Tamils across the North-East today marked 31 years since Lt Col Thileepan began his fast unto death, demanding the Indian government upheld its promises to the Tamil people. 

Over 100,000 people gathered at the Nallur temple in Jaffna on September 15, 1987 to hear his words as he began the hunger strike. 

Sri Lanka’s rupee continued its fall, dropping to a fresh low on Friday, amidst a shaky outlook for the economy.

The rupee hit a fresh low of 163.60 per dollar, according to Reuters data, ending at 163.60/70 per dollar.

The memorial for Lt. Col. Thileepan was cleaned this week in preparation for commemorative events later this month. 

The memorial, located in Nallur, Jaffna, had previously been destroyed by the Sri Lankan military. 

Earlier this year, the Jaffna Municipal Council decided that they would renovate it, with plans that the monument will be rebuilt to its former design, which originally included a 23-foot pillar.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran criticised Sri Lanka’s president after Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, who is wanted over his involvement in the murder case of Tamil youths, was allowed to fly to Mexico last week.

Sri Lanka's state minister of national policies and economic affairs, Harsha De Silva said this week the Chinese funded Port City development in Hambantota would have a financial centre functioning under its own new laws. 

“We’re in the process of finalising the Port City legal framework but nothing we do in the Port City will be contra the constitution,” De Silva said, attempting to assure that the City would remain within the current constitutional framework. 

Sri Lanka’s president dismissed claims that he had begun to reduce the size of the military and instead vowed to protect the “pride of the security forces” at the United Nations later this month.

Maithripala Sirisena is due to meet with the UN Secretary General António Guterres as well as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Sri Lankan police on Wednesday arrested four Tamil youths in Kodikaamam for allegedly hijacking a police vehicle. 

The police reportedly tried to arrest the youths after they were involved in a quarrel at a wedding on September 11. 

The youths however are alleged to have escaped by hijacking the police vehicle, which was later found abandoned around 1km away. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithiripala Sirisena today warned this week warned police chiefs not to take action against the military "in a manner that would cause embarassment to them", Ceylon Today reports. 

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this week, after he delivered a speech brushing off war crimes allegations as “false and malicious propaganda”.

Jaffna police attempted to arrest a Tamil lawyer wearing a saree with a Buddha face print on Wednesday.

Police officers reportedly waited outside court for the lawyer to arrest her, after being contacted by the court police.

An argument ensued with the lawyer’s colleagues intervening in her defence. The police abandoned the arrest attempt but asked the lawyer to give a statement at the police station, to which the lawyer complied.

A Batticaloa activist who was arrested for organising a hartal and allegedly damaging public property was released on bail on Thursday.

Kanapathipillai Mohan was arrested on Tuesday after being called in by Eravur police for an inquiry about the hartal which was organised in protest against the construction of a bottled water factory in the area.

He was released on bail on Thursday and told to appear in court on November 11.

Two Sri Lankan soldiers were caught breaking into a home in Kilinochchi in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A suspected gang member who was reportedly shot by a homeowner in self-defence died at Anuradhapura hospital today, Thursday.

The deceased, 24-year-old Thiruchelvam Kapilan was one of six suspected gang members who allegedly broke into a home in Mullaitivu on Tuesday and attacked the residents with swords.

The homeowner shot at the attackers with an allegedly locally made firearm, injuring Kapilan who died of his injuries two days later.

Sri Lankan government officials attempting to measure Tamil-owned lands for appropriation were confronted by local residents in Mullaitivu last week and prevented from completing the surveying.