Sri Lankan security forces arrested at least 30 Tamil youths earlier this month, claiming that they were members of the ‘Aava gang’ responsible for various acts of violence in the region.

The youth were reportedly gathered in Kilinochchi to celebrate the birthday of gang leader ‘Sanna’ who is currently residing in France. Following the celebrations, Sri Lankan police arrested at least 30 people after they received information about the gathering.

At least two of the youth arrested are reported to be under 16 years old.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena this week, where the two reportedly discussed “shared democratic traditions, respect for human rights, and the importance of transparency for the long-term stability and prosperity of our people”.

Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal Shavendra Silva inspected a consignment of locally produced armoured personnel carriers set to be used for a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, despite Colombo’s record of human rights abuses.

Silva, who is currently barred from entering the US due to his role in overseeing war crimes, proceeded over a ceremonious handover of the vehicles to Rahileen Booram, line manager for the Ben Line Shipping Agencies company for ongoing shipment to Mali.

Sri Lanka’s security forces claimed their investigations into the April 2019 Easter Sunday bombings are now in its “final stages” and said they had traced two “foreign organisations” that funded the bombers, as questions remain over how the attacks took place despite several international warnings last year.

Sri Lank’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jaliya Senaratne told The Hindu that the security forces “have nearly established the network within Sri Lanka”. “Once that is completed, we may seek INTERPOL’s support to look into the two foreign organisations that we suspect funded the suicide bombers,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected torture survivors disproportionately “while exposing the fragility of a flawed welfare and asylum system in the UK” the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) said in their new report.

The report, ‘Coping with COVID-19: The Experience of Torture Survivors in the United Kingdom', highlights the ways in which the pandemic has exacerbated problems faced by Tamils who survived detention, torture and sexual violence in Sri Lanka and are now seeking asylum in the UK.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated Sri Lanka on its efforts to fight COVID-19 in a telephone conversation with Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week, where the two leaders discussed a range of issues including debt relief and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.  

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and war criminal, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has given a speech warning people not to be distracted by comments made by Karuna Amman and to focus on what is “politically important” to defeat “foreign conspirators” who prevailed in the 2015 elections.

Rajapaksa further stated that “Karuna may have given up murdering people, but the yahapalana cabal has not given up trying to divide the country”.

Over a decade on since the end of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict in 2009, the occupying Sri Lankan state police and military forces in the North-East continue to carry out ongoing human rights violations, surveillance, intimidation, police brutality and extensive militarisation against Tamils and Muslims, under the semblance of national security concerns.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, and accused war criminal, Kamal Gunaratne vowed during a meeting that he would eradicate Sri Lanka’s drug menace by going after corrupt officials and supporting victims of drug addiction.

This statement follows the establishment of a Presidential Task Force (PTF) that provides Sri Lanka officials with a worryingly broad mandate to tackle the drug menace whilst also failing to illustrate clear lines of accountability.

A Tamil father died today after spending 14 years searching for his son, who was abducted in Wellawette, Colombo.