by Cherylann Mollan, BBC, London, July 27, 2025 ASI A view of an excavated site in Keeladi where archaeologists have found evidence of industrial activity The Keeladi village in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state has unearthed archeological finds that have sparked a political and historical battle. Amid coconut groves, a series of 15ft (4.5m) deep… Read more »
Posts Categorized: International
How Unearthing Keeladi Became a Row over India’s Past
by Kavita Muralidharan, India Today, July 22, 2025 Divergence from the dominant north-centred history of Indian civilisation is alleged to be the reason for marginalisation of the archaeologist who led initial excavations at the Tamil Nadu site. Share In Short Archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna led key Keeladi excavations revealing early urban Tamil civilisation. His 2023… Read more »
Amnesty: Submission to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances
by Amnesty International, London, July 21, 2025 Index Number: ASA 37/0125/2025 Amnesty Submission to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances July 2025 INTRODUCTION Sixteen years since the war ended, thousands of victims of enforced disappearances continue to suffer as they await truth, justice, and reparation. During its nearly three-decade long internal armed conflict between 1983-2009, Sri Lankan… Read more »
Is Sri Lanka Turning the Page on Its Violent Past?
The new president has the opportunity to help the nation come to terms with its brutal civil war. by Ruth Pollard, Bloomberg News, New York, July 22, 2025 Delve into the recent crop of prize-winning Sri Lankan literature and you will find a country mired in grief. From Shehan Karunatilaka’s 2022 Booker prize-winning The Seven Moons of… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Quiet Reckoning with Its Past
Sixteen Years On In a world currently embroiled in multiple conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine Sri Lanka’s experience stands as a stark reminder of the consequences when power eclipses principle…When military triumph is achieved through the disregard of civilian protection, and when the shield of sovereignty is used to justify systemic abuse, the credibility of… Read more »
ATC Remembers Black July
by Australian Tamil Congress, July 2025
From Srebrenica to Mullivaikkal
The Long Road from Grief to Justice by GEO LENS Substack, July 20, 2025 This July, the world marked the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, where over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were massacred in July 1995. It remains Europe’s most horrifying atrocity since the Holocaust, recognised by international tribunals as genocide. But for the Tamil people of… Read more »
Maison: Mass Graves of Silence
by Maison du Tamil Eelam, Paris, June 17, 2025 Maison du Tamil Eelam Mass Graves of Silence June 17 2025 Press release Sri Lanka: Mass Graves of Silence Since gaining independence, Sri Lanka has been the scene of serious, systematic human rights violations, particularly targeting a segment of its population. These abuses have left deep… Read more »
From Chemmani to Geneva
Will Sri Lanka Face Its Truth? by Wimal Navaratnam, Canada, June 30, 2025 From Chemmani to Geneva Next Steps and Future Outlook With Volker Türk’s mission now completed, attention shifts to what comes next. All parties – the UN, the Sri Lankan government, Tamil representatives, and international actors – are looking ahead to ensure that… Read more »
Justice for Sri Lanka’s Genocide Against Tamils
by [unclear, although some analysis is provided by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) and the document is supported by the Ottawa Tamil Association. the Tamil Genocide Memorial, Tamil American United PAC, the Federation of Global Tamil Organizations, the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, and the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA)], 2024 Justice… Read more »
TG Explainer – Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and the Chemmani Mass Graves
by Tamil Guardian, London, July 2, 2025 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy was an 18-year-old Tamil schoolgirl from Jaffna whose brutal rape and murder in 1996, along with the killing of her mother, younger brother, and a neighbour, became one of the most notorious atrocities of Sri Lanka’s genocide of Tamils. Her case exposed a grisly network of… Read more »
TG Explainer – What are the Chemmani Mass Graves?
by Tamil Guardian, London, June 25, 2025 Chemmani, a village on the outskirts of Jaffna, is a serene and beautiful town that has come to take on a notorious reputation. It is the site of mass graves, where potentially, hundreds of Tamils who were murdered by the Sri Lankan military lie buried. These graves date… Read more »
Türk: ‘The Haunting Past Becomes Visible’
UN human rights chief reflects on Chemmani visit by Tamil Guardian, London, June 25, 2025 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reflected on his visit to the Chemmani mass grave site near Jaffna on Wednesday, reiterating the importance of ensuring “independent experts with forensic expertise” are allowed to be used to excavate… Read more »
From Chemmani To Geneva
Will Sri Lanka Face Its Truth? by Wimal Navaratnam, Brampton, Canada, June 30, 2025 From Chemmani to Geneva Contents Background and Context of the High Commissioner’s Visit …………………………………………………… 4 Context: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Volker Türk’s Engagement and Key Messages During the Visit ………………………………………………… 4 Transitional Justice and Accountability: …………………………………………………………………………. 5 Repeal of Draconian Security Laws: ………………………………………………………………………………… Read more »
Sri Lanka Core Group Statement June 2025
Sri Lanka Core Group statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s Annual Report. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders. From: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Eleanor Sanders Published 17 June 2025 Delivered on: 17 June 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) Thank you Mr… Read more »
Amnesty: HRC59 Statement on HCHR’s Report
IOR 40/9564/2025 17 June 2025 ITEM 2: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HUMAN RIGHTS MUST POINT THE WAY OUT OF OUR CURRENT PERIL UN Human Rights Council Fifty-ninth regular session 16 June – 9 July 2025 High Commissioner, We thank you for your report and update raising alarm across a… Read more »
Oral statement of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
United Nations Human Rights Council 59th Regular Session Agenda Item 2 Oral statement of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in the Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s Annual Report 17 June 2025 High Commissioner, The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) thanks you for your report and address today. We particularly share your concerns regarding… Read more »
New Sri Lanka Mass Grave Discovery Reopens Old Wounds for Tamils
by Jeevan Ravindran, AlJazeera, Doha June 16, 2025 So far, 19 bodies have been found. Thousands of Tamils were disappeared during the civil war that ended in 2009. A rusted gate behind which Sri Lankan excavators are digging the latest mass grave they have found from the country’s 26-year-long civil war, in Chemmani, Sri Lanka… Read more »
TG: Sri Lanka’s Genocide Blueprint
Tamil Guardian editorial, June 2, 2025 There was a marked shift in global politics last week as states around the world, including staunch allies of Israel, began to criticise its ongoing military offensive in Gaza. It comes as a senior United Nations humanitarian official repeatedly issued a stark reminder of the international community’s failure to… Read more »
Why Citing Sri Lanka to Justify Gaza Is Strategically and Legally Dangerous
The problem is that Sri Lanka is not a model of anything durable. It is a case study in how military triumph achieved through mass atrocity leads to long-term state failure. Genocide may remove an armed group, but it also erodes legitimacy, triggers unintended consequences, and breaks the systems that sustain governance. by Maxwin Paul… Read more »