Sri Lanka’s recent local government elections illustrated a sharp decline in support for the National People’s Power (NPP), a fall most pronounced in the Tamil North-East. Less than a year since it swept into both presidential and parliamentary power on a platform of anti-corruption and political reform, the coalition now finds itself facing growing disillusionment, especially among the Tamils who had tentatively extended it goodwill last year.

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed Sri Lanka earlier this month, New Delhi’s media was already hailing the visit as a diplomatic triumph. A raft of development projects had been announced and a significant new defence pact between the two governments signed. Images broadcast showed Modi beside a smiling Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, arms raised aloft in symbolic unity. But while Indian officials may celebrate deeper ties, in Sri Lanka, discomfort continues to simmer. 

The North-East is where India’s footprint will be most visible and where its long-term presence will be tested. Without peace and political stability there, the cross-border cables and trade routes will be nothing but paper promises.

The UK’s move must mark a new chapter, not the end, of international efforts.

The true test of the NPP government’s commitment to justice will not be Batalanda. Instead, it will be whether it extends its accountability efforts beyond select cases to the full breadth of state-perpetrated crimes - particularly those committed against Tamils.

This week has made one thing abundantly clear: Sri Lanka will never voluntarily deliver justice. Whether in Geneva or on an international news broadcast, its leaders lie, deflect, and evade.

This budget signals an unsettling continuation of the Sri Lankan state’s militarised grip over their lands and lives.

This week, Tamils took to streets to send the Sri Lankan state a message – just as they did in the 1950s.

Familiar scenes played out across the island last week as Sri Lanka marked 77 years since the end of British rule. In the Sinhala south, lion flags were hoisted with pride and Colombo’s streets saw yet another military parade. But in the Tamil North-East, a starkly different picture was evident once more. Black flags were raised, protests were held, and the enduring sense of alienation that Tamils have long felt on this so-called "Independence Day" was once again laid bare.