The Sri Lankan archaeological department has initiated an attempt to seize another 400 acres of land in the Thannimurippu area around Kurunthoormalai in the Mullaitivu district, as local Tamils continue to face threats from Sinhala Buddhist monks.

The department instructed the provincial secretary of Karaithuraipatru in a letter to cede 400 acres of land surrounding Kurunthoormalai that belongs to native Tamils. 

This move is seen as an attempt to erase the Tamil identity of the area and further the ‘Buddhisation’ of the traditional Tamil homeland. 

Devotees in Mannar celebrated the St. Soosaiyappar church festival last week. 

Responding to the UN resolution on Sri Lanka, former Finance Minister Eran Wickramaratne decried the government’s disastrous management of “foreign diplomatic relations” and raised concerns over the economic impact stating:

“We must not risk legal battles in foreign jurisdictions, travel bans, economic and trade embargoes. The economic consequences will be catastrophic”.

Responding to UN resolution on Sri Lanka, which mandates that the Office of High Commissioner for Human rights must gather and preserve evidence for a future war crimes tribunal, former Indian Finance Minister and member of the Rajya Sabha, Palaniappan Chidambaram described India’s abstention as a “gross betrayal of the Tamil people”.

On Twitter he stated:

The Sri Lankan army and forestry department has continued its ban on Tamil villagers of North Nedungeeni Vedivaithakal in Vavuniya from entering the village. 

Another Tamil father who was searching for their forcibly disappeared son for over a decade passed away this week in Vavuniya. 

Kanagaiya Ranjanamurthy, 63, from Vinayagapuram, Vavuniya, joined other Tamil families of the disappeared in roadside protests in the district for 1495 days, demanding justice for their forcibly abducted loved ones.

Responding to the recently passed UN resolution, which mandates that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights collect, “consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence of war crimes for a future tribunal, Sri Lanka’s main opposition party the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB, or United People’s Front) has called for yet another “domestic accountability mechanism”.

"The SJB is committed to an internationally credible, independent domestic accountability mechanism" read their press release.

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau, welcomed the adoption of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on promoting accountability in Sri Lanka and noted in a statement that it's mandate will be "critical for future accountability processes." 

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution is a "step towards justice and accountability" but member states must pursue "decisive action beyond the Council," said the People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), the US-based advocacy group. 

The UNHRC adopted a resolution on Sri Lanka yesterday which will mandate the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to "collect" as well as "consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that could be used in future war crimes trials.

Amnesty International has welcomed the new UN Resolution on Sri Lanka, which will mandate the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to "collect" as well as "consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that could be used in future war crimes trials, describing it as "an important step forward" for victims of Sri Lanka's armed conflict but maintaining that it would depend on UN members taking "concrete action".