This week marks 16 years since five Tamil students were summarily executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee.

To date no one has been held accountable for the murder.

Sri Lanka’s economy is in dire straits with the World Bank reporting that an estimated 500,000 people have fallen bellow the poverty line since the start of the pandemic and with the price of basic goods skyrocketing.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa flew to India using a private jet allegedly procured by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Uganda and Kenya, Velupillai Kananathan, costing millions of Sri Lankan rupees. 

Responding to the rejection of 20,000 tonnes of organic fertiliser by the Sri Lankan government, the Chinese company Seawin Biotech have successfully sued the government and are now putting pressure on the Chinese government to impose economic sanctions and trade restrictions on Sri Lanka.

^{Mahinda Amaraweera}

Sri Lanka cabinet will meet on Monday to decide whether or not to seek bailout funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Sri Lanka has temporarily closed three overseas diplomatic mission posts from December 31 in a bid to save foreign currency reserves and cut spending, as the country deals with crippling debt.

As 2021 draws to a close, Tamil Guardian reflects on some of the most significant moments across this past year.

Responding to the death of anti-apartheid activist Bishop Desmond Tutu, Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has released a statement mourning his passing and remembering his support for “justice, reconciliation and prosperity” in Sri Lanka.

Yasinthan, 27, was severely injured after the Sri Lanka's notorious Special Task Force (STF) opened fire against him last week in Ariyalai-Mulli, Jaffna. 

Yasinthan was operating a tractor in farmland when the STF obstructed him. They opened fire at him when he continued operating the tractor on the soil without obeying the officers’ orders. 

Charges have been filed against former Jaffna University Students’ Union President M. Thivakaran and Secretary S. Babilaraj in Colombo's High Court.

These charges come thirty months after the two men were arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and released on bail by a Jaffna Court. 

Tamil people in Oothuchenai, a village in Batticaloa bordering Polonnaruwa district, blocked a highway between Polonnaruwa and Colombo on Monday, in protest against rampant sand mining in their locality. 

The 34th anniversary of the passing of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and popular Kollywood actor M.G. Ramachandran was commemorated in Jaffna late last week. 

A joint statement by numerous global Tamil diaspora organisations pays tribute to life of human rights advocacy and justice lived by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his continued support for the Tamil nation.

Sri Lankan Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila, has claimed to be finalising the Trincomalee project with India and has told the Hindu that he hopes “sign the agreement in a month”.