As dollar reserves tumble Sri Lanka could be forced to endure 15-hour power cuts.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that Sri Lanka could be forced to endure power cuts of up to 15 hours.

“A quarter of electricity is generated through oil. Therefore, there is a possibility that the daily power outages will increase to 15 hours a day,” he told in his 13 minute recorded television speech.

A new report, by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), reveals that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was named in a government inquiry as a suspect in an enforced disappearance case in 1989.

Tamil families of the disappeared are under “increasing verbal, physical, and serious psychological harassment” from the Sri Lankan security forces, said the Jaffna-based Adayaalam Centre for Policy and Research (ACPR) in a new briefing released today.

Five Ontario school boards have marked the beginning of Tamil Genocide Education Week. This is the first year since the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act was passed into law. 

The legislature established May 12-18th as a week in which Ontarians "are encouraged to educate themselves about, and to maintain their awareness of, the Tamil genocide and other genocides that have occurred in world history."

The war crimes-accused head of the Sri Lankan army was the chief guest at a grand Sinhala Buddhist ceremony at the controversial Kuragala site this week, where a giant lion statue and restored stupa were unveiled.

The newly appointed Sri Lankan prime minister warned that the upcoming months “will be the most difficult ones of our lives” as he called for Sri Lanka to make “sacrifices” in the face of an economic crisis.

Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed “foreign allies will assist us” and that states had “already pledged their support”.

“However, we can overcome this situation,” he added. “Doing so will require taking a new path.”

Sri Lankan soliders and police officers ramped up their presence at the Mullivaikkal memorial this afternoon as Tamils gathered to make preparations for May 18th, also known as 'Tamil Genocide Day'. 

The state's forces cordoned off and circled the area while Tamils made arrangements for the remembrance event. 

In recent weeks, the Sri Lankan army has held several events across the Tamil homeland, particularly with Tamil schoolchildren, as it continues its process of normalising militarization of the North-East.

In Palinagar, Sri Lankan soldiers in camouflaged uniform distributed school books and stationery to Tamil schoolchildren.

Tamils began their rally from Valvettithurai towards Mullivaikkal this morning as the Tamil nation remembers the genocide that took place 13 years ago.

Tamils in the North-East continued to serve kanji across the homeland as part of commemoration events taking place during Mullivaikkal remembrance week. 

In Mullaitivu, families of the disappeared defiantly distributed kanji today despite being targetted by plainclothes Sri Lankan police officers the day before. The officers circled the area in a white van and took photographs of those handing out kanji in Oddusuddan.