Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The dark comedy genre has been in vogue in the Tamil industry for a while now. Producer turned first time director Harish Durairaj initiates his filmography with the crime-comedy ‘Con City’ starring Arjun Das, Anna Ben, Yogi Babu and Vadivukkarasi as a motley crew family unit of scammers. The film is a family entertainer full of twists and turns which is an enjoyable experience overall. …

India urges Sri Lanka to fully implement 13A

Thanking the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for her report, India said it looked forward to "the implementation of its other important commitments made to the international community, including the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka."

UN member states call for justice in Sri Lanka through time-bound strategy

Member states urged the UN Human Rights Council to ensure justice is delivered on in Sri Lanka through a time-bound strategy during today's interactive dialogue on the report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with Canada reiterating the call for international judges. 

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada calls for universal jurisdiction on Sri Lanka

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) called on members of the international community to exercise universal jurisdiction “to hold perpetrators of atrocity crimes in Sri Lanka accountable,” in a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council today.

Killings, torture and sexual abuse highlighted in US report on Sri Lanka

The US State Department released its 2018 report on the human rights this month, raising ongoing concerns in Sri Lanka of impunity, arbitrary detention, unlawful killings, torture, sexual abuse and media intimidation. 

Hundreds protest in Batticaloa demanding justice for disappeared

Families of the disappeared across the Eastern Province gathered in Batticaloa today to demand justice and for Sri Lanka to the be referred to the International Criminal Court. 

 

Sri Lanka to mark 10 years on from massacres as ‘dawn of peace’

Sri Lanka’s president said that his government would be marking May 2019 as the “10th anniversary of dawn [of] peace”, at a time when Tamils around the world will be commemorating the tens of thousands massacred by Sri Lankan security forces.

Maithripala Sirisena told an audience of Sri Lankans in Kenya that “a special event will be held in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of dawn peace after the 30-year war” (sic).

Amnesty calls on international community to keep Sri Lanka accountable

Amnesty International has released a report detailing Sri Lanka’s failure to meet its commitments and has called on the international community to reaffirm resolution 30/1, as well as continuing to monitor Sri Lanka’s progression.

7 police officers arrested over businessmen murder

A total of seven police officers, including two subinspectors, two police sergeants, two constables and a police driver have been arrested over the abduction and murder of two businessmen from Rathgama in January. A forest ranger from Walasmulla forest reserve has also been arrested in connection with the murders. 

Sri Lanka should not co-sponsor resolution says opposition leader

Sri Lanka's opposition leader and former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Saturday the country should not co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution currently being tabled in Geneva. 

TNA meets with JVP to discuss devolution and new constitution

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) met with Sri Lanka’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) last week, to discuss power devolution and abolishing the executive presidency, in a move that marks formal dialogue between the two parties.

The Hindu reported TNA parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran as stating “all parties are agreeable on going ahead with devolution” and called on the JVP to continue to support a new constitution for the island.

“We told the JVP that the TNA’s position on the executive presidency is that it must be abolished,” said Sumanthiran. “If the matter comes up for a vote in Parliament, the TNA will certainly vote for its abolition.”