In a lengthy address to Sri Lanka’s parliament this morning, Gotabaya Rajapaksa doubled down on denying human rights violations had taken place under his command and instead blamed “misconceptions” in the international community.

A host of British parliamentarians and other politicians joined the British Tamil community in Westminster on Monday to celebrate Thai Pongal in London.

Lawmakers took to the stage and praised the British Tamil community, paying tribute to their contributions in several fields and pledging solidarity with their struggle for justice and accountability in the homeland.

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajpakasa paid a “surprise visit” to the Kuragala Sinhala Buddhist site last week as a restoration project gets underway, whilst a nearby Islamic site remains under threat.

“Sri Lanka finds itself looking down the barrel of a gun,” wrote The Economist last week, as it highlighted the economic crisis on the island and the government’s opposition to intervention from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The numbers are sobering,” said The Economist.

“Interest obligations on government debt in 2021 amounted to 72% of total revenues, while public-sector salaries and pensions came to 80%. Multiple downgrades have in effect locked it out of the international private-credit market.”

A Dailt man in Tamil Nadu has died after he was arrested and reportedly tortured under the custody of police in Tamil Nadu.

Prabhakar, a disabled man belonging to the Adi Dravidar (Scheduled Caste) in Salem’s Karuppur was arrested by police on January 8, over allegations that he was involved in a jewellery theft.

As Sri Lanka’s financial crisis worsens families on the island have taken to cutting down their food intake and going hungry, according to a report in the Khaleej Times this week.

“I’ve told them it’s Ramadan now and that’s why we are fasting,” said Fathima Aroos, speaking about her children to Qadijah Irshad. “Don’t tell them otherwise.”

“This way, we can manage with a plain porridge after we break our fast and rice soaked in water and onion for suhoor (the early morning meal)… It keeps the children quiet.”

People are starving in Sri Lanka. The economy is in freefall as the cash-strapped government struggles to pay off its debts. The country has been forced to sell over half of its gold reserves and the prices of basic foods have skyrocketed. The pandemic has undeniably devastated Sri Lanka, but this is a crisis of the government’s own making. Instead of pursuing a “people-centric economy”, Sri Lanka’s insular policies have been military-driven, unaccountable, and detached from the struggle of citizens.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry announced that troops have begun the ‘restoration’ of yet another Sinhala Buddhist stupa in the Eastern province this week, an area that has come under intense Sinhalisation efforts in recent years.

Today marks 29 years since the death of Sathasivam Krishnakumar alias Colonel Kittu, and nine other LTTE cadres, who committed suicide after being surrounded by Indian navy warships in 1993.

The nine other cadres who passed away with Col. Kittu were:

- Lt.Col. Kuttisiri: Rasaiah Sri Ganesan from Suthumalai, Jaffna

Sri Lanka has received a loan of €52 million from Hungary for infrastructure development, which includes the construction of a major flyover despite the country banning imports of cars in 2022. 

The state of Minnesota has declared January Tamil language and heritage month following a signed proclamation by the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.  

The proclamation which coincided with Thai Pongal, notes

Dozens of British Tamils gathered in Downing Street this weekend to protest against the 13^th Amendment in Sri Lanka – a provision within the constitution of Sri Lanka agreed with India that calls for limited devolution of powers – and instead, call for a complete end to the occupation of the Tamil homeland.

The protest comes as Tamil politicians have been engaged in discussions over the 13^th Amendment and devolution of powers in recent weeks. A joint letter is reportedly being prepared to be sent to the Indian government, outlining Tamil demands.

A joint letter that is to be signed by Tamil political parties and sent to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi comes following a request from New Delhi to formally ‘“place on record” Tamil demands for a “starting point”, according to a report in Sri Lanka’s Sunday Times.

As Sri Lanka’s financial crisis worsens, economists on the island have called on the government to forego debt repayments and buy crucially needed fuel, food and medicine, with one former official warning riots may soon follow.

Sri Lanka is due to make a US$500 million payment as an international sovereign bond matures on January 18.

Economists on the island however said the government should default on the payment and focus on essential goods instead.