The Sri Lankan security forces attempted to halt a group of Tamils who were on their way to commence cleaning services in preparation for Maaveerar Naal, as initimidation continued in the run up to the remembrance day. 

A crowd of police and military officers surrounded the Tamils, including Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) general secretary and parliamentarian Selvarajah Kajendran, and started collecting their full contact details. 

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) said that it will support the burial of Muslim coronavirus victims, whilst the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has opposed such a move, as the Sri Lankan government reportedly looks to commence burials in Mannar.

“We fully support burials,” tweeted TNPF leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam this morning. “And we support the burials to be in places that normally they would have been buried.”

We fully support burials. And we support the burials to be in places that normally they would have been buried.

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa pledged to allay “legitimate fears” over the “Sinhala race” and further strengthen the security apparatus in a speech laced with ethno-nationalist rhetoric aimed at his Sinhala Buddhist base on Wednesday.

“It is no secret that the majority who voted for me then were Sinhalese,” Rajapaksa told Sri Lanka’s parliament. “They rallied because they had legitimate fears that the Sinhala race, our religion, national resources and the heritage would be threatened with destruction in the face of various local and foreign forces and ideologies that support separatism, extremism and terrorism.”

“During this short period of time we have taken steps to ensure the security of the country as requested by the people,” he added. “The public should not have apprehensions on this issue any longer.”

The European Union (EU) warned Sri Lanka that trade between the two regions “is not a one-way street,” as it expressed concern over Colombo’s import restrictions and withdrawal of support for the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution on accountability.

“As COVID-19 continues to bring a number of challenges, we, the Colombo-based Heads of Missions representing the European Union and its Member States, held a series of high-level meetings, including with Foreign Minister Gunawardena,” said a statement released this morning.

Three suspects in the assault on two Tamil journalists last month in Mullaitivu were granted bail on Tuesday.

The Mullaitivu District Magistrates Court granted bail to the three remaining suspects iremanded in connection with the attack on Tamil Guardian correspondents Shanmugam Thavaseelan and Kanapathipillai Kumanan.

Two suspects had previously been released on bail out of the five suspects arrested in connection with the case.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom has hit back at The Elders this week, after the group referenced Sri Lanka when they spoke on US President Donald Trump’s refusal to “adhere to the protocols and processes governing the transition of power”.

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland, said, “it is shocking to have to raise concerns about US democratic processes as The Elders have previously commented on volatile and undemocratic situations in states such as Kenya, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe”.

Muslim human rights lawyer Hejaaz Jizbullah, who has been arbitrarily detained by the Sri Lankan state under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) since April 2020, missed out on the birth of his first child on Sunday morning. 

A campaign group dedicated to the release of the prominent lawyer, Justice For Hejaaz, tweeted:

“Early this morning Hejaaz’s wife gave birth to their first child. Hejaaz still remains in detention without charge as he was for the past 7 months and missed the precious moment of welcoming his baby daughter into this world. How long do we have to wait for Justice?”

Sri Lanka’s Tamils are rarely given a fair hearing on the world stage. But on the occasions when their voices do gain some momentum, there will always be some among them who use their privilege and status to dismiss and deride their concerns. From denying the racism and oppression rife within Sri Lanka, to undermining the decades-long struggle of the families of the disappeared, no one has been more willing to do that than Muttiah Muralitharan.

Writing on the Muralitharan biopic controversy in online Indian magazine The Wire, Tamil Guardian co-editor Abinaya Nathan outlines how appeals for freedom of expression are rarely extended to Tamils in the North-East.

The United Kingdom will continue with the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) frameworks after the end of the Brexit transition period, giving a number of countries, including Sri Lanka, the ability to trade with the UK with zero, or reduced tariffs.

Sri Lanka will be one of eight countries eligible for waived import tariffs on certain goods under the UK's Enhanced GSP framework, the equivalent of the EU's GSP+. The UK government states that, like the EU's GSP+, countries receiving this benefit must implement 27 conventions relating to human rights and labour rights, the environment and good governance.

Sri Lanka’s army commander and alleged war criminal, Shavendra Silva has ‘banned’ this year’s public Maaveerar Naal commemoration events and threatened that any efforts taken to remember will result in legal action and isolation, according to Tamil Newspaper Kalaikathir.

“Relatives have the right to remember ordinary people who died in the war. This can be done from home. However, Maaveerar Naal commemorations attempting to commemorate terrorists cannot be held in public. Therefore, any attempts to honour LTTE cadres will not be permitted,” he said.