All photos: Tamil Guardian

US Tamils gathered in New York City and San Francisco on Friday, to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

Tamils from New York, New Jersey and surrounding states gathered at Glen Oaks school in Queens to mark the annual Tamil remembrance day.

Photographs: Theechudar

Students at the Eastern University in Batticaloa marked Tamil National Remembrance Day on Friday, lighting candles in memory of those who gave their lives to the Tamil struggle.

Tamils in Trincomalee gathered to commemorate their war dead on church premises on Friday.  Families of those that died at the hands of the Sri Lankan state lit the ceremonial flame as local priests bore witness. 

Britain announced that it will provide £6.6 million over 3 years to Sri Lanka in order to support “military reform, displaced persons and reconciliation” on the island and deliver on committments set out in a UN Human Rights Council resolution.

The announcement was made as British Prime Minister David Cameron met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta on Friday.

A press release from 10 Downing Street said the funding would “help to deliver the commitments set out in the historic UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution that was adopted in October including demilitarisation and land returns”.

“The UK is clear that credible investigations into alleged war crimes during Sri Lanka’s civil war are vital,” added the press release. “We are already playing a key role in encouraging progress on this, including through the UNHRC resolution which set Sri Lanka on a new path towards reconciliation and a more prosperous and inclusive future.”

“Britain is committed to standing up for those affected by Sri Lanka’s civil war”, said Mr Cameron. “This £6.6 million funding is part of a long-term UK commitment to supporting stability and prosperity in Sri Lanka.”

A Sri Lankan government minister told parliament on Friday that President Maithripala Sirisena is to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that Mr Sirisena’s nomination was being discussed by several countries, as he told MPs “we can all go and witness President Sirisena accepting the Nobel Peace Prize if we work together for the betterment of the country”.

Mr Sirisena, who was elected as Sri Lanka’s president in January, is the former secretary general of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, who was also sworn in as the acting defence minister in May 2009 as Sri Lankan troops carried out their final assault during the armed conflict.

Sri Lanka’s government has withdrawn police protection given to certain members of the Northern Provincial Council as of 27th November.

Protection given to Northern Provincial Council members Ananthi Sasitharan, Vinthan Kanagarathinam, P Kajatheepen S Sukirtha and S Thavarajah were removed after Maaveerar Naal learns Tamil Guardian.

The NPC members where initially given two armed personnel as security guards.

The best way the Sri Lankan government can pay tribute to the Tamil youth that took his own life calling for the release of political prisoners would be to respect his genuine feelings, the Chief Minister of the Northern Province has said.

Responding to the suicide of 18-year-old Rajeswaran Senthuran on Thursday, Mr Wigneswaran expressed his concern that the Sri Lankan state was not prone to be bothered by the deaths of Tamils.

"In the past, the lives we lost were never taken into consideration," he said. "They were considered normal."

 

Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong presented India’s prime minister Narendra Modi a copy of the Tamil Murasu, which first reported on India’s recognition of Singapore as an independent country in 1965.