Rugsha Sivanandan from National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) hosts Bill 104 townhall reception Over 60 Tamil Canadian organizations have banded together to fight an appeal challenging a previous court's decision to uphold Bill 104, Ontario's Tamil Genocide Education Week (TGEW) Act. TGEW was introduced by MPP Vijay Thanigasalam in April of 2019 and was enacted to recognize the genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka and aimed to spread awareness about the atrocities. However, TGEW faced a constitutional challenge shortly after being enacted into law. Several Sinhalese groups claimed TGEW...
Sri Lanka has made "no progress" in addressing the human rights violations committed in the armed conflict Amnesty International said in its latest annual world report. The report, The State of the World’s Human Rights , highlighted that Sri Lankan authorities failed to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable in domestic courts and that "no notable progress" had been made on emblematic cases either. Given "Sri Lanka's failures to provide redress to victims of crimes under international law and grave human rights abuses", the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted resolution 51/...
Humza Yousaf has been elected as leader of the Scottish National party and received backing from the Scottish Greens to be confirmed as the first minister. Widely seen as Nicola Sturgeon’s preferred successor, Yousaf defeated his closest rival, Kate Forbes, by a narrower than-expected 52% to 48% after second-preference votes cast by supporters of Ash Regan, the candidate who came last in the first round, were counted. The turnout was 70% In an immediate boost to his nascent government, the Scottish Greens said they would vote to confirm Yousaf as first minister on Tuesday and would uphold the Bute House power-sharing agreement brokered by Sturgeon in 2021.
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) officers assaulted and injured four Vavuniya residents who were clearing their land on Saturday. The officers dressed in civilian clothing entered the land in the Maraiyadiththakulam, Vavuniya while the residents were clearing the underbrush that had overgrown on their land. They had received permission from the National Housing Development Authority to clear out the land of the overgrowth. While they were clearing out the land, the STF officers entered and attempted to stop them, claiming that the land belonged to the Forest Department. When they failed,...
The Athi Lingam consecrated to Lord Siva in Vedukkunaari hill in Nedunkeni, Vavuniya has been reported to be destroyed and discarded in the shrubbery surrounding the temple. Additionally many idols such as the idols of Pillaiyaar, the Mother Goddess Amman, and village deity Bhairavar were stolen from the temple as well. This incident occurred following the many obstacles the Police Department and the Sri Lankan Archaeological Department had put up in the recent past including a case filed at the Vavuniya Magistrate Court, in 2021. The priest of the temple and an administrator had been...
The construction of a Buddhist shrine on the island of Katchatheevu, a notable place of pilgrimage for Tamil Catholics, has raised fears around the possibility of Sinhala colonisation. The shrine has been erected in a section of land cordoned off, around 500 meters away from the historic St. Anthony’s Shrine. Additionally, security has been put in place to prevent pilgrims from entering the Buddhist shrine. Locals are suspicious that the shrine has been erected in an attempt to encourage Buddhist pilgrims in the future. Historically, the St. Anthony’s Shrine dedicated to Anthony of Padua, the...
The British government has sent five Tamil refugees, who have attempted suicide on the British-held island of Diego Garcia, to Rwanda for medical treatment despite their pleas for resettlement, reports the New Humanitarian. According to the New Humanitarian, one asylum seeker attempted suicide by swallowing the blade of a broken pencil sharpener, whilst another broke a sewing needle and swallowed both parts. This was also attempted by three Tamil men stationed on the island on 13 March. The move comes as the UK government has introduced the controversial Illegal Migration Bill which will bar...
A passenger ferry service between Kakesanthurai (KKS), Jaffna, and Tamil Nadu is set to be launched by the end of April this year. According to the Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister, Nima Siripala de Silva, the Indian authorities will be handling ferry services, whilst the Sri Lankan government will be facilitating the process. Speaking to the Sunday Times, de Silva stated that over Rs 100 million has been spent for the construction of a customs and immigration area. The ferry is estimated to carry 120 passengers with the capacity to be expanded in the future. The ferry service between...
On Thursday, FIFA’s congress upheld its decision to suspend Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from voting during its elections. In January it was announced that the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has been suspended, barring FFSL representatives and the national team from participating in international competitions. The Ministry of Sports introduced a raft of regulations that reportedly compromised the autonomy and independence of national sports bodies, including the FFSL. FIFA maintained that Sri Lanka must meet the following conditions for the suspension to be lifted; Official and written...
The International Monetary Fund said Monday that its executive board has approved a nearly $3 billion bailout program for Sri Lanka over four years to help salvage the country’s bankrupt economy. An IMF statement said about $333 million of the funding will be disbursed immediately and the approval will also open up financial support from other institutions. “Sri Lanka has been facing tremendous economic and social challenges with a severe recession amid high inflation, depleted reserves, an unsustainable public debt, and heightened financial sector vulnerabilities,” the IMF statement quoted...