Muslims in Amparai, Mannar and Vavuniya celebrated Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake toured the homeland this week but remained tight-lipped about his party’s stance on the key issues affecting Tamils in the North-East. On his last leg of the tour, Dissanayake spoke in Jaffna, aligning himself with the NPP narrative of an “inclusive Sri Lankan identity”. Throughout his speech, Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka needed political reform and blamed the economic crisis on corruption. He claimed that Sinhala and Tamil leaders have used divisive politics to stoke tensions between the two communities but...
Sri Lankan police are alleged to have assaulted a Tamil man, after he asked for the return of a mobile phone that they had seized earlier this month. 42-year-old Pradeepan was admitted to the Mannar District General Hospital where he received treatment for his injuries following the assault and his family members have lodged a complaint at the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission. Speaking to the media, the family said that two officers from the Mannar Police station had visited a home in Pallimunai in Mannar which Pradeepan was visiting to reportedly interrogate the owner. Upon seeing Pradeepan...
Amnesty International called on the international community to “urgently review cooperation with the Sri Lankan government” including the training and provision of its security forces, as it released a new report detailing how the military and police engaged in violent suppression of protests.
Women from all 8 districts of the North-East staged a protest today in Mannar demanding that Sri Lankan government to bring down the price of rice to below Rs.100 as families grapple with effects of the economic crisis. “Our staple is rice and the price of rice has increased over the last few months. This means that daily wage earners and families with more than three members can only afford one or two meals a day,” they said. “Many families drink porridge without rice. The increasing price of rice has pushed women-headed households into starvation.” The protesters added that the increase in...
A replica display of the Vedukkunaari Malai Shiva lingam was forced to have the name written on the artwork erased, following reported “pressure from higher authorities” in the wake of attempts to reclaim the area by Sinhala Buddhists. The replica Shiva Lingam was placed at the Vavuniya Chitrai Art Festival with the name of the temple inscribed in white chalk. The name was visible on the first day of the art exhibition which is held by the Vavuniya District Secretariat in coordination with the cultural council at the municipal ground. However, the name of the temple was erased from the shrine...
In response to Sri Lankan minister Vajira Abeywardena's advice for Tamils not to field a Tamil candidate for the presidency, parliamentarian C V Wigneswaran issued a rebuttal, adding that Abeywardena in his capacity as Chairman of the UNP makes a statement like this to make the “incumbent President win.” Wigneswaran's remarks emphasised the importance of Tamil political representation, asserting that discouraging Tamil candidacy undermines their democratic rights and perpetuates political marginalization. He stressed the need for Tamil voters to be free to choose candidates who genuinely...
Four Indian fishermen sustained serious injuries when they were attacked by the Sri Lanka navy with “iron rods” near Katchatheevu yesterday. The Sri Lanka navy patrol had also collided with Indian fishing boats causing it irreparable damage. Nearly 300 Indian fishermen had left to fish on Sunday after seeking permission from the Rameshwaram fishing port. However, when they ventured out to sea, they were attacked by the Sri Lankan navy. The four fishermen have been admitted to government and private hospitals for treatment. The issue comes just days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's...
Sri Lanka’s head of police faced criticism over his decision to visit a church that was bombed in the deadly Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, despite his own role in failing to prevent the killings. Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon's surprise visit to the St. Sebastian Church, Katuwapitiya, where nearly 67 devotees died during the attacks was slammed by the church, who said the state should instead focus on delivering justice. Tennakoon along with his aides surrounded by a heavy security detail went to the church in Negombo where he lit candles and met with survivors of the...
Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) leader and former parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran told reporters in Vavuniya that plans are afoot among some Tamil political parties to field a common Tamil candidate ahead of the upcoming presidential polls scheduled to be held later this year. Premachandran said that the Democratic Tamil National Alliance were liasing with the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi and Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani to field a candidate who would represent Tamil aspirations, including a political solution the Tamil national question. “This has become a topic of...