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…

Sri Lankan navy chase away Tamil Nadu fishermen

Jan 5, 2015
The Sri Lankan navy reportedly threatened and chased away a group of Tamil Nadu fishermen at gunpoint, early on Tuesday.

The president of the Rameswaram Fishermen Association stated that over 1,000 boats had left Tamil Nadu to fish near Katchatheevu.

The fishermen were subsequently chased away by the navy, who damaged the nets of more than 20 boats in the process.

No justice for assassinated human rights lawyer Kumar Ponnambalam, 15 years on

Jan 4, 2015
Kumar Ponnamabalam, assassinated 5 Jan 2000.


Fifteen years after Kumar Ponnambalam, a prominent human rights lawyer and leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) was assassinated in a busy Colombo suburb during Chandrika Kumaratunge's government, his killers have not been brought to justice.

Mr Ponnambalam, who was renowned for his pro bono work in defending Tamil and Sinhala youths detained under Sri Lanka's draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, had filed reports in important human rights cases that incriminated the Chandrika government, including the gang rape and murder of the Tamil girl, Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and mass graves in Chemmani. 

He was shot dead by unidentified gunman on January 5th, 2000, whilst in his car on Ramakrishna Lane, in the Tamil area of Colombo, Wellawatte.

No demilitarisation of North, no agreement on devolution - Maithri

Jan 4, 2015
Reiterating his earlier statements vowing to ensure the military remained in the Tamil areas, the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, said he had "no intention of withdrawing the army from the north" if he wins the election on January 8.

International pressure for accountability will not go away whoever wins election says ICG

Jan 4, 2015
The International Crisis Group (ICG) warned that international pressure on Sri Lanka to ensure accountability for the mass atrocities against the Tamil people at the end of the ethnic conflict in 2009 would not go away whoever won the presidential election on January 8.

"Sirisena [the common opposition's presidential candidate] has promised to continue the current government’s policy of rejecting efforts by the international community to ensure accountability for the thousands of civilian deaths incurred at government hands at the end of the civil conflict in 2009," the ICG's senior Sri Lanka analyst, Alan Keenan, wrote on Monday.

"These efforts have not gone away, even five years after that bloody denouement, but rather have intensified."

"Thus whether Rajapaksa or Sirisena, whoever wins will need adequately to address the many credible allegations over the army’s conduct at the end of the war if they are effectively to reduce international pressure."

TNA yet to decide on whether to join govt if Maithri wins

Jan 4, 2015
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has not reached a decision on whether to join a government led by the common opposition's candidate Maithripala Sirisena if he should win the presidential election on January 8, said the TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran.

Asked by LankaSri whether the TNA would join the government, Sumanthiran replied: "When a question was asked regarding this at a press conference the other day, [TNA leader] Sampanthan said we [TNA] had not made a decision on this yet."

"However, until the party takes a decision I would like to state my own views. My view is that we should not take part in such a government. There are many reasons for this," he said.

Body found in Eravoor

Jan 4, 2015
The body of a man in his late 30s was found in the Murakkoddanchenai river in Eravoor, reports BattiNews.

The body, which has not been identified was spotted by locals on Saturday morning.

Eravoor police are reportedly investigating the death.


Stones thrown at Ananthy Sasitharan's house

Jan 4, 2015
20:54 GMT

Stones were thrown at the house of Ananthy Sasitharan, the TNA's popular Northern Provincial Councillor by unidentified persons during the early hours of Tuesday morning local time.

"I was sleeping at my house in Vadakkamparai, Chullipuram with my three daughters and a lady who stays with us, when I heard stones smashing against the house at around 1.30am," Sasitharan told the Tamil Guardian shortly after the incident.

"I got up and switched on the light and then they ran away," she said, adding that she had reported the incident to the police and the NPC chairman C. V. K. Sivagnanam via telephone.

The house in Vadakkamparai was previously attacked ahead of the Northern Provincial Council election in 2013.

SL military placed on standby to 'control violence'

Jan 3, 2015
The Sri Lankan military said that it will be on standby to prevent and control violence on and before election day.

Speaking to the Sunday Leader, military spokesperson, Ruwan Wanigasooriya, said,

"in the event that troops are needed, we are prepared to offer assistance of the police and civil authorities formally requested."

Dismissing claims that extra troops had been deployed to intimidate voters in certain areas, he added,

9 years on from 'Trinco 5' killings, the struggle for justice continues

Jan 3, 2015

Photograph TamilNet
This week marks 9 years since the murder of five Tamils students, who were executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee.

The 'Trinco 5' case has been one of the highest profile killings in Sri Lanka to receive international attention, listed in 2014 by the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' report on the island as one of  four ‘emblematic cases’ of the government's failure to ensure accountability.

Sampanthan threatens disciplinary action against Ananthy if not toeing party line

Jan 3, 2015
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R. Sampanthan warned that the party would take disciplinary action against Northern Province Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan if she did not fall in line with the party's decision to endorse the common opposition's presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the election on January 8.

Asked by the Daily Mirror about a split in the TNA over the election, following her decision not to endorse either candidate and boycott the election, Sampanthan said:
"She is bound by the decision of the TNA. I am not aware of her having made any such statement. If she is not bound by the TNA decision, disciplinary action will be taken against her."
No justice for assassinated human rights lawyer Kumar Ponnambalam, 15 years on
No demilitarisation of North, no agreement on devolution - Maithri
International pressure for accountability will not go away whoever wins election says ICG
TNA yet to decide on whether to join govt if Maithri wins
Body found in Eravoor
Stones thrown at Ananthy Sasitharan's house
SL military placed on standby to 'control violence'
9 years on from 'Trinco 5' killings, the struggle for justice continues
Sampanthan threatens disciplinary action against Ananthy if not toeing party line
International election monitors raise concern over military involvement in elections
No justice for assassinated human rights lawyer Kumar Ponnambalam, 15 years on
No demilitarisation of North, no agreement on devolution - Maithri
International pressure for accountability will not go away whoever wins election says ICG
TNA yet to decide on whether to join govt if Maithri wins
Body found in Eravoor
Stones thrown at Ananthy Sasitharan's house
SL military placed on standby to 'control violence'
9 years on from 'Trinco 5' killings, the struggle for justice continues
Sampanthan threatens disciplinary action against Ananthy if not toeing party line
International election monitors raise concern over military involvement in elections