The Sri Lankan government has revoked a gazette notification that would have enabled the mass appropriation of land across the Tamil homeland, following sustained opposition from Tamil political leaders and civil society.

The Bar Association of Jaffna has issued a firm rebuke of Sri Lanka’s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), calling not only for its immediate repeal but also rejecting any efforts to repackage repressive legislation under a different guise.

Sri Lanka’s military continued to entrench its presence in Tamil civilian life, using tourism, religious festivals, humanitarian aid, and donations to schools to advance Sinhalisation and sustain military occupation across the Tamil homeland.

Batticaloa

A solemn indoor memorial event in Negombo earlier this week to mark the 16th anniversary of the Tamil Genocide was met with hostility as protesters affiliated with the far-right organisation Sinhala Ravaya shouted slogans and hurled abuse at the entrance.

Organised by local social justice activists and religious leaders, the remembrance ceremony sought to provide a space for collective mourning and calls for accountability for the 2009 genocide at Mullivaikkal.