Tamil families of the disappeared marked Sri Lanka's 74th Independence Day by hoisting black flags as they protested in Jaffna today. 

The Global Tamil Diaspora, representing over one million Tamils who fled Sri Lanka, launched a campaign today to publicly ban 18 credibly alleged war criminals in Sri Lanka. The campaign marks Sri Lanka's Independence Day, or as the groups call it, "a day of mourning" but one "with hope and optimism for the Tamil people from Sri Lanka."

The campaign, put forth by nine global Tamil Diaspora organizations, call on their respective governments to; 

In Berlin, German Tamils took the streets to raise awareness of the Tamil genocide and demand justice on the 74^th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence.

The art exhibition included various pieces of artwork depicting the oppression and violence inflicted on Tamils as a result of the Sinhala colonisation of the Tamil homeland. 

Protests were also held in Jaffna and Mullivaikkal today, marking Sri Lanka's Independence Day as a "Black Day for the Tamil nation." 

Students at the University of Jaffna were barred from entering the campus premises today, in an apparent attempt by university authorities to prevent them from protesting on Sri Lanka’s ‘Independence Day’.

Students at the campus had arrived but security personnel reportedly blocked them from entering.

As a mark of their protest, the students tied a black cloth to the campus gates.

Sri Lanka’s president struck a defiant tone in his Independence Day speech this morning, as he hailed past Sinhala Buddhist kings and warned “both local and foreign forces” were “conspiring” against the government, as bombs and drones were showcased in a military parade.

Addressing the event after Sri Lankan soldiers and tanks march before him, Rajapaksa started by praising previous Sinhala rulers who “fought against foreign invaders” and once more spoke of beating an “attempt to divide this country through terrorism”.

Tamil families of the disappeared and activists rallied in Mullivaikkal this morning, to mark Sri Lanka's 74th Independence Day, which is regarded as a 'black day' for the Tamil nation. 

Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister and leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) lashed out at protesting Tamil fishermen in Point Pedro and abruptly left with an armed Sri Lankan escort, as tempers flared earlier today.

Addressing fishermen who were demonstrating against Indian trawler incursions, Douglas Devananda urged them to give up their protest.

Responding to a question posed by the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland, Tonia Antoniazzi, Minister of State at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Amanda Milling, noted the government’s “serious concern” over sexual violence in Sri Lanka and reaffirmed its commitment to UNHRC resolution 46/1.

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor apparently backtracked on remarks made by the government’s finance minister today, stating that the crisis-hit island was only seeking “technical assistance” from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as debt repayments continue to pile up.

In a tweet posted earlier today Ajith Nivard Cabraal said any approach by Sri Lanka to the IMF was strictly “about a routine Technical Assistance Program on Macro-Fiscal capacity building for MOF's new Macro-Fiscal Unit”.

“Nothing else,” he added.

Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan has written to members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling on them to denounce Sri Lanka’s failure to investigate mass atrocities and that it has “not taken any steps to address the Tamil National Question”.

In a letter sent last week, Sampanthan stated that the Sri Lankan government “continues a programme of repression of Sri Lankan Tamils”, listing moves such as militarisation, arrests and surveillance of political activists.