^{File photograph : Ananthy Sasitharan}

Former Northern Provincial Councillor, Ananthy Sasitharan, said “we will continue to pursue the path to seek international justice” and that the current cabinet is inherently racist and set up in a manner that leaves Tamils victim to structural genocide.

Sasitharan, the Secretary-General of Eela Thamizhar Suyaadsi Kazhakam - a subordinate party of Tamil People's National Alliance (TPNA) - said she also expects the newly-elected Tamil MP’s to also “preserve the existence of the people and the presence of the Tamils in this country.”

The 30^th anniversary since human rights activist Father Eugene John Hebert was forcibly disappeared in Batticaloa was commemorated, earlier this month.

The American-born Jesuit missionary also had a statue erected of him at St. Michael's College, where he worked as a basketball coach, in honour of his charitable, educational and sports work and contribution.

Sri Lankan soldiers engaged in a sudden round-up of a town in Jaffna last Thursday night (August 20), according to Tamil press reports. 

A large number of troops reportedly appeared in the west of Kondavil, patrolling and carrying out checks on every street in the area.

Locals report that the reason for the sudden round-up was unknown, with no official announcement or statement yet issued by the Sri Lankan military either.

Addressing Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s first parliamentary address since the parliamentary elections, the Hindu urged the government to “not undo democratic gains or roll back devolution in the Constitution”.

Noting the historic two-third majority of the SLPP during the parliamentary election, the Hindu states that there “is indeed a mandate for constitutional change”; however, the question whether the reforms will “strengthen democratic institutions or weaken them”.

 

19^th Amendment

The residents of Mathagal, Jaffna protested and expressed strong objection against Sri Lankan land surveyors' attempts to legalise the navy occupation of a privately owned strip of land, last week.

Tensions were high as locals gathered and expressed their firm opposition over the Sri Lankan navy’s attempt to seize privately owned land of a local Tamil man to expand a naval base. A large number of police and navy personnel were deployed to the area, causing the land surveyors to leave. Later on Friday, police removed protestors and journalists at the scene.

<p>Thirty five institutions were brought under the purview of the Defence Ministry and Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management State Ministry by a Gazette Notification issued earlier this month.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Ministry of Defence's offical website <a href="http://www.defence.lk/Article/view_article/2158">reported </a>that the Department of Archaeology is amongst the many institutions brought under the purview of the Defence Ministry, forming part of a series of moves to militarise the activities of the state.&nbsp;</p>

Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal, Shavendra Silva, has been appointed to the National Sports Council by Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. 

Silva's appointment to the Council follows Sri Lanka's pattern of increasing militarisation of state institutions which has taken place since Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office in November 2019. Silva remains banned from travelling to the US over rights abuses which took place during the military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils. 

Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) leader, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, gave a powerful speech in which he insisted that Tamil rights and the Tamil nation must be recognised; as well as arguing that “sovereignty can never be a defence in the face of serious accusations of war crimes”. 

This remark came during parliamentary debates on the government’s policy statement presented by Sri Lankan President and accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Eight motor cell explosives were found buried in the ground in Vavuniya and recovered by Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) officials, yesterday. 

The explosives were discovered whilst there was land reconstruction work going on in the Kanagarayankulam area of Vavuniya, when locals spotted the suspicious items on the ground. The Kanagarayankulam police were informed of the discovery. Local police and STF officials came and recovered 8 motor cell explosives which were found as undetonated.

^{Photograph:  Facebook - MP Manusha Nanayakkara}

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian, Manusha Nanayakkara, demanded Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to retract parts of The leader of the Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) and parliamentarian C.V. Wigneswaran’s speech, yesterday.