The Sri Lankan army organised a volleyball tournament in a Mullaitivu school playground last week, as the military continues to intrude on civilian life in the Tamil North-East.

Soldiers from the 64 Division organised the tournament at the Oddusudan school playground, which reportedly involved at least 12 school teams from the local area. 

Australians across the country have called for the release of a Tamil asylum seeker who has been diagnosed with leukaemia after being held in detention for almost a decade since he fled in Sri Lanka.

Sivaguru ‘Rajan’ Navanitharasa fled the island to Australia in the wake of a Sri Lankan military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. The 45-year-old has now spent almost one-fifth of his life in Australian detention centres, being held first on Christmas Island and then in Villawood, said the Tamil Refugee Council.

The United States says it has a “strong partnership” with Sri Lanka, in a message released to mark the Tamil and Sinhala New Year.

US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus released a statement saying the partnership between the two governments is “based on extensive people-to-people ties and a shared commitment to democratic principles and a stable, secure Indo-Pacific”. 

“We look forward to building on this partnership and continuing to tackle shared challenges in the year ahead,” the statement added.

A group of Sri Lankans are amongst hundreds of migrants being held by Turkish security forces, accused of attempting to cross the border into Europe. 

Anadolu Agency reports that a total of 558 migrants were arrested in total across the country in raids conducted by security forces.

The Sri Lankans were held in Turkey’s western Edirne province.

A protest was staged in Batticaloa last week with locals calling for an ambulance service to be provided to the Mavadivembu Divisional Hospital as healthcare continues to suffer in the region.

A Sri Lankan soldier was killed and another injured after being hit by a lorry in Mullaitivu on Tuesday.

The two military police personnel were hit by a Canter, a small lorry, which swerved into a sentry point on the road from Mullaitivu town to Mulliyavalai. The lorry had swerved to avoid hitting an oncoming motorbike.

The driver of the lorry was arrested by Mulliyavalai police pending further investigation.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, released a message of support to the Tamil community this week as many around the world celebrated New Year festivities.

British counter terrorism police have released four men that they arrested at Luton airport last week, under “suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation”.

The men were all described as “Sri Lankan nationals” in a press release from the Metropolitan Police earlier today.

Canadian politicians from across the political spectrum released statements to praise the country’s Tamil community this weekend, as many Tamils around the world celebrated Puthandu.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his statement to mark the occasion,

“As Tamil Canadians celebrate, let us all take time to learn about the rich heritage of their communities and recognize their important contributions to our country. Our diversity is a source of strength, and helps make Canada one of the best places in the world to call home”.