The 38th anniversary of the Kumudini Boat Massacre was solemnly observed on Delft Island today, as people gathered to remember the 36 Tamils who were killed by Sri Lankan naval officers.

Today marks 38 years since 36 Tamils were massacred by Sri Lankan Navy officers on board the Kumuthini boat on May 15, 1985. 

File photograph

Eye witnesses reported seeing six plain clothed Navy officers boarding the Kumuthini boat and pointing a gun at passengers before ordering them to come up to the main deck one by one and shout their name and destination. 

A memorial float travelled through Mullaitivu today to mark the third day Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week commemorating the tens of thousands killed by the Sri Lankan state 14 years ago.

Tamils in Melbourne and Sydney rallied today to remember the Mullivaikkal genocide where the Sri Lankan state killed tens of thousands of Tamils in May 2009. 

The priest and member of Athi Lingeswaran temple were released on bail yesterday after they were arrested by Nedunkeni police. 

Mallakam Magistrate Court has issued an interim order that there should be no obstruction of worship or festivals conducted at the Tissa Rajamaha Vihara in Thaiyiddy, Point Pedro.

Residents of Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu have requested the release of land that is currently occupied by Sri Lanka's 64th Regiment during a development meeting last week. 

The 64th Regiment army base currently occupies 25 acres of land belonging to the Irrigation Department, two individuals and a Hindu cemetery. 

A Sinhala Buddhist monk who recently purchased 6 acres of land in Chunnakam, Jaffna has applied for permission to build a Buddhist temple on the site.

Tha land, purchased from a private owner, is near Kantharodai which is currently under the control of Sri Lanka's archeology department. The monk has written to the archeology department requesting permission to build a vihara - a Buddhist temple - on the land. 

While the monk has expressed his willingness to expedite the necessary permissions for building a temple, he has made it clear that the archeology department’s permission is paramount.

Following multiple reports of students being denied transport services on the A9 road in Sri Lanka, the head of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has issued a statement guaranteeing that no student will be refused transport and will be given priority in the future. The SLTB was summoned to the Human Rights Council after journalists highlighted reports of students in the Mullaitivu district, Mankulam, Panikulam, Kizhavankulam, and Thirumurukandi facing issues in attending school due to lack of transport services. Despite the SLTB's initial orders to give priority to students, reports continued to emerge of students being denied access to buses.

15 Prisoners were released from the Vavuniya Prison on a General Pardon. The Department of Prisons Sri Lanka announced that 988 prisoners were to be released on a General Pardon by order of the President on Vesak. Prisoners are annually released on important Buddhist holidays in Sri Lanka. The 15 prisoners that were released were from impoverished families and were unable to pay their respective fines for petty crimes.