Tamil Guardian caught up with Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam to hear his thoughts on Sri Lanka's Truth and Reconcilication Commission, international accountability, the repressive environment of the North-East and Tamil political representation. 

The Sinhalese people have started to experience the suffering that the Tamil people have long suffered said the newly elected leader of the Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Sivagnanam Shritharan, claiming that with the Sri Lankan government overwhelmed with fear and panic, “it is also an opening for the Tamil people to come together and unite for our collective cause”.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), joined by members of the public, initiated protests on January 24 demanding the removal of the Thissa Raja Vihara, an illegally constructed Buddhist structure encroaching upon the lands of the people in Kankesanthurai.

The ongoing protests, occurring every Poya (full moon) day, highlight the collective effort to address the contentious issue of the Thissa Raja Vihara, which is being built on privately owned land that is being occupied by the Sri Lankan army. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressing deep concern about the "troubling pattern" of apprehending Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu urged the Centre to re-establish a collaborative working group and emphasised the "urgent need" for diplomatic initiatives to arrest the ongoing situation.

In a letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, Stalin highlighted the recent arrest of six fishermen from Ramanathapuram district in the state, along with two fishing boats, by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 22.

The United States led international expressions of concern over Sri Lanka’s newly passed Online Safety Bill, as diplomats and international NGOs warned the legislature threatens freedom of speech.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted that the “United States remains concerned about the potential impact of Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Bill, which passed yesterday without incorporating important input from key stakeholders, including civil society and tech companies who say that this legislation threatens freedom of expression, innovation, and privacy.”

Thai Pongal celebrations took place inside Britain’s Houses of Parliament last week, as lawmakers from across the political spectrum joined Tamils in celebrating the harvest festival and pledging their commitment to seeing justice in Sri Lanka.

Tamils in Denmark marked the 31st death anniversary of Sathasivam Krishnakumar alias Colonel Kittu earlier this week. Colonel Kittu, and nine other LTTE cadres, committed suicide after being surrounded by Indian navy warships in 1993.

The nine other cadres who passed away with Col. Kittu were:

• - Lt.Col. Kuttisiri: Rasaiah Sri Ganesan from Suthumalai, Jaffna

Over 300 officers from Sri Lanka's tri-forces have taken part in a week-long operation, an amphibious training exercise dubbed “Seagull” in the Northern Sea area in the Jaffna peninsula, as tens of thousands of troops remain stationed in the region, which remains one of the most militarised per capita in the world.

A demonstration organised by the Jaffna Christian Union in front of the Jaffna Bus stand took place yesterday, as Sri Lanka's parliament debated and passed the controversial Online Safety Bill. 

An islet off the coast of Jaffna will be host to up to 8,000 people from Tamil Nadu and across the island next month, as officials began preparations for the annual festival of St. Anthony's Church in Katchatheevu.