The leader of the Crusaders for Democratic Party, C. Vendan, called on India to expedite the release of the remaining freed convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who are presently detained in special camps.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Vavuniya are marking 2578 days of continuous roadside protest today. in pursuit of answers to the whereabouts of their forcibly disappeared loved ones.

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran was the sole opposition lawmaker to attend a meeting convened by Sri Lanka’s president regarding engagment with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday, as he broke a boycott against the global body’s “hard reforms”.

The residents of Pallimunai in Mannar and Pungudutivu in Jaffna took to the streets last week to protests over the Sri Lankan government’s failure to address their grievances on a range of issues, from Sinhala settlers disrupting their livelihood through sea cucumber farms to illegal sand mining.

Out of the thousands of acres of land forcibly retained by the Sri Lankan military in the North-East, 70 acres in Valikamam North and 40 acres in Kilinochchi were ceremoniously released this weekend, even as the state continues to engage in further land grabbing attempts.

(File photo)

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Sivagnanam Shritharan has called on Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe to release the eight individuals who were arrested by Sri Lankan police during the observance of Shivarathri at the Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple on Friday. 

Despite repeated pleas from civil society organizations, environmentalists, and locals over the construction of a wind power plant in Eastern Mannar, the government of Sri Lanka announced that it would forge ahead regardless and call for tenders this week owing to ‘growing interests from investors.’

A protest was held in Jaffna this morning to condemn the violence and arrests by Sri Lankan police that disrupted Shivarathri celebrations at the Vedukkunaari Athi Sivan temple on Friday.

Mannar Magistrate Court has summoned the Chief Judicial Medical Officer and other experts to attend the next hearing on the Sathosa mass grave for failing to provide a comprehensive report on the excavations. 

The residents of Keppapulavu marched to the District Secretariat in Mullaitivu where they handed over letters addressed to president Ranil Wickremesinghe and other officials requesting the return of their lands which are occupied by the Sri Lankan military. 

To mark International Women's Day, the Kilinochchi District’s Women’s Front of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) organised an event to honour female Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres and recognise the political and social work done by its membership.

Lawyers representing the eight devotees who were arrested without any warrant during the Shivarathri observances at the Vedukkunaari Temple yesterday said the individuals are being held without charge and have been ill-treated at the time of their arrest.