Local Tamil protestors pushed back against efforts by the Sri Lankan military to acquire land for the Gotabaya naval base in Mullaitivu today, as the security forces intimidated and harassed demonstrators.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister told parliament that his cash-stricked government will need at least US$ 5 billion over the next 6 months alone, as an economic crisis has affected millions of livelihoods across the island.

Recently appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe told lawmakers that of the US$ 5 billion, US$3.3 billion alone would be needed for fuel imports, whilst US$900 million was needed for food, US$250 million for cooking gas and US$600 million more for fertiliser.

Sri Lanka’s embattled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa struck a defiant tone in his first international interview since anti-government protests started in April, vowing not to step down and pledging not to cut the state’s heavy military expenditure.

Speaking to Bloomberg at his official residence in Colombo, Rajapaksa did however state he would not stand for re-election.

“I can’t go as a failed president,” said Rajapaksa. “I have been given a mandate for five years. I will not contest again.”

As many as 7 Tamil fishermen were admitted into hospital last week, after Sri Lankan navy officers attacked them in Pesalai, Mannar.

The attack happened on Thursday 2 June, as the navy questioned the fishermen whilst they were preparing to head out to sea around 3PM.

Following the attack, they were admitted to Pesalai Hospital for treatment.

The assault on the Tamil fishermen comes as Sri Lanka continues to be in the midst of an economic crisis that has impacted livelihoods across the island.

Tamil families of the disappeared criticised the international community’s response to their struggle to find justice for their loved ones, noting how rapidly governments around the world mobilised to tackle Sri Lanka’s economic crisis but still continued to ignore their plight.

Locals participated  in a clean up operation of Mullaitivu beach to mark World Environment Day today. 

The clean up was organised by Karitas, a non-governmental organisation and aimed to  encourage locals and tourists  to keep the area free from polythene and other plastic debris. 

Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran, the first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle, was remembered in Jaffna this morning this morning to mark 48 years since his death. 

Sivakumaran was a member of the Tamil Manavar Peravai (or Tamil Student Federation, TSF) and a leading militant in the early armed Tamil struggle. With decades of Sri Lankan state repression and deadly anti-Tamil pogroms already having taken place, Tamil militant movements began to form. 

Food supplies from Tamil Nadu arrived in Vavuniya yesterday as the island’s economic turmoil continues. 

The supplies will be distributed to families across Vavuniya who have been struggling due to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Sri Lanka’s shortage of foreign reserves and soaring inflation has created a shortage of essential items including fuel, food and medicines. 

A coastal clean-up operation and tree sapling planting event was held this morning at Mannar Keeri beach ahead of of World Environment Day. 

The clear up was organised by Mannar Karitras Wildlife to mark World Environment Day which falls on June 5 and to raise awareness of pressing environmental issues. 

On Tuesday the chairman of Sri Lanka’s Port Authority, Prasantha Jayamanna, declared that they would be issuing Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to develop Trincomalee Port however poor governance from Colombo has left investors wary.

“We will be asking not only from one party, but whoever the industrialists are who want to come and utilise the port premises,” Jayamanna told representatives of shipping companies and port workers’ unions.