^{Omar Ayub - Chairman of ECC}

Pakistan Ministry of Finance ( MoF) has advised the Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) to seek Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approval for establishing a Defence Credit line facility for Sri Lanka, before starting negotiations and finalising terms and conditions.

Tamil families of the disappeared marched through Kilinochchi earlier today, as they marked 5 years of continuous protest demanding answers to the whereabouts of their loved ones even whilst heavy rains hit the town.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Global Tamil Forum (GTF) released a joint statement praising Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin for “heralding a new era of pride and optimism among global Tamils” and “called for direct engagements with the Tamil Nadu government”.

The statement released this week said both the TNA and GTF hold Chief Minister Stalin in “high esteem for his inspiring leadership of the global Tamil community,” and called on the Tamil Nadu leader to give Tamils in the North-East guidance and “support”.

Sri Lanka is in talks with India to discuss a proposal to acquire two military aircraft for the Sri Lankan airforce, following a meeting last week between foreign minister G L Peiris and the Indian minister for external affairs, S Jaishankar.

Sri Lanka's gold reserves have fallen to USD $92 million from USD $175 million by the end of January, as the economic crisis worsens.

In their book Dialectic of Enlightenment, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer wrote about the role of popular culture in “seducing the masses into desiring their own domination”. The current situation in Tamil Nadu certainly has echoes of that.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC),  Sri Lanka’s state run petroleum company, has run out of cash for oil as the island grapples with a fuel shortage. 

According to Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammapila, CPC suffered losses of up to 42 percent on the sale of diesel at government-mandated prices.

A signature campaign is underway demanding that the widely criticised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is completely repealed. 

Signatures were collected in Nelliady over the last two days and at Jaffna Central bus stand earlier this week, calling on Sri Lanka to repeal the notorious legislation which has been used disproportionately against Tamils and Muslims. 

Tamil Canadian groups have released a statement calling on Ontarians "to rally behind" Bill 104, the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, to "protect it" from its recent constitutional challenges. The groups called on the public to "stand together and collectively combat genocide denial and distortion."

Today we meet at a critical conjuncture when efforts are being made to water down the Tamils’ demand for political rights and a political solution to the toothless provincial council system created by the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution.

When we speak of a political solution, many of us fail to understand that it should be a means of preventing genocide.