A Secretary of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in a human trafficking racket. 

Edirachchilage Kushan is alleged to have trafficked women from Sri Lanka, seeking foreign employment, into prostitution. The women would be sent tourist visas in Oman and then entrapped in sex trafficking.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to the Minister of external affairs, S. Jaishankar, to intervene in the arrest of 24 Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy. 

In his letter, Minister Stalin urged Mr Jaishankar to request that the Sri Lankan navy refrain from arresting the fishermen. 

Sri Lanka's police and military brutally assaulted a Tamil youth in Manipay, Jaffna.

He was not taken to the hospital and was detained at Manipai police station.

Last Sunday, Tamils in Mullaitivu gathered to remember the 12 civilians slaughtered in an Sri Lankan government air strike.

Kannan, who lost his father and brother during the attack, lit flames of remembrance at the event and those who participated in the event paid their tributes to the victims. The government air strikes took place on 27 November 1990.

Former Jaffna University Students’ Union President M. Thivakaran and Secretary S. Babilaraj have been acquitted after being detained under Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

On Sunday, the University of Nottingham’s Tamil Society held an event to commemorate Maveerar Naal and pay respects to the sacrifices of those who fought.

Australian Tamils marked the 33^rd Maaveerar Naal by holding a large memorial in Sydney for those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle.

The event was organised by the Tamil Coordinating Committee.

Tamils in Neduntheevu (Delft Island) defied threats from Sri Lankan security forces to commemorate Maaveerar Naal on Sunday.

Neduntheevu police and navy photographed and threatened individuals gathered together to light lamps for Maaveerar Naal.

A group whom locals allege were armed military personnel also disrupted the event later in the evening and attempted to attack a priest and others.

Several Tamil parties met last week (25) at the residence of TNA leader R Sampanthan to discuss critical issues to achieve a political solution on the island.

The TNA hierarchy invited all Tamil political parties representing the North and East to participate in a discussion scheduled at the residence of its Leader MP R. Sampanthan in Colombo.

All photographs courtesy of Sharmilan Sivakumaran

Hundreds of Tamils marked Maaveerar Naal in Queens, New York yesterday. 

Flowers were laid by a makeshift memorial dedicated to fallen Tamil fighters. There were also a series of speeches and dance performances on the Tamil liberation struggle. 

See more below: