Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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  The lawyer representing detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar challenged allegations that his client sought to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during proceedings before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court this week, arguing that the material cited by police contains no reference to the organisation or its leadership. Sangeethsan, better known by his stage name…

SLFP supports changes to 13A

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the current ruling coalition, outlined today that it would support the implementation of the 13th Amendment along with the proposed revisions, reported Colombo Page.

Indian activist arrested and deported

An NGO in Sri Lanka is under investigation after it invited activists from southern India for projects in the island’s northeast.

According to The Island the NGO, called Viluthu, invited several activists, including Sharifa Khanam and Ester Devakumari, who were arrested for engaging in NGO projects while on tourist visas.

UK should call for an independent international investigation - Amnesty

The Head of Policy and Government Affairs at Amnesty International UK, Allan Hogarth, has expressed disappointment at the UK government for supporting Sri Lanka's hosting of CHOGM and urged for an independent international investigation.

See the Huffington Post for full blog post.

Extracts reproduced below:
"We were disappointed that the UK Government was so quick to support CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka."

Provincial Councils call for change in 13A

Two Provincial Councils in the Sinhala south, Sabaragamuwa and Southern, have passed resolutions supporting the government’s move to change the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution.

The government planned to repeal provisions that would enable “Parliament to legislate on subjects allocated to the provincial councils” and to prevent “the scope for merger of two or more provincial councils”, reported the Daily Mirror.

India agrees to boost trade with SL

Sri Lanka has called for the provision of greater market access to India in an attempt to help increase Sri Lankan exports and reduce the growing trade deficit with India, reported Colombo Page.

Mannar civil society accuses SL army of obstructing initiative

The Mannar Citizens Committee has accused the Sri Lankan army of obstructing an awareness initiative by on laws relating to land, which the MCC created in view of the arbitrary occupation of land by the army.

In a statement published on the 11th June 2013, the MCC Said that it "strongly feel[s] this needs to be inquired into, and those [who are] responsible at all levels held accountable. If not, such unlawful intrusions by the military into activities of the government officials, as well as civil society, will continue."

The MCC outlined the allegations as follows:
"On the first day, 30th May 2013, an intelligence officer of the Army had come to seminar, but the President of the MCC had told him that this was a program dealing with purely civil matters and that his presence was disturbing. He had left without saying any word.

Sri Lanka's 'failed state' indicators regress close to 2010 levels

Sri Lanka has moved up from 29th to 28th 'most failed state' this year, scoring almost as bad as the state did in 2010 on key markers, in the Failed State Index, by the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy. See here for results.

Sri Lankan defence officers pressured to leave Tamil Nadu

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Two Sri Lankan defence officers receiving, Indian government sponsored, training in Tamil Nadu have left the state, following strong opposition form political parties  and other organisations.

The discontent climaxed yesterday, when over 200 workers from the Naam Tamizhar Katchi organisation protested at the military campus of the Madras Regiment Centre.

Indian minister defends training of SL Army officials

An Indian minister has defended the decision to continue the training of officers form the Sri Lankan Army.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Sudarsana Natchiappan said consequences on the strategic relationship between Sri Lanka and India have to be considered.

Commonwealth leaders 'should feel sick' over Colombo summit - FT op-ed

Writing in the Financial Times, Gideon Rachman said leaders of Commonwealth nations should "feel sick about accepting hospitality from a government with so grim a rights record".

See extracts below, for full article click here.

The world is so busy cheering on the emergence of democracy in Myanmar that it is in danger of averting its eyes from the assault on democracy in another Asian state – Sri Lanka.