Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Sri Lanka set to deploy largest peacekeeping contingent to Haiti despite past abuses
1,132 Sri Lankan personnel from the Sri Lankan Army and the Police Special Task Force are set to depart on United Nations peacekeeping missions in Haiti in August, marking the single largest deployment of the country’s personnel to date. The contingent will consist of 900 army personnel from various regiments, 189 officers from the Police Special Task Force, and, for the first time, 43 female…

Young Tamil found dead in Batticaloa

Feb 25, 2015

The body of a young Tamil man was found on Thursday in Eerakulam, Batticaloa, reported Battinews.

Nallathambi Vijikaran, 20, who hails from Siththandi, was reported missing by his family three days ago.

Mr Vijikaran, whose brother Nallathambi Nithiyananthan is a journalist, was staying at his family's house in Eerakulam when he went missing. His parents identified the body, which was found at Idakkaali riverside in the town.

HRW tells Sri Lankan president to press ahead on rights reform

Feb 25, 2015
The New York based rights group, Human Rights Watch, urged Sri Lanka's new president to "advance a reform agenda to address past and ongoing human rights problems in the country" and stressed the need for accountability for violations of international law during the armed conflict in a letter sent to the president on Thursday.

Stating that the government had undertaken important new initiatives, HRW said in a statement accompanying the letter, "however many important human rights concerns still need to be addressed".

"Among them are the use of torture by police, the protection of minority communities, the independence of government oversight committees, and the repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Holding accountable those responsible on both sides for violations of international law during Sri Lanka’s long civil war is crucial for the country’s future," the rights group added in a statement on Thursday.

JVP opposes UNP-SLFP national government

Feb 25, 2015
The JVP this week said it would oppose any move towards a national government ahead of Sri Lanka's parliamentary election, stating that such a move was an attempt to deprive the electorate of the right to vote.

On Sunday, the president's media office announced that the opposition party, SLFP had agreed to form a national government.

Sri Lanka's foreign minister visits China

Feb 25, 2015
Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera left for China on Thursday, for a two day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.

Mr Samaraweera is expected to meet with his counterpart in China. The visit comes ahead of the Sri Lankan president's expected visit next month.

"The expectation of this visit is to strengthen relations," the deputy minister for Policy planning and Economic Affairs, Harsha de Silva was quoted by Colombo Page as saying.

BBS chief Gnanasara may contest general elections

Feb 24, 2015

The head of the Bodu Bala Sena, a Buddhist group led by monks, says he is considering entering politics and contesting the general elections in summer.

Speaking to Colombo Gazette, BBS General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara said he had been requested several times to enter politics.

In January the Buddhist organisation announced it would form a party to “protect Buddhism form minority threats”.

Senior UN official to visit Sri Lanka this week

Feb 24, 2015

The UN’s Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman will visit Sri Lanka on Saturday, his first visit to the island.

Mr Feltman will meet with senior officials of the government, political parties and civil society groups.

The spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, Stéphane Dujarric, said the under-secretary “looks forward to discussing with Sri Lankan leaders various issues of mutual concern.”

Sri Lankan court extends detention of Jeyakumari

Feb 24, 2015
Tamil disappearances activist Balendran Jeyakumariy has had her detention extended by a court in Colombo on Tuesday after a request from Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism police, reports Colombo Mirror.

The campaigner, who was detained by Sri Lankan security forces ahead of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka in March 2014, will continue to be held in custody until March 10.

Wigneswaran tells Sri Lanka PM nothing racist about demanding truth

Feb 24, 2015
Criticising the Sri Lankan prime minister's statement that a resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) calling for an international investigation in genocide as "racist", adding that the UN Human Rights council's decision to defer the publication of a report examining mass atrocities against the Tamil people was intended as a slap in the face to the NPC.

“Asking that the truth should come out cannot be racism,” the Northern Provincial Council's chief minister, C V Wigneswaran told reporters on Wednesday. 
 
“If only the truth is first learnt, a path for reconciliation can be created,” he pointed out.
 
“The prime minister saying that [us] revealing what happened to our people is racism gives [us] great sadness. Saying the truth can never be racism. Real racism can be pointed out. That is what the resolution we brought to the Northern Provincial Council showed."
 

South African delegation visits Sri Lanka

Feb 24, 2015
A South African delegation visited Sri Lanka this week, discussing cooperation in areas such as defence, trade and the zoological gardens, as well as sharing the country's experience of reconciliation.

The delegation is led by South Africa’s deputy minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Nomaindia Mfeketo.

The countries initiated the Declaration of Intent in the Field of Sustainable Tourism Development and the Memorandum of Understanding- between the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa and Department of National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka, the Defence Ministry's website, reported.

UK Tamils demonstrate in solidarity with Jaffna protesters

Feb 24, 2015
Photographs Tamil Guardian

Tamils in London held a demonstration on Wednesday in solidarity with Tamils in Jaffna, who a few hours before had come out in their thousands to call for the immediate release of the UN inquiry into mass atrocities against the Tamil people and reject a domestic Sri Lankan inquiry as a means of delivering justice.

HRW tells Sri Lankan president to press ahead on rights reform
JVP opposes UNP-SLFP national government
Sri Lanka's foreign minister visits China
BBS chief Gnanasara may contest general elections
Senior UN official to visit Sri Lanka this week
Sri Lankan court extends detention of Jeyakumari
Wigneswaran tells Sri Lanka PM nothing racist about demanding truth
South African delegation visits Sri Lanka
UK Tamils demonstrate in solidarity with Jaffna protesters
Eastern province teachers demand schools taken over by navy returned
HRW tells Sri Lankan president to press ahead on rights reform
JVP opposes UNP-SLFP national government
Sri Lanka's foreign minister visits China
BBS chief Gnanasara may contest general elections
Senior UN official to visit Sri Lanka this week
Sri Lankan court extends detention of Jeyakumari
Wigneswaran tells Sri Lanka PM nothing racist about demanding truth
South African delegation visits Sri Lanka
UK Tamils demonstrate in solidarity with Jaffna protesters
Eastern province teachers demand schools taken over by navy returned