Today marks 31 years since the passing of Major Sothiya, the commander of the LTTE's first female unit. 

Maria Vasanthi Michael, known by her nomme de guerre ‘Sothiya’, was born on 20 September 1963. She first joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1984.

A formidable fighter, Sothiya took part in many battles, as female cadres began to take part in combat operations from 1986 onwards.

The Jaffna University Vice Chancellor has given assurances that the destroyed Mullivaikkal memorial monument will be rebuilt “with proper approval” in its previous place and placed a foundation stone today morning, to symbolise that he has “accepted the demands” of the students.

Jaffna University’s Vice Chancellor claims he was under pressure from the Sri Lankan military to remove a monument dedicated to massacred Tamils, as the security forces continue to interfere with the running of the university

Dozens of Tamils staged a demonstration outside the University of Jaffna into the early hours of the morning, as armed Sri Lankan troops have blocked off the entrance to the campus after authorities bulldozed a memorial monument.

At least two Tamil students have been arrested so far, as the security forces rushed to the scene and crowds grew.

Tamil political parties, civil society representatives and families of the disappeared came together to discuss accountability and justice, in attempts to reach a common position ahead of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva later this year.

Over 250 British Tamil organisations have called on the British government to sponsor a resolution at the 46^th UN Human Rights Council session, this March, which established an “International Independent Investigative Mechanism” to investigate war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan military including the charge of genocide against the Tamil people.

On this day 15 years ago, five Tamil students were summarily executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee.

To date no one has been held accountable for the murder.

England’s cricket team confirmed it will be embarking on a tour to Sri Lanka next month, where members will be spending five days at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, amidst fears over deteriorating human rights on the island and growing calls from anti-racism campaigners for a sporting boycott. 

Today marks 14 years since the passing of the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham. 

Balasingham, or as he was fondly known among Tamils - Bala Anna, was widely respected and adored by the nation. His charismatic addresses in venues around the world drew tens of thousands, as he provided political analysis with sharp wit. Leading LTTE delegations through numerous negotiations, Bala Anna eloquently and forcefully articulated the rights of the nation. His intellectual prowess and political acumen earned him respect from all sides of the negotiating table.