Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan has accused the National People's Power (NPP) government of hypocrisy over the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), pointing to NPP politicians who had themselves circulated songs glorifying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during election campaigns. Sangeethsan, known…

Maaveerar Naal preparations continue in Koppay despite intimidation by Sri Lankan army

Plainclothed Sri Lankan military officers took photographs of Tamils preparing for Maaveerar Naal at Koppay Thuyilum Illam. 

Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day - remembers those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil liberation struggle, and is marked on November 27, in memory of the first death of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre, Lt Col. Shankar who died in combat on November 27, 1982. 

Jaffna University students pay tribute to Maaveerar

Students at the University of Jaffna paid tribute to those who gave their lives to the Tamil liberation struggle today. 

With the beginning of month of November, commemoration events have commenced to mark Maaveerar Naal.

We must fight to get back our lands' - Jaffna students demand return of land

Responding to continuing land grabs by Sri Lanka's regime, Jaffna University's Student Union has organised a sit-in protest in Tellippalai to demand the return of land to villagers in Valikamam.

The protest will be held tomorrow. Student organisers have called on all political parties and civil society organisations to participate in the demonstration.

“There are many lands in North-East which were grabbed by the Government. We should fight back to get our lands”, a representative of the student union told the media.

Sri Lanka is where Rishi can flex his muscles on the world stage

Not only does acting on Sri Lanka provide Sunak the opportunity to re-establish Britain’s presence internationally, it also remains entirely in British interests to do so. Successive Sri Lankan regimes have shirked off the building of any rules-based international order and refused to comply with global norms. Holding the state to account will be a demonstration that to the British government, values matter. The UK will not condone mass atrocities or genocides from Bucha and Xinjiang to Jaffna and Mullivaikkal.

Sri Lanka is not Sunak’s toughest test on the global stage at present. In fact, it should be his easiest. If Sunak wants to build a Global Britain, this is where he should start.

Tamil families of the disappeared protest Sri Lankan justice minister's visit to Jaffna

Tamil families of the disappeared protested against Sri Lanka’’s justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe's visit to Jaffna earlier today. 

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister meets with relatives of Tamil political prisoners

Following growing demands to release all Tamil political prisoners, Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe met with the relatives of those detained alongside the leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK), CV Wigneswaran.

During the meeting, Rajapakshe claimed that the government is “considering the release of remaining political prisoners”. He further highlighted a spate of recent releases to signal that the government was taking a positive stance toward the issue.

Remembering the Jaffna exodus – 500,000 displaced

On October 30, 1995, over half a million Tamil men, women and children fled their homes in Jaffna as the Sri Lankan military launched a military offensive to capture the peninsula, under the leadership of then president Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Sri Lankan army intimidate Tamils as Thuyilum Illam clearing begins ahead of Maaveerar Naal

Sri Lankan soldiers took photographs of Tamils as they began clearing the Theravil Thuyilum Illam (LTTE martyr resting places) this morning ahead of Maaveerar Naal. 

Maaveerar Naal, or Great Heroes Day, falls on November 27, and is observed in remembrance of the war heroes who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle for liberation. 

Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen remanded until next month


Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen have been remanded until November 9th after being arrested for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters. 

The seven fishermen were arrested on Wednesday by the Sri Lankan navy who were patrolling the area. 

Eelam Tamil fishermen have been struggling to get by having to compete in their own waters with fishermen from Tamil Nadu, the Sri Lankan Navy, and even Chinese fishing expeditions.

Ahead of the GSP+ review, EU delegation meets with TNA leader

Amidst growing concern over Sri Lanka’s human rights record, a delegation for the European Union paid a visit to the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan, where they discussed GSP +, the need to repeal Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act; provincial council elections; and Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.