Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Con City - Thieves and scorpions
The dark comedy genre has been in vogue in the Tamil industry for a while now. Producer turned first time director Harish Durairaj initiates his filmography with the crime-comedy ‘Con City’ starring Arjun Das, Anna Ben, Yogi Babu and Vadivukkarasi as a motley crew family unit of scammers. The film is a family entertainer full of twists and turns which is an enjoyable experience overall. …

Military intelligence forcefully enters Uthayan remembrance event

May 17, 2016
Sinhalese intelligence officers forcefully entered the Uthayan newspaper offices in Jaffna on Wednesday, whilst its employees were holding a blood donation event to commemorate the Mullivaikal massacres of 2009.

When questioned by Uthayan staff, the officers said that they were from the Sri Lankan police and were present to take pictures.

The intelligence personnel forcefully entered the event in civilian clothing without providing identification to organisers. Uthayan staff who organised the event have complained to the local police department.




Obstructing remembrance precludes justice and reconciliation says Pearl

May 17, 2016
The US based rights organisation, PEARL on Wednesday warned that "repudiations of accountability hinder prospects for enduring peace and stability on the island".

"Despite the importance of allowing Tamils to publicly mourn those who died in military attacks, the government of Sri Lanka has consistently obstructed their remembrance efforts each year for the past seven years. Security personnel have photographed and followed participants in this year’s commemoration events over the past week," the group said in a statement.

UK Conservative party renews call for justice on May 18th

May 17, 2016
Marking the 7th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, the UK Conservative party renewed its call for justice for the Tamils that were killed at the end of the armed conflict in 2009.

"Today we remember the thousands of Tamils who lost their lives seven years ago in the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka," the party's vice chairman, Robert Halfon said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Mullivaikkal is a day to remember the atrocities perpetrated against Tamils, and those who lost their lives during those terrible years," he added.

TNPF lights flames in remembrance at Mullivaikkal

May 17, 2016
 

Members of the Tamil National People’s Front lit candles at Mullivaikkal earlier today, commemorating the lives lost during the massacres of 2009.

Chennai students remember Mullivaikkal massacre

May 17, 2016

Students in Tamil Nadu lit candles and laid down flowers in remembrance of those killed during the final phase of the armed conflict that ended in Mullivaikkal.

Sri Lanka's window of opportunity for lasting peace and reconciliation is shrinking warns ICG

May 17, 2016
Sri Lanka’s window for reform is shrinking said Brussels based Think Tank the International Crisis Group in a new report released today.

In an executive summary the ICG said,

“Seven years after the end of the civil war in May 2009, issues of reconciliation and accountability remain largely unaddressed. The government appears to be backtracking on transitional justice plans, particularly the role of foreign judges and experts. The enormity of the crimes, especially in the final weeks of the war, makes them impossible to ignore but hard for the military and most Sinhalese to acknowledge or accept responsibility for. Mechanisms promised to the UNHRC feed Sinhala nationalist suspicions, while attempts to reassure Sinhalese and the military encourage doubts among Tamils about government willingness to pursue justice for wartime atrocities or back constitutional changes that satisfy legitimate Tamil aspirations for meaningful autonomy.”

Monument remembers victims in Mullivaikkal

May 17, 2016


A temporary statue was erected in Mullivaikkal on Wednesday afternoon by families of the dead, in memory of their loved ones.

The statue was subsequently taken away for safe storage as the families were concerned it would be demolished by Sri Lankan security forces.

‘An absence of transition in Sri Lanka’ – Kate Cronin-Furman

May 17, 2016
The failure to acknowledge crimes committed in Sri Lanka “is a continuing injury” to victims, writes human rights lawyer Kate Cronin-Furman in the Washington Post.

Stating that “Sri Lanka has yet to face its past,” she said “to those in the south, these crimes may seem distant and forgettable”.

“For families still searching for information about their missing loved ones, though, they’re a glaring fact of everyday life,” she added.

Eastern ministers remember May 18

May 17, 2016

A remembrance service for May 18 was observed by Tamil political leaders in Trincomalee on Wednesday morning.

May 18 remembered in Trinco

May 17, 2016

Tamils in Trincomalee commemorated May 18 on Wednesday.

The event brought together religious leaders and civil society members across Trinco.

Obstructing remembrance precludes justice and reconciliation says Pearl
UK Conservative party renews call for justice on May 18th
TNPF lights flames in remembrance at Mullivaikkal
Chennai students remember Mullivaikkal massacre
Sri Lanka's window of opportunity for lasting peace and reconciliation is shrinking warns ICG
Monument remembers victims in Mullivaikkal
‘An absence of transition in Sri Lanka’ – Kate Cronin-Furman
Eastern ministers remember May 18
May 18 remembered in Trinco
Sri Lankan president pledges to ‘strengthen’ military at Colombo ceremony
Obstructing remembrance precludes justice and reconciliation says Pearl
UK Conservative party renews call for justice on May 18th
TNPF lights flames in remembrance at Mullivaikkal
Chennai students remember Mullivaikkal massacre
Sri Lanka's window of opportunity for lasting peace and reconciliation is shrinking warns ICG
Monument remembers victims in Mullivaikkal
‘An absence of transition in Sri Lanka’ – Kate Cronin-Furman
Eastern ministers remember May 18
May 18 remembered in Trinco
Sri Lankan president pledges to ‘strengthen’ military at Colombo ceremony