The Sri Lankan army showed little sign that it was slowing down its militarisation of the North-East as it announced another batch of troops had completed a “Special Infantry Operations -  Refresher Course” at its base in Jaffna

The Sri Lankan military carried out an exercise where troops dispersed protestors, at the army’s Battalion Training School (BTS) at Puthukkuddiyirippu last month.

Soldiers, carrying rifles and dressed in riot gear, were seen carrying out exercises against a mock protest group who were holding placards.

 

Politics, culture, religion and caste were the topics of discussion at an event held at SOAS University of London last month, as British Tamils gathered to discuss Tamil identity in the diaspora.

As part of the discussion - entitled ‘Diasporic identity: Who are we?’ – panellists discussed a variety of topics related to how the British Tamil community and identity has been formed and grown.

<p>Vavuniya residents who have been unable to cultivate their lands due to the obstruction caused by vast Sri Lankan army security bunds put up during the war have been told by local officials that the bunds will not be removed any time soon.</p> <p>The district’s government agent has said that local authorities need around Rs 15 million to be able to remove the 22km long sand bunds from private cultivation lands, and that the funds are not forthcoming from any source.</p>

Tamil children in villages in Vavuniya are being forced to travel long distances to attend school due to school closures in the district.

Specifically the closures of two schools - Koliya Kulam GTM School and Varudaiyar Iluppaikulam GTM school - have affected families in several surrounding villages including Kunchukulam, Navvi and Palamottai.

Both schools resumed operations when the areas were resettled following the end of the war in 2010 but ceased operating this year and have been left to dilapidate.

<p>The killing of two police officers in Batticaloa was a ploy to create problems for Tamils on the island, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP has said.</p> <p>“We view the incident of the shooting and killing of two police officers in Vavunathivu last week as act to incite racism,” Batticaloa representative G Sirinesan said in parliament last week.</p> <p>“We must approach it as a behind-the-scenes ploy to create problems for the Tamil people,” he said.</p>

Protests took place in Trincomalee and Jaffna this week against gender based violence. 

In Jaffna, the protest took place by the main bus station today, calling for an end to gender based violence in workplaces. 

It was organised by the Jaffna Social Action Centre. 

A house was attacked in the Koppay central region of Jaffna last night around midnight, with the petrol bomb.  

A 53 year old man, Sellathurai Selvaranjan, was injured in the incident and has been admitted to Jaffna Hospital. 

The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena has been filmed stating Mahinda Rajapaksa was unable to get the 113 MPs needed for a majority as many were quoting high prices.

He added that he personally knew some MPs asking for Rs 50 million to cross over. 

Many analysts have said the extraordinary new video amounts to admission of bribery and corruption by the president. 

The former United States ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake warned the country should expect greater scrutiny following the US mid term elections and in view of "serious questions" raised by actions of President Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

In an op-ed published in the Daily Mirror, Blake, who was also served as the former assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, encouraged Rajapaksa to step down from his appointment of prime minister, and focus on building up the SLPP ahead of any election.