Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Pon. Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle, was remembered today in Urumpirai, Jaffna, on the 52nd anniversary of his death.  Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. On 5th June 1974, Sivakumaran was surrounded by Sri Lankan security forces. He had…

Rs 18 billion paid to Sri Lanka for UN peace keeping missions

Sri Lanka has earned a considerable income from United Nations peacekeeping operations in other countries, Army Media Spokesman Brigadier Wanigasekara has said.

According to the Brigadier Wanigasekara, Sri Lanka has earned in excess of 18.4 billion rupees from its ‘peacekeeping’ operations around the world since 2004.

Incidentally, Sri Lanka’s military expenditure rapidly increased before 2009, where 40,000 tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the war.

Gothabaya threatens newspaper editor ‘will be killed’

In an incredible outburst against The Sunday Leader’s editor, Frederica Jansz, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse verbally abused her and said she will be killed, after she questioned him after Sri Lanka airlines swapped an aircraft so that a friend of his could fly it to collect a puppy from Switzerland.

During his rant, over two conversation on the telephone, Rajapakse threatened Ms Jansz with legal action if she prints anything regarding this story and said he will put her in jail.

Sarath Fonseka urges Arab-Spring style revolution in Sri Lanka

Former chief of the Sri Lankan Army, General Sarath Fonseka has declared that he will lead an uprising to oust the government from power.

“I’m definitely asking people to rise up... and overthrow the government by democratic methods,” he said.

Parents plight to recover remains of murdered political prisoner

Human rights lawyers have lodged a petition at the Supreme Court over the death of political prisoner Ganesan Nimalaruban.

Working with Mr Nimalaruban’s parents the lawyers are seeking to overturn a court ruling that he must be cremated by authorities near Colombo.

Uproar continues over Indian training of Sri Lankan Air Force

As members of the Sri Lankan Air Force have been shifted from Tamil Nadu into Bangalore air base in Karnataka, uproar over the training programme has continued with renewed demands that all Sri Lankan personnel be removed from the country.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha again slammed Delhi and called for the Sri Lankan personnel to be sent home, stating,

Doctor’s Union to appeal against ban on protest

The chairman of the Jaffna doctor’s union has told Uthayan that they are determined to appeal against the ban placed on their protest at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

The doctors had been prevented from striking by a court injunction placed against a day-long suspension of services in the hospital’s outpatient’s unit but pledged to protest anyway.

In a statement to Uthayan, the union’s chairman said:

TNA has no confidence in Parliamentary Select Committee

The Tamil National Alliance has told The Island it has no faith in the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee and has not yet decided whether it will participate.

Court orders injunction to halt Doctors’ protest in Jaffna

A court injunction has been placed on a strike which was due to take place today at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

Jaffna Court Judge M Ganesarajah had ordered the injunction after reviewing a report submitted by Jaffna Police’s Officer in Charge, Saman Sigera, reported Uthayan.

Hariharan calls off Colombo concert

Veteran Tamil playback singer Hariharan has cancelled his concert tour to Colombo which was set to begin on Saturday, reportedly yielding to anti-Lankan sentiments in Tamil Nadu.

"My music has spread peace, happiness and love throughout the world for at least three decades.

India and SL hold maritime talks

India and Sri Lanka held maritime discussions on Saturday, including the treatment of fishermen crossing territorial waters.

The issues were discussed at the 21st International Maritime Boundary Line meeting, on board a Sri Lankan naval ship, Sagara, off the coast of Kankasanthurai.

The meeting comes as reports emerge that Sri Lankan air force officers were instructed to leave Tamil Nadu after protests.