A court in Vavuniya rejected an application filed by Sri Lankan police to ban a memorial float dedicated to Lt Col Thileepan from travelling through Vavuniya. The police reportedly filed the application after two people had made a complaint that the memorial float would "disrupt racial harmony". On Saturday, a memorial float commemorating Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE, set off from Pottuvil and is heading towards Nallur to mark 36 years since his death. Thileepan began his fast on the 15th of September 1987, calling on the Indian government to honour pledges made to...
Politicians from the UK, Canada and Finland have condemned the recent attack on Lt Col Thileepan's memorial float by a Sinhala mob in Trincomalee. On Sunday, a memorial float commemorating 36 years since Lt Col Thileepan fasted unto death was attacked by a Sinhala mob who use batons and stones to damage the memorial. Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) MP Selvarajah Kajendren who was present at the time was also attacked by the mob although Sri Lankan police officers were present at the scene. British politicians Theresa Villiers and Siobhain McDonagh both issued statements following the...
Tamils held a protest in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu, today to condemn the attack by a Sinhala mob on a memorial float dedicated to Lt Col Thileepan. Tamils from Thevipuram and Vallipunam chanted "do we not have the right to remember our loved ones?" during their demonstration. Yesterday, a Sinhala mob threw stones and used batons to destory a memorial float dedicated to Lt Col Thileepan who fasted unto death in September 1987. To mark the anniversary, the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) organised a memorial float to travel from Pottuvil to Nallur, where Thileepan began his fast. TNPF...
From his debut feature ‘Trisha Illana Nayanthara,’ Adhik Ravichandran established himself as the king of tastelessness. Successive films such as ‘AAA’ and ‘Bagheera’ were both critically panned and box office failures. Somehow, not only has the director managed to keep making films, but has doubled down on his style with his new film ‘Mark Antony.’ Even more surprisingly, the film manages to entertain its audience by sticking wholeheartedly to its ridiculousness.
The excavation of the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave entered its eighth day on September 14th, uncovering additional evidence crucial to the ongoing investigation.
Residents of Palaly, located in Valikamam North, continue to face significant challenges to get resettled, despite the allocation of lands for this purpose. The state's failure to provide the necessary support and permits for building houses and infrastructure on the released lands has left the affected residents in a difficult situation. These residents were forcibly displaced in 1990 due to the ongoing ethnic war, security concerns, and the area's designation as a high-security zone. For the past 33 years, they have been living in internally displaced camps in Chinnavalai, Polikandy,...
The seventh day of excavation at the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave, carried out on September 13th, continued to yield crucial evidence in this ongoing investigation further deepening the complexity of the case. The excavation of the site has thus far revealed remnants of weapons, dog tags, and uniforms worn by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, along with a device designed to purify water, all of which have been collected as vital pieces of evidence. In the most recent excavation, the team uncovered partial skeletal remains of three victims, a vial of cyanide, and two dog tags...
Addressing the 54th UN Human Rights Council session, the European Union (EU) emphasised the need for uphold human rights, deliver on accountability, and suspend Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act. Whilst acknowledging the positive rhetoric from the Sri Lankan president on reconciliation and resolving land disputes, the delegation noted that they were still awaiting concrete actions. The EU further called on Sri Lanka to respect the right to peaceful assembly and to refrain from the use of force against peaceful demonstrators. This is in light of brutal crackdowns on protesters...
During the 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Deputy High Commissioner, Nada Al-Nashif, raised concerns over increasing military land grabs in the Tamil homeland; the failure to hold Provincial Council elections; crackdowns on memorial events; and the use of state forces to intimidate protesters and journalists. Economic concern Noting the financial crisis in Sri Lanka, Al-Nashif detailed how it was hitting the poorest and most marginalised communities the hardest. “As the country’s poverty rate has doubled from 13% in 2021 to 25% in 2022, another 2.5 million people have...
Villagers from the Ponnaveli Grama Sevakar division in the Kilinochchi District entered the 41st day of their protest, firmly opposing land grabbing for the construction of a cement factory. The protestors have been resolute in their stance against private companies that operate in the area, which have constructed approximately 40 tube wells. This excessive groundwater extraction has led to the near depletion of the water table, leaving the villagers grappling with acute water shortages. With the concurrent extraction of limestone from the area by the cement factory that is expected to be...