The Indian High Commission organised an event in Colombo last week where it showcased weapons for sale to senior Sri Lankan officials, including those accused of war crimes.
Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) interrogated prominent Eelam author Theepachelvan from Kilinochchi, in connection with a book launch event deemed to promote the revival of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Theepachelvan, known for his poignant Tamil literary works, was involved in organising the launch of author N. Yogendranathan's book 'The River of Fire We Swam Across' on February 10th at the Kilinochchi Divisional Council community hall. As the chair of the Tamil National Arts and Literature Council, Theepachelvan played a key role in the event. Following a...
The son of former LTTE cadre and social activist who was recently arrested, has demanded to know the reason behind his arrest and called for the swift release of his father who is being held without charge. On March 27, Selvanayagam Aravinthan was summoned to Colombo by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) and was later arrested for allegedly supporting the LTTE. Speaking at a press conference , his 18 year old son, Janathan said: “My father was arrested on the 27th of March by the TID, we don't know why he was arrested and the officials haven't told us anything about his...
Muslims in Amparai, Mannar and Vavuniya celebrated Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake toured the homeland this week but remained tight-lipped about his party’s stance on the key issues affecting Tamils in the North-East. On his last leg of the tour, Dissanayake spoke in Jaffna, aligning himself with the NPP narrative of an “inclusive Sri Lankan identity”. Throughout his speech, Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka needed political reform and blamed the economic crisis on corruption. He claimed that Sinhala and Tamil leaders have used divisive politics to stoke tensions between the two communities but...
Sri Lankan police are alleged to have assaulted a Tamil man, after he asked for the return of a mobile phone that they had seized earlier this month. 42-year-old Pradeepan was admitted to the Mannar District General Hospital where he received treatment for his injuries following the assault and his family members have lodged a complaint at the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission. Speaking to the media, the family said that two officers from the Mannar Police station had visited a home in Pallimunai in Mannar which Pradeepan was visiting to reportedly interrogate the owner. Upon seeing Pradeepan...
Amnesty International called on the international community to “urgently review cooperation with the Sri Lankan government” including the training and provision of its security forces, as it released a new report detailing how the military and police engaged in violent suppression of protests.
Women from all 8 districts of the North-East staged a protest today in Mannar demanding that Sri Lankan government to bring down the price of rice to below Rs.100 as families grapple with effects of the economic crisis. “Our staple is rice and the price of rice has increased over the last few months. This means that daily wage earners and families with more than three members can only afford one or two meals a day,” they said. “Many families drink porridge without rice. The increasing price of rice has pushed women-headed households into starvation.” The protesters added that the increase in...
A replica display of the Vedukkunaari Malai Shiva lingam was forced to have the name written on the artwork erased, following reported “pressure from higher authorities” in the wake of attempts to reclaim the area by Sinhala Buddhists. The replica Shiva Lingam was placed at the Vavuniya Chitrai Art Festival with the name of the temple inscribed in white chalk. The name was visible on the first day of the art exhibition which is held by the Vavuniya District Secretariat in coordination with the cultural council at the municipal ground. However, the name of the temple was erased from the shrine...
In response to Sri Lankan minister Vajira Abeywardena's advice for Tamils not to field a Tamil candidate for the presidency, parliamentarian C V Wigneswaran issued a rebuttal, adding that Abeywardena in his capacity as Chairman of the UNP makes a statement like this to make the “incumbent President win.” Wigneswaran's remarks emphasised the importance of Tamil political representation, asserting that discouraging Tamil candidacy undermines their democratic rights and perpetuates political marginalization. He stressed the need for Tamil voters to be free to choose candidates who genuinely...