Tamils across the North-East today marked 31 years since Lt Col Thileepan began his fast unto death, demanding the Indian government upheld its promises to the Tamil people. 

Over 100,000 people gathered at the Nallur temple in Jaffna on September 15, 1987 to hear his words as he began the hunger strike. 

Sri Lanka’s rupee continued its fall, dropping to a fresh low on Friday, amidst a shaky outlook for the economy.

The rupee hit a fresh low of 163.60 per dollar, according to Reuters data, ending at 163.60/70 per dollar.

The latest fall comes after a gauge published by Nomura this week showed Sri Lanka is most at risk of an exchange rate crisis, as fears over currency crunches continue to build in emerging market economies.

The memorial for Lt. Col. Thileepan was cleaned this week in preparation for commemorative events later this month. 

The memorial, located in Nallur, Jaffna, had previously been destroyed by the Sri Lankan military. 

Earlier this year, the Jaffna Municipal Council decided that they would renovate it, with plans that the monument will be rebuilt to its former design, which originally included a 23-foot pillar.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran criticised Sri Lanka’s president after Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, who is wanted over his involvement in the murder case of Tamil youths, was allowed to fly to Mexico last week.

Wijegunaratne, Sri Lanka’s current chief of defence staff (CDS), is wanted over his involvement in helping the main suspect in the abduction and murder case of 11 Tamil youths evade arrest. Despite being wanted for questioning, he was allowed to fly to Mexico and is not expected to return until the end of the month.

Sri Lanka's state minister of national policies and economic affairs, Harsha De Silva said this week the Chinese funded Port City development in Hambantota would have a financial centre functioning under its own new laws. 

“We’re in the process of finalising the Port City legal framework but nothing we do in the Port City will be contra the constitution,” De Silva said, attempting to assure that the City would remain within the current constitutional framework. 

Sri Lanka’s president dismissed claims that he had begun to reduce the size of the military and instead vowed to protect the “pride of the security forces” at the United Nations later this month.

Maithripala Sirisena is due to meet with the UN Secretary General António Guterres as well as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Sri Lankan police on Wednesday arrested four Tamil youths in Kodikaamam for allegedly hijacking a police vehicle. 

The police reportedly tried to arrest the youths after they were involved in a quarrel at a wedding on September 11. 

The youths however are alleged to have escaped by hijacking the police vehicle, which was later found abandoned around 1km away. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithiripala Sirisena today warned this week warned police chiefs not to take action against the military "in a manner that would cause embarassment to them", Ceylon Today reports. 

Sirisena made the order on Tuesday, which comes after the chief of defence staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne is wanted over his involvement in helping the main suspect in the abduction and murder case of 11 Tamil youths evade arrest. 

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this week, after he delivered a speech brushing off war crimes allegations as “false and malicious propaganda”.

Jaffna police attempted to arrest a Tamil lawyer wearing a saree with a Buddha face print on Wednesday.

Police officers reportedly waited outside court for the lawyer to arrest her, after being contacted by the court police.

An argument ensued with the lawyer’s colleagues intervening in her defence. The police abandoned the arrest attempt but asked the lawyer to give a statement at the police station, to which the lawyer complied.