“It is risible to suggest that we (Tamils) must embrace and live at peace with those who butchered our people and destroyed our nation,” said Seeman, chief coordinator of the Naam Tamilar Katchi in a recent interview, where he comments on the upcoming Sri Lankan general election.

“There are still people who deny that a genocide of Tamils took place,” he said. “The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Sumanthiran himself have claimed that such an act of ethnic cleansing never happened.”

During an SLFP rally in the city of Kelaniya, in Colombo, Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, vowed to tackle the drug menace whilst preserving the “city’s historical heritage”.

<p>The Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) heard a challenge to the UK ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Appellant's lawyer highlighted that a recent assessment by the MI5's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) noted that the LTTE are no longer operational. The lawyer also noted that an earlier assesment by JTAC in October 2017 found that there is no indication that the LTTE exists as a cohesive organisation with a recognised leadership structure or communications with its members.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Commission has the power to order the Home Secretary to unban the LTTE.&nbsp;</p>

Former Sri Lankan Minister and Colombo district candidate representing Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Champika Ranawaka, rejected the idea of federalism and attacked former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and former President, Maithripala Sirisena, for a “weak, lethargic approach” that allowed for the return of the Rajapaksas, during an interview with the Daily Mirror.

 

Karuna’s connection with the Rajapaksas

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is considering amending the Antiquities Ordinance, an act that is intended to conserve archaeological heritage sites and buildings, as the Buddhist clergy has called for power over land disputes in the North-East connected to Buddhist colonisation be transferred to courts in the South. An all-Sinhala committee has been put together to determine the implementation of these changes.

The move comes as the Sri Lankan president appointed an all-Sinhala committee "comprising Maha Sangha and experts in the field to study how the amendments should take place".

Former Northern Province Chief Minister and leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) C.V. Wigneswaran, expressed his concerns to the Swiss Ambassador about the security of ballot boxes from the military in the North-East during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

<p>The UNP has authorised the expulsion of 115 members following its Working Committee’s decision to terminate the membership of those who sought nominations from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) for the upcoming General Elections.</p> <p>According to UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, the Working Committee, which convened on Tuesday, decided to strip party membership from 54 persons out of the 102 suspended members following an investigation. He further stated that the Committee would be reconvened to assess the fate of the other suspended members. A further 61 local government ministers have also had their membership revoked.</p>

Sri Lankan police have questioned the former Supreme Court justice and current leader of the Tamizh Makkal Kootanii over a press release from December, with just days left until Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election.

C V Wigneswaran said police had visited him to question him about the press release, where had spoken on the history of Tamils on the island.

See the full text of the press release here.

"I stand by every word of what I have said here," the former chief minister told the questioning SL Police inspector on Friday, according to an interview with TamilNet. “You may collect it and you can question me on anything if you like.

Candidates from the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) who are contesting in the Eastern province are “on the verge of withdrawing due to ferocious threats and harassment” from paramilitary groups, said party leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, with parliamentary elections scheduled for next week.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said he was confident that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will win with a two-thirds majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections, at a rally earlier this week.

Rajapaksa claimed the SLPP “was born and emerged as a strong party due to the intimidation and harassment by the Yahapalana Government” and highlighted how the previous government overlooked the SLPP as the opposition party, despite winning 53 seats.