Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Gampaha bus stand
Another shooting added to Sri Lanka’s growing gun violence epidemic
A brazen shooting incident was reported near the Gampaha public bus stand on Wednesday, as two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened fire at a moving lorry in broad daylight before fleeing the scene. The two passengers inside the lorry reportedly abandoned the vehicle and ran into a nearby shop in an attempt to seek refuge. The lorry sustained visible damage in the attack. Local…

A Canadian Parliamentarian’s maiden speech - in English, French and Tamil

Jun 10, 2011

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, MP, representing the Scarborough-Rouge River constituency, addressed the Canadian Parliament for the first time on Friday:

International lawyers condemn erosion of judicial independence

Jun 9, 2011
A global group for legal professionals, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), expressed their concerns at the 'increasing erosion of judicial independence' in Sri Lanka, in a letter addressed to the Sri Lankan government. 

The letter itself, dated 19 May 2011, was confidential, but the content was outlined in a statement released by IBAHRI on 02 June 2011. 

HRW: UNHRC should ensure accountability

Jun 8, 2011
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement during the 17th session of the Human Rights Council on the 6th June 2011 calling on the UNHRC to work towards accountability for alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka with no further delay. 

Tamil Nadu Assembly demands India pursue Sri Lankan war criminals

Jun 8, 2011
In a show of unity, the Tamil Nadu Assembly led by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, unanimously passed a resolution calling upon the central government in India to ensure those responsible for the massacre of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka are declared 'war criminals' by the United Nations.

US: Defense Attaché's remarks do not reflect US policy

Jun 6, 2011

 Following the US Embassy's Defense Attaché, Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith's peculiar remarks at Sri Lanka's three day seminar, the US State Department have responded swiftly in a statement describing his remarks as 'personal opinions' and stipulating that they 'do not reflect the policy of the United States Government'.

The statement went on to reiterate the United States' concern over the findings of the UN Panel report and commitment to ensuring credible accountability. 

People have the right to resist annihilation - Arundhati Roy

Jun 6, 2011
Arundhati Roy, Booker Prize winning novelist and political activist, speaking to reporters on her new book, a collection of essays on the Maoist guerrilla movement in India entitled 'Broken Republic', argues the case for violent resistance in the face of brutal oppression. 

CPJ: Sri Lanka fourth 'Getting Away With Murder'

Jun 2, 2011

Sri Lanka ranked fourth amongst states ‘Getting Away With Murder’, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said this week. (see the 2011  Impunity Index)

Sri Lanka fourth comes after Iraq, Somalia and the Phillipines. (Philippines ranks higher due to a single incident – the massacre of 32 journalists and media workers in 2009.) 

Sri Lanka ranks higher than Afghanistan, Mexico and Colombia.

Judge hails Mladic arrest, hopes same for Sri Lanka and Syria leaders

Jun 2, 2011

Judge Richard Goldstone (former chief prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda), writing for the BBC on the extradition of General Ratko Mladic, said it represented yet another key milestone in the "end of the effective impunity for the worst war criminals".

Making particular reference to Sri Lanka and Syria, Judge Goldstone warned perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide that they will be brought justice.

Making it up

May 31, 2011

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank is twisting statistics to project an unrealistic picture of economic development, an economist and parliamentarian of the main opposition said this week.

These falsehoods are contributing to the "deteriorating credibility of the now completely politicized institution," Harsha de Silva of the United National Party (UNP) told The Island newspaper.

See also our earlier post:

Who’s for and against investigating 2009 slaughter of Tamils

May 30, 2011

At the 17th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting presently underway in Geneva, UN rights chief Navi Pillai called an international investigation of war crimes in the final months in 2009 of Sri Lanka’s war.

Who supported: US, EU, France, Ireland

Who opposed: Pakistan, China, Cuba

International lawyers condemn erosion of judicial independence
HRW: UNHRC should ensure accountability
Tamil Nadu Assembly demands India pursue Sri Lankan war criminals
US: Defense Attaché's remarks do not reflect US policy
People have the right to resist annihilation - Arundhati Roy
CPJ: Sri Lanka fourth 'Getting Away With Murder'
Judge hails Mladic arrest, hopes same for Sri Lanka and Syria leaders
Making it up
Who’s for and against investigating 2009 slaughter of Tamils
UN premiere for Sri Lanka war crimes film
International lawyers condemn erosion of judicial independence
HRW: UNHRC should ensure accountability
Tamil Nadu Assembly demands India pursue Sri Lankan war criminals
US: Defense Attaché's remarks do not reflect US policy
People have the right to resist annihilation - Arundhati Roy
CPJ: Sri Lanka fourth 'Getting Away With Murder'
Judge hails Mladic arrest, hopes same for Sri Lanka and Syria leaders
Making it up
Who’s for and against investigating 2009 slaughter of Tamils
UN premiere for Sri Lanka war crimes film