Tamil civil society groups in the North-East condemned the violence against Sri Lanka’s anti-government protestors and urged them to go beyond “the narrow goal of removing Rajapaksa family members from office,” in a statement issued last week.

The statement calls on the anti-government protests to transform “into a revolutionary struggle that is conducive to creating the change of thinking that is needed to create a secular federal country, which is accountable to the people and has liberated itself from the Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinist ideology, which is at the root of all the problems in this country”.

As protests against the Sri Lankan government continued in Colombo last week, one demonstrator defied authorities and publicly praised LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, stating he was “the person who truly fought for our country”.

The woman’s remarks, which came to rapturous applause from the protesting crowd, were in an interview given to LankaSri from a Colombo suburb last week.

Occupying Sri Lankan soldiers in Mullaitivu handed out juice and biscuits to locals, whilst hoisting lanterns and makeshift lotus flowers in Nandikadal lagoon this morning, as they celebrated Vesak during Tamil Genocide week.

Uniformed soldiers were seen stopping passers by and offering the refreshments earlier today.

The Association of Relatives of the Disappeared in the North East began a three day rally from Pottuvil in the East, towards Mullivaikkal to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamils massacred in Mullivaikkal by the Sri Lankan state 13 years ago. 

Tamils marched from Pottuvil through Thirukovil, Akkaraipattu, Karai Island, Kalmunai, Kaluvanchikudi and ended at Kallady bridge for the day. 

The Tamil National People’s Front launched a float that drove across the Jaffna district today, as part of a campaign to commemorate the Tamil genocide across the North-East in the days leading up to May 18^th.

As Tamils handed out flyers on the upcoming Genocide commemorations at an anti-Sri Lankan government protest in Australia, they were harassed and subjected to racist abuse with at least one man tearing up their flyers – all of which was caught on camera this week.

A remembrance event was held earlier today to remember the 36 Tamils that were massacred by Sri Lankan navy officers on board the Kumuthini boat on May 15, 1985. 

This morning, flowers were laid at a memorial in Neduntheevu dedicated to the victims. 

Eye witnesses reported seeing six plain clothed Sri Lankan 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. 

Sri Lankan state minister and paramilitary leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, reportedly fled the country following the resignation of former Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Reports indicate that he had fled to Malaysia and plans to travel to a European country from there.

Pillayan is the head of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a government-aligned paramilitary group, and is accused of assassinating former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Joseph Pararajasingham amongst other abuses.

Following the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe to the post of Sri Lanka’s President, international diplomats have responded by issuing statements welcoming his support and hoping that this signals a move toward political stability.

Wickremesinghe’s appointment has been met with fierce opposition from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), refusing to accept any positions under his leadership as Prime Minister.

Jean-Christophe Lagarde, the leader of France’s Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI), joined French Tamils in commemorating 13 years since the massacres at Mullivaikkal this week.

Lagarde tweeted that he was “very touched to commemorate… the terrible genocide,” this week.

“We do not forget the massacres of May 2009 which left thousands of families in mourning and forced into exile,” he added, alongside photographs attending a commemoration event in France.