More than 30 Tamils in Vavuniya were arrested for allegedly not wearing masks with court cases already filed by Vavuniya police against them. 

The Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force officially launched the “Special Waterborne Operation Squad” on Sunday to curb illegal activities on the island’s water and reservoirs, as militarisation on the island intensifies. 

The special unit is tasked with managing drug trafficking, smuggling of goods, sand, timber smuggling, illegal gem mining and illegal liquor smuggling. 

During the 39^th session of Nattan’s municipal council, members paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the Mullivaikkal massacre

Led by the council’s chairman, Tiruch Selvam Paranjothi, members lit a flame and paid a silent two-minute tribute to the estimated tens of thousands killed during the final weeks of the armed struggle.

The Sri Lankan army vandalised the Mullivaikkal memorial monument located in Mullivaikkal East earlier today, just hours after the security forces blocked Tamils from erecting a memorial stone at the site where tens of thousands were massacred 12 years ago.

Ontario’s legislature has given royal assent to Bill 104, bringing into effect Tamil Genocide Education Week, which establishes May 12-18^th 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.”

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, signed the Royal Assent officially bringing the bill into effect.

A memorial stone was brought to Mullivaikkal this evening by the public committee organising Tamil genocide remembrance events, but the committee was blocked from erecting the stone at the intended place by Sri Lankan army and police.

Tamils across the North-East marked the first day of Mullivaikkal Remembrance Week with a series of events earlier today, as they commemorated the tens of thousands of Tamils killed by the Sri Lankan state 12 years ago.

The Tamil National People’s Front held events at their offices in Jaffna and Batticaloa, as remembrance events and commemorations are set to take place around the globe to pay tribute to those who were massacred.

Several bright Tamil students from Mullaitivu and Mannar districts were celebrated after A-level examination results were released last week. Despite  various challenges brought by the coronavirus pandemic, including the intensifying militarisation in the North-East regions of the island, the successes of these students became a great cause for celebration. 

Mullaitivu district

A Pirith chanting ceremony, a Buddhist religious ritual, is currently underway in Kurunthoormalai, Mullaitivu, violating COVID-19 restrictions in place on the island. Hundreds of armed personnel have been stationed at the site as the event is being held under the supervision of Sri Lankan security forces. 

The Archaeological Department and Sinhala-Buddhist monks are also in attendance at the ritual. 

Last week, Sri Lankan MP Dilum Amunugama, who publicly called for the President to act like ‘Hitler’, was sworn in as the State Minister of Community Police Services at the Presidential Secretariat.