Some 500 Sinhala Buddhist monks gathered in Colombo on 20 February 2026 for a “Maha Sangha Convention” at the headquarters of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC), adopting a ten-point declaration that reasserts the primacy of Buddhism within the Sri Lankan state.

The wife of a Tamil man arrested in Jaffna has accused Sri Lankan police of torturing her husband in custody and subsequently charging him in a drug case, in what she says is an attempt to cover up abuse.

The commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Steve ‘Web’ Koehler, arrived in Sri Lanka last week for a three-day visit, as Washington moves to deepen security cooperation with Colombo despite longstanding concerns over human rights abuses and militarisation in the Tamil homeland.

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and Member of Parliament, has sharply criticised the continued existence of the illegally expanded Tissa Vihara in Thaiyiddy, describing it as a manifestation of the Sri Lankan military’s role in the genocide of Tamils.

Several United Nations Special Rapporteurs have issued a joint warning to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake over the government’s proposed ‘Protection of the State from Terrorism’ Bill, stating that the draft legislation fails to remedy longstanding flaws in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and falls short of international legal standards.

Residents of Myiliddy have voiced deep concern that they may once again be prevented from conducting the annual feast at the historic Kaanikkai Maatha Church, as the Sri Lankan military continues to delay granting permission for worship at the site.

The Oxford Union has cancelled a planned address by Sri Lankan MP Namal Rajapaksa, following mounting pressure from British Tamils and student organisations across the country.

A protest was held in Jaffna to demand justice for a Tamil teenager who was shot dead by Sri Lankan police earlier this month. 

The Oxford Union is no stranger to controversy. Over the decades, the prestigious student debating society has hosted a range of deeply divisive figures, from far-right agitators such as Tommy Robinson and Nick Griffin, to Holocaust deniers such as David Irving. It has justified these invitations under the banner of free speech and intellectual challenge, insisting that debate must remain open, however uncomfortable the speaker may be. The decision to invite Namal Rajapaksa to address the Union next week, however, is particularly disappointing – platforming a defender of mass atrocities and putting the welfare of its own students at risk.