Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Ahead of the Sri Lankan President’s visit to Jaffna, landowners who spoke to the media demanding the release of their lands were subject to intimidation and surveillance by the police. A press briefing was organized on Thursday near the Vasavilan junction by the "Valikamam North Land Release Committee," where affected residents intended to voice their demands to the President via the media.…

SL minister calls for TNA Wigneswaran's former rulings to be reviewed

Commenting on the TNA's choice for chief minister candidate in the Northern Provincial, former Supreme Court judge, C.V. Wigneswaran, the Economic Development Deputy Minister S.M.Chandrasena, called for Wigneswaran's forming judgments to be examined. 

Chandrasena said,

"Former High Court Judge P B Warawewa is also expected to contest the Central Provincial Council Elections from the United National Party (UNP)."

Sri Lankan army to create profit-making entities

The Sri Lankan army is planning to create business ventures to make profit, according to Army Commander Jagath Jeyasuriya.

The commander told the DailyMirror that the army business could bid for government tenders and said the army was involved in almost all available services and professions.

Police powers creates risk of parallel army - Basil

Minister for Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa told the Hindu that the Sri Lankan government could not risk a provincial government forming its own army through devolved police powers.

Dismissing arguments that Tamil armed struggle was now a thing of the past, Rajapaksa said:

“If [the NPC] form another army, can we afford another war now?”

Protests against Flying Fish

A crowd of Sri Lankans was protesting outside the French Embassy in Colombo against the movie Flying Fish, which was screened at a French festival on the island.

The protestors objected to the depiction of the military in the movie.

Representatives of Ranaviru Sevana, politicians and members of the public shouted slogans condemning the movie, reported Ceylon Today.

Rajapaksa brothers act as marriage witnesses

The Sri Lankan cricket captain, Angelo Mathews and Heshani Silva wedded today at the Temple Trees establishment in Sri Lanka, reported Colombo Page.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary, Gotobahya Rajapaksa signed as witnesses of the marriage at the wedding ceremony.

CHOGM will enhance Sri Lanka's stature in the world: G.L Peiris

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Addressing a press conference held at the External Affairs Ministry in Sri Lanka yesterday, External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris, reiterated that,

"CHOGM will enhance the country's stature in the world."

Parliamentary committee questions UK arms exports to Sri Lanka

A report by a parliamentary committee has criticised exports of arms to countries that the Foreign Office has expressed human rights concerns about.

The House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls concluded in their 2013 report that over 3,000 export licenses, worth over £12bn, were approved by the UK to the 27 countries in question, including Sri Lanka.

The report says the sales to Sri Lanka, worth over £8mn raised “very serious questions”.

The committee’s chairman, Conservative MP Sir John Stanley, said he was astonished at the scale of the exports, to countries including China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Peiris delights in victory over human rights campaigners

External Affairs Minister G L Peiris boasted of Rajapaksa's imminent chairmanship of the Commonwealth at an External Affairs Ministry press conference on Wednesday.

Peiris said that chairing the Commonwealth would be a "major victory by the country against its detractors, who have been trying to prevent Sri Lanka playing host to this all important biennial summit meeting."

EU delegation will travel to North

An EU Parliamentary Delegation, currently in Sri Lanka to observe EU funded development projects in the North, will reportedly be travelling to the North to see their progress.

The delegation is also expecting to hold meetings with civil society activists as well as politicians and international agencies.

SLMC to contest alone 

Sri Lanka's Muslim party, SLMC, which is currently part of the ruling UPFA coalition,  announced on Tuesday that it is to contest the North Provincial Council election on its own. 

The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakeem, is Sri Lanka's minister of justice.

SLMC national organiser Shafik Rajabdeen told reporters, 

"We will contest the northern election under our own party symbol of 'tree'"