Welikada massacre remembered across North-East

Several events were held across the North-East this week to mark 41 years since the Welikada massacre, in which 53 Tamil political prisoners were murdered by Sinhala inmates and prison guards.

The massacre took place during the Black July pogrom of 1983.

Mannar

‘Our children’s lives are worth more’ – Tamil families of the disappeared reject OMP’s US$660 payment

Tamil Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Mannar rejecting payments from the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), stating that the lives of their children were worth more than the US$660 on offer.

Sri Lanka invites Israel farmers to visit island and recruit workers

Sri Lanka’s Labour and Foreign Employment Minister says he discussed with the visiting Israeli ambassador to vet and recruit Sri Lankan workers for its agriculture sector.

File photograph: Israeli Defense Force, 2021.

Nanayakkara said Sri Lanka had sent unskilled workers, without any training, to Israel in the first batch, since the state had an urgent need for workers at the time.

New organisation launched in Jaffna to protect Tamil fishermen rights

A new organization, called the North-East Young Fishermen's Association, has been launched in Jaffna this week, with Tamil youth from across the North-East uniting to voice their concerns, formulate policies and advance the rights of fishermen across the homeland.

Sri Lanka's TID summons Tamil families of the disappeared leader in Batticaloa

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned the leader of the Tamil families of the disappeared in Batticaloa as surveillance of Tamil activists continues in the North-East. 

Britain drops its challenge to ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

Britain said on Friday it would not proceed with efforts to question whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

In May, the ICC's prosecutor said he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

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NSSP party leader and Tamil Eelam supporter Wickramabahu Karunaratne commemorated in Vavuniya

An event was held in Vavuniya this week to commemorate Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) leader and Tamil Eelam supporter Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, who passed away recently.

A portrait of Dr Karunaratne was decorated with garlands while Tamils lit candles and offered their condolences. The event in Vavuniya was organised by a group of civil society organisations.

10 new charges of torture made against Gotabaya

Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces ten new charges of overseeing torture and sexual violence during his period as defence secretary.

US Congressional Caucus discusses lack of progress on transitional justice and rise of radical Sinhala nationalism in Sri Lanka

United States Congressmen from both main parties discussed the threat of radical Sinhala nationalism in Sri Lanka and the country's lack of progress on transitional justice during the 'Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka' held in Washington DC last month. 

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