The US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland commended Sri Lanka’s foreign minister in “moving forward” on “issues of national healing and justice” in Colombo this morning, just days after protesting Tamils continued to demand justice for wartime atrocities.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Sri Lanka’s G L Peiris, Nuland said that the US commends “the first steps taken in recent weeks and days towards national healing here, towards human rights, towards justice”.

Sri Lankan parliamentarian Vijitha Herath of the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP) quoted words from the LTTE’s Lt. Col. Thileepan this week, during a debate on amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Speaking in parliament, Herath reportedly said,

The United States has “welcomed action taken by Sri Lanka to promote reconciliation and human rights” in a joint statement this morning, despite Colombo’s deteriorating record of jailing critics and ongoing rights abuses.

The statement, released as part of the Fourth Sri Lanka – U.S. Partnership Dialogue in Colombo today, said that the regime in Sri Lanka “outlined its progress in reconciliation, in promoting and protecting human rights, and in strengthening democracy”. “The United States acknowledged progress in these areas,” it added.

It comes as Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the U.S. Department of State Victoria Nuland landed in Colombo and met with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs G.L. Peiris.

Sri Lankan soldiers have been deployed to petrol stations across the island in order to “discourage any unrest” after at least two deaths have been reported in fuel queues, as the island’s economic crisis spirals.

Troops from Sri Lanka’s infamous Special Task Force were amongst those deployed in Jaffna yesterday, as queues or fuel across the island continued.

Sri Lanka has requested China to facilitate a credit line of up to USD $ 1.5 billion and a separate loan of USD $ 1 billion totalling USD $2.5 billion, as the island nation grapples with the worst economic crisis in decades. 

Qi Zhenhong, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka told reporters the two sides were in discussion for the loan arrangements. He added, that the China Development Bank had offered a loan of USD $500 million to the Island nation on March 18. 

The co-ordinator of the Mullaitivu Disappeared Relatives' Association was admitted to hospital with injuries after the Sri Lankan police pushed back the disappearances campaigner during a protest in Jaffna this week.

Mariyasuresh Eswari was one of several Tamil women that were set to protest against Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Jaffna this week. However, Sri Lankan police officers and armed troops were heavily deployed in the area, blocking the protesters from surrounding the venue.

In celebration of World Forest Day on March 21 pre-school students from Jaffna’s Vinayagar Gnana Kuzhanthai home received and planted saplings. 

American Tamil groups and advocacy organisations welcomed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s move to recognise the violence perpetrated against the Rohingya people by Myanmar as a genocide and remained hopeful that this may pave the way for greater international accountability for such crimes, including against Tamils.

“The US declaration is an important milestone in protecting the Rohingya from a virulent form of Buddhist ethno-nationalism that has driven the genocide in Myanmar,” said Archana Ravichandradeva, Executive Director at People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL).

“This recognition of genocide sets an important precedent for the international community to reassess other recent atrocities driven by similar forms of ethnonationalism and how genocide recognition can advance meaningful accountability for victim-survivor communities. For example, it is no coincidence that Sri Lanka became the first country to diplomatically recognise Myanmar's junta following the military coup.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision to ban Parami Nileptha Ranasinghe from presenting on the state run television network, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC).

Canadian MP, Gary Anandasangaree, called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure that any potential bailout for Sri Lanka should "impose severe reductions on it's out-of-control military spending" to help solve the island's escalating economic crisis.