The Sri Lankan government confirmed that its national anthem will be sung in Sinhala only for next year's independence day celebrations in Colombo.
As in previous years, an elaborate military parade is set to be held through Colombo's Independence Square, with thousands of troops and military hardware on display.
However, Sri Lanka’s new president and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to reverse a 2016 decision and stated that the Sri Lankan anthem will be played in Sinhala only.
Whilst celebrations are held across the Sinhala south, in the Tamil North-East the day has been marked as a 'Black Day', with protests and demonstrations staged across the Tamil homeland.
The Rajapaksa regime’s decision comes after Tamil signboards were reportedly destroyed across the south, just days after his election victory last month.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
