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.

Tamil families of the disappeared denounced the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for engaging in discussion with Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe over a “national all-party programme,” stating that only an international accountability mechanism will see justice served.

In a press release and remarks to reporters last week, members of the Organisation of Relatives of Enforced Disappeared Eelam Tamils criticised the talks as “whitewashing” the Sri Lankan state’s crimes.

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) has refused to engage in talks with Sri Lanka’s newly appointed president Rani Wickremesinghe, until the state releases all the southern protestors who have been detained in a crackdown across the south in recent weeks.

Speaking at press conference, TNPF lawmakers Selvarajah Kajendran and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam denounced Sri Lanka’s arrest of activists and protest leaders, calling for their release.

Following the announcement that a Chinese military vessel would no longer be able to dock in Hambantota port, Chinese officials have sought an urgent meeting with senior Sri Lankan authorities.

The Daily Mirror notes that whilst some outlets have reported closed-door meetings between Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the president’s office have denied this reporting.

Despite repeat concerns over Sri Lanka’s war crimes accused army, Britain’s Defence attaché met with Sri Lanka’s current army commander Vikum Liyanage to discuss “enhancing training programmes for Sri Lankan Army personnel” and potential “exchange programmes”.

The meeting follows repeated warnings over deepening military impunity in Sri Lanka. In January 2021, the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights reported:

^{File photo: Sri Lankan army athletes}

At least ten athletes who were contesting in the Commonwealth Games for Sri Lanka have gone missing, with reports indicating that they may try to claim asylum in Britain.

The 9 athletes and a manager are reported to have vanished after completing their events.

Amongst those competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are 37 Sri Lanka Army athletes. It has not yet been confirmed if any of the missing athletes are from the military.

Sri Lankan President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is facing stiff opposition to his calls for an all-party government, with Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna rejecting any cabinet positions whilst the Samagi Jana Balawegaya remained divided.

Following continued opposition from Indian officials, Sri Lanka has requested an indefinite delay to a Chinese military ship that had planned to dock in Hambantota port.

The public U-turn follows the president’s inaugural speech in which heaped praise upon the Indian government for giving us “a breath of life” and slammed previous decisions to withdraw from Indian-led investment projects unilaterally. Sri Lankan President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, also spoke on the need to put “ineffective” state enterprises into private hands.

The National Forum of Tamil Culture launched a petition in Jaffna yesterday, demanding the arrest of former President and war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa is accused of overseeing the military offensive which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in 2009. At the time, Rajapaksa was serving as defence secretary and oversaw the bombing of makeshift hospitals, widespsread sexual violence and the execution of surrendering Tamils. 

All images courtesy of Thaarakam

Tamils in France held a memorial event to mark the 16th anniversary of the Muttur massacre, where 17 aid workers from the French NGO, Action la Contre Faim (ACF), were summarily executed by the Sri Lankan security forces.