The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has published an updated report on 30 countries of human rights concerns, noting that the “human rights environment in Sri Lanka worsened”.

Human rights under attack

Tamils across London are showcasing their unity by flying the Tamil Eelam flag outside homes and businesses in the build-up to Maaveerar Naal, which takes place on 27 November.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran paid tribute to the LTTE’s Captain Pandithar at the fighter's family home this morning, as part of events leading up to Maaveerar Naal this week.

The Kayts Magistrate's Court has imposed a ban on observing Maaveerar Naal and other remembrance events in Jaffna from today until November 27.

An order was was issued by the court yesterday evening under the Covid-19 Isolation Act after Kayts police filed a case to ban any commemoration events. The police said they had received information that arrangements were being made to observe Maaveerar Naal in Velanani and Pungudutivu. 

Sinnathurai Maheswari, the mother of Sinnathurai Raveenthiran, otherwise known as LTTE’s senior Captain Pandithar, pleaded that no one should be banned from paying homage to their deceased children.

Maheswari, hailing from Valvettithurai filed a petition at Jaffna High Court seeking an injunction not to attempt a ban on Maaveerar Naal events.

In the lead up to Maaveerar Naal, UK Tamil students and the Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYO UK) have organised a virtual remembrance event to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle for freedom.

The event has been organised alongside 23 Tamil societies. 

Watch the live event below: 

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In the build-up to Maaveerar Naal next week, a Sri Lankan parliamentarian claimed that there were “no martyrs” in the armed conflict, “only terrorists” and the army.

Sri Lankan police officers interrogated Tamil Guardian’s Batticaloa correspondent and Batticaloa Press Club (BPC) Secretary, Selvakumar Nilanthan at his home, for highlighting the military-assisted Sinhala settlements on Tamil cattle farmers’ land in Batticaloa.

Nilanthan, who revealed that land grabs in Mylanthanaimadu and Periya Maadhavanai, Batticaloa has resulted in Tamil cattle farmers “facing grave economic problems”, was questioned for nearly two hours by four policeman on Monday (16^th November). During the interrogation, he was asked to disclose the names of his colleagues who had been assigned to the story and the websites that publish his articles.

The Mannar Magistrates court imposed a ban on observing Maaveerar Naal across the Mannar district. Vavuniya Magistrate Court issued orders today to ban eight persons from taking part in Maaveerar Naal commemoration activities, including TNPF MP Selvarajah Kajendran. 

The court passed a judgement yesterday that effectively enforces a ban on commemorational activities in Mannar from 21^st to 27^th November 2020, after Mannar Police filed a case requesting Maaveerar Naal remembrances to be prohibited. Sri Lankan police across the Tamil homeland have appealed to local districts court in an attempt to prevent Maaveerar Naal commemorations this year.

Sinhala settlers in Batticaloa cultivating corn on grazing land have threatened Tamil livestock farmers and killed several cows that were grazing on the disputed land.

Sri Lankan police disrupted Tamils who were conducting volunteer services in preparation for Maaveerar Naal at the Maveerar Thuyilum Illam in Theravil, Visuvamadu on Monday. 

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. 

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.”