The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has criticised the Sri Lankan government's Kafkaesque handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as one which “undermines freedom of expression”.  

Journalists, doctors and social media users have been threatened and harassed by the government for criticising the state response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ICJ notes that critics have been questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and some have gone on to be arrested and detained for weeks for allegedly posting “fake news” on social media. "The government’s intimidation of people who raises questions about measures to respond to COVID-19 serve to undermine, not advance, efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic,” said Ian Seiderman, ICJ’s Legal and Policy Director. 

(Photograph courtesy of @Kavinthans) 

The Kilinochchi Media Forum held a memorial for 26 year old journalist Pragas Gnanapragasam who died earlier this week after contracting coronavirus. 

The Sri Lankan army have begun constructing a 'Dhamma school' - Buddhist religious school - inside the Bhadrakali Amman kovil premises in Trincomalee, as Sinhala colonisation of the North-East continues. 

Earlier this year, the Sri Lankan government announced that Rs 22 million had been allocated for the development of Dhamma schools in the North-East. 

Sri Lankan police in Akkaraipattu, Ampara, blindfolded and beat freelance journalist Shahir Khan Farook and his brother for reportedly not wearing masks.

Addressing the issue of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka, Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) leader C.V. Wigneswaran maintained that there also be a settlement of Tamil political problem, providing self-governance to the North and East.

Jaffna Press Club has pledged to “follow in the path” of Pragas Gnanapragasam, a 26-year old Tamil journalist who died on Thursday, and work towards realising his dreams. In a condolence statement, the Club paid tribute to Gnanapragasam and the integrity of his journalism. 

The daughter of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) member who was forcibly disappeared during the end of the armed conflict, speaks to Tamil Guardian about how difficult it has been to live without her father for the past 12 years. 

Following the imposition of emergency regulations and skyrocketing food prices, Sri Lanka’s director of information denied that the country was facing a food shortage claiming that “there is no basis to these reports”.

The statement comes as Sri Lanka’s private banks have run out of foreign exchange reserves to finance imports and as the country has seen shortages in items such as milk powder, kerosene oil and cooking gas.

Member of Scottish Parliament, Mercedes Villalba, has demanded that the Scottish government provide full details of the activities offered by the International Development and Innovation Unit following calls for Police Scotland to end its training programme with Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, is seeking a presidential pardon to release former United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian, Ranjan Ramanayake. 

Ramanayake’s seat in Parliament was suspended in January 2020 following alleged statements he had made against Buddhism and Buddhist monks. He was also accused of conspiring to assassinate Sri Lankan government minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, along with former prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.