“Sri Lanka is deeply concerned and disturbed at the recent serious escalation of violence in Gaza and deeply regrets the loss of lives and the great suffering experienced by the people of Palestine.

Photographs Uthayan

In another bold act of defiance by Tamil students in the North-East, posters commemorating Tamil Eelam National Remembrance Day were seen posted around Jaffna University's campus on the eve of November 27th.

The Sri Lankan Students Association of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, organised an awareness event on Sri Lanka’s conflict and ‘post-conflict developments’, reported Colombo page.

The president of the society, Kasun Frenando, said that the event was organised to combat  “a malicious propaganda campaign carried out by the Amnesty International against Sri Lanka.”

The newly built memorial stone to mark the grave of Murugathasan Varnakulasingham - the Tamil youth who, outraged at international apathy and inaction in the face of the genocide of Tamils, self-immolated in protest outside the United Nations in Geneva on 12th February 2009 - was unveiled formally on Sunday by his mother, Mrs Varnakulasingham.

The Sri Lankan President’s visit to Malaysia has been cancelled following strong discontent surrounding the initial announcement of the visit.

The Malaysian Sri Lankan High Commission’s, media affairs counsellor, Rizvi Hassen, confirmed that,

Sri Lanka has agreed a deal with Iran that allows it to pay Tehran money for oil without breaking the US-led sanctions.

Over Rs 2 billion in unpaid bills will be used for an irrigation project which is funded by Iran.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad pledged $450 million to fund the scheme during his visit in 2008, but Iran has been unable to do so due to a lack of funds.

"Maaveerar naal serves not only as a reminder for us to call for the end of oppression of Eelam Tamils, but for us, as a Tamil nation, to stand strong and united as we always have to commemorate our brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their lives, their youths and their ambitions for our homeland.

Today, we students have once again reunited to honour thousands of our fallen heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Tamil Eelam. It’s heartbreaking to say that all of their graves have now been desecrated and destroyed by the Sri Lankan state. However, our maaveerar will never remain unmarked pages in our history. Each one of these courageous men and women will remain forever engraved in our hearts, serving as pillars of our nation.

Members of the Malaysian Indian Congress political party and Indian NGOs are planning on holding a demonstration in front of the Sri Lankan High Commission later this week to protest against Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s planned visit to the country next month.