In a special address to the country, embattled Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, refused to step down insisting that would appoint a new Prime Minister and cabinet this week.

Sri Lankan military have been heavily deployed to the capital, Colombo as anti-government protests and violence continues on the island. 

Armoured military tanks and armed soldiers were seen patrolling the capital after being ordered by the Defence Ministry to shoot anyone "looting public property or causing harm to others".

Responding to the resignation of Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, amidst escalating violence between supporters of the government and anti-government demonstrators, the Hindu notes that the larger message is that muscular nationalism and majoritarian mobilisation may not be an endless reservoir of support”.

The Indian High Commission to Sri Lanka has denied rumours circulating that "political persons", namely the Rajapaksas, have fled to India as theh island plunges into further turmoil. 

The High Commission dismissed rumours that have been circulating on social media claiming that Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family "had fled to India in a helicopter sent by the Indian government". 

Reacting to the rumours, the High Commission tweeted that "these are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance and that the Commission "strongly denies" them.

UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet called on Sri Lanka to "prevent further violence, and urged restraint and meaningful dialogue" to address the worsening violence on the island. 

The human rights chief said she was "deeply troubled" by the violence that broke out yesterday between pro and anti- government supporters. 

Amidst growing alarm over continued militarisation, the 51 Division of Sri Lanka’s army opened a Park in Kopay, Jaffna on Sunday as part of the military’s “Army Way Forward Strategy-2020-2025”.

In the days leading up to remembrance protests of the Mullivaikkal massacre, the Sri Lankan army held a workshop to train 50 Tamil students on the development of “personality and leadership,” “mess etiquettes,” “decision-making,” etc. in the military-run Thalsevana holiday resort on Thursday (28). 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned of "further deadly violence and other abuses" following the attacks by pro-government supporters on protesters who were camped out on Galle Face Green demanding the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

In a statement, HRW's South Asia Director, Meenakshi Ganguly, said:

“The attack on peaceful protesters by Sri Lankan government supporters has sparked a dangerous escalation, increasing the risk of further deadly violence and other abuses."

The office of at least two Sri Lankan government aligned politicians have been vandalised in the North-East earlier today, in the first signs of the recent anti-government unrest spreading to the Tamil homeland.

In Mannipay, a hoarding outside the office of SLFP parliamentarian Angajan Ramanathan has reportedly been set ablaze.

Tense situation is Negombo where shops and vehicles torched#lka #SriLankaCrisis #Negombo pic.twitter.com/rz1wVSE0ri