Sri Lanka’s opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) welcomed more senior military figures, including those accused of overseeing the slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamils, to the party as it looked to expand its Sinhala nationalist support ahead of elections touted for later this year.

The death of Santhan, one of the freed convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who was laid to rest in his hometown in Jaffna, was a “planned act of vengeance”, his counsel Pugazhendi told reporters during a media briefing.

People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) told the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the Sri Lankan government “sells empty reconciliation mechanisms” as the current regime touts its latest commission to the international community.

A statue of Buddha which has recently appeared near the Suzhipuram Chaukkadi Pillaiyar temple has caused uproar among the local Tamil community, who fear that the latest construction may be yet another Sri Lankan attempt to erect a Sinhala Buddhist vihara in the region. 

The new bill comes against the backdrop of tension among the Sri Lankan state and Eelam Tamils, where there has been a concentrated effort by Sinhala Buddhist monks and the government to claim places of worship belonging to Tamils. Local communities have been actively resisting efforts to seize land and construct new Buddhist viharas in the North-East.

^{File photograph}

The Mullaitivu Judicial Medical Officer told the court today that the excavation of Kokkuthoduvai mass grave is being halted due to a lack of funding from the Sri Lankan government. 

Tamils in Mannar have sent 5,000 postcards to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding the return of their land which is currently occupied by Sri Lanka's military. 

Speaking at the 55^th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Core Group on Sri Lanka said that the recent legislative developments on human rights, reconciliation, and civic space “give cause for concern”.

Tamil journalist and Chairman of the Mullaitivu Press Club Shanmugam Thavaseelan has been summoned to court later this month over a complaint filed by a Sri Lankan navy officer in 2019 after he reported on a disappearances rally in Mullaitivu.

Sri Lanka reiterated its rejection of UN resolutions on accountability for mass atrocities this week, but admitted that thousands of forcibly disappeared remain unaccounted for despite years of failed domestic mechanisms.

The new Consul General for India Sai Murali called on the Governor of the Northern Province P.S.M Charles upon assuming duties at the Consulate in Jaffna this week. During the initial meeting, they held a wide-ranging discussion on Indian assistance as well as connectivity between Eelam and India. 

30 Tamils were allowed access to temples located within a High Security Zone (HSZ) in Jaffna after 34 years but under close watch by Sri Lanka’s military. 

A tense situation unfolded earlier today at Vavuniya Old Bus Station when Sri Lankan police stopped the vehicle carrying the remains of Santhan.

Santhan's body was brought to Vavuniya this morning, and the vehicle carrying it entered Vavuniya Old Bus Station in order to allow the public to pay tribute.