On this day 14 years ago, Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, self-immolated outside the United Nations Human Rights Council in protest at the inaction of the international community, in the face of the relentless onslaught of the Sri Lankan military on Tamils in the Vanni.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) MP Selvarajah Kajendren was released on bail last night after being arrested for protesting against Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Jaffna. 

Sri Lankan police have arrested Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), Selvarajah Kajendren, for his involvement in the black flag protests against the Sri Lankan president’s visit to Jaffna.

Illustration by Keera Ratnam/ waves of colour

Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy, the Maha Sangha, clashed with Sri Lankan police amidst their protest against the 13^th amendment.

The demonstrators were barred by police from approaching Sri Lanka’s parliament. The nationalist Buddhist monks burned a copy of the 13^th amendment to signal their anger at the president’s vow to implement the amendment.

The Sinhala Buddhist clergy has railed against the 13^th amendment claiming that it would encourage separatism.

As Eelam Tamils across the North-East continue their protest to end the Sri Lankan military’s occupation of the Tamil homeland, they are met with intimidation, surveillance and violence.

During their journey from Batticaloa from Verugal, stones were pelted at a bus carrying the Tamil Families of the Disappeared near an army camp in Amparai. Protesters were also photographed by plain-clothed military officers as they continued their journey.

Switzerland's Federal Court has acquitted a Swiss-Tamil man accused of fraud and ordered he receives 19,400 francs in compensation. 

Plain clothed Sri Lankan police officers followed the 'End the Occupation' rally as it left Mullaitivu this morning and headed to Trincomalee on day 3 of its journey from the Northern to the Eastern province. 

In his special address on the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed he would “maximum division of power in a unitary state” but would “never consent to the division of this nation”.

Federalism

His statement comes as Tamils across the North and East, as well as those in diaspora, have rallied against Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations and demanded a political solution that meets their demands for self-determination.

The 'North to East' rally demanding an end to the occupation of the Tamil homeland reached Mullaitivu this evening despite surveillance by Sri Lankan police.