Sri Lankan police in Trincomalee have been granted a court order to halt demonstrations by Tamil families of the disappeared on International Day of the Disappeared today, in another blow to Tamil victim-survivors.

Tamil asylum seeker Mano Yogalingam has died from self-immolation in Dandenong, Australia, having waited 12 years for a permanent visa.

Tamil asylum seeker Mano Yogalingam has died from self-immolation in Dandenong, Australia, having waited 12 years for a permanent visa.

The 23 year old set himself alight on Tuesday night and suffered burns to 80 percent of his body. Yogalingam succumbed to his injuries at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Officers from Sri Lanka’s counter terrorism department have been interrogating staff at a Tamil school in Kilinochchi, after students created an art display created during an inter-house sports event six months ago.

Highlighting the distress faced by the staff at Konavil Tamil College in Killinochchi, schoolteacher Innasimuttu Satyaseelan said that the Sri Lankan police interrogations have been suppressing the Tamil people's freedom of expression.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) has submitted a written complaint to Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Council, detailing how Sri Lankan police obstructed their presidential election boycott campaign in Amparai last week.

Footage from Amparai shows police stopping a member of the TNPF, claiming that leaflets calling for a  boycott “can't be distributed”.

“It's prohibited,” says the officer. “Demonstrations are prohibited."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin informed the Centre that eight more fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy and expressed concern over the "alarming recurrence" of such arrests. This is the second such incident within a week, with the Sri Lankan Navy having apprehended 11 Indian fishermen on August 23 for alleged maritime boundary violations.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, along with Central Bank Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, held a briefing in Colombo this week to garner support from foreign diplomats stationed in Sri Lanka ahead of the upcoming session at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) next month.

Prominent Tamil Nadu actor ‘Thalapathy' Vijay unveiled Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) party flag last week in Chennai, along with a pledge honouring fighters who fought for the rights of Tamil people.  

^{Thalapathy Vijay unveiling TVK Party Flag.}

Prominent Tamil Nadu actor ‘Thalapathy' Vijay unveiled Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) party flag last week in Chennai, along with a pledge honouring fighters who fought for the rights of Tamil people.  

Eelam Tamils returning to their temples within Jaffna's High Security Zone found them desecrated and their lands uninhabitable.

After 34 years, the Sri Lankan Army finally permitted Tamils in the North-East to return to their homes, lands, and temples in the North Nagulewaram Village in Jaffna.

Eelam Tamils returning to their temples within Jaffna's High Security Zone found them desecrated and their lands uninhabitable.

The Families of the missing person associations have announced that they would carry out a protest in Kilinochchi on August 30, to coincide with the International Day of the Disappeared. 

In six years, Mari Selvaraj has established himself as one of the foremost voices in the Tamil film industry. Since his debut with 2018’s ‘Pariyerum Perumal,’ he has released a string of films which have been both politically and emotionally charged. His fantastic symbolic use of animals in his films are what come to mind first when looking back on his filmography, paired with beautiful cinematography. His latest feature is ‘Vaazhai,’ presented by the director as a semi-autobiographical slice of his life.