Hundreds gathered in Nallur this morning to mark 31 years since the death of Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE who fasted to death.

Senior Tamil politicians including the leader of the ITAK, TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah, the mayor of Jaffna Emmanuel Arnold and leaders of the TNPF were present at the commemoration, held at the now destroyed Thileepan memorial in Jaffna.

Starvation occurs in three phases. First, the body halts consumption of glucose, its primary energy source. Then, it scrapes away at fat deposits. Once those are depleted, it finally cannibalizes muscle mass to feed the brain. The body enters a delicate balancing act, substituting glucose for fat and eventually protein, until organ function is affected and results in death. The ultimate cause of death, in general, is cardiac arrest or the stopping of the heart. At its core, starvation is a process of desperate sacrifice.

Today marks 31 years since the death of Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE who fasted to death, in a protest appealing to the Indian government to honour pledges made to the Tamil people.

Thileepan began his fast on the September 15, 1987, with 100,000 people gathered around the historic Nallur Kandwaswamy Temple in Jaffna. As he began his strike he put forward 5 demands to the Indian government.

Thirty-one years on, Tamils continue to call for the demands made by Thileepan. 

See a video of his famous speech below.

Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena said he was "quite satisfied" with Sri Lanka's progress regarding reforms during his presidency, despite widespread international criticism that progress has been slow.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, the president urged the international community to allow Sri Lankans to resolve their own problems, rejecting foreign influence, while praising the Sri Lankan military. In contrast, he expressed Sri Lanka's support for the Palestinian freedom struggle, urging the UN to pay more attention to "inhumane acts" committed against Palestinians and said that "nations must stand strong" to prevent such acts.

The Jaffna court has rejected an application by Sri Lankan police seeking to ban commemorations for Thileepan in Nallur.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Amparai held a remembrance on Tuesday to mark the 31st year since Thileepan’s fast unto death.

Two Sinhalese men were arrested for possession of cannabis in Vavuniya on Monday, according to Vavuniya police.

The police said the two men, aged 33 and 29 and hailing from Mahiyangana, Badulla, were arrested around noon with 4.2 kilograms of ‘Kerala ganja’ on a private bus heading to Colombo from Jaffna.

The Sri Lankan army took a group of Tamil pre-schoolchildren on a tour of the Palaly airport last week, whilst the region remains occupied by the military and off limits to local Tamils.

Accompanied by Buddhist monks and a senior leader from the extremist Jathika Hela Urumaya party, Sri Lanka’s president addressed an event at the side lines of the United Nations General assembly on Monday.

Maithripala Sirisena delivered a speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, which was organised in memory of the first black South African president who led the struggle against Apartheid.

The Sri Lankan army’s 62 Division celebrated its 8 year anniversary by building a holiday bungalow for soldiers at its Vanni headquarters, consolidating its presence in the region, despite calls for demilitarisation.