A fire has broken out at Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court complex in Colombo.

At least eight fire brigade units have been dispatched.

England’s cricket team confirmed it will be embarking on a tour to Sri Lanka next month, where members will be spending five days at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, amidst fears over deteriorating human rights on the island and growing calls from anti-racism campaigners for a sporting boycott. 

Amnesty International has called on the Sri Lankan government to “implement their commitments to release hundreds of detainees to ease overcrowding and improve prison conditions” amidst the growing threat of COVID-19 across prisons, and also called for an investigations into a prison fire started by Sri Lankan police officers opening fire, at the end of last month at Mahara Prison Complex.

In their statement, the human rights group stated:

Sri Lankan police removed white cloths from the Borella Kanatte crematorium gate in Colombo last night, with the military, intelligence personnel and police also interrogating and taking photographs of those visiting the site.

The cloths were tied on Saturday, as an act of solidarity with the Muslim community.

Today marks 14 years since the passing of the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham. 

Balasingham, or as he was fondly known among Tamils - Bala Anna, was widely respected and adored by the nation. His charismatic addresses in venues around the world drew tens of thousands, as he provided political analysis with sharp wit. Leading LTTE delegations through numerous negotiations, Bala Anna eloquently and forcefully articulated the rights of the nation. His intellectual prowess and political acumen earned him respect from all sides of the negotiating table.

The Sri Lankan government is in talks with the Chinese government to construct a new maximum-security prison.

Thousands gathered in Kegalle outside an Ayurvedic centre earlier this month, disregarding COVID-19 regulations, to collect samples of an unapproved tonic that claims to “cure” the virus after several Sri Lankan parliamentarians publicly consumed and endorsed the tonic. 

<p><u><a href="http://www.jdslanka.org/index.php/news-features/human-rights/976-sri-la…">Sri Lanka’s Attorney General</a></u> has confirmed that prison guards opened fire on inmates at Mahara prison, killing 11 people and injuring close to 150, on the 29 November.</p>

The head of Sri Lanka’s army listed “multinational corporations” and “non-governmental organisations” as unconventional security challenges that the state may face, as he delivered an address to military local and foreign undergraduates at a military academy last week.

Tamil families of the disappeared have demanded international action, as they marked International Human Rights Day with over 1390 days of protest this week.

Tamils families of the disappeared in Batticaloa braved Sri Lankan police intimidation to stage a protest to mark International Human Rights Day last week, even as the security forces attempted to stop their demonstration.

The former leader of the British Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn announced the launch of a new initiative that brings together “academics and researchers, leaders and campaigners, and grassroots people and organisations” to work on a range of issues, including on self-determination, democracy and independence, in places such as Sri Lanka.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has file a police complaint after the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) led by Pillaiyan reportedly barged into the Valaichchenai Pradeshiya Sabha meeting this week and illegally passed the local body’s budget for 2021.

With reports that the Secretary to the Pradeshiya Sabha was locked inside his office, the TMVP allegedly passed the budget in a closed door meeting, following a clash that left two TNA councillors hospitalised.