The Sri Lankan government signed a US $500 million loan agreement with the state-run China Development Bank (CDB) last week, less than a month after it signed a currency swap deal worth USD 1.5 billion with Beijing, amidst rising concerns of the country’s ability to meet its debt payments.

Following concerns raised by opposition parties, civil society groups, and labour unions, over Sri Lanka’s “Colombo Port City Economic Commission”, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal has denied allegations that the government is transforming Sri Lanka into a “Chinese colony”.

Celebrated Kollywood actor and comedian Vivek passed away in the wee hours of Saturday aged 59. He was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai on Friday due to a sudden cardiac arrest and succumbed to it on Saturday. 

Five Tamils, including one former LTTE cadre, were arrested by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on Saturday morning.

(Ottawa, 11 April, 2009. Photo Credit: Ninaivukal)

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) have hospitalised two Tamils in eastern Vadamarachchi, Jaffna, as they opened fire on their vehicle.

The two people were shot and seriously injured before being admitted to Point Pedro Base Hospital.

Responding to concerns raised over a government Minister’s call for Sri Lanka’s President to act more like Hitler, government spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella defended the Minister’s statement as a “personal opinion” and maintained that they should not be taken seriously.

Canadian parliamentarians, including their Prime Minister, have wished the Tamil community in Canada and worldwide a happy new year and thanked them for their contribution.

Several UK politicians, including the Prime Minister's Office, have shared their thanks to the British Tamil community and wished them a happy new year as well as highlighting the dire situation in Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister's Office tweeted:

The Tamil New Year, which falls on the first day of the month of Chithirai in the Tamil calendar, was celebrated across the Tamil homeland on Wednesday, April 14.

Sri Lankan navy officers assaulted a group of Tamil fishermen, near the coast of Pallimunai beach in Mannar, last month.

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed by Sri Lanka's former Human Rights Commissioner, Ambika Satkunanathan, in the Supreme Court against the expansion of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which permit the state to "de-radicalise" and "rehabilitate" individuals who hold "violent extremist ideology".

Photograph: Amnesty International

Today marks a year since the detention of prominent Muslim human rights lawyer, Hejaaz Hizbullah, who was detained under Sri Lanka’s draconian and internationally condemned Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Following the unwarranted and internationally condemned arrest of the Mayor of Jaffna, Viswalingam Manivannan, Sri Lanka’s army commander, and accused war criminal, Shavendra Silva visited the province to “evaluate security developments” ahead of New Year festivities.