Swiss Tamils organised a socially distanced car rally in three cities this weekend, to highlight their solidarity with the Pottuvil to Polikandi (P2P) protestors who marched across the Tamil homeland.

This week Tamils and Muslims across the homeland united in a march for justice, calling on the international community act to protect their rights. The protests which have been extended due to disturbances caused by Sri Lanka’s security forces took place from Pottuvil in Amparai to Polikandy in Jaffna.

Sri Lankan Co-cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammanpila, has attacked the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as a “biased” institution and slammed the previous administration for co-sponsorship of UNHRC’s 30/1 resolution.

Sri Lanka’s Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, has rejected the findings of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights latest report on Sri Lanka and threatened the Tamil National Alliance which has signed a joint statement calling for Sri Lanka to be referred to the ICC.

On 3 February 2021, Tamils and Muslims in the North-East mobilised en-masse to begin a peaceful march from Pottuvil in Amparai to Polikandy in Jaffna, two points delineating the furthest ends of the traditional Tamil homeland, in defiance of numerous court orders.

Their aim was to raise awareness of the plight of Tamils and Muslims on the island and to call upon the UN and the international community to heed Tamil calls for justice and accountability. Throughout this march, Sri Lanka’s security forces attempted to break up the rally at various points by threatening and intimidating demonstrators as well obtaining injunctions against the protest but at each step protesters have defied Sri Lanka’s security forces. Whilst the march was initially set to end on 6 February, it was extended to the 7 February due to these disruptions.

Tamil Canadians organized a socially distanced car rally in solidarity with the Pottuvil to Polikandi (P2P) protests in the Tamil homeland. 

Over 2000 cars were seen in Brampton, Ajax, Mississauga and Markham, all with a final destination of Queenspark, Toronto. 

Tamils and Muslim in the North-East carried out a massive protest march, mobilising around demands for the United Nations and international community to heed Tamil calls for justice and accountability.

The Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples UK released a statement speaking against the Sri Lankan government’s seizure of Hindu Temples to build Buddhist Viharas.

Tens of thousands of people have joined one of the largest rallies in the Tamil homeland since the end of the armed conflict in 2009, as they marched to Polikandi to conclude a five-day long campaign across the Tamil homeland.

Following Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from the ECT agreement, India is reported to have lodged a strong complaint against Sri Lanka for enabling a Chinese company to establish three renewable energy projects in outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula.

US President Joe Biden announced that Samantha Power, the former ambassador to the United Nations who has visited Sri Lanka on at least three occasions, will be his pick to lead the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a bid to confront “climate change, global poverty and democratic backsliding”.

Under the Obama administration, she served as a White House national security staffer from 2009 to 2013, before going on to become the US ambassador to the UN until 2017.

During her tenure, however, she came under both praise and criticism, particularly for the way in which the administration handled Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Presidential Commission on "Political Victimisation" has called for the pardoning of 25 former military officers, including those involved in the notorious Trinco 11 case, as well as a number of high profile human rights abuses.

For the fourth day, demonstrators continued their march for justice from Pottuvil to Polikandy (P2P), commencing their protests at the Vavuniya new bus stand and heading towards Mannar, on Saturday morning.  

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has announced that it has repaid a $400 million currency swap facility from the Reserve Bank of India.

This comes after India reportedly refused to extend the currency exchange which expired on 1 February 2021, stating it would not be possible without Sri Lanka negotiating a staff-level agreement for an IMF programme.