The Sri Lankan government has reportedly approved new laws that will grant the intelligence services “impunity”, as it ramps up its policy of protecting those accused of rights abuses.

JDS Lanka quotes government spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena telling journalists in Colombo that the current regime would ensure Sri Lankan soldiers would not be subject to prosecution and that the cabinet has approved to draft an act “in order to stop such things happening in future, to safeguard their official responsibilities, to grant them impunity, to give intelligence services legal powers and to deliver their national duties”.

The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF) has called on the United Nations to respond to claims made by Sri Lanka’s president that thousands of forcibly disappeared and missing Tamils “are actually dead”.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the remarks to the United Nations’ resident co-ordinator Hanaa Singer, during a meeting earlier this month, sparking condemnation from Tamil families of the disappeared who have spent years searching for their loved ones.

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has questioned former health minister MP Rajitha Senaratne for a second time following revelations made about abductions made through white vans at a press conference last year.

It is reported Senaratne was questioned for nearly four hours by Sri Lankan security forces. He had been arrested last month after he held a press conference introducing Anthony Fernando, a man who claimed to be a ‘white van’ driver who had personally witnessed kidnappings and torture.

Tamils in Batticaloa commemorated the 87 people killed by Sri Lankan security forces in the Kokkadichcholai massacre 33 years ago, amidst revelations that British mercenaries may have been directly implicated in the atrocity.

The Norwegian government announced that it helped to fund the first floating solar plant in Sri Lanka earlier this month, as it launched the project in Kilinochchi.

The solar plant was a result of a research collaboration between the University of Jaffna and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. They were supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo and Ambassador Eskedal, who were present at an unveiling ceremony.

European Union election observers found that Sri Lanka’s traditional and social media platforms had shared “divisive rhetoric, hate speech and disinformation” during the 2019 presidential election, labelling the coverage “biased”.

Areport by the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) last week added that “biased election coverage by private and state media contributed to an uneven playing field and limited the opportunity for most candidates to convey their message”.

A museum showcasing and celebrating Tamil history and culture has been opened in Navatkuli, Jaffna – making it the first time in history that a museum of its kind has been built on the island.  

Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst conducted a training session for the Sri Lankan military this week, despite the long standing reports of human rights abuses and massacres committed by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Tamil families of the disappeared reacted angrily to the Sri Lankan president’s assertion that the thousands of forcibly disappeared and missing Tamils “are actually dead,” stating that as defence secretary at the time of the abductions he should be fully aware of their fate.

Tamil families of the missing held demonstrations in Vavuniya yesterday, demanding that the Sri Lankan government assurance the security of Tamil journalists, who have recently faced increased harrassment and intimdiation from the security forces