• Tamil journalists threatened by police in Jaffna

    Apr 07
    Three Tamil journalists were harassed and threatened by police officers in Jaffna on Tuesday, after they reported from the protest against oil pollution outside Nallur temple.

    The Thinakkural’s T Vinojith, T Piratheeban from a Colombo-based radio station and freelance journalist Mayurapriyan were leaving the protest after conducting interviews, when they were stopped behind the temple, by two men wearing jerseys with the Sri Lankan police’s emblem.

    The officers, who were intoxicated, intercepted the reporters on a red motorbike, registration number NP BAL 2172, and asked for their identity documents. The Tamils questioned the police men under which capacity they were stopped, as they were not in full police uniform, at which point one of the officers pulled a knife and started chasing the journalists.
  • Sri Lankan army renovates chapel in Jaffna college


    The Sri Lankan army's renovated a chapel and built a basketball court in Jaffna, reported the army's civil military coordination website.

  • Jaffna journalist detained after investigating assault by Sri Lankan police
    A freelance Tamil journalist from Jaffna has been detained by a court in Point Pedro on Wednesday, reports the local newspaper, Uthayan.

    N Logathayalan was called in for an investigation regarding his coverage for the paper of the assault of a school girl by Sri Lankan police officers at Nelliyadi station.

  • UN Assistant Sec Gen visits Mullaitivu
    The UN Assistant Secretary General, Haoliang Xu, who is currently on a six day tour of the island, visited Mullaitivu on Wednesday.

    Mr Xu, who is also the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director - Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, reviewed the UNDP's projects in the region.

    "I am here to learn more about emerging development needs and expectations, in this new environment, with the new government in office," Mr Xu was quoted by Xinhua as having said on his arrival.

  • Families in Amparai protest calling for international investigation into disappearances
    Photograph:Tamil Guardian

    Families of the disappeared in Amparai carried out a silent protests against the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons outside the Kalmunai divisional secretariat for two days on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Shock in Tamil Nadu over police mass killing

    The killing of 20 men by Indian police in Andhra Pradesh has resulted in widespread condemnation by politicians and human rights groups, with several protests in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, where the majority of victims were from.

    The men were shot by state police, who suspected them of smuggling sandalwood near the border with Tamil Nadu. The police defended their actions, saying they fought back against attacks with axes sticks and stones.

    Indian media reported some of the men were shot in the face at close range.

    "At one of the two sites where bodies were found, seven of the nine dead had been shot in the face or the back of the head," the Indian Express reported, saying many of the victims had unexplained burn injuries.

    The Andhra Pradesh government denied the men were shot at close range and dismissed allegations the men were executed after capture.

  • Sri Lankan cricketers out of IPL matches in Chennai
    Sri Lankan cricketers will not be featuring in any Indian Premier League (IPL) matches that are to be played in Chennai, reports the Hindu.
  • Sri Lankan navy throws 'stones and bottles' at Indian fishermen
    The Sri Lankan navy pelted Indian fishermen with stones and bottles as they were fishing in the Palk Strait on Monday, reports Business Standard.

    A group of fishermen from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu were fishing near Katchatheevu in approximately 250 boats, before the Sri Lankan navy approached. The Sri Lankan navy personnel proceeded to threaten the fishermen, hurling stones and bottles at them. There were no reported injuries from the attack.
  • Tamils protest against Sri Lanka government inaction on groundwater contamination in Jaffna
    Photographs: Tamil Guardian

    Hundreds of people in Jaffna joined demonstrations against government inaction to tackle ground water contamination in Jaffna, on Tuesday.
  • Singapore meeting faces criticism over lack of transparency
    Talks held in Singapore this weekend between Tamil and Sri Lankan groups on promoting reconciliation and strengthening democracy in Sri Lanka, faced criticism this week over a lack of transparency over the process.

    "The fact that the above initiative is shrouded in secrecy raises serious concerns whether the legitimate aspirations and long term interests of the Eelam Tamils will be addressed by the above initiative," said the International Council of Eelam Tamils (ICET), a network of 14 Tamil diaspora groups worldwide, on Tuesday,
    stating that the meeting also lacked proper Tamil representation. See full statement here.

    "[It is] important to note that we did not try to get a full comprehensive representation of Tamil diaspora to the meeting," Ivor Jenkins of the South Africa based dialogue promotion group, In Transformation Initiative (ITI) which organised the meeting in conjunction with the Swiss government, told Tamil Guardian on Tuesday, when asked which organisations were present at the meeting.

  • Over 2000 Sri Lankan army deserters take up amnesty
    Over 2000 Sri Lankan army deserters took up the government's offer last month of general amnesty and reported to their regiments, the Ministry of Defence said.

    The amnesty, which is due to end on April 16, allows deserters to obtain legal discharge from duty.

    Related article: Amnesty for Sri Lankan army deserters (25 Mar 2015)

  • Sri Lanka awards scholarships for children of military 'war heroes'
    Children of Sri Lankan military personnel who were killed or severely injured were given scholarships on Monday, in a ceremony at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRS) in Colombo.

    One hundred and two children received such scholarships at the event, which organised by the Ranaviru Seva Authority, chaired by the wife of the former army general, Sarath Fonseka.

  • Sri Lanka signs six agreements with Pakistan to enhance cooperation
    Sri Lanka signed six agreements with Pakistan on Monday, aimed at increasing bilateral cooperation.

    The agreements were signed by Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif and the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, who is currently in Islamabad on a three day state visit.

  • TNA is largest party outside of ruling government says R Sampanthan
    Highlighting that the former ruling coalition and opposition parties were now both in the new government, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)  said  that it was the largest party in parliament outside of government, on Sunday.
  • Ranil criticised for snubbing NPC
    Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, was criticised by members of the Northern Provincial Council for dismissing the chief minister, C. V. Wigneswaran during a recent three day visit to the North.

    Speaking to the New Indian Express on Sunday, a member of the NPC said: “This is an affront to the elected provincial council. He has devalued the NPC and the office of CM."

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