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…

Australian asylum policies 'reckless' says Human Rights Law Centre

Sep 30, 2014
Criticising the Australian government's continued deportation of asylum seekers fleeing Sri Lanka as "extremely reckless", the Human Rights Law Centre, said Australia was placing the deportees in direct danger.

Speaking as further evidence of the rape and torture of Tamil deportees emerged, this time those who had been deported from Australia, HRLC's Director of Advocacy and Research, Emily Howie, said:
“The Immigration Department should stop denying Sri Lankans the opportunity to use the proper processes to make claims for protection. By using a flimsy screening process, Australia is being extremely reckless and risks placing men, women and children directly in danger."

Rakapaksa instructs Cabinet to expedite land sales restrictions to foreigners

Sep 30, 2014
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed the Cabinet on Wednesday to expedite the bill restricting land sales to non Sri Lankan citizens, reported the Daily Mirror.

It was due to be debated and voted on by parliament last week, however had to be withdrawn due to a "lack of clarity on the content of the Bill", the paper added.

The proposed bill was discussed in a Cabinet meeting today.

Sri Lankan police arrest Indian national in Nanu Oya

Sep 30, 2014
Sri Lankan police arrested a 31 year old Indian citizen in Nanu Oya, in the Central province on Tuesday citing alleged visa violations.

The 31 year old, who is from Tamil Nadu, was accused of overstaying his tourist visa and selling clothes illegally, reports the Daily Mirror. He was brought before Nuwara Eliya magistrate and released on bail.

New Tamil Nadu CM writes to Modi urging fishermen's release

Sep 30, 2014
The new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, seeking the release of 20 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan navy this week and urging that New Delhi take "positive and concrete steps", reports The Hindu.

"The traditional rights of fishermen from Tamil Nadu to fish in the waters of Palk Bay is continuously being infringed upon by the Sri Lankan Navy," wrote Panneerselvam in a letter dated September 30, also praising the former Chief Minister Jayalalitha's "untiring and relentless efforts" to release Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by Sri Lanka.

Whilst commending Modi's efforts in securing the release of over 70 fishermen previously, Panneerselvam said "unfortunately, 71 fishing boats of these fishermen have not yet been released by the Sri Lankan Government and are falling apart from disuse there itself."

Senior Tamil journalist detained by CID officers in Jaffna

Sep 30, 2014
12:53 BST

A senior Tamil journalist, Ratnam Thayaparan, was detained by Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers earlier today, said the Jaffna based media group, the Jaffna Press Club.

Thayaparan, who is also a prominent campaigner for press freedom for Tamil journalists in the North-East, was interrogated by special CID officials based in Kankesanturai.


Sri Lankan and Burmese Buddhist groups sign agreement to work together

Sep 30, 2014

(DailyMirror)

Buddhist nationalist groups from Sri Lanka and Burma have signed a deal, agreeing to work together to protect Buddhism.

Why Sri Lanka's detention of Balenderan Jayakumari is so sinister' - Callum Macrae

Sep 30, 2014
Documentary maker Callum Macrae says Sri Lanka has continued with its “particularly sinister” arrest and intimidation of possible witnesses to a United Nations investigation into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka – including of Tamil disappearances activist Balendran Jayakumari - in a piece in the Huffington Post.

Macrae, director of the documenatary 'No Fire Zone', added that whilst the intimidation of witnesses continued, Sri Lanka was “carrying out an ongoing campaign whose aim is nothing less than to permanently change the ethnic make-up of the Tamil areas in the north and east.”

He added that “through the use of major strategic land-grabs, systematic sexual violence, political repression, enforced disappearances and wholesale plantation by non-Tamil families and businesses they are assaulting Tamil identity and ethnically re-engineering the entire region.”

They have the guns, we have only pens' - Uthayan journalist

Sep 30, 2014
A Tamil journalist for the Jaffna daily Uthayan described the ongoing intimidation faced by the newspaper, in a video profile by Al Jazeera.

Documenting the challenges faced by journalist Thadsa in writing about the abduction of Vadivel Nimalarajah in 2007, in Sri Lanka - one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. The profile by Kannan Arunasalam is part of the Viewfinder Asia program for Al Jazeera.


Sri Lanka denies torture and rape of deported Tamil asylum seekers

Sep 30, 2014
Sri Lanka’s high commissioner to Australia rejected findings in a SBS investigative report that documented evidence of torture and rape of Tamil asylum seekers deported from Australia to Sri Lanka.

Speaking to the SBS news channel after the report aired on Australian TV, Thisara Samarasinghe, suggested that the evidence of rape and torture was self-inflicted and labelled the documentary as a "doctored, orchestrated, biased documentary which is absolutely baseless, that is trying to portray an absolutely wrong picture of Sri Lanka."

Samarasinghe further added that the documentary was "an attempt to support separatism in Sri Lanka."

SBS Dateline documentary with interview of Sri Lanka's high commissioner to Australia

Man found dead with throat slit in Batticaloa

Sep 29, 2014
A man was found dead with his throat lacerated inside a house in Batticaloa, Kaluvanjikudi Makiloor on Sunday.

The body, identified as 68 year old Sellathambi Thangavel, has been taken to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital for further investigations, reports BattiNews.

Kaluvanjikudi Magistrate court judge Thiyogeswaran arrived at the scene to investigate. Kaluvanjikudi Police are reportedly investigating the incident.

The police have however already highlighted his separation from his family for the past 35 years.

Rakapaksa instructs Cabinet to expedite land sales restrictions to foreigners
Sri Lankan police arrest Indian national in Nanu Oya
New Tamil Nadu CM writes to Modi urging fishermen's release
Senior Tamil journalist detained by CID officers in Jaffna
Sri Lankan and Burmese Buddhist groups sign agreement to work together
Why Sri Lanka's detention of Balenderan Jayakumari is so sinister' - Callum Macrae
They have the guns, we have only pens' - Uthayan journalist
Sri Lanka denies torture and rape of deported Tamil asylum seekers
Man found dead with throat slit in Batticaloa
Complaint made against Tamil councillors for letter to Pillay condemning genocide
Rakapaksa instructs Cabinet to expedite land sales restrictions to foreigners
Sri Lankan police arrest Indian national in Nanu Oya
New Tamil Nadu CM writes to Modi urging fishermen's release
Senior Tamil journalist detained by CID officers in Jaffna
Sri Lankan and Burmese Buddhist groups sign agreement to work together
Why Sri Lanka's detention of Balenderan Jayakumari is so sinister' - Callum Macrae
They have the guns, we have only pens' - Uthayan journalist
Sri Lanka denies torture and rape of deported Tamil asylum seekers
Man found dead with throat slit in Batticaloa
Complaint made against Tamil councillors for letter to Pillay condemning genocide