Spy on your neighbours to prevent ‘terrorism’, says police chief

Sri Lanka's Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has called on the "community police committees" to spy on residents in their local villages and collect information to prevent "extremism" and "terrorism", claiming that it is part of their effort to safeguard the country’s national security. “To prevent such unfortunate incidents (attacks on Easter Sunday), the community police committee in every Grama Niladhari's main duty is to collect information about people residing in your area,” he told a gathering of newly appointed community police members in Avisawella. “This committee should visit each household in their respective village.The printed Police form 76 has the details in all three languages.”

Sri Lanka’s Reconciliation Bill aimed at deflecting international attention - ICJ

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), in a statement issued recently, said a bill gazetted by Sri Lanka to establish a Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation, "lacks credibility and is unlikely to bring accountability". The ICJ cited it is concerned the lack of consultation with victim communities and the continued neglect of their long-standing demands deprives the bill of its legitimacy. The Commission was meant to be a tool that will pave the way for transitional justice and advance accountability for perpetrators bringing justice to victims and survivors of the armed...

Sri Lanka’s president applauds South Africa’s charge against Israel of genocide

Addressing the 19 th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kampala, Uganda, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed to support South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ and to support Palestinians rights to self-determination. “It is encouraging that this 19 th Summit has given the highest priority to this crisis in Gaza and the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine to self- determination and the realisation of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine. We must congratulate South Africa for the bold stand it has taken in regard to Gaza” Wickremesinghe...

An Analytical Critique of the Himalayan Declaration

Several articles and opinions in publications such as the Tamil Guardian and on social media, have criticized and rightly so, the process undertaken by the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) to develop the Himalayan Declaration (HD) and the subsequent meeting with the genocidal war criminal Mahinda Rajapakse. Nevertheless, it appears critical and objective analyses of the document itself are in short supply. An assessment is therefore overdue, on how effectively, this document, brought forward with so much fanfare, serves the interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The assessment is based on two obvious...

Sri Lanka prisons exceed capacity by 232%

A recent government audit based on data collected between 2015-2022 notes that the prison capacity has been exceeded by 232%. The report is based on data collected between 2015 and 2022. It is noted that the number of inmates in the overall prison system in Sri Lanka increased from 139% to 232% of the capacity of the prisons. The overcrowding in prisons has also led to several other issues, including a lack of adequate space and sanitation facilities. As per the performance audit, there was a shortage of 187 toilets in 27 prisons, and 287 of the existing toilets were in a condition of repair...

Sri Lanka's Justice Minister claims only '14 political prisoners' in jail

Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Vijayadasa Rajapaksa sparked outrage and demands for transparency with a recent assertion that only 14 Tamil political prisoners are currently incarcerated in Sri Lankan jails. During his visit to Athi Vinayagar Temple in Vavuniya on January 17, Rajapaksa participated in a special pooja and addressed the media. He claimed there were ongoing legal proceedings against the political prisoners and spoke out in defence of a recent military and police operation, allegedly aimed at arresting illegal drug smugglers. Rajapaksa claimed "strategic measures" have been...

'Our relatives have been buried in this land' - Locals halt alleged land grab at Mullaitivu Thuyilum Illam

Local Tamils in Muillaitivu have blocked attempts by the Survey Department of Sri Lanka to allegedly grab land in which the Mullaitivu Thuyilum Illam is situated, a site holding cultural and emotional significance as the resting place for fallen LTTE cadres. The Survey Department of Sri Lanka reportedly initiated a survey of the privately owned land in Alampil. The alleged intention was to acquire the land illicitly and transfer ownership to the army. Concerned residents, upon learning of the survey, mobilized against the unauthorized attempt to appropriate the land. In a proactive move to...

Sivagnanam Shritharan pays tribute to Maaveerar after being elected as ITAK leader

In a closely contested poll held at the Trincomalee Municipal Council Auditorium on Sunday, Member of Parliament Sivagnanam Shritharan clinched victory, securing the position of the new leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), a Tamil political party that has headed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) coalition. Immediately following the announcement, Shritharan paid his respects at Kanagapuram Maveerar Thuyilum Illam, to pay homage to Tamils who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Tamil Eelam.

"I wanted the past to be very present" - Interview with Akil Kumarasamy

“Why is it so unbearable to look in the face of human vulnerability?” asks author Akil Kumarasamy, in her latest literary offering “Meet us by the Roaring Sea” - a question apt for a society grappling with a loneliness epidemic.

Pongal in Westminster - British Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal

British Tamils gathered in London on Monday for an evening filled with an array of performances to celebrate Thai Pongal and mark Tamil Heritage Month. Guests filled the iconic Church House in Westminster, which hosted the first UN Security Council in 1946, to watch dance and musical performances depicting the richness of Tamil culture and to hear from British parliamentarians who praised the Tamil community for their contributions to the UK. The 'Voice of Freedom' group opened the event by playing the Parai, an ancient Tamil instrument. This was followed by a moment of silence dedicated to...

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