In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) expressed ‘severe dissatisfaction’ with the comments made in Parliament by TNA leader Sampanthan.

The TNPF questioned why, if the TNA did not demand complete demilitarisation in the North-East, had TNA parliamentarians participated in protests calling for withdrawal of the army and signed a statement demanding demilitarisation in New Delhi in August 2011.

TNPF went on to accuse the TNA of acting falsely for the sake of winning the support of the Tamil people, and asserted that as parties forming the alliance and other TNA parliamentarians had not spoken out against Sampanthan’s statements, they must be assumed to agree with them.

Criticising Sampanthan for ‘undermining the Tamil people’s liberation struggle’ by portraying to the LTTE as terrorists. The TNPF stated that Sampanthan’s comments ammounted to justifications of the ‘war on terror’ argument offered up by the Rajapakse regime.

Extracts from the press release:

“Tamils see the Sri Lankan Army, which is 99% Sinhalese, as an occupational army. Reason being, this army is the prevalent tool employed in the Sri Lankan state’s scheme to destroy the existence of the Tamil nation.”

“Mr Sampanthan’s comments emphasising the reduction of military presence rather than demilitarisation is a sign of support for those forces that yearn to break the spirit of Tamil nationalism.”

The Ceylon Petroleum Company has stated that Sri Lanka still has not been able to obtain any crude oil from Iran, despite being granted a waiver from US sanctions.

Whilst seven students are reported to have been released today, three students are believed to have been arrested and detained at Joseph camp in Vavuniya, notorious for reports of torture.

Tamils in London protested on Monday against the on-going intimidation and arrest of Jaffna University students.

The Canadian MP for Kitchener Centre, Stephen Woodworth, reiterated his concerns over the human rights situation in the North-East, drawing attention to the recent incidents at the University of Jaffna.

In a statement, Woodworth said:

Indian officials have expressed concerns about recent moves by Sri Lanka which increased duty on Indian vehicle import into the country.

Sri Lanka has increased the duties for imports of vehicles from India, while giving exemptions to imports from Japan, reported the Sunday Times last month.

Sampanthan outlines his views on militarisation of the North-East in the Sri Lankan parliament on Friday:

Here's a video of his address, extracts reproduced below:

8 Tamil Nadu fishermen were injured after yet another attack by the Sri Lankan Navy, allegedly taking place off the coast of Talaimannar.

The fishermen alleged that the Sri lankan Navy personnel fired shots in the iar before proceeding to snap nets on at least 5 boats. The fishermen have now returned to Rameswaran and with some admitted into hosiptal.

Bruce Haigh, a former Australian diplomat who served in Sri Lanka and a member of the Refugee Review Tribunal, has written, slamming Australia for being complicit in the genocide of Tamils and called for the country to cut sporting ties with the country.

His comments come as the Sri Lankan cricket team begin their tour of Australia. 

Extracts have been reproduced below. See the full piece here.

"Who would have thought that in 17 years, Australia could have gone from being a leading champion in the global fight to end the racial discrimination of apartheid to siding with the corrupt and venal government of Sri Lanka in the genocide of Tamils."

"Australia has become complicit in the genocide of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority. Asylum seekers that arrive in Australia are being given no opportunity to make a statement of claims. Acting on the advice of the Sri Lankan government, they are being returned to Sri Lanka on the basis that they have no claims. Any claim they make is regarded as spurious."

Australians call for a boycott of the Sri Lankan national cricket team’s tour of Australia due to the country's poor human rights record, reported the Brisbane Times.

The United States has granted extensions on waivers of US sanctions placed on Iran to 20 countries, including Sri Lanka.

The waivers, originally granted in June, mean that these countries will not be hit with penalties by the US, as they continue to reduce their imports of iranian oil.

In statement published Friday, the US State department expressed concern at the impeachment trial of Sri Lanka's Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayake, as "part of a disturbing deterioration of democratic norms in Sri Lanka."

Statement:

Deploring the attacks on Jaffna University students, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), called for the immediate releas of students detained by the Terrorism Investigative Division (TID).

In a statement GTF said,

"GTF supports the mass protests denouncing the security forces, which was staged in Jaffna by the key Tamil parties, supported by like-minded democratic political forces in the South, trade unions and many civil society organisations. In addition, the solidarity shown by student unions in Eastern University, Ruhuna, Peradeniya Universities in Southern Sri Lanka and Youth organisations overseas, with the plight of those at Jaffna University, underlines the desire to end the State’s repression of the Tamil people in the area."

"The Government’s response has been to increase heavily armed military personnel around the Jaffna University, spurring arbitrary security checks and raising fear that there could be more arrests of University students on false charges under the sweeping powers granted to military under Terrorism laws. State authorities and security personnel have used these laws to criminalise dissent, supress politicians, human rights activists, journalists, trade unionists, restrict freedom of expression and commit human rights abuses with impunity."