I was 11 years old. It was just after lunch on Friday the 22nd of September 1995. That’s when we heard a large aircraft circling our village. The Sri Lankan Air Force dropped the first bomb nearby the school. At this point we were surrounded by large smoke, followed by a bang. There were several bombs dropped over the school and other parts of the village.

I heard my friends screaming and running and then all of a sudden the whole place was chaotic. All the students ran in all directions. I can still see it.

Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa called to ‘accelerate’ construction of the  Chinese-led Colombo Port City project, claiming it will become an income generator for the cash stricken island, in the future regardless of concerns over imposed US sanctions.

Tamil political party members have signed a joined letter to Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to appeal the ban on holding commemorative events for the late Lt Col Thileepan. 

Members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) and People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) “submit this urgent appeal on the matter of both political and emotional significance to our people, namely, the prohibition imposed on their holding their annual commemorative events in paying homage to the Late Thileepan,” the letter stated.

Sri Lanka’s Sinhala ‘Buddhist Advisory Council’ praised war crimes accused president Gotabaya Rajapaksa for “walking the talk” when it comes to following several of their recommendations this week, as the Rajapaksa regime continued its staunchly Sinhala nationalist policies.

The council, which has been meeting regularly with the Sri Lankan president and other senior government members, was set up by Rajapaksa earlier this year.

Reporting in Declassified UK, journalist Phil Miller, reveals attempts by one of Britain’s oldest private security companies, Saladin, to distance itself from a mercenary organisation known as Keenie Meenie Services (KMS) which is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police for war crimes committed in Sri Lanka during the 1980s.

Sri Lankan minister and cabinet spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said his government would not “surrender” to the UN Human Rights Council, as Colombo continued to deny reports of war crimes committed by senior military officials who have been promoted to government positions.

Photograph by Gajan Bala 

Shan Vincent de Paul who goes by the moniker SVDP, is a Toronto-based Tamil rapper and director. His debut album "Saviors" was released in 2016, followed by his sophomore album "Trigger Happy Heartbreak" in 2017. Shan has released a song from his upcoming album "Made in Jaffna" - titled "One Hundred Thousand Flowers".

<p>Following the report of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greif, the UK Human Rights Counsellor, Matthew Forman, expressed ‘concern’ and ‘profound disappointment’ &nbsp;over Sri Lanka’s progression on transitional justice.</p> <p>In the statement, Forman reiterated the UK’s “profound disappointment” at Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw support for resolution 30/1.</p>

An expert committee to examine the 20th amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution is to be following growing public concerns that the amendment would remove parliamentary oversight and centralise power within the presidency.

The 20th amendment has also faced opposition from within the SLPP.

On Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, spoke about the dangers of the amendment saying;