The Samosa

Gallery: The Tamils of Jaffna and Vanni

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:49:37 +0000

Earlier this year, Nina de la Preugne met the Tamil civilians of Vanni and Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, who survived the bloody climax of the country's ethnic civil war in 2008-9. Many suffered great personal loss, both physical and mental. Some were left permanently maimed; for others, the wounds are hidden from view. In pictures and their own words, here are their stories.

The Sri Lankan Tamils locked out of their homeland

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:55:26 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

The people of Sampur are beginning to despair that they will ever go back to their land.

More than a year after the defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamils and Muslims cannot return to their homes because the area remains what the government calls a High Security Zone (HSZ).

Sri Lanka - fear and trauma, one year on

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:45:16 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

The flow of words stopped suddenly and her voice was replaced by quiet sobs. The thought of her son, who went missing around November in the infamous Manik Farm ‘displacement camp’, always raises uncontrollable emotions in Pavitra. Until a few months ago, she was not too worried. She thought they would be reunited as they left the camp.

For Colombo's Tamils, Eelam is a faraway place

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:34:16 +0000

In Colombo's shanty towns, Tamils are more concerned about daily needs than the struggle for independence. Nina de la Preugne meets the Tamils for whom Eelam won't pay the bills.

Sri Lanka's Generation Y

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:01:18 +0000

The best and brightest young Sri Lankans intend to steer well clear of the country's politics - but there are some who cannot afford to. Nina de la Preugne reports.

Sri Lanka - 'the campaign is not free and fair'

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:13:50 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

An independent monitor has criticised the recent Sri Lankan parliamentary election as not being free and fair.

“The campaign is not free and fair – it’s crystal clear, the election law has not prevailed on the ground,” Rajith Tennakoon, of the Campaign for Fair and Free Elections (CAFFE), told The Samosa.

Rajapaksa sweeps home - but misses his target

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:03:41 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition has won a large majority in the country’s parliamentary elections – but fell short of the two-thirds majority President Mahinda Rajapaksa was hoping for.

Results released yesterday showed the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Rajapaksa’s coalition, obtained 59 percent of votes across the country, securing 117 seats so far.

Sri Lanka - turnout low as country goes to the polls

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:26:04 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

Sri Lankans went to the polls yesterday to elect a new parliament following what members of the opposition called one of the worst campaigns in the country’s democratic history.

Polling stations opened at 7am, but the turnout appears to have been lower than expected due to a general feeling that the governing party will win with an overwhelming majority.

Sri Lanka at the crossroads

pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:07:17 +0000

By Nina de la Preugne

A year after the defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the end of the country’s 26-year civil war, Sri Lanka once again finds itself at a crossroads. The forthcoming parliamentary elections will set in stone the future of the country.