US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung met with accused war criminal Sampath Thuyacontha this week, as Washington continued to ramp up military ties with Colombo despite the longstanding record of human rights abuses.

Tensions escalated in the Eastern Province last week when Sri Lankan police attempted to prevent the burial of a Muslim woman in Ponmalaikuda, based on false claims made by an extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk.

Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam refuted statements made by Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), who claimed that devolution of powers to Tamils in the North-East “is not necessary”, and instead said the government must adhere to Tamil demands.

Bimal Rathnayake, a longstanding member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and national executive member of National People's Power (NPP), claimed remarks made by his colleague and party secretary Tilvin Silva which side-lined Tamil demands for devolution did not occur, as he addressed party supporters in Vavuniya this week.

Excavation work at the Mannar mass grave resumed this week, with researchers extracting materials and working around the burial site, despite the prohibition of any photography or video recordings of the ongoing excavations.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, reaffirmed his government's rejection of a United Nations resolution on gathering evidence of war crimes and instead pledged to continue with “domestic” mechanisms that have been rejected by victims for over 15 years.

Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said  devolution of powers to Tamils in the North-East “is not necessary” and instead dismissed their ongoing concerns as merely “economic”.

Memorial events were held around the world last month to mark 37 years since the death of Lt Col Thileepan, the political wing leader of the LTTE, who staged a hunger strike until death in 1987.

See photographs from the various events below.

United Kingdom

In London, Tamils gathered outside the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street.

Tamils in Kattaidamban, Mannar, gathered in front of the Madhu Divisional Secretariat to protest against the Sri Lankan Forestry Department's takeover of their ancestral lands this week.

An event was held in Aabenraa by the Demark Tamil Women’s Organization to mark the Tamil Eelam Women’s uprising Day and the 37th death anniversary of 2^nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

At least four people have been killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli air attack on a hospital complex in central Gaza where displaced Palestinians sought shelter from Israel’s assault on the besieged territory.

Israeli forces have regularly attacked medical facilities in Gaza since the assault began more than a year ago. In recent months, it has repeatedly struck crowded shelters and tent sites, alleging armed groups were using them.

Canada expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday, including India’s High Commissioner to Canada, accusing them of being part of a broad criminal network to intimidate and harass Canadian Sikhs.

India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.