The Tamil National Alliance’s leader R Sampanthan said that the Tamil people wanted “credible and durable power-sharing” in comments made to The Hindu this week, ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential elections.

British troops from the Royal Air Force (RAF) were training Sri Lankan troops in Trincomalee last week, as the UK continues its military engagement with Sri Lanka despite concerns over human rights abuses.

An RAF Force Protection team delivered “a bespoke Force Protection Executives Course” to a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Regiment, according to an RAF press release.

The Swiss government hosted a workshop with Tamil diaspora members from around the world last week, to discuss transitional justice initiatives and processes.

The conference, organised by the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, saw Tamil diaspora members gather in Zurich “to discuss potential contributions of the Tamil diaspora to Dealing with the Past initiatives and processes,” said a Swiss government statement.

“Switzerland has been supporting Dealing with the Past efforts for several years,” the statement continued. 

A team of Sri Lankan army special forces were in the UK last week, where they took part in various military exercises with British troops, despite Sri Lankan troops still not being held accountable for human rights abuses committed against Tamils.

A Tamil woman has been murdered at her home in Kondavil, Jaffna this week, with Sri Lankan police reportedly launching a murder investigation into her death.

According to reports, the woman was found with her throat slit by the back entrance of her home.

She has been identified as 61-year-old Chandra Thesi of Neddilipai, Kondavil.

Thesi had been living alone at the house, when her body with her clothes torn, was discovered on Monday.

The Sri Lankan navy has been blocking Tamil fishermen in Talaimannar from access to fishing waters for over two months, leaving their livelihoods threatened and their families facing various hardships, according to local groups.

Local fishermen state that the navy has brought back a “pass system” which means that only those that have military clearance can fish in the waters fishing around the islet of Theedai and its surrounding waters, where hundreds used to go for their daily catch.

Sri Lankan police are currently investigating the alleged discovery of a cache of LTTE uniform and related documents that were reportedly uncovered in Mullaitivu on Monday.

The discovery was reportedly made in Iranaippalai in Puthukudiyiruppu.