Shritharan Sivagnanam, an MP from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), appealed to the Sinhala youth in the island to make an effort towards understanding the Tamil situation and protest for it along with the ongoing demonstrations against the dire economic crisis. 

Addressing Parliament this week, Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam called on Sinhalese protesters to use this 'golden moment' to restructure Sri Lanka's unitary state and recognise the Tamil speaking nation. 

Following the resignation of Ali Sabry, after holding the position of Finance Minister for a day, Sri Lanka's government has now appointed a new secretary to the Finance Ministry, Mahinda Siriwardena, and new Central Bank governor, Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe.

As Sri Lankans continue to protest against the Rajapaksa regime across the island and demand the President's resignation; Tamils in Mullaitivu and Trincomalee are to continue to demand the demilitarisation of their homeland.

Kalimuthu Subbamma, a Tamil mother who was searching or her forcibly disappeared son, passed away earlier this week, having never found the whereabouts of her loved one or received justice for his abduction.

Affectionately known as Kamala, she was one of several mothers protesting in her hometown of Vavuniya, demanding answers over the fate of their disappeared loved ones.

Speaking in parliament, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, M.A. Sumanthiran slammed the Sri Lankan government’s failure to establish a functioning cabinet following a wave of resignations, including by the newly appointed finance minister who resigned within 24 hours.

Sri Lanka is in crisis. Protests have spread across the South, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It marks a remarkable turnaround in popularity, with demonstrations from the same electorate that less than two years ago delivered Rajapaksa a two-thirds majority in parliament. The speed in which protests have spread and the fury in which they arose, have led the South to believe this is a moment of revolution that offers an opportunity for a definitive break from the island’s turbulent past. Tamils, however, are sceptical.

(Photo: Tamil families of the disappeared protest in Mullaitivu)

“We are witnessing the unfolding of a humanitarian crisis”, warned a petition signed by 21 feminist organisations in Sri Lanka, the majority of which are based in the North-East, that raised concerns over the prospect of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.

13 years ago today, thousands of British Tamils continuously occupied Parliament Square in London for 72 days as Sri Lanka intensifed its military offensive which led to the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in Mullivaikkal. 

British Tamil actress Charithra Chandran, one of the breakout stars of the hit Netflix show Bridgerton, told Teen Vogue that her “dream production” would be on the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka, as she spoke on colourism and culture this week.

Speaking to Versha Sharma, the 25-year-old Oxford graduate brought up the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka when speaking about her dream projects and future roles.

“My dream production, whether I’m producing or starring in it, I’d love to make a film about the crisis in Sri Lanka with the Tamil population,” said Chandran. “I think it is so complex and nuanced: the situation with the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, the genocide that happened. It’s something obviously near and dear to my heart because it’s my community.”