to the film. Explore fully using #NoFireZone on Twitter.

Sri Lankan High Commission promotes island tourism in London

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will exhibit Sri Lanka at the World Travel Market (WTM) this week.

The 4 day travel and tourism event commenced today, at the Excel Exhibition centre in London.

CHOGM will alleviate negative views of Sri lanka - G.L Peiris

Addressing a function at Kandy, the External Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris outlined that the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will be a good opportunity to clear negative perspectives of the country.

Sharma attempts to defend Commonwealth

The Commonwealth's secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma told BBC News that the Commonwealth does not "look away from the hard and difficult questions" regarding Sri Lanka, while also writing off calls for an independent investigation into war crimes as "impractical".

See here for video of Sharma responding to news anchor George Alagaiah's question "what have you got to show for [engagement]?"

Sri Lanka rejects Channel 4 evidence ahead of No Fire Zone screening

Sri Lankan officials dismissed Channel 4 News video evidence that showed LTTE journalist, Isaipriya, alive in Sri Lankan military custody before she was found killed.

The Sri Lankan government said instead, that Isaipriya was a Lieutenant Colonel of the LTTE and died in the final battle with the Sri Lankan army.

Commonwealth complicit in Sri Lanka's rehabilitation - Jonathan Miller

Writing in the Radio Times Point of View column, Channel 4 correspondent Jonathan Miller compares reactions to Sri Lanka’s war crimes with the way Syria’s Assad regime is perceived. See Miller’s blog for a version of the article. Extracts reproduced below.

Sri Lanka should be condemned, not acclaimed'

Writing in The Independent, author and practising English barrister, Sadakat Kadri outlined the need to condemn Sri Lanka.

Full opinion reproduced below.

British Tamils voice concerns to Ed Miliband

British Tamil Forum members and local constituency residents met the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband MP yesterday to express their views on the UK’s participation in the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.


The BTF press release from the event is reproduced below.

Phosphorus attacks covered up in hospitals

An article by British newspaper the Times has presented evidence of the use of phosphorus shells against civilians, and of the cover-up methods, including blackmail, employed by government medical staff.

The article recounts the experiences of 'Kannaki', a victim of phosphorus shelling left with extensive bodily burns and a disfigured face.

British Tamils demand boycott of CHOGM

Over 2000 British Tamils gathered today to march through the streets of London today demanding that British Prime Minister boycott the upcoming Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is set to take place in Sri Lanka later this month.

Starting the rally at Embankment station, the protestors marched along the river towards the Houses of Parliament. Ending their rally at Whitehall in front of Number 10 Downing Street, demonstrators shouted slogans urging Prime Minister David Cameron to reconsider his involvement at CHOGM.