Tamil newspapers in Jaffna have denounced the destruction of the Mullivaikkal memorial at the University of Jaffna this morning as they printed black front pages in their morning editions.

Updated 23:00 GMT

A group of students have embarked on a hunger strike outside the University of Jaffna, demanding that the Mullivaikkal memorial is reconstructed after it was bulldozed by authorities yesterday evening. 

Braving surveillance by the Sri Lankan police, the students continued their fast in the rain after being refused permission by the police to erect a tent to stage their protest. 

Jaffna University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sivakolundu Srisatkunarajah claims that the demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial in the university campus ensured protection of older monuments. 

Responding to the protests at Jaffna University,  Canada's Minister for Foreign Affairs and several MPs have condemned the destruction of a Mullivaikkal memorial, commemorating the lives lost during the Tamil liberation struggle.  

As protests continue outside the University of Jaffna over the destruction of a remembrance monument, the Vice-Chancellor responded by claiming the memorials must be taken down and slammed the demonstrations at the gates.

"They have come because they are over-enthusiastic," said Vice-Chancellor S Srisatkunarajah, as protests took place outside the campus gates. "It is illegal for them to threaten us. If they do not go by themselves we will deal with them.”

Dozens of Tamils staged a demonstration outside the University of Jaffna into the early hours of the morning, as armed Sri Lankan troops have blocked off the entrance to the campus after authorities bulldozed a memorial monument.

At least two Tamil students have been arrested so far, as the security forces rushed to the scene and crowds grew.

The 36th anniversary of the assassination of Tamil human rights activist and local Catholic parish priest Reverend Father Mary Bastian was commemorated through a blood donation camp on Wednesday.

After several months of infighting and reports of abductions and assaults, an extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk accused of hate speech has been sworn in to Sri Lanka’s parliament this week.

English cricket player Moeen Ali tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, after the team arrived for a controversial tour of Sri Lanka which has faced opposition from rights activists calling for a sporting boycott.

US Senator Rand Paul has hit out at the recently passed US coronavirus relief bill for a “bunch of socialist spending”, as he slammed the stimulus package’s international spending – highlighting how US$15 million has allegedly been allocated to “buy high speed boats for Sri Lanka”.

The Sri Lankan government is using the coronavirus pandemic “to whitewash military officers who face allegations of war crimes” said the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) this week, after the regime announced 25 military officers were to be put in charge of civilian health across the island.

Over 250 British Tamil organisations have called on the British government to sponsor a resolution at the 46^th UN Human Rights Council session, this March, which established an “International Independent Investigative Mechanism” to investigate war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan military including the charge of genocide against the Tamil people.

A Tamil journalist was assaulted and threatened by a group of unidentified people, when he went to film a protest in Batticaloa on Tuesday.

Kugarasu Subojan traveled to Eravur, Batticaloa to cover a local protest against the ‘Airtel Tower’ on Tuesday morning when he was approached and threatened by a group of unidentified persons.

Commemorating the life of Maamanithar Kumar Ponnanmbalam, a prominent Tamil human rights lawyer and leader of the All-Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the Tamil National People’s Front held a memorial at Kalladi, Batticaloa.