Following widespread criticism of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) by over 80 civil society and human rights organisations, the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has challenged the constitutionality of the bill in the Supreme Court.

“I was very naive in the beginning,” says Nasser Shaikh. He travelled to Sri Lanka and met with senior government officials after his brother had been brutally murdered. He had hoped for answers and the real truth.    

“I guess they told me everything, I needed to hear.”

Nasser spoke to the Tamil Guardian about his struggle to seek justice that spanned from his hometown of Manchester to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran has launched a petition campaign calling for the repeal of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The campaign will be inaugurated tomorrow morning in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo.

In his statement, Sumanthiran noted that the act was introduced in 1979 as a temporary provision but has continued for over 40 years.

Sri Lanka's foreign currency reserves have fallen over 24% to USD $2.36 billion by the end of January from USD $3.14 billion at the end of December 2021, despite currency swaps and debt deferments from India and China. 

As the 2022 Indian Premier League auction came to a close this week, controversy erupted after reigning champions Chennai Super Kings purchased Sri Lankan army cricketer Maheesh Theekshana to join the Tamil Nadu-based franchise.

The hashtags #Boycott_ChennaiSuperKings and #DontNormaliseTamilGenocide began being shared on social media platforms as new spread of the Sri Lankan Army Corporal joining the team.

The British government has confirmed that at least 89 Eelam Tamils, including 20 children, are amongst those being held at the US Naval base on the occupied island of Diego Garcia, with questions still to be answered on where they may be transferred to next.

Tamils in Kokkilai rallied through the streets on Saturday, as they demonstrated against attempts by a state-owned mineral company to appropriate land for the construction of an ilmenite mine.

Staff at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital said that damage found to a brand new C-arm scanner at the hospital may have been deliberate sabotage, after the machine was found broken just days after being repaired.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, this is the second time in recent months that the Rs 15 million machine has been found damaged. In a previous incident a crucial part needed for the machine to function was stolen and never located.

Sri Lankan police are now reportedly carrying out enquiries at the hospital.

Eight human rights organisations expressed their deep concern over a recent statement by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry which smeared former Human Rights Commissioner, Ambika Satkunanathan, which they called an "act of harassment and intimidation.”

Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry rebuked Satkunanathan’s submission to the European Parliament, claiming it was “reminiscent of LTTE propaganda.”  

The residence of Colombo-based journalist, Chamuditha Samarawickrama, was attacked by masked gunmen travelling in a white van in the early hours of Monday.

This attack takes place just 14 days ahead of a UN Human Rights Council session and follows a series of controversial videos released by the journalist, the latest of which laid allegations against the extremist Buddhist monk Galabadaththe Gnanasara who heads Sri Lanka’s task force for ‘One Country, One Law’.