Uniformed Sri Lankan police officers pushed back Tamil mourners as they attempted to light candles to mark 25 years since the Navaly Church bombings in Jaffna earlier today.

Crowds gathered a memorial constructed for victims of the bombing were met with a heavy security presence, that included several armed and uniformed Sri Lankan army soldiers.

Speaking at the 44th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, a delegate for Sri Lanka warned the UN against being “unduly politicised” whilst also claiming that Sri Lanka was committed to “UN Peacekeeping and upholding human rights”.

A former LTTE cadre who was injured in a reported explosion in Kilinochchi, died whilst receiving treatment at the Anuradhapura Hospital yesterday.

Thangarasa Devadasan, aged 43, died after being injured in a reported explosion on July 3.

He was initially admitted to the Kilinochchi Hospital and later transferred to Anuradhapura.

At least two people, including his wife, have been arrested since.

Sri Lankan police accuse the arrested of being involved in the explosion and of possessing an allegedly home-made banner to mark Black Tigers Day.

The British Broadcasting Service (BBC) has reportedly entered a “no-cost” partnership deal with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), which will grant Colombo free advertising to promote the island as a holiday destination.

“As one of the leading media giants in the world, BBC extended its valuable support to Sri Lanka Tourism during this challenging time,” said the SLTPB in a statement released this week.

Locals in Mullaitivu protested against land grab attempts by officials from Sri Lanka’s the District Land Survey Department last month, as Tamisla cross the North-East continue to struggle against state occupation of their land.

On this day 25 years ago, the Sri Lankan air force dropped 13 bombs on St Peter’s Church in Navaly. More than 140 sheltering Tamils, who were encouraged by the military to seek refuge at the church, were killed on the spot.  At least 13 children were amongst the dead, with many more succumbing to injuries later as the local hospital was swamped with the wounded.

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) have published a new infographic showcasing the authoritarian hold President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has imposed in Sri Lanka through “powerful militarised task forces that bypass the usual checks and balances of a democratically elected parliament.”

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has attacked communal parties, with particular attention to the rival Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), led by Sajith Premadasa, which he claims would have divided the country and invited foreign influence.

Unitary or Undivided

Former NPC member, M K Sivajilingam has been summoned to court over three charges, including the commemoration of the Navaly church massacre in 1995. 

Manipay police have ordered Sivajilingam to appear at Mallakam court at noon on July 8, claiming that he is trying to regroup the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and is planning a 'protest' on the anniversary of the Navaly church massacre. The police have argued that Sivajilingam would be breaching COVID-19 rules if the 'protest' goes ahead. 

The families of the disappeared in Vavuniya have responded to the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) election campaign and recent comments by insisting they are not going to be deceived by “Mavai – who is changing his disguise as we get nearer to the elections - and his friends of the TNA.”