• SLMC meets Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss presidential elections

    Nov 29
    The Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) held talks with the Sri Lankan president in an attempt to decide who it will support at the upcoming January presidential elections, reports Colombo Gazette.

    Concerns over the function of the Eastern Provincial Council were raised at the meeting and the two parties have agreed to hold further talks.
  • Over 1,400 families displaced by floods in Mannar

    The District Disaster Management Group announced 1,428 families have been displaced due to floods in Mannar, reports Uthayan.

  • Maaveerar Naal commemorated in Canada
    Canadian Tamils gathered in Toronto, Markham, to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

  • Former SL military general to face arrest and trial for crimes against humanity
    A retired Sri Lankan army general, allegedly responsible for mass extrajudicial killings of Tamil civilians found in the Chemmani mass graves in the North-East of Sri Lanka, is expected to come under pressure to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity in South Africa.

    South African activists and lawyers, using a recent constitutional court affirmation extending South Africa’s universal jurisdiction laws to "ensure that perpetrators of international crimes committed by foreign nationals" are held accountable, are likely to push for the arrest and trial of Srilal Weerassoriya, who reportedly arrived in South Africa to attend a Military Christian Fellowship conference on Sunday.

    The move comes after activists and lawyers worked on a 2 year informal fact-finding mission to document the Sri Lankan army general’s involvement in extrajudicial killings in the North-East during the 1990’s which have been linked to several mass graves found in the region.

    The Chenmai mass graves were first discovered after a Sri Lankan soldier, charged of raping and murdering a Tamil teenager in July 1998, revealed the whereabouts of a mass grave site where he had been tasked with burying over 400 bodies.
  • Sinhala Buddhist organisation backs Rajapaksa

    Ravana Balaya, a Sinhala Buddhist organisation, announced that it will be supporting incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the forthcoming presidential elections, on Sunday.

    ColomboPage reported that the announcement was made at the annual Ravana Balaya congress that was held in Colombo. The leader of the organisation, Buddhist monk Iththakande Saddhathissa, reportedly vowed to defeat opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena, stating that his candidacy was an attempt to cause division amongst Sinhala leaders.

    The announcement follows another Sinhala Buddhist group, Boda Bala Sena, pledging their “unconditional support” to Mahinda Rajapaksa. See more here.

    Also see more of Ravana Balaya's activities in the past year in our earlier posts:

  • Canadian and German Tamils donate blood in memory of fallen heroes

    Tamils in Canada and Germany marked Maaveerar Naal this week, by donating blood in memory of those who gave their lives for the Tamil struggle.

    With blood supplies in Canada having dipped to “critically low” levels recently, the blood drive organised by the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) helped replenish much needed supplies of blood in the Canadian community.

    “We are organizing this blood drive to remember the fallen heroes,” said Demison Alwin. “They were fighting to save lives – you can save lives in their name, just by donating blood”.
  • Tamil Nadu marks Maaveerar Naal
    Updated 15:00 GMT
    Thousands of people across Tamil Nadu marked Maaveerar Naal this week, with remembrance events being held across the state.

    MDMK leader Vaiko held a rally and paid tribute to the fallen Tamils alongside thousands of people.

    Meanwhile student groups across the Indian state held various events, where candles were lit and flowers laid on shrines.

    Tambaram
  • SL police claim Tamil youth confessed to Maaveerar Naal posters
    The Jaffna district police superintendent Wimalasena claimed that the Tamil youth arrested earlier this week for allegedly putting up posters commemorating Tamil national remembrance day (Maaveerar Naal) has confessed to the crime.

    The Tamil youth, originally from Meesalai, was arrested on November 26 by Sri Lankan police on terrorism charges.

    The youth has "admitted that he produced them", Wimalasena was quoted by the Uthayan as saying. He has since been handed over to the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID), Wimalasena added.

    According to Wimalasena, in a confession statement, the youth said:
    "Recently, societal ills have increased amongst youths [in Jaffna]. Sword fights and gang fights have increased. I produced the Maaveerar Naal posters to show the LTTE was still present, as no one would engage in such activities, if they felt they were around."

  • Canadian universities commemorate Maaveerar Naal

    University of Toronto Scarborough
    All photographs courtesy of TYO Canada

    Students in Canada held a series of events in universities this month marking Maaveerar Naal, a day to remember those who gave their lives for the Tamil struggle.

    The universities held events in the weeks leading up to November 27th, a date commemorated by Tamils across the world. Dance and songs were performed, speeches and poems were read out and flowers were laid in tribute to the thousands who died.

    See more photos from the events below.

  • JHU to sign MoU with Maithripala

    The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a former coalition partner in President Rajapaksa's UPFA, has announced it will sign a memorandum of understanding with the opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena, after which they will actively support his campaign, the Daily Mirror reported.

  • Police attack Tamils demanding their lands back in Jaffna
    Photographs Uthayan


    Sri Lankan police attacked Tamils in Pommaiveli, Jaffna who were demanding to be given their own lands back.

    The protest began on Saturday morning, by Pommaiveli junction, with demonstrators blocking the streets and putting up tin sheds in the street.

    Police officers soon arrived at the seen, and attempted to remove the tin sheds. As the demonstrators refused to move, police officers hit them and threw stones at them, reported the Uthayan newspaper. One elderly demonstrator was injured.

  • Bodu Bala Sena gives 'unconditional support' to President Rajapaksa

    The Buddhist organisation Bodu Bala Sena has declared its support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the forthcoming presidential election, reported The Island.

    General Secretary Gnanasara told media that the BBS pledged unconditional support to Rajapaksa.

  • I will protect Rajapaksas from war crime charges – Maithripala

    The opposition candidate at the presidential election, Maithripala Sirisena said that he would not allow the international community or the Tamil diaspora to take President Mahinda Rajapaksa, or anyone else to face war crimes charges, the Daily Mirror reports.

    “I will not allow President Rajapaksa, his family or any member of our armed forces to be taken before any international war crimes tribunal,” Sirisena said to reporters.

    Speaking to media on behalf of the common opposition, Sirisena said he would implement a “proper reconciliation” plan, to heal divisions amongst the different communities.

  • TNA calls for release of fishermen on death row

    The Tamil National Alliance has called for the release of the three Eelam-Tamil fishermen, who remain on death row after their conviction for drug trafficking.

    Another 5 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were convicted alongside them, were released after a presidential pardon was granted.

    TNA leader R Sampanthan requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release the fishermen, saying that it was important to serve justice equally and it was unacceptable that a group of people involved in the same crime were granted an amnesty and another group is still tried for the crime, the Uthayan reported.

  • SL police arrest asylum seekers turned back by Australia
    Thirty-seven asylum seekers who were deported to Sri Lanka by Australian authorities after being detained at sea have been arrested by Sri Lankan police.

    Sri Lanka's police spokesperson Ajith Rohana, said the asylum seekers, which include 6 children, have been handed over on Thursday after being caught by Australia's coast guard by the Indonesian coast.

    'The boat left Sri Lanka on November 1,' Rohana said.

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