Sri Lanka’s Medical Association (SLMA) has concluded that the burial of COVID-19 bodies could be permitted in Sri Lanka following intense international and domestic protests in defence of Muslim religious freedom.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Kamal Gunaratne, has denied that the military taking over state sector institutions as the army takes on responsibility for printing driving licenses.

In his statement, he maintained that the military’s actions were a “temporary measure following a cabinet decision to save state funds”. He further claimed the army was only involved in the printing process but that the Motor Traffic Department would function largely unchanged.

Former chief monk of the Sri Bodhirajarama temple in Megawatt, Colombo, Uvathenne Sumana, serving life imprisonment for possession of firearms was granted presidential pardon on Sunday.

Diana Gamage, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya  MP, had requested this pardon from the Prime Minister.

Sumana was sentenced at the Colombo High Court in June 2020 for possessing a T-56 firearm during the 2010 presidential election.

Police Scotland’s renewal of their training contract with Sri Lanka, despite on-going human-rights violations, has sparked demands for a Holyrood review, examining the human rights impact of their programme.

Speaking on the renewed contract, author and journalist Phil Miller, expressed alarm stating:

Tamil families of the disappeared marked the end of 2020, with a protest demanding justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones last week.

Demonstrations took place in Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya last week, as the families continued their struggle and demanded answers over the disappearances of thousands of Tamils.

Jaffna

Demonstrators in Kilinochchi

Kilinochchi locals voiced their discontent concerning Sri Lanka’s policy of compulsory cremations, as campaigns against the moved continued across the North-East.

The state’s policy opposes Islamic practices and concerns raised by the UN as well as World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines whic notes that cremations for COVID-19 related deaths are not compulsory.

Politicians, religious leaders and locals in Mannar took part in a protest on Thursday (31^st December) against the Sri Lankan government’s continued insistence to forcibly cremate Muslim victims of COVID-19.

The demonstration commenced at 9:00 AM local time and took place in front of the Mannar district secretariat, with politicians such as Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP for the Vanni district, Charles Nirmalanathan among those in attendance.

24 high ranking military personnel have been appointed to oversee COVID-19 responses and quarantine procedures in districts across Sri Lanka.

The newly-appointed officers include 18 Major Generals, 5 Brigadiers and 2 Colonels.

Marking 1414 days of protest, Families of the Disappeared (FOD) took the streets in Vavuniya demanding that the international community and UN refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.

Their demands come in advance of the 46th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva this March. They have written to ambassadors to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

Tamil Heritage Month began in Canada this week as politicians from across the political spectrum paid tribute to the Tamil community.

An online event with cultural performances was held on New Year’s day to mark the start of the month, which will see events held virtually throughout January.