Sri Lankan police officers threatened to quarantine Tamil families of the disappeared as they made their way to a protest in Batticaloa earlier today, in an attempt to stop the demonstration from happening on International Human Rights Day.

Relatives of the forcibly disappeared were making their way to a protest in the Eastern province, when police officers attempted to stop them at the Batticaloa bus station.

Sri Lankan police officers attempted to disrupt a protest being held by Tamils in Mullaitivu this week, as villagers took the streets to step up their protest for the release of land in the district.

Officers were filmed on camera attempting to pull down banners and clashing with the protestors this week.

Despite the interference of the Sri Lankan police, the protest is still on going.

Sri Lanka’s Northern Province chief secretary, A.Pathinathan, sent a letter demanding civil servants working in the media sector across the Northern Province, to disclose ‘relevant information’ to the government.

The letter was sent earlier this week to the departments of the Northern Provincial Council and Vavuniya district by Pathinathan, ordering the release of the information. Those who refuse to do so were threatened with prosecution under Sri Lanka’s ‘Establishments Code’.

Tamil families of the disappeared held protests and rallies today across the North-East today, marking International Human Rights Day with calls for justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones.

Sri Lankan security forces carried out search raids in homes in Mullaitivu last week, after they reported an explosion had occurred in Mankulam on November 26, the day before Maaveerar Naal was commemorated by Tamils across the North-East.

Troops from the Special Task Force (STF) conducted searches of several homes in the Mankulam area on November 27, as a military crackdown was underway across the region, with several arrests taking place.

British Tamils across London marked the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime on Wednesday with a campaign across London calling for the boycott of Sri Lankan goods and services.       

Campaigners took to the streets outside major retail stores across London as they called for shoppers to boycott stores that stock products made in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan police have arrested a Tamil family travelling to Kandy from Jaffna after they were stopped in Kilinochchi allegedly carrying an explosive.

The police have claimed that the woman is a former LTTE cadre and that she had received funding from a "foreign LTTE" network to deliver the claymore mine to the east. They have since launched raids on those close to the family in Jaffna.

Right : Dinesh Gunawardane 

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardane, is set to meet the British High Commission and will convey the government’s “displeasure” over the projection of a Karthigaipoo on to the UK Houses of Parliament.

The leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) G G Ponnambalam warned that Sri Lanka’s continued denial of Tamil rights would bring about further instability and “compromise your own sovereignty,” as he called for the recognition of the Tamil nation and Tamil rights.

Addressing parliament last month, the lawmaker said that “Sri Lanka has used its strategic importance since 1948 to try and undermine its own population or a section of its own population, particularly the Tamil people”.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran warned that Sri Lanka would face “serious repercussions if you resile from international commitments” as he spoke in parliament on UN resolutions on accountability for mass atrocities and the devolution of powers to the North-East.

The lawmaker recalled the several commitments Sri Lanka has made to the UN Human Rights Council on accountability and to the UNJ Secretary-General and India  on a political solution to the island’s ethnic conflict.