The Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre has become the focus of fresh controversy after Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved the establishment of a trust to oversee the management of the India-funded cultural complex, prompting opposition from the Jaffna Municipal Council and Tamil political parties.

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) and the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) have launched a new online database documenting individuals who were killed or disappeared during the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in the Tamil homeland between October 1987 and March 1990.

Tamils in Jaffna marked the 50th anniversary of the historic Vaddukoddai Resolution, which continues to be a pivotal declaration in the Tamil struggle for self-determination. 

The 'Vaddukoddai 50 Uprising Conference' was held at Meikandan Maha Vidyalayam, Pannagam, Vaddukoddai to remember the passing of the resolution that called for an independent state of Tamil Eelam.

 

A Tamil genocide remembrance event was held in Nanattan, Mannar on Thursday (14 May), marking the third day of commemorations taking place across the Tamil homeland ahead of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

The event was organised by the Mannar branch of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and took place at approximately 10:30 a.m. in the Nanattan area.

Memorial events honouring veteran Tamil singer Thenisai Sellappa were held in France and Switzerland earlier this month, as members of the Tamil diaspora gathered to commemorate his enduring legacy and contribution to Tamil national consciousness through music, poetry and performance.

The United Kingdom’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tamils has said it looks forward to working closely with the newly elected Tamil Nadu government to “advance political rights based on the legitimate aspirations of Eelam Tamils”, in a congratulatory letter sent to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Fifty years after the Vaddukoddai Resolution formally articulated the Tamil demand for self-determination, political representatives, civil society actors and diaspora organisations gathered at the UK Parliament on Thursday to launch a new initiative aimed at forging a unified political framework for the Tamil nation.

Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) has questioned Anura Kumara Dissanayake over his congratulatory message to newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, claiming the move raised concerns regarding diplomatic protocol.

A coalition of prominent Tamil organisations based in the United States has issued a joint statement calling for an internationally organised and monitored referendum on Tamil Eelam, marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Vaddukoddai Resolution.