The Sri Lankan military has arrested at least 4 Tamils in Kilinochchi this week, accusing them of possessing explosives and ammunition, amidst a crackdown in the North-East.
The body of Jayaseelan Silaksan, a 26 year old resident of Mullaitivu who ventured into the Nanthikadal lagoon to retrieve his boat as cyclone Burevi hit on was recovered on Thursday.
As cyclone Burevi, battered the coastal areas of the Tamil homeland in Eelam and Tamil Nadu, Mullaitivu district experienced torrential rainfall accompanied by intense gusts of wind.
The leader of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) highlighted the role of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence in the genocide of Tamils in 2009 and it's ongoing role in the oppression of Tamils in the North-East.
In his parliamentary speech earlier this week, Gajan Ponnambalam recounted the final days of the Mullivaikkal genocide, carried out by the Sri Lankan state, which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils.
The families of the disappeared have called for the international community to "protect fundamental rights", as the Sri Lankan government cracked down on Maaveerar Naal commemorations in the Tamil homeland.
Sri Lanka’s police spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said that the power to issue detention orders for suspects arrested on terrorism-related activities should be granted to the security services instead of to the courts, as he called for harsher laws and a greater role of powers for the police.
Batticaloa District representatives from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) visited the Mylanthanaimadu-Periya Maadhavanai grazing and agricultural area to discuss the issues of the disputed land last week, as local Tamils continued to express fears over increasing Sinhala colonisation.
UK Minister for Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Nigel Adams, expressed concerns the government had over Sri Lanka’s continued “harassment of civil society” and “militarisation of civilian functions”.
Responding to questions posed by UK Shadow Justice Minister, Lyn Brown, over the government’s assessment of Keenie Meenie Services war crimes in Sri Lanka and continued police training, Britain’s government has asserted that they are taking allegations of war crimes “very seriously” whilst also defending training provided by the Scottish police.
Speaking in parliament, Nigel Adams, Minister for Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development, expressed concern over anti-Muslim sentiment in Sri Lanka.
This was during a discussion on attacks on religious freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adams stated:
Tens of thosuands of people across the North-East have been impacted by Cyclone Burevi as it slammed into the island this week, leaving homes destroyed, scores displaced and at least one person missing.
Wind speeds reached up to 90 kilometres per hour with rainfall exceeding 200mm in the affected areas as the cyclone hit and moved towards Tamil Nadu.
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