The Sri Lankan Navy detained 35 people on Thursday for reportedly attempting to flee the island to Australia. 

In a recent report published by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on peaceful protest and assembly expressed deep concern about the worsening human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

A court in Germany has given four Tamils suspended sentences after they confessed to fundraising for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) this week.

The Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court imposed sentences of between one year and one year and nine months on the four Tamil men.

The president of Open Society Foundations warned that Sri Lanka “has a history of diverting aid” and called on the International Monetary Fund to ensure the issue of corruption is “on the agenda” during negotiations.

“Sri Lanka has a history of diverting aid,” tweeted Mark Malloch-Brown, in response to a tweet about systemic corruption in Sri lanka.

As fuel queues continued to grow across the island, tensions flared in Mannar this week amidst reports of gas cylinders being hoarded and unequal distribution of fuel with many suffering across the North-East.

Newspapers in Jaffna are facing the prospect of having to halt their presses, as the ongoing fuel shortage on the island has impacted on their distribution networks.

At least three newspapers are regularly printed in Jaffna and facing major issues, as the lack of fuel has meant distributing the news is grinding to a halt.

Tamil families of the disappeared marked their 1,950^th day of continuous protest with another demonstration in Vavuniya on Thursday.

A former cadre who participated in a protest against an illegal attempt to install a Buddha statue on a native Tamil temple site, was visited by unknown gunmen who threated to shoot him dead if he continued to take part in such demonstrations.

Velupillai Madhavameyar, a social activist and former cadre, said the incident had taken place on June 15, just days after dozens of Tamils demonstrated against the Sri Lankan military-aided attempt in the Kurunthurmalai area of Mullaitivu.

Hamilton Reserve Bank has sued Sri Lanka for defaulting on its debt as the cash-strapped island faces it's worst economic crises in decades. 

The bondholder, filed a lawsuit earlier this week in a US federal court, seeking the full payment of the $250 million 

Responding to reports of the Sri Lankan army opening fire on those queuing for petrol, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has condemned the military’s violence and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.

On Twitter the Committee tweeted:

Sri Lanka’s prime minister told parliament that the country’s economy has “completely collapsed” and admitted that “no country or organisation in the world is willing to provide fuel to us,” as the financial crisis on the island worsens.

Tamils in the North-East have reiterated their demand for justice, as families of the disappeared and local politicians spoke to The Guardian this week.

In a piece by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Rubatheesan Sandran in Mullaitivu published earlier today, former councillor Ravikaran Thurairajah said “if we staged a protest here like they are doing in Galle Face, they would shoot us dead”.

Reporting in the Sunday Times LK has indicated that four Tamil diaspora organisations and 318 individuals are to be delisted by the Sri Lankan government in a move to ward off a strong resolution in September when the 51^st session of the UN Human Rights Council will be held.