Tamil families of the disappeared in Kilinochchi are marking seven years of continuous roadside protests, as they demand to know the whereabouts of their forcibly disappeared family members.

 Tamil Nadu fishermen from the village of Rameswaram have launched landmark mass protest against the continued detention of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and have declared their intention to boycott the religious St Anthony’s festival.

A damning report released by the UN refugee agency has called for an “immediate relocation” of the 61 asylum seekers who have been stranded on the remote island for more than two years and have experienced violence, abuse and arbitrary detention.

Protests have been held in Thailaimannar in front of the Mannar Magistrate Court by residents calling for justice to be swiftly delivered in the case of 10-year-old Yasi Warnakulasuriya who was raped and murdered, 300 meters away from her home in Urmanani. 

Residents in Puthukudiyiruppu (PTK) protested over the alleged diversion of  Rs.1.7 million allocated for the development of Sunnampusulai Road which requires urgent repairs. 

Yesterday, the residents marched towards the PTK West Office Division demanding that the funds be routed back to the development of the road, adding that the decision to re allocate the funds was not done without their consent. 

File photograph - Tamil families of the disappeared in Vavuniya call on the EU to engage with the Tamil community

Sri Lanka will continue to benefit from the GSP+ Scheme until December 2027 although it continues to use the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaaththe Gnanasara apologised “‘if he had caused distress,” according to a report in Ceylon Today, as the extremist monk was dragged to court over remarks he made in 8 years ago.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and coalition National People’s Power (NPP) continued to elicit much controversy with Sinhala nationalists fuming over the discussions and stance taken by the leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his recent visit to India, as he continues to rise in popularity ahead of the presidential polls.

Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe has committed to protecting and securing the 'Buddhist order' by declaring 11 Buddhist temples as 'sacred sites', of which four are in Tamil speaking areas. 

In his first visit to the North-East after assuming duties the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santhosh Jha was quick to pursue India’s business interests in the region, specifically focusing on increasing connectivity between the two regions.