Tamil families of the Disappeared held protests across the North-East today to mark the International Day of the Disappeared. The families called for an internationally led investigation into enforced disappearances, emphasizing that successive governments have failed the Tamil people.

The Sri Lankan government is continuing to persecute Tamil families of the disappeared, said Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a release this morning.

Tamil Fest, an annual street festival organised by the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) to celebrate Tamil culture and identity, was marred by controversy, after protests demanded the organisation apologise for meeting with accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka last year.

^{(Image courtesy: Rajeevkanth Facebook Post)}

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a candidate for the National People's Power alliance (NPP), vowed not to punish perpetrators of war crimes as he released his manifesto this week, notably excluding any reference to accountability or militarisation of the Tamil North-East.

Sri Lankan police in Trincomalee have been granted a court order to halt demonstrations by Tamil families of the disappeared on International Day of the Disappeared today, in another blow to Tamil victim-survivors.

Tamil asylum seeker Mano Yogalingam has died from self-immolation in Dandenong, Australia, having waited 12 years for a permanent visa.

Tamil asylum seeker Mano Yogalingam has died from self-immolation in Dandenong, Australia, having waited 12 years for a permanent visa.

Officers from Sri Lanka’s counter terrorism department have been interrogating staff at a Tamil school in Kilinochchi, after students created an art display created during an inter-house sports event six months ago.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) has submitted a written complaint to Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Council, detailing how Sri Lankan police obstructed their presidential election boycott campaign in Amparai last week.

Footage from Amparai shows police stopping a member of the TNPF, claiming that leaflets calling for a  boycott “can't be distributed”.