The Canadian Tamil Parliamentary Friendship Group (CTPFG) held its inaugural meeting on Monday 22 November.

The cross-party parliamentary group was established with the aim of building a strong relationship between Canada and the worldwide Tamil diaspora, whilst continuing to “focus on issues important to Tamil-Canadians, including advocacy on human rights, and accountability for violations against Tamils”

The Vavuniya Citizens Committee called this week for Tamils across the world to commemorate Maaveerar Naal, remembering the sacrifice of those who died for the Tamil struggle. 

Students at Aarhus University in Denmark marked Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day) on Friday. 

Newspapers in the North-East on Saturday marked the 62nd birthday of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which falls on November 26 with a special feature published on the front page. 

The birthday of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran on November 26 was marked in secret at the University of Jaffna on Saturday. 

A cake decorated with '62' candles and red and yellow balloons were displayed in front of the Kailasapathy arts hall. 

In the run up to Maaveerar Naal, young Tamil artists took to Instagram to commemorate the thousands who gave their lives fighting in the Tamil struggle.

Posters marking Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day) were posted anonymously around the University of Jaffna as the students and staff held remembrance events on Friday. 

The posters feature a gloriosa lily and the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V Prabhakaran in front of the LTTE's insignia. 

Students and staff at the University of Jaffna marked Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day) on Friday, lighting candles in memory of those who gave their lives to the Tamil struggle. 

The Northern Provincial Council has condemned the building of Buddhist viharas in the North as well as calling for legal action against Buddhist monks who incite racial and religious hatred.

In its 66th sitting on Thursday, the NPC’s chair C. V. K. Sivagnanam brought the resolution condemning the proliferation of Buddhist viharas across the North, pointing out that the region was home to very few Buddhists.

US Marine Corps troops have been engaged in military training exercises with the Sri Lankan navy in Trincomalee, after the arrival of the US Naval Ship “USS Somerset” this week.

The Sri Lankan navy said that 7 officers and 150 sailors had undertaken the exercise with over 150 US Marines participating.

The Sri Lankan military has opened a Buddhist site in the Vanni, which contains 28 newly constructed Buddha statues in memory of Sri Lankan soldiers.
 

A notice has been published in a Tamil local newspaper announcing the intention to acquire 617 acres of land in Vattuvahal, Mullaitivu for the Sri Lankan armed forces. 

The notice, under Section 38a of the Land Acquisition Act, comes despite repeated public annoucement by the present Sri Lankan government that it was looking to release all land currently occupied by the military. 

Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesperson, Gayantha Karunatilaka said on Wednesday the government is to consider establishing a media standards body to ensure the media would act with responsility and decorum. 

The former US ambassador at large for war crimes, Stephen Rapp said the Sri Lanka's government's delay in establishing an accountability mechanism could be an attempt to avoid it entirely, in an interview to the Daily FT.