Funny Boy is a courageous, groundbreaking novel by Shyam Selvadurai centering a young, Gay Tamil boy in Colombo, [Sri] Lanka/Ilankai during the 1983 massacre of Tamils. As the novel — which had unearthed oft-silenced truths about the lived experiences of Intersex, Trans, and Queer Tamil-speaking communities — makes its way to the big screen, we find ourselves once again working to break through the false narratives around our communities’ experiences.

Following the release of Deepa Mehta’s ‘Funny Boy’ trailer, the film came under fire and faced calls for a boycott over Mehta’s links to the Rajapaksa regime and the lack of Tamil representation in the film. 

As ‘Funny Boy’ was being released on Netflix last week, Tamil Guardian spoke to Sinthujan Varatharajah, a researcher essayist and political geographer based in Berlin, who brought the controversies of the film to the forefront in a series of powerful infographics posted across social media. 

The United States announced that it has withdrawn its offer of a Rs. 89 billion Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant to Sri Lanka, “due to lack of partner country engagement”.

The US statement comes after months of controversy around the grant, which has seen widespread Sinhala nationalist opposition.

A newly launched archive that hosts the works of Anton Balasingham was launched this week, marking the 14^th anniversary since the passing of the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

The website – www.antonbalasingham.com – hosts a collection of Balasingham’s interviews and writings in both Tamil and English. 

A remembrance ceremony was held in Paris this week, as French Tamils gathered to mark 14 years since the passing of Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The commemoration took place at the Tamil Coordinating Committee's office, where flowers were laid before a portrait of Balasingham.

See more photographs from the event below.

Protests have taken place across the North-East today, as Tamils and Muslims across the region demonstrated against the Sri Lankan government’s policy of forcibly cremating Muslims, who it states have contracted the coronavirus.

The cremations, which continue to take place, run directly contrary to World Health Organisation (WHO) advice and Islamic practice.

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) called on the Sri Lankan government yesterday to explain in court the fate of hundreds of Tamils and Sinhalese who are missing or forcibly disappeared, according to newly released government lists.

The released data covers a range of dates, showing that more than 330 Tamils are listed as ‘missing’ from the final days of the armed struggle in 2009 and the 154 Sinhalese more from the Matale district in 1989. The ITJP however estimates that the OMP’s statistics whilst large are grossly underestimated.

A fire has broken out at Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court complex in Colombo.

At least eight fire brigade units have been dispatched.

Sri Lankan authorities have not yet given any explanation as to how the fire started.

More to follow.

England’s cricket team confirmed it will be embarking on a tour to Sri Lanka next month, where members will be spending five days at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, amidst fears over deteriorating human rights on the island and growing calls from anti-racism campaigners for a sporting boycott.