Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Protest in Vavuniya over encroachment on a vital irrigation tank
Farmers and residents staged a protest in Vavuniya on Monday, alleging that the encroachment and development of the water catchment area of Kovilkulam pose a serious threat to the tank’s natural water inflow and the livelihoods dependent on it. The demonstration began in front of the Kudiyiruppu Pillaiyar Temple and proceeded in a march to the Vavuniya District Secretariat, where protesters…

Sri Lanka's former foreign minister concerned about amnesty for Tamil political prisoners

Dec 8, 2015
Sri Lanka’s former External Affairs Minister Prof GL Peiris expressed “serious concern” over considerations of a general amnesty for former Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres in custody.

Mr Peiris added that the Jaffna Tamil student who committed suicide demanding the release of Tamil political prisoners was a “sophisticated plan” to influence the government’s decision making process.

Drawing on foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera’s statement in parliament on the possibility of amnesty for those who had been charge under the prevention of terrorism act, Mr Peiris told a public gathering that “This is a frightening prospect.”

Relatives of disappeared to boycott Presidential Commission, protest in Jaffna

Dec 8, 2015

Families of missing Tamils have decided to boycott Sri Lanka’s presidential commission into disappearances, and staged a protest in Jaffna to express their disappointment with the commission.

Photographs Tamil Guardian

Members of the organisation representing the relatives of missing persons in the North-East agreed to fully boycott the Presidential Commission’s inquiries, demanding instead that any further investigations should be carried out by independent, international actors.

Sri Lankan police found guilty of breaking international law over student protests

Dec 8, 2015

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) found the Sri Lankan police guilty of violating international law in a landmark case last week, over the use of excessive force when dispersing student protestors in Colombo.

"(The) police action is a violation of the universal declaration of human rights as well as the international covenant on civil and political rights," said the commission said in a 32-page report last week.

Students who protested in Colombo in October were violently dispersed by police officers. "Students had been subjected to cruel and degrading treatment in violation of their rights guaranteed by the constitution as well as international human rights covenants," said the HRCSL.

Sri Lanka’s exports continue to fall as tea tumbles by 20%

Dec 8, 2015
Sri Lanka’s exports fell for the seventh successive month in September 2015, with tea export earnings slumping 20.4%, according to the latest figures released by the Central Bank.

Exports fell by 5.9% to US$ 850 million in September 2015, a decline that has continued since March 2015. Industrial exports were the hardest hit, falling by 4.7%, with lower shipments of rubber products, gems, diamonds and jewellery, machinery and mechanical appliances and printing industry products reported.

Tea exports fell in particular, a 20.4% in September of this year compared to the same month in 2014, according to official data. The Sri Lankan government plans to artificially raise the price of tea by purchasing from the tea auction, in an attempt to stabilise the market, said Lanka Business Online.

BBS wants Asian alliance with 969 ‘to protect Buddhism’

Dec 8, 2015
The leader of the Bodu Bala Sena said he wanted to create an “Asian alliance” with Burma’s 969 group, in order to protect Buddhism in the region.

Speaking to The Australian BBS’s chief monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara said his organisation’s “struggle is to protect an innocent society from a violent group”, namely Muslims on the island.

He defended his organisation’s links with Burma’s 969 and radical monk Wirathu, who has been accused of inciting ethnic violence in the country, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of Muslims. “I know I am not a terrorist and I know Wirathu is not a terrorist, though unfortunately the western media has categorised him as such,” said Gnanasara.

“We want to create an Asian alliance to protect Buddhism and keep the region peaceful,” he continued. “People think Buddhists are very innocent, that even if you hit them from behind or shoot them in the head they should keep quiet and accept… Is that what the world is expecting from us?”

‘Is Sri Lanka’s Fiscal House in Order?’ – IMF mission chief

Dec 8, 2015
Proposals put forward in Sri Lanka’s budget “raise questions” said the International Monetary Fund's mission chief for Sri Lanka, in an op-ed published this week.

Todd Schneider outlined concerns in both Sri Lanka’s revenue and spending targets, saying “the direction of policies and the lack of a medium-term context”.

