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.

The Kurdish – Tamil Friendship Forum held a virtual event last month to discuss lessons Eelam Tamils could take from the Kurdish experience on the topics of regional autonomy and genocide prevention.

Julie Chung has taken up her posting as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka this week, describing it as a “dream come true” to return to the island.

“I first visited the island 10 years ago, and those memories are still vivid and fresh,” said Chung, in a video released to mark her taking up the post earlier today.

A Buddhist monk, aided by Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology, has banned the cultivation of water in the fields belonging to Tamils in the village of Kumalamunai, Kurunthurmalai in Mullaitivu. 

A Tamil fisherman who took part in the Pottuvil to Polikandy (P2P) protest rally last year, is one of at least 89 Eelam Tamil refugees being held at a US naval base at Diego Garcia, reports Jacob Goldberg for Novara Media.

Sri Lankan intelligence officers have attempted to kidnap a Tamil activist in a white van earlier today, according to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.

The parliamentarian tweeted that “unidentified men who claimed to be part of the state intelligence apparatus” had attempted to abduct the assistant secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) youth wing in Kalmunai earlier today.

“Something is being organised,” warned Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, stating that Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church is currently working with the Vatican on a secret plan to ensure justice for victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The first and most important thing to understand about the Sri Lankan flag is that every version of the lion flag is, definitionally, racist and fascist in symbolism, including the official one. It was intentionally designed that way, by committee.

Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that there was only a “small shortage of certain essential items” on the island, claiming that other stocks were “sufficient” even as reports of families going hungry on the island emerged.

In a movement of historic unity, 12 opposition MPs have called on the Sri Lankan government to negotiate a postponement and restructuring of its $25 billion debt repayments due between now and 2026.

Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has issued a summons to a Tamil political activist in Mannar this week, demanding he appear before them in Colombo for questioning.

^{Photo credit: Shehara De Silva (via @Charindra_chan)}

^{Rajasekar with his lawyer KV Thavarasa}

A Tamil political prisoner who was held for 12 years under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was finally released after being acquitted of all charges yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to South Africa held a flurry of meetings with officials in the country this week, as Colombo sought to rally international support around its much-criticised human rights record and lack of accountability for mass atrocities ahead of the UN Human Rights Council session.