Sri Lanka is not afraid of a Tamil uprising in the North-East the country's state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters a day after thousands of Tamils took part in a mass rally in Jaffna, 'Ezhuka Tamil'. 

Describing the demonstrators as belonging to "some extremist groups", Mr Wijewardene rejected their demard to demilitarise the North-East, stating "the government will not remove our army camps". 

Marking the 29th anniversary of the death of Lt. Col. Thileepan who fasted to death on hunger strike, the Tamil National Alliance held a memorial event in Kilinochchi on Sunday. 

Photograph: Daily Mirror

A bomb from a Sri Lankan fighter jet weighing over 300kg has been found in Kilinochchi.

The Sri Lankan military took part in organising charity cricket matches for Tamils schoolchildren in the North-East last week, alongside Sri Lanka’s international cricketers.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena claimed that global leaders praised his government’s achievements, during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly this week.

“They express open appreciation about our achievements,” said Mr Sirisena, speaking on his meeting with various officials this week.

“I assured them that we, as a government, are determined to take the country towards progress and make Sri Lanka a truly democratic and prosperous nation,” he said.

Thousands of Tamils from across the North-East participated in the Ezhuka Tamil rally (Rise Up Tamil) in Jaffna today. 

The rally, which was organised by the Tamil People's Council, raised awareness about key issues of concern for the Tamil people, including ongoing militarisation and state sponsored Sinhala colonisation of the Tamil homeland, the need for an international investigation into mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people, the continued detention of Tamils under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the need for a political solution based on a federal model which recognises the Tamil nation and its right to self-determination. 

See full declaration here. 

Organisers estimate that approximately 10,000 people attended the rally, making it the largest Tamil rights protest since the end of the armed conflict more than 7 years ago.

A procession from Nallur was joined by another from Jaffna University and gathered at Muttaveli for the main rally, which saw speeches from politicians and activists. As crowds gathered outside the famous Nallur temple, the arrival of Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran signalled the start of the rally. After Justice Wigneswaran cermeoniously broke coconuts, crowds marched thorugh the streets of Jaffna, holding placards and chanting slogans.

The UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in New York today, to discuss implementation of a UN resolution calling for an internationalised accountability mechanism.

The US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) said it was “deeply disturbed” by Sri Lanka’s justice minister’s rejection of war crimes and threat of legal action against those who attempt to pursue accountability for human rights violations committed by Sri Lankan soldiers.

"USTPAC is deeply troubled by Justice Minister Rajapakshe's comments,” said USTPAC president Dr Karunyan Arulanantham, adding that it should “raise alarm bells among the international community”.

The 21^st anniversary of the Nagarkovil massacre was marked in Jaffna on Thursday evening.

The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran, the Tamil People's Council and the Tamil Civil Society Forum urged Tamils to join the "Ezhuha Tamil!" mass rally in Jaffna tomorrow. 

Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday said the country was is "no hurry" in its journey towards reconciliation and lasting peace. 

His address, which comes after a number of international calls for increased momentum towards delivering on key concerns of the Tamil people, also stressed that Sri Lanka would formulate its own recipe for reconciliation. 

The European Union may have to remove the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam, from its list of terrorist organisations according to a top European Court advisor, reports the BBC.

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in New York on Wednesday and called for “meaningful reconciliation and justice in Sri Lanka”.

A massive Sri Lankan military exercise which has been underway for several weeks concluded with a multi-pronged assault on a beach in the North-East on Tuesday.