British Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Stephen Kinnock, has called upon ministers to “defend the rights of minorities in Sri Lanka” as he laid out the Labour party’s new foreign policy agenda yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance has praised the Rajapaksa administration for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and building economic stability in the country as government spokesman, Udaya Gammanpila, pleaded with international investors to roll over bonds maturing this year.

Responding to the destruction of the Mullivaikal monument at Jaffna university, the EU has responded issuing a statement stating that they were saddened by the destruction of the monument.

On Twitter they stated:

Writing in the Telegraph, Britain’s former Foreign Secretary, William Hague, warns against global democratic decline and highlights the authoritarian tendencies in Hungary, India, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.

In his piece he notes:

The original monument when it was unveiled in 2019

Tamil diaspora organisations from across the globe condemned the destruction of the Mullivaikkal memorial monument and expressed their solidarity with the protesters at Jaffna University. 

The continued detention of 25-year-old Ahnaf Jazeem, a Muslim poet from Mannar, by Sri Lankan authorities under terrorism charges has drawn widespread condemnation across the island.

Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) decided his book of Tamil language poems, titled Navarasam contained extremist messaging and have held him in detention since May 2020 under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Tamils in Switzerland held a rally outside the United Nations in Geneva today to condemn the demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial in the University of Jaffna. 

British MP for Ealing Southall, Virendra Sharma, has condemned the destruction of the Mullivaikal memorial in Jaffna university, describing it as "a high political choice to silence the memories of thousands".

On Twitter he stated:

Responding to protests in Jaffna, Steven Del Duca, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party has condemned the destruction of the Mullaivaikkal monument as an "attempt to erase history".

The 12th anniversary of the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge was commemorated on Friday at the Batticaloa Media Centre under the chairmanship of V. Krishnakumar, Chairman of the Batticaloa District Media Organization.

A series of protests were carried across the North-East in several districts, last week on Tuesday (5^th January) demanding the release of Tamil political prisoners and for the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to issue amnesty to them. 

Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, called on Britain to play a leading role in the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session during a Global Britain Debate in UK Parliament today. 

Jaffna University students have made an urgent call to universities and students around the world, stating that the “structural genocide of Tamils continues even after almost 12 years since the end of the war”.

Detailing the military harrassment faced, the abductions and even murders of Tamil students at the university, the Students’ Union said , “we afraid for our lives and we cordially request your help to prevent this situation”.