Tamil political prisoners – some of whom have been held for up to 24 years – are being held in prisons where others have been infected with coronavirus and face “imminent danger of spreading it further among them,” warned Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) leader Mavai Senathirajah, in a letter to Sri Lanka’s president this week.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, and alleged war criminal, Kamal Gunaratne vowed that the government would not allow for religious extremism or terrorism and was fully committed to ensuring national security.

The Sri Lankan military announced that it would be taking control over the issuing of driving licenses from next year, in a move that will see the military control all vehicle and driver data on the island.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera announced the move after he held discussions with the war crimes accused Defence Secretary Major General Kamal Guneratne and Army Chief Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.

Alaina B. Teplitz, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, has donated rescue boat engines and other life-saving equipment to Sri Lanka to support and rescue capabilities during the monsoon flooding season.

The donation is to include, “3 Suzuki 40hp outboard motors for use with inflatable rescue boats, 44 safety helmets for boat operators, 11 rescue ropes and 22 lifebuoys rings”. The US is also working with Sri Lanka’s Ministries of Health, Education, and Tourism in creating the country’s first water safety policy.

The families of the disappeared in Vavuniya have called on the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to help Tamils on the island and to immediately intervene and protect Hindu temples.

On the 1,239^th day of continuous protests in Vavuniya last Friday, the families of the disappeared have urged Modi to help safeguard the Hinduism and said “it is his responsibility to protect the Hindu religion in India’s neighbouring country - Sri Lanka.”

Four people have been arrested by Ilavalai Police in Jaffna following an explosion, which the police allege, was caused by the individuals lighting explosives they had discovered clearing land.

The four individuals have been admitted to Jaffna Teach Hospital for treatment before they were arrested. They were all residents of Ilavalai between the ages of 30 and 40.

The Police have alleged that the explosives were abandoned by the LTTE during the armed conflict.

These arrests come as campaigning for Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections next month continued. During presidential elections last year, there was a similar crackdown on Tamils across the North-East.

Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa warned that a weakened United National Party (UNP) will result in Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan being appointed Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition, as campaigning continues ahead of next month’s general elections.

Rajapaksa was addressing an election rally in Matara when he claimed that the “constant dispute of the UNP will result in Sampanthan being appointed as the Leader of Opposition”.

Chief Inspector of Police in Akkaraipattu, Ampara, has been arrested under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) by officers from Colombo’s Crimes Division (CCD) over alleged ties to the Easter Sunday bombings, which killed over 250 people.

The attack in Sainthamaruthu

The CCD alleges that the Chief Inspector concealed evidence linked to an explosion at a residence in Sainthamaruthu, in a housing scheme called the “Bolivia Village”.  This individual attack killed 15, including six children and three women.

Reports in the Sri Lankan media claim that the Rajapaksa regime is looking to re-list several Tamil diaspora groups as banned terrorist organisations on the island, as a military crackdown in the North has seen dozens of Tamils arrested.

A report in the Daily Mirror claims that the Sri Lankan government is “considering” the move, which will see several organisations from around the globe banned from Sri Lanka and those who interact with them on the island risking arrest.

Sri Lanka’s ministry of defence has published an article which claims that a former LTTE cadre who was killed in an explosion earlier this month, received funding from abroad “to create incidents in the North”.

The ministry of defence carried reported quotes it claimed to have taken from Thangarasa Devadasan, who was killed in a reported explosion in Kilinochchi.