Tamil Nadu’s Dravidar Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK) has withdrawn from the ruling coalition in Delhi, amidst increasing protests on the streets of the southern Indian state.

As DMK Fumes, Tamil Nadu Boils - The Wall Street Journal (19 Mar 2013)

India’s contribution to the weakening of the US-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council has caused party leader M Karunanidhi condemned India’s actions and announced the DMK’s immediate withdrawal from the UPA government.

Has India watered down the resolution once again? – First Post (19 Mar 2013)

“The issues raised by the DMK haven't been addressed by the Congress, thus this is a government that doesn't benefit the Tamils in any way," Karunanidhi, told reporters in Chennai on Tuesday.

"And even after this, if we continue to extend our support to the government, it is a shame to Tamil Nadu... Thus the DMK has decided, and we are announcing our immediate withdrawal from the central government and the UPA,

"India, despite being the biggest democratic country, hasn't addressed the issues raised by the DMK, and they have chosen to ignore the problems of the Tamils. These are completely anti-democratic acts by them. I totally condemn it," he added.

Sri Lanka’s national air carrier SriLankan Airlines has announced it has cut the amount of flights between Chennai and Colombo by half, due to a drop in passengers after anti-Sri Lanka protests in Tamil Nadu.

Amnesty International on Tuesday blamed India for weakening the US-backed draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council seeking accountability for mass killings of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka in 2009.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly considering asking Indian Premier League (IPL) teams to keep Sri Lankan players out matches in Chennai.

President of the Congress party Sonia Gandhi has slammed Sri Lanka’s “unspeakable atrocities” against Tamils and called for an demand an independent and credible inquiry into human rights violations on the island.

The Sinhala Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena, has announced that their fight against halal products is now over as they had “won”.

National organiser Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera said to a huge rally in Kandy that concerned firms would remove halal certificated products by Sinhala New Year in mid-April.

What began as an indefinite hunger strike by students at Loyola College on 8th March, has sparked protests that are taking Tamil Nadu by storm.

The Tamil Nadu Film Director's Association (TNFDA) announced on Sunday that it would be holding a hunder strike on Tuesday to protest against the genocide of Eelam Tamils.

In a statement that TNFDA Secretary and filmaker, Ammer Sultan, said:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has called upon the Indian government to not only support the upcoming resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, but to strengthen it and call for an international independent investigation into war crimes.

In a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Jayalalithaa stated,

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner for India, Prasada Kariyawasam, said that the protests by Tamil Nadu students were a 'form of terrorism'.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Kariyawasam said:

A senior military commander of the Sri Lankan Army has claimed that not a single person was in their custody.

"As a high-ranking officer of the army, I can say with authority that the persons claimed to be missing are not in the army camps,” Vanni Security Force Commander, Major General Boniface Perera said, according to the DailyMirror.

“There are no unaccounted persons at all,” he told media at Camp Joseph in the Vanni.

“I don’t think a solution could be found by staging demonstrations, carrying banners and blaming the army and the govt. They just need to come to the nearby camps and find out for themselves.

See here for the Financial Times' comment on the opening of Hambantota airport and Sri Lanka's China links.

The new Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured President Rajapakse that his country would continue to support efforts to protect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, reported the DailyMirror.

During a phone call on Saturday, Rajapakse congratulated President Xi and thanked him for China’s assistance in rebuilding the country.

Sri Lanka has rejected a request by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to visit the island, reported ColomboPage.