The protracted battle between Tamils in Nedunkeni and the Sri Lankan archaeology department continues as Vavuniya police have enforced a ban on any development being undertaken at an ancient temple in the area, despite urgent works being necessary to ensure continued access to the temple which sits in the rocky hollow of a mountain.

Two Tamil youths were arrested in two separate police searches in Vavuniya on Tuesday.

Both from Pottuvil, Amparai, one of the young men was arrested at Omanthai as police searched a Jaffna-Trincomalee bus at around 2am.

The other was arrested during the search of a Jaffna-Pottuvil bus at Vavuniya bus station.

Vavuniya police claim a combined total of 8kg of cannabis (Kerala ganja) was seized from the youths.

The Office of Reparations Bill was passed in Sri Lanka’s parliament on Wednesday.

The government’s official line is that the Bill provides for the provision of individual and collective reparations for aggrieved persons who have suffered violations of human rights or humanitarian law.

The Kanagapuram Velakanni church was vanadalised by a group of unknown persons earlier last week, as attacks on places of worship in the North-East continue.

A group of unknown people reportedly vandalised the church property on Saturday and stole a statue from the premises.

The church administration complained that this has happened several times in recent years, and though they have complained to the Sri Lankan police, no action has been taken.

Last year the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) said there were more than 90 incidents of attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka in 2017 alone, noting a rise in the number of assaults.

A house in Chavakachcheri was targeted by armed burglars in the early hours of Monday morning.

A court in Valvettithurai, Jaffna has dismissed a Sri Lankan police petition against the rebuilding of a monument that was originally constructed in memort of fallen LTTE cadres in the town.

The monument, built in Theeruvil grounds in remembrance of 12 LTTE members including Lt Col Kumarappa and Lt Col Pulenthiran, was destroyed by the Sri Lankan military.

The empowerment of Tamil women is under threat from patriarchy within the Tamil community and under attack by the Sri Lankan state, said People For Equality And Relief in Lanka (PEARL), in a statement released to mark Tamil Women’s Day.

“Though advances to confront Tamil patriarchy were made during the war years, sexism and misogyny have plagued the Tamil people and Tamil activism, and continue to do so to this day,” said PEARL. “The Tamil community’s ongoing treatment of female former cadres, activists and women-headed households, shows that the earlier advances fell short.”

Today marks thirty-one years since the death of 2nd Lt. Maalathy, the first female fighter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lose her life in the Tamil armed struggle.

Across the world the day is being commemorated as Tamil Women’s Day, to commemorate women’s involvement in the fight for Tamil rights.

The arrest of a British Tamil activist on the apparent bidding of Sri Lankan officials, was an ‘outrage’ and an attack on British values, the British Tamil Conservatives (BTC) said.

The remarks come in response to the arrest of Sockalingam Yogalingam, a prominent Tamil political activist, during a protest against the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s visit in Oxford on Monday.

 “It is the equivalent of someone from the Iranian or Burmese mission inciting a UK police force to arrest a peacefully protesting British citizen when a member of their government is visiting,” the group said. “It is an outrage.”

Students at the University of Jaffna commenced a 194km protest walk to Anuradhapura prison on Tuesday.