Relatives of a Tamil youth, who was reportedly tortured to death under Sri Lankan police custody, staged a protest in Jaffna this week, demanding justice for his killing

25-year-old Nagarasa Alex died after being arrested and tortured by Sri Lankan police last month. A post-mortem examination revealed “multiple injuries” that led to his death.

The father of a 13-year-old Tamil boy who was reportedly tortured to death after being arrest by Sri Lankan police and sent to a reformatory school, has demanded justice for his killing.

Standing outside the magistrate’s court in Kalmunai, Ananthadevan Darsanth’s father spoke to reporters about his son’s death and the tortured he faced.

Gunshots were fired in Jaffna this week as Sri Lankan police reportedly gave chase to a gang of unknown persons armed with machetes, amidst ongoing crime in the highly militarised peninsula.

Dramatic footage has emerged showing the moment that at least two masked figures wielding large machetes appeared at a storefront in Tellippalai.

The Defence Service Command and Staff College (DSCSC) has spent Rs 1.1 million on "entertainment expenses" on five Sri Lankan military officers, a National Audit report revealed. 

The Rs 1.1 million was spent on food and refreshments during a visit to the DSCSC in 2022 by the Defence Ministry Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff, the commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 

Amongst the absurd spending, it is reported that Rs 350,250 was spent on "30 black colour dining chairs" that were left unused in the DSCSC warehouse reportedly because "the colour was deemed unsuitable and mismatched to the ambience of the hostel."

Ahead of a debate in Britian’s parliament later today, the Sri Lankan High Commission sent a confidential briefing to lawmakers claiming that Colombo “remains committed to pursuing tangible progress in the protection of human rights and reconciliation”.

The briefing, marked as confidential, claimed that Sri Lanka had made progress on a range of areas across human rights, despite the continued arrest of Tamils, land grabs by the state and lack of accountability for mass atrocities.

Watch live from Westminster Hall as parliamentarians from across the UK debate “Sri Lankan Tamils and human rights”.

British parliamentarians from across the political spectrum participated in a Westminster Hall debate on Tamils and human rights in Sri Lanka, with many urging the UK government to consider sanctioning Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes. 

Eelam Tamils in Indonesia joined the rest of the diaspora and Tamils in the homeland in marking the 36th Maaveerar Naal. 

Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day - is marked on November 27, in memory of the first death of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre, Lt. Shankar who died in combat on November 27, 1982. Tamils in the homeland and the diaspora will remember those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle for freedom. 

The Sri Lankan government has appointed two military figures accused of committing war crimes – including a general who is banned from entering the United States – in charge of the country’s sports institutions.

Shavendra Silva was made chairman of the National Sports Selection Committee this week.

All photographs courtesy of Thaarakam

Tamils in Australia marked Maaveerar Naal with a series of remembrance events across the country. 

Events took place in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.