Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, reaffirmed his government's rejection of a United Nations resolution on gathering evidence of war crimes and instead pledged to continue with “domestic” mechanisms that have been rejected by victims for over 15 years.

Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said  devolution of powers to Tamils in the North-East “is not necessary” and instead dismissed their ongoing concerns as merely “economic”.

"The 13th Amendment to the constitution and devolution are not necessary for the Tamil people," said the veteran party member. "They need a solution for their economic problems." 

Memorial events were held around the world last month to mark 37 years since the death of Lt Col Thileepan, the political wing leader of the LTTE, who staged a hunger strike until death in 1987.

See photographs from the various events below.

United Kingdom

In London, Tamils gathered outside the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street.

Tamils in Kattaidamban, Mannar, gathered in front of the Madhu Divisional Secretariat to protest against the Sri Lankan Forestry Department's takeover of their ancestral lands this week.

Several Tamil families participated in the demonstration, demanding the immediate release of the land, which they claim has been wrongfully seized.

The protest stems from long-standing grievances, as these Tamil families, displaced during the war in 1997, were resettled in 2004 and resumed small-scale farming by 2012.

An event was held in Aabenraa by the Demark Tamil Women’s Organization to mark the Tamil Eelam Women’s uprising Day and the 37th death anniversary of 2^nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

Canada expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday, including India’s High Commissioner to Canada, accusing them of being part of a broad criminal network to intimidate and harass Canadian Sikhs.

India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.

Sri Lankan politicians from across different political parties have demanded international action, including taking Israel to the International Court of Justice, after an attack wounded two Sri Lankan peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The Tamil homeland is increasingly becoming a hotspot for visa scams, with vulnerable individuals, often from rural areas, falling prey to fraudulent agents promising emigration opportunities, particularly to Western countries like Canada.