A group of nine Eelam Tamil refugees who had previously sought refuge in India were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy near Neduntheevu Island this week.

The group, comprising three men, three women, and three children from Trincomalee, Mannar, and Mullaitivu, had initially arrived in India via the Dhanushkodi coast having fled during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis between 2022 and 2023. They had been living in Tamil Nadu’s Mandapam camp where thousands of Eelam Tamil refugees remain.

Lawrence Valin’s ‘Little Jaffna,’ a feature-length debut based on his short film, delivers a compelling story about identity. Set in France, the film follows Michael, a Tamil-French police officer, assigned to infiltrate a crime syndicate funding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). As Michael enters this world, his long-suppressed connection to it resurfaces, leading to internal conflict as he balances his mission and heritage.

As Tamils across the island gear up to vote in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections this week, candidates from across the array of Tamil parties have all tried to showcase their nationalist credentials to secure the Tamil vote.

The election, set to take place on November 14, has seen a surge in Tamil nominations as hundreds of individuals, some from newly formed Tamil political parties, are standing to become MPs.

There are almost 400 candidates standing for Jaffna’s 6 seats, whilst in the Vanni, there are 423 candidates for their 6 seats. Hundreds of Tamils are also standing in the Eastern Provinces three districts of Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee.

Sri Lankan police officers in Jaffna assaulted several Tamil civilians in Chunnakam last night, including a woman and her 2-month-old baby, in an incident that has sparked outrage and demands for justice, amidst ongoing police brutality.

The United States Department of Justice has unsealed criminal charges against a man allegedly tasked by Iran with “surveilling and plotting to assassinate” Donald Trump before the presidential election, the indictment also reveals that the man had been tasked to plan a mass shooting to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka. 

On Thursday, the Chunakkam police force carried out a brutal and unlawful arrest of two innocent individuals, leaving the affected families in fear. This follows multiple acts of police brutality in the region.

The victims were traveling with their family, including a two-month-old child, when two motorcycles overtook and collided in front of them. “We stopped our vehicle as there was no fault on our part,” one victim recounted. The motorcyclists involved were reportedly drunk, with bystanders confirming this.

The Association of the Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Vavuniya criticized Tamil political leaders for prioritizing individual seats over justice for the disappeared, stating that this fragmented approach risks weakening Tamil representation. The group held a demonstration at Vavuniya Old Bus Station today, where members voiced their concerns about the divisive state of Tamil politics in the homeland.

Dr. P. Sathiyalingam, Secretary General of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), has called for a unified, ethnicity-based vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections for the Vavuniya district. In a press conference held at his Vavuniya office today, he emphasized the critical need for Tamil representation in the face of ongoing issues such as illegal settlements, land grabs, and deprivation of opportunities affecting the Tamil community.

“I didn’t make it like it was my first film. I made it like it was my last.”

Lawrence Valin sat down with Tamil Guardian, returning from the Toronto International Film Festival having sold out two screenings of his debut feature film ‘Little Jaffna’. The groundbreaking film was also selected to be screened at the Zurich Film Festival and chosen as a closing film at the Venice International Film Festival.