The 28th anniversary of Krishanthi Kumarasamy's gang rape and murder by Sri Lankan soldiers was commemorated at Chemmani on Saturday.

The gathering also remembered the murder and cover-up of those who had gone in search of Krishanthi; her mother Rasamma, brother Pranavan, and their neighbour Kirupakaran. The memorial was hosted by Gnanaprakasam Kisore, a former member of the Chavakachcheri City Council.

UN High Commissioner Volker Türk urged Sri Lanka to address the "root causes of the conflict" to advance accountability and reconciliation whilst also calling on member states to take action through their own domestic systems and through the international fora. 

The case in opposition to a common Tamil candidate rests upon the assumption that incremental progress is possible under the Sinhala political framework. It is not. Tamils are better off with a candidate standing as a symbol of their defiance. It stands as a stark reminder to the international community that the Tamil issue cannot be swept over.

Tamils have been protesting across Australia in recent weeks calling on the Australian government to grant asylum seekers with permanent residency after spending years in visa limbo. 

Leader of the Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sajith Premadasa, has pledged in his manifesto to amend the current constitution to facilitate the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, which devolves land and police powers to the North-East, despite criticism from National People Power leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who labelled it a false promise.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry appeared visibly agitated during a recent interview with Deutsche Welle in Colombo as he downplayed the numbers of enforced disappearances that have taken place on the island. 

The Eastern University in Vandaramulai, Batticaloa, marked the anniversary of the forced disappearance of 158 Tamil civilians, who were detained by the Sri Lankan army while seeking refuge at the campus 34 years ago.

The Sri Lankan government has announced a significant pay hike for military personnel just weeks before the presidential polls, as it reinforces the already overwhelming militarisation on the island amidst ongoing economic hardships.

The Director General of the Interim Secretariat for Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism (ISTRM), Dr. Asanga Gunawansa, confirmed that the proposed Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation (CTUR) would not seek to hold Sri Lanka's military accountable for rights violations, despite widespread evidence of their involvement in war crimes and the genocide of Tamils.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry assured Parliament this week that the proposed Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation Commission is only a domestic mechanism to ward off foreign interference over war crimes, amidst the continued impunity granted over the years.