<p>Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday pledged a fire brigade service would be established in Mullaitivu and Puttalam within one week, following an outcry from residents who had been without any service for many years.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ranil was responding to a statement made by the TNA MP, Charles Nirmalanthan, pointing out that the government had failed to act on the issue despite repeated requests.&nbsp;</p> <p>"We wrote to the Prime Minister on December 27 last year addressing this complaint, " Nirmalanthan stated, pointing out the nearest fire service to both districts was in Vavuniya.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena, yesterday vowed that "come what may" he would implement the death penalty within "2-3 months".&nbsp;</p> <p>Over recent months Sirisena has repeatedly reiterated his plans to reintroduced the death penalty for those convicted of drug trafficking, despite international outcry and warns of interventions.&nbsp;</p> <blockquote><p> “We need stringent laws to make a law abiding and spiritual society,” Sirisena told parliament.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The country is now proliferated with various drugs including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and ice."</p>

The Mullaitivu court rejected an application by Sri Lankan police to prohibit Tamil protestors from protesting anywhere within the army-occupied village of Keppapulavu.

On January 28, residents of Keppapulavu intensified their campaign to have their lands released from Sri Lankan army occupation, getting as close to the camp and their lands as possible while military personnel and police were deployed to hold them back.

A court ordered that the protesters must keep at least 75 metres away from the army camp entrance, to which the protestors responded by measuring and setting up exactly 75 metres away.

<p>Tamil refugees who fled Sri Lanka are to be excluded from India’s current Citizenship&nbsp; Amendment Bill which was adopted by the Lok Sabha, the lower house in the country’s bicameral Parliament.&nbsp;</p> <p>There are approximately a hundred thousand Tamil refugees in India, with over two-thirds residing in government camps and the rest living on their own.&nbsp;</p> <p>India’s home minister, Rajnath Singhji, has defended the exclusion of Tamils stating that they would be protected under a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in December 2011. This extended the protection of the Long Term Visas (LTVs) which both Sri Lankan and Myanmar refugees were eligible for. To be eligible for this protection they needed to prove that they had been “victims of oppression in their countries of origin on account of race, religion, sex, nationality, ethnic identity, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” Experts are wary of this proposal as generally LTVs have not been issued to Tamil refugees, The Hindu reports.</p>

British Tamils protested outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on Monday, Sri Lanka’s 71st Independence Day.

Protesters held black flags and Tamil Eelam flags and said that the day was a black day for the Tamil nation that marked 71 years of genocide and oppression at the hands of the Sri Lankan state.

<p>The US Secretary of State said his government “remains eager” to grow ties with Sri Lanka, as he praised the island in a message released earlier this week.</p> <p>Marking Sri Lanka’s Independence Day Mike Pompeo said “Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions and constitutional processes have ensured your country’s continued advancement”.</p>

<p><img alt="Image removed." src="/core/misc/icons/e32700/error.svg" title="This image has been removed. For security reasons, only images from the local domain are allowed." height="16" width="16" class="filter-image-invalid"></p> <p>The Colombo based Tamil Lawyers Forum this week called on the UN Human Rights Council to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court, arguing that extending the time given to deliver on UN Resolution 30/1 would "deny justice".&nbsp;</p> <p>"In an appeal to UN High-commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Jeria and to UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Tamil Lawyers Forum urged Sri Lanka be referred to International Criminal Court (ICC) and not to give any additional time to Sri Lanka, when Sri Lanka come up for review at the upcoming UNHRC Session in March 2019," the Forum wrote, also calling on the Council to establish a UN Special Rapporteur for Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Due to Sri Lanka’s misleading and delaying tactics to avoid fulfilling the main requirements of Resolutions 34/1 and 30/1, it is time to explore other avenues to get justice. Giving any more time to Sri Lanka will be a nonstarter and would embolden Sri Lankan Security Forces to continue their abuses against Tamils and destroy vital war crimes evidences. This will also serve as a road map for other countries to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity without any fear, fully well knowing that they will escape accountability by following Sri Lanka’s path.&nbsp;</p>

The skeletal remains of four more children have been excavated from the Mannar mass grave site today, the judicial medical officer, Dr Saminda Rajapaksa said. 

The new finding brings the total number of skeletal remains of children to 27. 

<p>The United National Party (UNP) is to launch a new political alliance on May 1, the minister, Rajitha Senaratne told Daily Mirror.&nbsp;</p> <p>The new alliance will be known as the 'Democratic National Alliance (DNA)' with a ten member council, including ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem, Palani Digambaram, Mano Ganeshan, Rishad Bathiudeen and Arjuna Ranatunga, Senaratne said.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The 10-member leadership council will be chaired by UNP Leader and Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe,” he added.&nbsp;</p>

The Catalan city of Barcelona has called for an investigation into the genocide of Tamils by Sri Lanka, and to recognise the rights of the Tamil people to an independent homeland,  Tamil Eelam.

In a resolution voted by the city’s municipal council on January 25, representatives denounced systematic violations against the rights of Tamils, urged the recognition of Tamil sovereignty and called for an end to the Sri Lankan military’s occupation of the Tamil homeland.