Today marks 35 years since Lt Col. Thileepan began his hunger strike at Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in protest against the failure of the Indian government to honour the pledges made to the Tamil people. 

Thileepan began his fast on 15^th September 1987, surrounded by over 100,000 supporters, and died 11 days later, on the 26^th September 1987. 

In a new report, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that 30 percent of the population in Sri Lanka is “experiencing acute food insecurity” and need urgent assistance.

Tamils in Batticaloa and Jaffna held demonstrations today calling on the Sri Lankan government to protect the human rights of civil society organisations and human rights defenders. 

In Batticaloa, protesters called for the protection of journalists and civil society organisations, as they face increasing levels of intimidation and harassment from Sri Lanka's state forces. 

Leaders of the Mullaitivu Association of Relations of Enforced Disappearances condemn Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry's statements at the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in which he rejects international accountability mechanisms citing a need to protect the "sovereignty of the people of Sri Lanka." 

A draft United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka has called for the "re-energising" of failed Sri Lankan mechanisms ignoring long-standing calls from Tamils for a referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The families of the 12 political prisoners who are undertaking a hunger strike in Colombo's Magazine prison held a protest yesterday calling for their release. 

Relatives held placards outside the Northern Province Governor's Secretariat in Jaffna that read 'free our fasting relatives' and 'don't ruin the future of our children in jail'. 

In a joint letter from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists and Forum Asia, has stressed that the UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution on end a pervasive culture of impunity and bring justice to victim communities.

During the 51^st session of the Indian delegation expressed their concern over the lack of “measurable progress” on the Sri Lankan government’s “commitments of a political solution to the ethnic issue.”

The Indian delegation called on Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment, delegate powers to the provincial councils and hold elections for the provincial councils.

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Jaffna Mayor V Mannivannan called for a "strong" resolution that either refers Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or mandates a special court to investigate Sri Lanka's human rights violations against the Tamil nation. 

During the first day of the 51^st session of the UNHRC council, a coterie of rogue states including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea rushed to Sri Lanka’s defence, touting the country’s alleged progress on human rights and asserting their opposition to UN resolution 46/1.

“We have no desire to dramatize the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka” claimed the Russian ambassador.