Justin Trudeau marked Tamil Heritage month in his Thai Pongal message, celebrating the contribution of Tamil Canadians.

Last week Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly announced targeted sanctions against Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well as Sunil Ratnayake and Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi for “gross and systematic violations of human rights during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka”.

Today marks 30 years since the death of Sathasivam Krishnakumar alias Colonel Kittu, and nine other LTTE cadres, who committed suicide after being surrounded by Indian navy warships in 1993.

The 30th anniversary of the deaths of Colonel Kittu (Sathasivam Krishnakumar) and nine other LTTE cadres was marked in Mullaitivu.

The inaugural lamp was lit by Theresamma, the mother of two Maaveerar. Following this, the sacrificial lamp was then lit by the mother of Maaveerar Kanikodi.

The World Report 2023 published by Human Rights Watch (HRW), details the continued repression in Sri Lanka under President Wickremesinghe.

In the 712-page World Report 2023, its 33rd edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in close to 100 countries.

South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Meenakshi Ganguly noted that, 

Sri Lankan police used water cannons on Tamil protesters in Jaffna earlier today as they rallied against President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to the district. 

A weekly ferry carrying 300 metric tons of Indian products to Jaffna's Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour will begin in February. 

In recent years, the Sri Lankan government has intensified its continued militarisations and Sinhalisaiton of Kankesanthurai.

Tamils are protesting across Jaffna today as Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits the peninsula for Thai Pongal. 

The rally began at the University of Jaffna, with students joining the Tamil families of the disappeared as they marched towards Nallur Sivan temple where Wickremesinghe was attending a Thai Pongal event. 

Thai Pongal is being celebrated across the Tamil homeland, with festivities taking place amidst the economic crisis. 

Environmental organization, Poovulagin Nanbargal, has raised concerns that the Sethusamudram project will harm the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mannar. 

In a statement the organization stated that the project will do more harm than good.

The project is set to be implemented in the Gulf of Mannar. Poovulagin Nanbargal highlights that "the Gulf of Mannar has been announced as [a] biosphere reserve and [has] 4,223 species [that] thrive in the sea." The group continued "there are endangered sea mammals like dugong and dolphins."

Minister of External Affairs of India, S. Jaishankar, is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for January 19-20. 

According to officials, the visit will consist of a full review of bilateral ties.

The visit also comes amidst efforts by the Sri Lankan government to secure "written financial assurances" from India and China. The island needs to get these assurances to make progress on a bailout plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).