Tamils gathered in front of the illegally constructed Tissa Raja Vihara Buddhist temple in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna, demanding the return of land on which the site is encroaching.

Residents were joined by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) as they demanded the return of the land, which is owned by 14 Tamil families that surround the illegal construction.

Britain’s Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Sri Lanka remains a “human rights priority” for her government, as she responded to a question regarding “reconciliation” on the island.

“We recognise the significant doubts expressed by affected communities regarding the credibility of reconciliation mechanism,” said  Anne-Marie Trevelyan, responding to a written question.

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The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed its “utmost outrage and horror” at the brutal assault of a young man from Medawachchiya last month, after he was forced to have a testicles removed due to assault perpetrated by Sri Lankan officers.

At least two police officers were arrested following the assault, which took place in Medawachchiya, a border town just south of Vavuniya.

Former Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim stirred criticism after he claimed “Northern Sri Lanka is at peace,” after he returned to the Tamil homeland for the first time in 20 years.

“This is first time I am back to Jaffna and Kilinochchi,” tweeted Solhiem. “Northern Sri Lanka is at peace and that is wonderful. Security is good. Noone want to go back to the war days (sic).”

A book chronicling the struggles and unique history of Eelam Tamils was launched in Jaffna last month.

The book, titled “Ethnic Cleansing of Tamils in Sri Lanka", is authored by Selvendra Sabaratnam the former president of the Valvettithura Citizens' Committee. He handed over the first copies of his book to former High Court judge and leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK), C.V. Wigneswaran at the party office last month.

Yanchan Rajmohan, professionally known as Yanchan Produced is a 29-year-old Tamil Canadian singer, mridangam player, and producer. Yanchan has gained recognition globally for his genre-bending style that brings together South Asian and Western Music, and recently became the first artist of Eelam origin to play their music for the National Basketball Association (NBA), performing at the first-ever Raptors South Asian Heritage Night.

The Tamil Guardian recently sat down with him to talk about his passion for Carnatic music, carving out a space for himself in the music industry, and Tamil resilience. 

Self-determination for the Eelam Tamil people is the “main solution” to the enduring ethnic conflict on the island, said US House Representative Wiley Nickel, after he introduced a historic resolution to the US Congress last week.

Speaking with the Tamil Guardian at his office in Washington D.C., Representative Nickel said the resolution was “an important first step” in leading US action on the island.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunwardena rejected the notion that his government was caught in a Chinese ‘debt trap’ and instead praised Beijing for standing by Colombo “to overcome terrorism”.

“Sri Lanka, as I mentioned, has always respected, trusted, and committed to development with China. China’s help, and assistance have been for our development,” he told Chinese media last month.

Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the North-East was marked by protests from Tamils who continue to demand justice for enforced disappearances and the release of military occupied land.