The 17th anniversary of the assassination of Tamil activist Vanniasingham Vigneswaran was commemorated by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) last week.

Several Tamil families in the village of Manarkerni have called on the Mullaitivu District Secretariat to clear their occuiped lands so they can engage in agricultural activities.

The families hold the deeds to the lands although they are currently occuiped by Sinhala settlers. 

A grand midnight mass was held at the St. Sebastian Cathedral in Mannar to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The service was a joint service that combined the congregations of many parishes in Mannar and was led by Right Reverend Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando and other priests from neighbouring churches. Security for the service was provided by the Police and the Army, following the Easter Bombings, in 2019.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Sri Lankan government to repeal its proposed replacement to the Prevention of Terrorism Act and urged international partners that a failure to comply with international human rights standards may risk trade benefits.

The Sri Lanka Army is considering exporting army-farmed ration packs to foreign militaries in order to generate foreign exchange. 

This week marks 14 years since thousands of British Tamils continuously occupied Parliament Square in London for 72 days as Sri Lanka intensifed its military offensive which led to the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in Mullivaikkal. 

Speaking with Economy Next, Denis Chaibi, the European Union’s (EU) Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, raised alarm over Sri Lanka’s proposed replacement to the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), highlighting the centralisation of power within the presidency and lack of transparency.

A Buddhist temple is being constructed around the land that belongs to the Malaiyadi Pillaiyar Temple, in Muttur, Trincomalee, which is currently being occupied with a statue of the Buddha. The Buddhist temple, Kottiyarama Shri Badra Thaathu Raja Maha Viharaya is being constructed with the assistance of the Sri Lankan army and naval forces. 

The administration of the Navalar Cultural Hall in Nallur, which was previously handled by the Jaffna Municipal council, was handed over to the Department of Hindu and Cultural Affairs, which is subsumed by the Ministry Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs on the directive of the Governor of the Northern Province, Jeevan Thiagarajah.

Responding to a question in the House of Lords on what representations the British government has made at the UN Human Rights Council over the issues Tamils face in Sri Lanka, Lord Ahmad, Minister of State for South Asia, reaffirmed the need to address ongoing land grabs and deliver on accountability.