Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Three thousand years deep - Evidence uncovers Velanai's ancient seafarers
A newly published study has identified the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric human settlement on Velanai Island in the Jaffna Peninsula, dating back around 3,460 years and overturning an erroneous long-held Sri Lankan assumption that the region was largely uninhabited until much later. The study, published in the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology and led by…

Reality Check: Sri Lanka's New Government

Jan 14, 2015
Madura Rasaratnam
Sustained international pressure is needed to ensure that the new Sri Lankan government works towards accountability, justice and reconciliation on the island, said a lecturer in International Conflict Analysis at the University of Kent, Madurika Rasaratnam, and author of a forthcoming book, Tamils and the Nation: India and Sri Lanka compared.

"In broad terms the election merely saw the replacement of one avowed Sinhala nationalist leader with another equally committed to maintaining a unitary and majoritarian Sinhala Buddhist order. It is this dynamic that has fed the ethnic conflict over the past several decades, and continues to drive the militarised repression and exclusion that characterises relations between the state and the Tamils," she writes, in a article published by The Hurst publishers.

Ending military occupation of North can begin 'right away' says Solheim

Jan 14, 2015
The former Norwegian special envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, urged Sri Lanka's new president Maithripala Sirisena to resolve the Tamil national question, stating that some issues such as restoring Tamil language rights and removal of military from areas it occupies in the North could begin "right away".

"A lot can be done right away — language rights of the Tamils can be restored and the army can be removed from some of the lands it occupies in the north," said Solheim, writing in The Hindu newspaper on Thursday.

Stressing "the international community will and should continue to pressure for accountability for the unspeakable atrocities during the war: brutal murders, rapes and killing of innocent civilians", he warned that the "the global human rights community and the Tamil diaspora will keep these issues alive."

UK will 'exert pressure on Sri Lanka' regarding human rights abuses

Jan 14, 2015
The British government will continue to push Sri Lanka on addressing human rights abuses said Lord Wallace, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office this week, calling on newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena to facilitate the ongoing United Nations investigation into mass atrocities.

During a House of Lords debate on Wednesday, Lord Bach had questioned whether the UK would “encourage  [Sri Lanka] to review, seriously and as a matter of urgency, the allegations that have been made about human rights abuses”, as well as “to sign up to the End Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative - "something that the previous Sri Lankan Administration singularly failed to do.”
 
In response, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Government Whip acting as government spokesperson on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said Britain was in “regular dialogue with Sri Lanka”. He further added,
“Members of this House may not be aware how closely the British Government and their representatives work with our colleagues in the European Union on issues such as this—in Sri Lanka as in Georgia—to exert pressure and bring it to bear. There is of course the UN human rights investigation, which will continue. The UN Human Rights Council will discuss that at its forthcoming meeting in March.”

Rajapaksa says he will hand over SLFP to Sirisena

Jan 14, 2015
Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he is ready to hand over the Sri Lankan Freedom Party chairmanship to his successor, the new president Maithripala Sirisena, according to reports in local newspapers.

Rajapaksa reportedly made this announcement to leaders of the SLFP dominated coalition, the UPFA, on Wednesday evening.

According to the Daily Mirror, Wimal Weerawansa, a Rajapaksa ally and leader of the NFF, urged Rajapaksa not to resign.

Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal

Jan 14, 2015
Photograph Pathivu


Students at the University of Jaffna celebrated the traditional Tamil harvest festival, Thai Pongal, on Thursday.



Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa

Jan 14, 2015
Photographs BattiNews

Tamils in Batticaloa celebrated the traditional harvest festival of 'Thai Pongal' on Thursday.



Making the sweet rice dish of pongal over open fires in their homes and businesses, many visited temples and churches for blessings of prosperity for the year ahead.

TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues

Jan 14, 2015
The National Executive Committee met on Thursday to discuss issues including constitutional changes.

The committee included president Maithripala Sirisena, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, minister Champika Ranawaka, Sarath Fonseka and Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan.

The Right to Information (RTI) Act, National Drugs Policy, corruption and other legal issues were discussed, reports Colombo Gazette.

India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka

Jan 14, 2015

A court in Tamil Nadu has sentenced five Eelam Tamil asylum seekers to two years imprisonment for illegally entering India, after the group fled Sri Lanka with their five children last year.

The group of asylum seekers, consisting of three men, two women and five children, had arrived in Dhanushkodi in May 2014. Originally from Mullaitivu and Jaffna, the group went to Mannar, where they boarded two boats taking them across the Palk Strait.

Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church

Jan 13, 2015

Hundreds of worshipers gathered at the Madhu Matha church in Vanni to witness Pope Francis' visit and prayers.

TNA MPs, the Northern Province's Chief Minister and councillors attended the event the church, which honours Our Lady of Madhu and is over 450 years old.

Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm

Jan 13, 2015


The Sri Lankan military recruited nineteen Tamil youths to work at an army run farm in the Vellamkulam region of Kilinochchi, reported the military's news site on Tuesday.

Ending military occupation of North can begin 'right away' says Solheim
UK will 'exert pressure on Sri Lanka' regarding human rights abuses
Rajapaksa says he will hand over SLFP to Sirisena
Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa
TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues
India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka
Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church
Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm
Sri Lanka military hands out chickens in Kilinochchi
Ending military occupation of North can begin 'right away' says Solheim
UK will 'exert pressure on Sri Lanka' regarding human rights abuses
Rajapaksa says he will hand over SLFP to Sirisena
Jaffna Uni students celebrate Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal celebrated in Batticaloa
TNA joins National Executive Committee to discuss drugs policy and other issues
India jails asylum seekers fleeing from Sri Lanka
Hugh crowds gather as Pope visits Vanni church
Military recruits Tamil youths to work in army farm
Sri Lanka military hands out chickens in Kilinochchi