Gopal Baglay, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, made a trip to the North-East, the traditional Tamil homeland, ahead of a crucial vote on Sri Lanka at the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council Session (UNHRC) in Geneva. 

During his visit, Mr. Baglay conferred with parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) in Jaffna on Saturday, 13th March. 

A panel event about the ongoing 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council and what can the human rights body do to deliver justice and accountability for the Tamil people took place on Tuesday. Titled “Pursuing Accountability for Mass Atrocities: What Can the UN Human Rights Council Do?”, the discussion was organised jointly by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) and the School of Public Policy, University College, London.  

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, speaking at the “Discussions with the Village” programme in Galle has vowed to reopen 50 military and STF camps within the Eastern Province, laying the responsibility of the easter Sunday attacks at the previous ‘good governance' regime.

The accused war criminal stated that the previous ‘good governance’ regime led by one-time acting defence minister Mathripala Sirisena had “neglected national security” as a government and were thus responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks. Rajapaksa went on to add that the opening of the camps was because “separatist terrorism or Islamic extremism will not be allowed under our government”.

Commenting on recent comments made by Cardinal Ranjith who called the recent PCol report into the Easter Sunday attacks as “incomplete” as the “authors of these attacks or those who funded them have not been identified”, Rajapaksa claimed that “those politicians are not with us” and that “they are the opposition”.

Cardinal Ranjith added

A young Tamil man has been admitted to the Tellippalai hospital after allegedly being attacked by a Sri Lankan soldier. 

According to the police, the incident took place in the Chunnakam police division earlier this month. Sivalingam Kamildas, 22, from Uduvil Aaladi initially told the hospital that he was attacked by Sri Lankan soldiers who were travelling on a motorcycle. 

However, when the Sri Lankan police arrived at the hospital to investigate the incident and interrogate Kamildas, he testified that instead he sustained the injuries through a fall and that he "could not remember" anything else. 

Maha Shivaratri poojas took place in Mullaitivu and Mannar temples amidst the presence of Sri Lankan police, army and special forces this month.

Shivaratri events were carried out with special hygiene practices in line with the island’s coronavirus health guidance.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Saad Khattak condemned Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara’s recent plans to ban burka and other face coverings on grounds of "national security".

On Monday, Khattak opined that the ban will offend Muslims around the world and will exacerbate divisions amongst communities on the island. He tweeted, 

Following a damning report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and increasing calls for a ban on deploying Sri Lanka troops for UN peacekeeping missions, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to he UN, Mohan Peiris, has applauded its twelve women serving in South Sudan.

A rally was held in Jaffna this morning, as students, civil society organisations and families of the disappeared came together and demanded that Sri Lanka be referred to the International Criminal Court over charges of genocide.

After waiting more than five years for the return of her land after it was seized by Sri Lankan authorities, a Tamil woman in Mannar took direct action as she entered a District Coordinating Committee earlier this month and demanded immediate action.

Following a visit by Indian diplomat, Gopal Beglay, to the North-East of Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission has awarded Sri Lanka’s Navy 22 million rupees worth of training aid, despite human rights concerns.