Photographs @TNPForg

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) marched against all forms of oppression inflicted on the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan stated, and called for the Tamil people's freedom from the Sri Lankan state at its May Day rally yesterday in Karaveddy.

The Northern Provincial Council adopted five resolutions on Monday, at its 8th meeting.
See here for full text of all five resolutions, tabled by Northern Provincial Councillor M.K. Shivajilingham. 

Calling on the international community to find a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict which recognises the self-determination of the Tamil people, the NPC demanded that as a minimum, a federal setup is established for a sovereign Tamil nation with a merged Northern and Eastern provinces.

Condemning the Sri Lankan government's proscription of Tamil diaspora organisations and individuals, one resolution questioned the intentions of the government in its action, and in three resolutions concerning the UN Human Rights Council session in March, the NPC thanked the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as all members states who sponsored and voted for a resolution mandating an international investigation into Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka's Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W. D. J. Seneviratna said that the Northern Provincial councils' adoption of the five resolutions, showed that they were promoting terrorism and the LTTE’s ‘separatist Eelam agenda’, and that it was "proof they are terrorists". See more here.

The text of the five resolutions has been reproduced in full below:

NORTHERN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS - 28 April 2014

RESOLUTION 1

Tamil people seek justice under international norms for the crimes committed against them during the war; we express our gratitude to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and all those countries that sponsored the UNHRC Resolution during the March 2014 session calling for international investigation in Sri Lanka:

The British Commission in Colombo urged Sri Lanka "to renew its commitment to free expression by protecting journalists and ensuring investigations take place into past crimes" and highlighted the continuing harassment and intimidation of journalists, in a statement issued to mark World Press Freedom Day tomorrow.

"Across the world, journalists face constant threats because of their work. Many journalists in Sri Lanka work against a similarly difficult backdrop: harassment and intimidation continue," the statement read.

In an open letter to President Rajapaksa, Muslim parliamentarians expressed concern over the "continued hate campaign, intimidation, and threats to Muslims carried out by some Buddhist extremist elements of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Sinhala Ravaya and Ravana Balakaya organizations", and called on the President to assist in their resettlement.

The opposition party UNP's Sajith Premadasa said "Sri Lanka did not require foreign advice to solve its problems" and praised his late father, former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, for "not having succumbed to international pressure", the Island reported. 

09:54 BST 

Calling for Tamils' right to self-determination, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will be holding its event in Chavakachcheri, as well as another event in Batticaloa, which is already underway.

Last week, TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah told reporters that the march would also include other issues such as the land-grabs by the Sri Lankan government, resettlement, cost of living and unemployment.

The US limited counterterrorism cooperation and training with Sri Lanka, partly due to the failure to address “allegations of atrocities and violations of international law”, committed during the armed conflict, according to a State Department report.

The “Country Reports on Terrorism 2013” further highlighted that the Sri Lankan government used the Prevention of Terrorism Act to stifle dissent among political opponents or other government critics, while maintaining a “strong military presence” in post-conflict areas.

The report outlined continuing concerns by Sri Lanka about a “possible re-emergence of pro-LTTE sympathisers” and said that the country continued to search for financial links to the group, but also pointed out that criticism was made that this search for terrorists was extended “well beyond its utility and expanded to target legitimate political opponents of the government”.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence rejected a media report in a Sinhala daily that the country has sent intelligence officers abroad as part of an operation against the LTTE, the Colombo Page reported.

Quoting the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the newspaper yesterday reported that 18 Sri Lankan intelligence officers had been sent to 18 countries as part of an operation against 'LTTE organisations', a term often used by Sri Lankan ministers to refer to Tamil diaspora organisations.