<p><img alt="Image removed." src="/core/misc/icons/e32700/error.svg" title="This image has been removed. For security reasons, only images from the local domain are allowed." height="16" width="16" class="filter-image-invalid"></p> <p>The Colombo based Tamil Lawyers Forum this week called on the UN Human Rights Council to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court, arguing that extending the time given to deliver on UN Resolution 30/1 would "deny justice".&nbsp;</p> <p>"In an appeal to UN High-commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Jeria and to UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Tamil Lawyers Forum urged Sri Lanka be referred to International Criminal Court (ICC) and not to give any additional time to Sri Lanka, when Sri Lanka come up for review at the upcoming UNHRC Session in March 2019," the Forum wrote, also calling on the Council to establish a UN Special Rapporteur for Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Due to Sri Lanka’s misleading and delaying tactics to avoid fulfilling the main requirements of Resolutions 34/1 and 30/1, it is time to explore other avenues to get justice. Giving any more time to Sri Lanka will be a nonstarter and would embolden Sri Lankan Security Forces to continue their abuses against Tamils and destroy vital war crimes evidences. This will also serve as a road map for other countries to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity without any fear, fully well knowing that they will escape accountability by following Sri Lanka’s path.&nbsp;</p>

The skeletal remains of four more children have been excavated from the Mannar mass grave site today, the judicial medical officer, Dr Saminda Rajapaksa said. 

The new finding brings the total number of skeletal remains of children to 27. 

<p>The United National Party (UNP) is to launch a new political alliance on May 1, the minister, Rajitha Senaratne told Daily Mirror.&nbsp;</p> <p>The new alliance will be known as the 'Democratic National Alliance (DNA)' with a ten member council, including ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem, Palani Digambaram, Mano Ganeshan, Rishad Bathiudeen and Arjuna Ranatunga, Senaratne said.&nbsp;</p>

The Catalan city of Barcelona has called for an investigation into the genocide of Tamils by Sri Lanka, and to recognise the rights of the Tamil people to an independent homeland,  Tamil Eelam.

In a resolution voted by the city’s municipal council on January 25, representatives denounced systematic violations against the rights of Tamils, urged the recognition of Tamil sovereignty and called for an end to the Sri Lankan military’s occupation of the Tamil homeland.

<p>Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena on Monday rejected the UNP's push towards a formation of another 'national government'.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I heard through the media that a Minister is talking about how to form a National Government and what its benefits are. What I see is the need to benefit themselves by obtaining Ministerial posts. My thought is that when we are accompanied by less people, we are able to do our duty to the nation."</p>

Sri Lankan soldiers continued with their militarisation of the North-East last week, with troops from the 661 Brigade carrying out roof repairs at a church in Poonakari.

Sri Lanka’s president called on the island to wage a war on drugs in a “similar manner” to the massive military offensive a decade ago that killed tens of thousands of Tamils and saw large scale violations of international law.

Tamils in Amparai protested demanding the Sri Lankan army release the buildings of a school which it has occupied since 1990.

Residents of Thirukkovil in Amparai demanded on Friday that the army withdraw from the Visvathulasi Vidyalayam and allow the compound to be used again for education and sport.

Residents of a Jaffna suburb protested after a suspect accused of abducting a local Tamil girl escaped while receiving treatment in hospital, purportedly under the watch of Sri Lankan police.

Sri Lankan police have been collecting details of residents and business-people in Koppay, while refusing to disclose the reason.

Last Thursday, January 31, non-uniformed police officers visited homes and businesses in Koppay’s police division and told residents to fill out a form with details including names and national identity card (NIC) numbers of occupants.

Families of the disappeared in Vavuniya protest today, marking their 715th day of continous demonstration demanding answers for their disappeared loved ones. 

Sri Lanka’s president recited a poem declaring Sri Lanka ‘Sinhala land’ during a speech at a military parade in Colombo to mark Independence Day earlier today, stating that it was the “essence of our future vision”.

The Sri Lankan military held parades across the North-East as it marked Independence Day earlier today, in a show of might several years after the end of the armed conflict in the region.

The parades had troops march in formation at streets across various districts, in some cases waving Sri Lankan ‘lion’ flags.

Some of the parades also saw the participation of local Tamil schoolchildren.

See photographs from various districts below.

Tamils across the North-East held black flags today in protesting at the celebrations by the Sri Lankan state for independence day, arguing that the Tamil nation was not free and lacked even basic rights such as land rights. 

In Batticaloa, families of the disappeared protested by the Eastern University campus, rejecting the celebrations of independence, and calling for the government to provide answers for their disappeared loved ones.