The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has appealed for USD 10.7 million to aid the 2 million women and girls in Sri Lanka that have been affected by the country's economic crisis.

Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a war criminal accused of overseeing some of the most heinous atrocities of the 21^st century. Under his command Sri Lankan troops unleashed an offensive that saw widespread violations of international law and left as many as 169,796 Tamils unaccounted for. Out of all the countries in the world, Singapore has a particular duty to hold him to account. It must do so before he flees.

Thai authorities confirmed that they received a visitation request from former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is reported to fly to the country tomorrow after fleeing to Singapore last month, amidst growing calls for the arrest of the accused war criminal.

Whilst millions across the island are forced to queue hours in the face of crippling fuel shortages, Sri Lanka’s navy has been getting a steady supply of fuel through a secret deal forged with Australia.

According to a report in The Australian, Sri Lankan navy patrol boats are regularly being refuelled in India at Canberra’s expense.

United Nations (UN) human rights experts have condemned Sri Lanka's "extensive, prolonged and repeated use of state of emergency measures" to repress the voices of peaceful protesters. 

In a statement, the experts highlighted that Sri Lankan authorities have clamped down on activists and protesters in recent weeks in response to the ongoing political and social unrest on the island. 

Sri Lanka’s former Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has insisted that his brother, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, did not flee the island but instead left for a medical appointment.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s strenuous denials follow similar claims by cabinet spokesman, Bandula Gunawardena, who insisted that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was “not in hiding”.

Sri Lanka’s former President and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Maithripala Sirisena defended his record claiming that if he had prior warnings of the Easter Sunday bombings he “would not let the attacks happen”.

“These terrorists have launched attacks in more than 50 countries. Even USA could not prevent the attacks in 2001” he told an assembly organised by member of the Colombo Municipal Council, M.N. Manzil.

Image courtesy of JDS 

Mangala Maddumage, a national organiser of the Revolutionary Students Union was reportedly abducted by unidentified men in a three wheeler in Colombo, as the crackdown on anti-government protesters continues across the South. 

An Australian vessel docked in Colombo last week, as it forcibly sent back 46 asylum seekers who were looking to flee Sri Lanka after it intercepted their vessel on 21 July 2022 at the Australia’s maritime border.

The move reportedly marks the first time that asylum seekers fleeing Sri Lanka are forcibly brought to the island on board an Australian Border Force ship.