The Sri Lankan government has revoked a gazette notification that would have enabled the mass appropriation of land across the Tamil homeland, following sustained opposition from Tamil political leaders and civil society.

The Bar Association of Jaffna has issued a firm rebuke of Sri Lanka’s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), calling not only for its immediate repeal but also rejecting any efforts to repackage repressive legislation under a different guise.

Sri Lanka’s military continued to entrench its presence in Tamil civilian life, using tourism, religious festivals, humanitarian aid, and donations to schools to advance Sinhalisation and sustain military occupation across the Tamil homeland.

Batticaloa

A solemn indoor memorial event in Negombo earlier this week to mark the 16th anniversary of the Tamil Genocide was met with hostility as protesters affiliated with the far-right organisation Sinhala Ravaya shouted slogans and hurled abuse at the entrance.

Organised by local social justice activists and religious leaders, the remembrance ceremony sought to provide a space for collective mourning and calls for accountability for the 2009 genocide at Mullivaikkal.

The Toronto City Council unanimously passed a motion on May 22 for the city to work with the Tamil community to build a Tamil Genocide Monument in Scarborough.

The motion was brought forward by Parthi Kandavel, city councillor for Scarborough Southwest, and seconded by fellow councillor Josh Matlow, representing Toronto-St. Paul’s.

It requests the city to identify a potential site in a City of Toronto Park in Scarborough to house the monument under the provisions of the City’s Public Art and Monument Donations Policy.