As US Secretary of State Mike Pomepo lands in Colombo today, close attention will be paid to his meetings at Temple Trees, where he will meet with Sri Lanka’s war crimes-accused president and prime minister. The Sri Lankan government will no doubt spin this as an US attempt to court the regime in Colombo or even as international applause for how the Rajapaksa siblings have ruled since they returned to power. The Secretary of State must make clear that this is far from the case. 

The Colombo-based Defence Advisors of Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, United States and the United Kingdom held a meeting with the war crimes accused head of the Sri Lankan military last week, to discuss the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sri Lankan Opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, has called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for “terrorists and drug dealers”.

Speaking in parliament, JVP MP, Vijitha Herath, claimed that the murder of Makandure Madush, a notorious drug “kingpin” who was under police custody at the Maligawatte Housing complex, was done to protect 80 politicians complicit in drug trafficking.

A biopic of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is back in the works according to an announcement made by Kollywood actor Bobby Simha last week.

Protests have taken place across Tamil Nadu in support of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thol.Thirumavalavan and calling for a ban on an ancient Hindu text Manusmriti, which has caused controversy over segments that denigrate women.  

Sri Lanka’s High Commission in London has been busy lobbying the British government after a ruling last week found that the Home Office decision to keep the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) proscribed as a terrorist organisation was “flawed” and unlawful, reports the Sunday Times.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena reportedly held a Zoom meeting with Fergus Auld, Director South Asian Department of the Foreign Office warning of the supposed dangers of delisting the LTTE, shortly after the landmark judgment.

The Mullaitivu police department has accelerated measures to crack down on illegal timber smuggling in areas across Mullaitivu, following the attack of the Tamil Guardian correspondents last month. 

US Secretary of State may be in for a fiery meeting with Sri Lankan leaders in Colombo this week, with a report claiming that the Sri Lankan officials will hit back at US calls on human rights, justice and economic policies.

^{File photograph: Modi and Wigneswaran in Jaffna. 2015.}

Tamil lawmaker C V Wigneswaran thanked Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for his call for the “essential” implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka, as he asked New Delhi to ensure there would be no further Sinhalisation of the Tamil North-East.

Sri Lanka’s former president claimed that the appointment of a relative of an LTTE member to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) resulted in several reports of human rights abuses committed by the security forces reaching the United Nations, and the eventual vetting of Sri Lankan troops from UN peacekeeping missions.

Tributes have poured in for Coimbatore Transgender Association President Sangeetha, who was found murdered at her residence on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu Police have arrested 23-year-old Rajesh, with reports that allegedly killed Sangeetha who had rejected his sexual advances. Police Commissioner Sumit Saran told TNM that a 'personal dispute' was the cause for the murder, however, a press release from the department states that Sangeetha was killed by Rajesh for allegedly rejecting his sexual advances.

UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the UK are "concerned about the Government of Sri Lanka's decision to withdraw support for the UN resolution," in response to a question on Sri Lanka. 

Nigel Adams answered a written question, posed by Steven Baker, MP for Wycombe, who asked "what steps he is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," to which the Minister replied:

"The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including in our role as penholder on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We firmly believe that UNHRC resolution 30/1, and its successor resolutions 34/1 and 40/1, remain the best framework for establishing truth and achieving lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka. We continue to encourage and support Sri Lankan to deliver on the commitments its made to the UNHRC through these resolutions."