Farmers in Mayilathamadu and Mathavanai districts in Batticaloa have reported that at least six farmers were tied up, beaten and taken to a distant and unidentified place by Sinhalese members of the community on Saturday morning.

All their contacts have since been disconnected after their phones were seized.

University Grants Commission Chair Prof. Sampath Amaratunga has claimed that the Mullaiviakal memorial at Jaffna university, which commemorates the tens of thousands of Tamil lives lost Sri Lanka’s military offensive, “threatened North-South unity”.

The Jaffna magistrate's court has released on bail two students who were arrested during the protest against the demolishment of the Mullivaikkal memorial at the University of Jaffna. 

Students, political representatives and locals began to protest at the main gate of the university after hearing of the memorial being demolished on the orders of the university administration on Friday night. 

Jaffna MP and leader of the Tamil Makkal Desiya Kootani (TMTK) leader C.V Wigneswaran said the demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial at the University of Jaffna forms part of the Sri Lankan government's wider agenda to erase memory of past injustices perpertrated against Tamils.  

"Totally erasing memories of the injustices and massacres perpetrated against Tamils is the agenda of the present government. The demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial is part of the administration's larger agenda. This is one of the most perilous items in the programme of the government. It is understood that many such plans profilerate with the administration," Wigneswaran said in a statement condemning the demolition

Tamil newspapers in Jaffna have denounced the destruction of the Mullivaikkal memorial at the University of Jaffna this morning as they printed black front pages in their morning editions.

Updated 23:00 GMT

A group of students have embarked on a hunger strike outside the University of Jaffna, demanding that the Mullivaikkal memorial is reconstructed after it was bulldozed by authorities yesterday evening. 

Braving surveillance by the Sri Lankan police, the students continued their fast in the rain after being refused permission by the police to erect a tent to stage their protest. 

Jaffna University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sivakolundu Srisatkunarajah claims that the demolition of the Mullivaikkal memorial in the university campus ensured protection of older monuments. 

Responding to the protests at Jaffna University,  Canada's Minister for Foreign Affairs and several MPs have condemned the destruction of a Mullivaikkal memorial, commemorating the lives lost during the Tamil liberation struggle.  

As protests continue outside the University of Jaffna over the destruction of a remembrance monument, the Vice-Chancellor responded by claiming the memorials must be taken down and slammed the demonstrations at the gates.

"They have come because they are over-enthusiastic," said Vice-Chancellor S Srisatkunarajah, as protests took place outside the campus gates. "It is illegal for them to threaten us. If they do not go by themselves we will deal with them.”

Dozens of Tamils staged a demonstration outside the University of Jaffna into the early hours of the morning, as armed Sri Lankan troops have blocked off the entrance to the campus after authorities bulldozed a memorial monument.

At least two Tamil students have been arrested so far, as the security forces rushed to the scene and crowds grew.

The 36th anniversary of the assassination of Tamil human rights activist and local Catholic parish priest Reverend Father Mary Bastian was commemorated through a blood donation camp on Wednesday.

After several months of infighting and reports of abductions and assaults, an extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk accused of hate speech has been sworn in to Sri Lanka’s parliament this week.

English cricket player Moeen Ali tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, after the team arrived for a controversial tour of Sri Lanka which has faced opposition from rights activists calling for a sporting boycott.