^{File photograph: Modi and Wigneswaran in Jaffna. 2015.}

Tamil lawmaker C V Wigneswaran thanked Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for his call for the “essential” implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka, as he asked New Delhi to ensure there would be no further Sinhalisation of the Tamil North-East.

Sri Lanka’s former president claimed that the appointment of a relative of an LTTE member to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) resulted in several reports of human rights abuses committed by the security forces reaching the United Nations, and the eventual vetting of Sri Lankan troops from UN peacekeeping missions.

Tributes have poured in for Coimbatore Transgender Association President Sangeetha, who was found murdered at her residence on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu Police have arrested 23-year-old Rajesh, with reports that allegedly killed Sangeetha who had rejected his sexual advances. Police Commissioner Sumit Saran told TNM that a 'personal dispute' was the cause for the murder, however, a press release from the department states that Sangeetha was killed by Rajesh for allegedly rejecting his sexual advances.

UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the UK are "concerned about the Government of Sri Lanka's decision to withdraw support for the UN resolution," in response to a question on Sri Lanka. 

Nigel Adams answered a written question, posed by Steven Baker, MP for Wycombe, who asked "what steps he is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," to which the Minister replied:

"The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including in our role as penholder on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We firmly believe that UNHRC resolution 30/1, and its successor resolutions 34/1 and 40/1, remain the best framework for establishing truth and achieving lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka. We continue to encourage and support Sri Lankan to deliver on the commitments its made to the UNHRC through these resolutions."

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a plea by Veerasangili Kanniah Thanabalan (V.K.T. Balan), one of the accused in the attempted assassination of LTTE chief negotiator and political strategist, Anton Balasingham. V.K.T Balan appealed to quash the case on the grounds of a long delay.

A Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) constable was sentenced by the Batticaloa High Court to 15 years in prison for raping a child in 2009.

The officer was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in February 2009 when he was serving at a Special Task Force (STF) camp in Vellaveli, Batticaloa.

The charges come five years after the Attorney General’s Department first filed a case against the accused in 2014. The Batticaloa High Court Judge, N. M. Mohamed Abdullah, drew from witness statements provided by the victim; police officers, professionals and judged the suspect to be guilty on Friday October 9^th 2020.

Five people were arrested on charges of possessing illegal firearms in the Thirukkovil area of Amparai district on Saturday morning.

Thirukkovil police raided houses located in Kanchirankuda, Thambiluvil, Vinayagapuram and Thirukkovil.

Police claimed to have recovered five locally-made firearms, for which five people were arrested. Police said the arrested would be produced in court.

Earlier this week, two Tamil men, including a former LTTE cadre, were arrested in Thirukkovil on allegations of illegally manufacturing firearms.

Tamil villagers conducted a special worship at the Athi Ayan Temple, Kurunthur Hill, Kumulamunai, Mullaitivu earlier this month. The temple is of historical significance for the Tamil people, but like many ancient monuments is in the Tamil homeland is coming under attack from Buddist colonisation.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister confirmed that his government has already sought to lift a travel ban placed on accused war criminal Shavendra Silva, as he responded to questions in parliament urging the government to lobby the USA on the issue.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told parliament that the ban imposed on Shavendra Silva was due to the “grave offence” the previous government had committed in co-sponsoring a UN resolution on accountability for war time atrocities.

Sri Lanka’s bonds have tumbled ahead of a visit tot the island by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as the island’s already struggling economy lurched further into crisis.

Bonds have already slumped almost 40% this year, states Reuters, as Colombo was hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, they fell further after a US State Department briefing said Sri Lanka had to “make difficult but necessary decisions to secure its economic independence for long-term prosperity”.