Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Sri Lankan police interrupted a protest in Mannar calling for the release of detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan and the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), after questioning participants over the wording of a Tamil-language placard. A demonstration demanding the repeal of Sri Lanka's PTA and the release of detained rapper Ganeshkumar Sangeethsan was held in Mannar on Thursday…

Turmoil in Sri Lanka as entire cabinet resigns except Prime Minister Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka has been thrown into turmoil as all of the government’s cabinet ministers tender their resignation apart from Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the wake of protests as the island plunges into deepening political and economic crises. 

 

Social media ban lifted in Sri Lanka as anti-government protests continue

The Ministry of Technology has reportedly announced that the social media ban imposed following Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declaration of a state of emergency, was lifted at 3:30pm today as requested by The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).

Due to the ban the PUCSL were unable to communicate with consumers about on-going power cuts in Sri Lanka. The PUCSL requested that all Mobile Service Providers and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka activate/restore all social media platforms immediately.

Go Home Gota' - Global Sri Lankan diaspora protest against Rajapaksa administration

Tasmania, Australia

The Sri Lankan diaspora has staged protests in London, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Toronto among numerous countries all over the world as well as in Sri Lanka to express solidarity against the Sri Lankan government's failure to address the current crisis.  Auckland, New Zealand

India denies soldiers have been dispatched to Sri Lanka as protests continue

The Indian High Commission Sri Lanka issued a statement that “strongly denies” rumours that Indian troops have been deployed to the island, as anti-government protests continue.

“High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka,” said a tweet from the Indian High Commission on Saturday.

“The High Commission also condemns such irresponsible reporting and expects the concerned to desist from spreading rumours.”

Sri Lankan police fire tear gas and water cannons as protests continue

Sri Lankan police have fired tear gas and water cannons against protestors at Peradeniya University, as anti-government protests continue to flare.

The protest was organised by the Peradeniya University Students’ Union and is currently taking place in Kandy.

Sri Lankan army pours praise on Lord Naseby as a 'true defender of war'

The official Sri Lankan army website praised Lord Naseby, a British politician who has been previously labelled a 'Rajapaksa apologist', calling him a "true defender of Sri Lanka's war against terrorism" as he delivered remarks slamming human rights organisations in Colombo on Tuesday

Cracks appear in Sri Lanka’s government as Namal Rajapaksa criticises social media block

A Sri Lankan minister and member of the Rajapaksa regime has criticised the crackdown on social media platforms this morning, as cracks apparently begin to appear in Sri Lanka’s government.

Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Minister of Youth and Sports and son of prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, criticised the decision made by his uncle president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to block a host of social media platforms on the island.

Military convoys reported in Colombo as state of emergency grips Sri Lanka

Military convoys have been reportedly deployed in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo as island-wide anti-government protests are held today, as a state of emergency and curfew have gripped the island.

The sighting of armoured vehicles and tanks in the capital, a common sight in the military occupied North-East, comes as Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency in the wake of the anti-government protests.

Sri Lanka arrests over 600 people for violating curfew as protests continue

Sri Lankan police have arrested 664 individuals in the Western province for having violated an island-wide curfew, as a crackdown ensures in the wake of anti-government protests.

In response to growing unrest due to protests over the deteriorating economic crisis, the Sri Lankan government issued a 36-hour curfew. The curfew will be effective until 6 am on Monday.

Birds of a feather? Former Sri Lankan ambassador to US guilty of defrauding government

An investigation led by the US-based Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), into Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya has led to a guilty plea from the former Sri Lankan ambassador.