Sri Lankan police today applied to the Mannar Court seeking a ban on worship services at the St Sebastian Cathedral as well as other temples and churches between the 20th and 27th November, citing the possibility that fallen LTTE cadres could be commemorated during the services.

Priya Murugappan, a Tamil refugee who continues to be held in Australia detention, has been named as one of Marie Claire‘s Women of the Year, as campaigners continue to demand that her family be allowed to settle in the country.

The announcement, made earlier this week, saw Priya honoured alongside eight other women and the activists of Biloela for having “fought with passion, led with bravery and inspired with their triumphs”.

“Priya Murugappan’s memories are awash with pain and persecution: of her first fiancée being burnt alive before her eyes in Sri Lanka; of being manhandled by Australian guards who ripped a tendon in her arm while forcing her onto a plane seeking to deport her; and of her youngest child nearly dying when she didn’t receive proper medical care in detention,” said Marie Claire.

A grand ceremony was held in Sri Lanka this week, as dozens of political leaders from across the south accompanied Sinhala Buddhist monks and military generals at the unveiling of a newly constructed Buddhist stupa built to honour Sri Lankan troops.

Mullaitivu Magistrate Court has banned 47 activists and politicians from across Tamil parties from participating in Maaveerar Naal events, following a request from the Sri Lankan security forces.

Judge R Saravanarajah issued an injunction against several politicians, activists, civil society members in Mullaitivu to disrupt commemorations ahead of 'Maaveerar Vaaram', the week of remembrance preceding Maaveerar Naal.

The Tamil National Alliance and members of the Global Tamil Forum met with the US State Department in Washington last week, as they discussed “political representation [and] reconciliation as part of a wholistic transitional justice agenda”.

The main flame pillar used to commemorate fallen fighters at an LTTE cemetery in Mannar was destroyed last night, in an act of vandalism that comes amidst a crackdown in the Tamil homeland.

TNA MP Thavarasa Kalaiarasan slammed the Sri Lankan government’s plans to issue death certificates and compensation to families of the disappeared, echoing the campaigning families themselves who have stated that the plans are a cynical attempt to break up their protests.

The Sri Lankan military has been surveilling and harassing families of fallen LTTE cadres in Kilinochchi and Thirunagar ahead of Maaveerar Naal, locals report.

In Mullaitivu, the Sri Lankan military questioned Tamils who were marking Karthikai Vilakkeedu, the Tamil Hindu festival of lights, due to its proximity to Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day for fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres.

A court in Vavuniya has banned 8 Tamil civil society members from attending commemorations events for Maaveerar Naal, following a request from Sri Lankan security forces.

The banning restricts the individuals from attending events between the 20-29 of November after an injunction seeking the banning was filed by the Vavuniya Chief of Police. Former MPs Sivashakthi Anandan and S.Sivamohan, Secretary of the Vavuniya families of the disappeared K.Rajkumar, former provincial councillors P.Sathiyalingham, Kayendrakumar,  S.Thavapalsingam and S. Aravindan are some of the names listed on the court order. 

The court order states the named individuals must stop any commemorative activities related to Maaveerar Naal between the 20 and 29 and have been told to appear in court on the 6 of December. 

The former head of Sri Lanka’s army has been inducted into the US Army Command and General Staff College’s “International Hall of Fame” this week, an appointment that has led to widespread outcry from Tamil victims around the world.

Mahesh Senanayake, who has had a long Sri Lankan military career and once ran for president, was awarded in a ceremony held in the US this week.

Sri Lankan police, army, and public health inspectors conducted raids in banks, businesses, private clinics and restaurants in Vavuniya this week, reportedly to control the recurrence of coronavirus infections in Vavuniya. 

Details of those who were not wearing masks and who did not observe “health practices” were recorded and warned.

Writing in the Diplomat, Madura Rasaratnam and Mario Arulthas, maintain that the current policy of appeasement, and of soft-pedalling on demands for "accountability and political reform", adopted by the US and India  "comes with considerable costs and uncertain gains".

^{File photo: Sri Lankan police officers intimidate Tamils who were preparing to mark Maaveerar Naal in 2018.}

A court in Mullaitivu has banned the commemoration of Maaveerar Naal – an annual day of remembrance to mark the lives lost during the Tamil armed struggle – following a request from the Sri Lankan security forces.