This is a list of notable Tamils of Sri Lanka by their country of domicile or origin. All communities that speak (or spoke) Tamil and originally came from Sri Lanka are included. Tamils of Sri Lanka today are a trans-national minority and are found across the globe.
Sri Lanka
Academics
Rev. Fr. (Dr.) H. S. David - Priest, Scholar and Linguist who died of shock the next day after seeing flames engulfing Jaffna Library from his room at St. Patrick's College, Jaffna the night before. Srikanthalakshmi Arulanandam - Principle Librarian at the University of Jaffna A. Thurairajah - Professor, Vice Chancellor of University of Peradeniya, Civil Engineer (Akbar Bridge in University of Peradeniya was constructed by him), Founder of Thurai Law ( About Soil) T. Nadaraja - Chancellor of the University of Jaffna; Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ceylon S. Raveendranath - Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka K. Sivathamby - emeritus professor of University of Jaffna; prominent Tamil scholar, sociologist and author of books X. Thaninayagam - scholar, author and historian Valentine Joseph - was a Sri Lankan Tamil mathematician, noted for his contributions to education Rajini Thiranagama - murdered human rights activist and author of books; head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Jaffna; member of University Teachers for Human Rights assassinated by Tamil Tigers. T. Varagunam - Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka Dr W S Santharaj - Consultant Cardiologist
Activists
Fr. Mary Bastian - Roman Catholic parish priest and human rights activist Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown - Roman Catholic parish priest and activist; missing since August 20, 2006; presumed dead Radhika Coommaraswamy - human rights activist; Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Richard de Zoysa - journalist, author, human rights activist and actor; was abducted and brutally killed by Sri Lankan government paramilitary forces during the JVP insurrection; of Tamil and Singhala mixed origin; son of Manorani Sarawanamuttu Rev. Chandra Fernando - Roman Catholic parish priest, human rights activist; Batticaloa Citizens Committee member; murdered Rajan Hoole - professor of Department of Mathematics, University of Jaffna; human rights activist; author of books; member of University Teachers for Human Rights Kethesh Loganathan - Deputy Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka; assassinated Rajini Thiranagama - murdered human rights activist and author of books; head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Jaffna; member of University Teachers for Human Rights Chelvy Thiyagarajah - feminist and International PEN award winner
Actors and directors
Rukmani Devi - popular film actress Suresh Joachim film actor and producer Chandran Rutnam - film producer / director
Sri Lankan international and first class cricketers, umpires, and administrators
Russel Arnold - former Sri Lankan Test cricketer and international commentator Roy Dias - former Sri Lankan Test cricketer/vice captain Kandiah Thirugnansampandapillai Francis - international Test/ODI umpire S. Illangaratnam - late Sri Lankan cricketer, stalwart of Moratuwa and Bloomfield cricket clubs prior to the Test match era and the coach of Bloomfield C&AC Pradeep Jayaprakashdaran - Sri Lankan One Day International (ODI) cricket player Sridharan Jeganathan - late NCC and Sri Lankan Test cricketer/off spin bowler Vinothen John - former NCC and Sri Lankan Test cricketer/opening fast medium bowler Angelo Mathews - Sri Lankan all rounder and former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team Selliah Ponnadurai - late international cricket umpire Ravindra Pushpakumara - Karupiah Raveendra Pushpakumara, born to a Tamil father and Sinhala mother Ravi Ratnayeke (Joseph Raveendran Ratnayeke) - former Sri Lankan vice captain; Tamil-Sinhala mixed Mahadevan Sathasivam - cricket batsman Mario Villavarayan - former NCC and first class cricketer Suthershini Sivanantham - Sri Lankan women's cricketer
Other athletes and sports people
Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam - high jumper; v Olympic Games and Asian Games; winner of Ceylon's first gold medal in international track and field competition (high jump, 1958 Asian Games) Sujan Perera, footballer Sunil Roshan Appuhamy Adhavan Rajamohan, footballer Jason Thayaparan, footballer Sam Durrant, footballer Anujan Rajendram, footballer
Authors, writers, poets and artists
V. Akilesapillai - author, scholar, poet and Hindu activist Ananda Coomaraswamy - Orientalist, author, philosopher and metaphysician V. V. Ganeshananthan - author, scholar, and professor Dominic Jeeva - author and social activist S. Kanapathipillai - scholar Muttukumara Kavirajar - poet and Hindu activist Kumaraswamy Pulavar - scholar, poet and Hindu activist D. Raja Segar - painter and sculptor Tharshan Selvarajah - chef SJ Sindu - author, scholar, and professor Alagu Subramaniam - Writer, a prominent figure in London's Bloomsbury literary circle, a Barrister-at-Law of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon C. W. Thamotharampillai - editor and publisher of classical Tamil poetry and grammar; the oldest extant written work in Tamil, Tolkapiyam - Porulathikaram, was discovered and published by him with a commentary
Business people
Ken Balendra - Sri Lankan corporate leader and executive; holds and has held many corporate positions in Sri Lanka and the region Chandran Rutnam - filmmaker and owner of Lionair Suresh Joachim- is well known as the co-founder of WBBAS, No Poverty No Disease No War, World Peace Marathon and Suresh Joachim International Group Of Companies.
