Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Tamil residents intervene to block Sri Lankan military land grab in Maruthankerni
Tamil residents, landowners and activists in Maruthankerni have halted a land survey linked to an attempted acquisition reportedly for Sri Lankan military purposes in Vadamaradchi East. The move, which took place in the Maruthankerni area of the Jaffna district, drew strong opposition from the landowner and local residents, who warned that handing land to the Sri Lankan military could lead to…

Rajapaksa says he will hand over SLFP to Sirisena

Jan 14, 2015
Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he is ready to hand over the Sri Lankan Freedom Party chairmanship to his successor, the new president Maithripala Sirisena, according to reports in local newspapers.

Rajapaksa reportedly made this announcement to leaders of the SLFP dominated coalition, the UPFA, on Wednesday evening.

According to the Daily Mirror, Wimal Weerawansa, a Rajapaksa ally and leader of the NFF, urged Rajapaksa not to resign.

Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal

Jan 14, 2015
Photograph Pathivu


Students at the University of Jaffna celebrated the traditional Tamil harvest festival, Thai Pongal, on Thursday.



Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa

Jan 14, 2015
Photographs BattiNews

Tamils in Batticaloa celebrated the traditional harvest festival of 'Thai Pongal' on Thursday.



Making the sweet rice dish of pongal over open fires in their homes and businesses, many visited temples and churches for blessings of prosperity for the year ahead.

TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues

Jan 14, 2015
The National Executive Committee met on Thursday to discuss issues including constitutional changes.

The committee included president Maithripala Sirisena, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, minister Champika Ranawaka, Sarath Fonseka and Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan.

The Right to Information (RTI) Act, National Drugs Policy, corruption and other legal issues were discussed, reports Colombo Gazette.

India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka

Jan 14, 2015

A court in Tamil Nadu has sentenced five Eelam Tamil asylum seekers to two years imprisonment for illegally entering India, after the group fled Sri Lanka with their five children last year.

The group of asylum seekers, consisting of three men, two women and five children, had arrived in Dhanushkodi in May 2014. Originally from Mullaitivu and Jaffna, the group went to Mannar, where they boarded two boats taking them across the Palk Strait.

Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church

Jan 13, 2015

Hundreds of worshipers gathered at the Madhu Matha church in Vanni to witness Pope Francis' visit and prayers.

TNA MPs, the Northern Province's Chief Minister and councillors attended the event the church, which honours Our Lady of Madhu and is over 450 years old.

Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm

Jan 13, 2015


The Sri Lankan military recruited nineteen Tamil youths to work at an army run farm in the Vellamkulam region of Kilinochchi, reported the military's news site on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka military hands out chickens in Kilinochchi

Jan 13, 2015


Sri Lankan army personnel handed out 25 chickens in Kilinochchi on Monday to a widow with eight children, reported a military aligned news site.

The military's ongoing deployment across the Tamil areas and its continuing partaking in civilian economic and humanitarian affairs has faced extensive criticism.

Why Sirisena’s Victory is Not a Victory for Sri Lanka’s Tamils'

Jan 13, 2015
Kumaravadivel Guruparan
Despite Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's surprise election victory, there is little to suggest change in government policy towards the island's indigenous Tamil and Muslim communities, said Tamil Civil Society Forum spokesperson Kumaravadivel Guruparan.

Writing in The Caravan, Guruparan said that Tamils “voted for Sirisena not because they liked his candidacy but because they wanted to oust Rajapaksa”.

“As far as this electorate was concerned, their vote for Sirisena was the only way in which they could voice their anger against a regime that had inflicted enormous suffering on them, almost threatening their very existence,” said Guruparan.

On Sri Lanka's new president, Guruparan added,
“Sirisena was an integral part of the Rajapaksa regime that unleashed a horrendous war, a war that was waged not just against the LTTE, but also against the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka. He was a part of the Rajapaksa regime that not so long ago used the military to take over vast amounts of private land belonging to the Tamils in the regions dominated by them.The regime initiated a rapid process of demographic change in the northeast in favour of the Sinhalese, and endorsed the maltreatment of ex-LTTE cadres.”

NGO Secretariat to be under Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry

Jan 13, 2015
Sri Lanka's Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) secretariat is to be within the purview of the country's Ministry of Defense, following the election win of President Maithripala Sirisena.

President Sirisena announced his decision, a day after taking oath, to retain the Ministry of Defense under his remit and appointing himself as Defence Minister.

A gazette notification issued on January 10, confirming the move, places the Secretariat for NGOs under the Defence Ministry's 'Departments, Statutory Institutions & Public Corporations' along side the army, the navy and the air force.

Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa
TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues
India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka
Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church
Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm
Sri Lanka military hands out chickens in Kilinochchi
Why Sirisena’s Victory is Not a Victory for Sri Lanka’s Tamils'
NGO Secretariat to be under Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry
Former key Rajapaksa ally supports 100 day programme
Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa
TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues
India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka
Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church
Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm
Sri Lanka military hands out chickens in Kilinochchi
Why Sirisena’s Victory is Not a Victory for Sri Lanka’s Tamils'
NGO Secretariat to be under Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry
Former key Rajapaksa ally supports 100 day programme