Stating Sri Lanka’s targeted rise in public revenue “seems ambitious—perhaps overly ambitious”, Mr Schneider said “apart from being an unprecedented increase, the main underlying measures—for the most part—are likely to work toward lowering revenues”.
Sri Lanka’s proposed spending raises “the concern is whether the overall targets can indeed be met”, he said. 

Noting that “spending for other goods and services almost doubles, and the reason for this has yet to be clarified,” Mr Schneider added “the risk is that capital spending could be slashed in the event of revenues falling short—which has been the case for the past several years”. “This underscores the need for realistic revenue estimates which would then provide greater certainty to the path of critical expenditures.”

Release of Tamil political detainees poses 'serious threat' - Gotabhaya

Dec 8, 2015

Former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the release of Tamils detained for political reasons posed a serious threat to national security.

Claiming the Tamils were "hardcore LTTE members", Mr Gotabhaya said that some of those on the list to be released were involved in major attacks on Colombo.

‘Delay on part of Attorney General’ in reviewing prisoners cases says minister

Dec 8, 2015

Sri Lankan Minister D.M. Swaminathan said the Attorney General was reviewing the cases of 20 former LTTE cadres who have been detained under the government’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Daily Mirror quoted the minister as stating the Attorney General was deliberating on whether the former cadres would be prosecuted or cleared for “release or rehabilitation”, adding,

“There is a delay on the part of the Attorney General’s Department in clearing these cases”.

‘Our government will never sign the CEPA’ says Ranil

Dec 8, 2015

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government would “never” sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) deal with India, in a speech delivered to parliament on Wednesday.

“Our government will never sign the CEPA agreement under any circumstance, and that it won’t be signed under another name,” said the prime minister. “This harmful CEPA agreement has been removed completely from our nation.”

Also see our earlier feature: Sri Lanka’s Indophobia (07 Aug 2015)

UK defence adviser will work with Sri Lankan troops on accountability and human rights

Dec 7, 2015
Britain said that the appointment of a Defence Adviser will allow the UK to work with the Sri Lankan military on issues of accountability and human rights, in order to address the legacy of the armed conflict.

A British High Commission spokesperson told The Island that the Defence Adviser in New Delhi will concurrently function as non-resident military representative for Sri Lanka.

"The Sri Lankan government has committed itself to addressing the legacy of its long conflict, including through co-sponsorship of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council this year,” said the spokesperson. “The military have a crucial role to play in this process and in fulfilling the commitments Sri Lanka has made on long-standing issues of reconciliation, accountability and human rights. The appointment of a Defence Adviser will enable the UK to work with the Sri Lankan armed forces on these issues, just as we are supporting the Government and civil society.”

However former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was credited with masterminding the final Sri Lankan government offensive which saw tens of thousands of civilian deaths, expressed his concern over the move.
Relatives of disappeared to boycott Presidential Commission, protest in Jaffna
Sri Lankan police found guilty of breaking international law over student protests
Sri Lanka’s exports continue to fall as tea tumbles by 20%
BBS wants Asian alliance with 969 ‘to protect Buddhism’
‘Is Sri Lanka’s Fiscal House in Order?’ – IMF mission chief
Release of Tamil political detainees poses 'serious threat' - Gotabhaya
‘Delay on part of Attorney General’ in reviewing prisoners cases says minister
‘Our government will never sign the CEPA’ says Ranil
UK defence adviser will work with Sri Lankan troops on accountability and human rights
India says it is committed to building 50K houses for Tamils in Sri Lanka
Relatives of disappeared to boycott Presidential Commission, protest in Jaffna
Sri Lankan police found guilty of breaking international law over student protests
Sri Lanka’s exports continue to fall as tea tumbles by 20%
BBS wants Asian alliance with 969 ‘to protect Buddhism’
‘Is Sri Lanka’s Fiscal House in Order?’ – IMF mission chief
Release of Tamil political detainees poses 'serious threat' - Gotabhaya
‘Delay on part of Attorney General’ in reviewing prisoners cases says minister
‘Our government will never sign the CEPA’ says Ranil
UK defence adviser will work with Sri Lankan troops on accountability and human rights
India says it is committed to building 50K houses for Tamils in Sri Lanka