Across the North-East, a crackdown is in full effect. Despite a renewed international focus on the island’s human rights record following the passing of yet another UN resolution on Sri Lanka, the state has decided to respond by doubling down on its repression. The expansion of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the proscription of hundreds of Tamil diaspora members and the brazen arrest of Jaffna Mayor Viswalingam Manivannan show that Colombo will not respond to calls for reform. These actions, whilst shrouded in the rhetoric of national security, lay bare the intentions of the Sri Lankan state, not only to block justice for genocide and mass atrocities but also to deny even the slightest degree of autonomy to Tamils.

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister, Ali Sabry, has announced plans for new legislation in Sri Lanka to curb speech on social media under claims of tackling “fake news”.

Speaking to the media, Sabry maintained that there must be limits on the freedoms that could be exercised and maintained that restrictions on speech should be in place with respects to “national security, reconciliation and development, refraining from destroying the name of the country and defaming individuals”.

^{Image courtesy of @saygi}

Today marks 33 years since the death of Annai Poopathy, a Tamil woman who fasted unto death in protest against the atrocities committed by Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF).

As a member of the Navatkerny Mother's Front, Poopathy Kanapathipillai from Batticaloa, commenced a fast unto death on March 19, 1988 to protest the injustices and atrocities committed by the IPKF.

India’s External Affairs Ministry has insisted that, despite speculation, Milinda Moragoda’s nomination as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India last November still stands.

Moragoda’s nomination followed a drastic shake-up of Sri Lanka’s foreign service in September with a number of hard-line Sinhala Buddhist politicians and former military personnel, many of whom have been implicated in grievous war crimes.

Sri Lankan police have threatened the family of Annai Poopathi, warning that if they commemorated her death anniversary near her grave, they would be imprisoned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

Annai Poopathy's elder daughter Ms Lokeshwaran Santhi, while speaking to the press in Batticaloa Press Club, said that her family was instructed by the police not to commemorate her mother in her resting place. 

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and media spokesperson, M.A. Sumanthiran has promised to take the necessary steps to help restore the full worship rights of Hindus in Kurunthur Malai, Mullaitivu.

Freelance Journalist Malika Abeykoon, who was assaulted and arrested by Sri Lankan police on April 7 has been granted bail after being held in detention.

Abeykoon was arrested while he was covering a health workers’ protest rally organised by the United Health Workers Union (UHWU) on April 7. Following his arrest, he was brutally assaulted whilst being detained inside Maradana Police station.

Families of the disappeared in Vavuniya marked 1,515 days of protest on Wednesday, demanding support from the international community, including intervention from the United States government. They highlighted the systemic issues within Sri Lanka and continued negligence to "find even a single child" after thousands were forcibly disappeared at the end of the armed conflict.

The Sri Lankan government signed a US $500 million loan agreement with the state-run China Development Bank (CDB) last week, less than a month after it signed a currency swap deal worth USD 1.5 billion with Beijing, amidst rising concerns of the country’s ability to meet its debt payments.

Following concerns raised by opposition parties, civil society groups, and labour unions, over Sri Lanka’s “Colombo Port City Economic Commission”, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal has denied allegations that the government is transforming Sri Lanka into a “Chinese colony”.