Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

British Tamil engineer Arun Rajkumar became an unexpected face of Mercedes’ Austrian Grand Prix celebrations after stepping onto the Formula 1 podium and lifting the race-winning constructors’ trophy for the team. Rajkumar, who was born into an Eelam Tamil family, is a trackside power unit engineer for Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, the Brixworth-based division that designs,…

Cabinet approves 2 wind power plants in Chunnakam

Sri Lanka's cabinet this week approved the construction of two wind power plants of 10 megawatts each in Chunnakam, in the North-East. 

“The government has paid its attention on generating a larger portion of electricity requirement by renewable energy sources and it is proposed to establish solar and wind power plants,” the cabinet statement was quoted by LBO as saying. 

See here for more. 

Thousands across Australia mark Maaveerar Naal

A series of commemorations events took places across Australia on Sunday, as Tamils across the country came together to mark Maaveerar Naal and remember the lives sacrificed for the liberation of the Tamil homeland.

Thousands of people in five different locations across the country - Syndey, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne - held memorial events in line with Eelam Tamils across the world.

See photos from the events below.

Tamils detained under PTA granted bail by Sri Lankan court

A group of 11 Tamils who were detained in Jaffna by Sri Lanka’s counter-terrorism police have been granted bail by a court in Colombo on Wednesday.

The Tamils were arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division for allegedly with committing offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). They have been granted bail in two sureties, worth one million rupees for each suspect. 

Reports indicate that the initial charges of violating the PTA would be dropped and instead the group would be tried for money laundering.

London students mark Maaveerar Naal

Student commemorations of Maaveerar Naal were held at the University College London, led by Tamil Youth Organisation UK last Wednesday.

SLFP will not agree to federal constitution says senior minister 

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by Sirisena would not agree to a federal set-up in the new Constitution said senior minister of transport, Nimal Siripala de Silva this week. 

Addressing reporters in Kandy, Mr. De Silva stated clearly, "[t]here are three things that our party believes very strongly in the current constitutional reform process...The position for Buddhism must not be diluted, the unitary character of the state must be preserved and there cannot be a federal system."

Sri Lanka de-proscribes 69 individuals 

 

The Sri Lanka government earlier this month gazetted a new "List of Designated Persons" under Regulation 4(7) of UN Regulation No. 1 of 2012, removing 69 names from the list last amended in November 20, 2015. 

In March 2014, the Sri Lankan government proscribed 424 individuals and 16 Tamil diaspora organisations, alleging they had links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

Sri Lanka Defence Sec calls for investigation into Maaveerar Naal events

Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Karunasena Hettiarachchi called for investigations into events in the North-East marking Maaveerar Naal or Tamil national remembrance day over recent days. 

Mr Hettiarachchi said the law and order ministry and police should lead the investigation at a media briefing in Colombo on Tuesday. 

See here

Batticaloa's Maaveerar Naal

Tamils in an undisclosed location in the Batticaloa district marked the Tamil national remembrance day on Sunday. Locals placed flowers on a replica tomb, draped in the Tamil Eelam national flag.

Asylum seekers in Nauru camp mark Maaverar Naal

Tamil asylum seekers being held in detention at Nauru Island marked Maaveerar Naal on Sunday, in a ceremony held at the immigration detention facility.

The detained asylum seekers, who have been detained on the island after attempting to flee Sri Lanka for Australia, marked the event with the rest of the Tamil nation this week.

Maaveerar Naal commemorated in Vavuniya

A ceremony was held in Vavuniya on Sunday to remember all those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Tamil homeland.