Diplomats
Yogendra Duraiswamy - first batch of Ceylon Overseas Service, 1949 Tamara Kunanayakam - Sri Lankan Ambassador to Cuba (2008-2009); Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
Historical figures
Arumaipperumal - Batticaloa chieftain who led a rebellion against the British colonial occupiers in 1803 Cankili I (Sankili Segarajasekaran) - a prominent king of the Jaffna KingdomKunarasa, K. The Jaffna Dynasty, pp.82-84Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.113-117 Cankili II - last king of the Jaffna kingdomAbeysinghe, T. Jaffna Under the Portuguese, pp.58-63Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.153-172 Migapulle Arachchi - Feudal lord of Jaffna Kingdom who rebelled against the Portuguese colonial occupiers in 1620. Pandara Vannian (Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandaravanniyan) - Vanni chieftain who challenged British rule
Tamil historical figures who ruled the Sinhalese kingdom
Sena and Guttika - Tamil horse merchants who ascended the throne in Anuradhapura, 237-215 BC Ellalan - ruled Anuradhapura from 205 BC to 161 BC; considered a most impartial and just monarch Pulahatta - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 103 -100 BC Bahiya - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 100-98 BC Panya Mara - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 98-91 BC Pilaya Mara - Tamil King, ruled from Anuradapura 91-90 BC Dathiya - Tamil King of Anuradhapura 447-450 AD Pandu - Tamil king from 436 to 441 BC Parindu - son of Pandu, ruled for one year, 441 BC Khudda Parinda - brother of Pandu, ruled 441-447 BC Tiritara - 447 BC Dathiya - 447-450 BC Pithiya - 450-452 Chempaha Perumal - a Jaffna Tamil who ascended the Sinhala throne as King Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte
Journalists and broadcasters
S. P. Mylvaganam - first Tamil announcer of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon A. Nadesan - murdered Virakesari newspaper journalist M. Nimalrajan - murdered journalist, BBC reporter K. S. Raja - Radio Ceylon announcer Claude Selveratnam - Radio Ceylon announcer Kailayar Sellanainar Sivakumaran - broadcaster and Journalist in English and Tamil Taraki Sivaram - journalist, military analyst editor of TamilNet news website, author of books J. S. Tissainayagam - journalist and first winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism
Lawyers and judges
V. Casipillai - Crown Proctor, President of the Jaffna Hindu Board, co-founder of Jaffna Hindu College, founder of Parvathy Maha Vidyalayam and other educational institutions Prabaharan Kumararatnam – Sri Lankan judge of the Court of Appeal V. Manicavasagar - Puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Chancellor of the University of Jaffna and Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon K. Kanag-Isvaran - Lawyer and President's Counsel Annalingam Premashankar – Judge of the Court of Appeal S. Selliah - Judge of the Court of Appeal, Judge of the High Court, Magistrate S. Sharvananda - 37th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and Governor of the Western Province K. Sripavan - 44th Chief justice of Sri Lanka H. D. Thambiah - Judge of the Court of Appeal, Puisne justice of the Supreme Court and 39th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka H. W. Thambiah - Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court
Militants and rebels
Velupillai Prabhakaran (Karikalan) - Leader of the LTTE and of the de facto state of Tamil Eelam till 2009. Charles Lucas Anthony (Seelan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander V. Baheerathakumar (Theepan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander, de facto military leader V. Balakumaran - former leader of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, later joined the Tamil Tigers Anton Balasingham - chief political strategist and chief negotiator for the Tamil Tigers S. Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) - Tamil Tiger member, defected to the Sri Lankan Government; Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Douglas Devananda - Tiger deserter; former militant turned politician; founder and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization; Government Minister and Member of Parliament B. Kandiah (Balraj) - senior Tamil Tiger commander S. Krishnakumar (Kittu) - senior Tamil Tiger commander G. Mahendraraja (Mahattaya) - Deputy Leader of the Tamil Tigers and head of the People's Front of Liberation Tigers V. Muralitharan (Karuna Amman) - senior Tamil Tiger commander, defected to the Sri Lankan Government; Government Minister and appointed Member of Parliament B. Nadesan - Tamil Tiger political leader A. Neminathan (CRaju) - senior Tamil Tiger commander R. Parthipan (Thileepan) - Tamil Tiger political wing member who died during a hunger strike S. Pathmanathan (KP) - senior Tamil Tiger member; now collaborating with the Sri Lankan government Arul Pragasam - founder and leader of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students Thenmozhi Rajaratnam - assassin who killed Rajiv Gandhi E. Ratnasabapathy - founder member of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students S. Ravishankar (Charles) - Tamil Tiger military intelligence wing leader Sri Sabaratnam - leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization T. Sivanesan ( Soosai) - Tamil Tiger Sea Wing leader P. Sivaparan (Nediyawan) - senior Tamil Tiger member S. Sivashankar (Pottu Amman) - Tamil Tigers Intelligence Wing leader, was number 2 in the organisation V. Sornalingam (Shankar) - founder of Sea Tigers and Air Tigers wing of the Tamil Tigers S. P. Thamilselvan - Tamil Tiger political leader N. Thangathurai - co-founder and leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization K. Ulaganathan (Ramanan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander V. Vasanthan (Miller) - first Black Tiger S. Yogachandran (Kuttimani) - co-founder and leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
Military
Air Vice Marshal P.B. Premachandra - former Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan - former Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence