The Tamil National People’s Front has reported a surge in intimidation, surveillance and harassment of members and activists by the Sri Lanka security forces.
On Tuesday TNPF members travelling to repair a roof damaged by the cyclone were interrupted by army officials. They were stopped at Pungudutheevu Army Camp and had their van examined for an hour. After being cleared, army personnel continued to follow them.
<p>Sri Lankan police have reported that they have arrested 60,425 for violating a state-imposed curfew which came into effect on 20 March.</p>
<p>On Wednesday 20 May at least 660 people were arrested. Whilst there have been 1,000 identified cases of the coronavirus, 500 have recovered and there have been nine deaths.</p>
During a press conference, Defence Secretary, Kamal Gunaratne, stated that there is “no truth in news being circulated in social media” regarding extremist threats to Sri Lanka and applauded the work of the Sri Lanka security forces in tackling the coronavirus despite raised human rights concerns.
On this day in 1958, Sinhala mobs began to attack, rape and murder Tamils across the island, in what was to become another in a series of deadly anti-Tamil pogroms.
Estimates range from between 300 and 1,500 Tamils murdered in the days of violence which resulted in many more injured and the arson, looting and destruction of Tamil homes and businesses.
Sri Lanka’s promotion of troops who have reportedly been involved in war crimes, as Tamils around the world marked 11 years since the Mullivaikkal massacre, is an “insult to victims and reeks of brazen impunity” said the International Truth and Justice Project Sri Lanka (ITJP).
The military announced that more than 14,000 soldiers are to receive “a record promotion bonanza” as part of the state’s “National War Heroes’ Day”, which took place as Tamils mourned the tens
Marking the 11th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, North Carolinians for Peace, hosted an online event featuring distinguished leaders from Sri Lanka and the United States, to discuss the efforts to pursue justice against those involved in the Mullivaikkal massacre.
Tamil-Canadian Lawyer and Scarborough-Rouge Park MP, Gary Anandasangaree, was also invited alongside other eyewitnesses during the Mullivaikkal massacre in 2009, to hold conversations about the next courses of action that need to be taken against the Sri Lankan government and a viable political solution to serve the interests of Tamil self-determination devoid of state oppression.
Chinnakannu Kittinan, a 63-year-old farmer, is amongst those who have been hardest hit – having suffered from both the massacres at Mullivaikkal and the state’s militarised COVID-19 response. And yet, he remains resilient, working through most of his day despite his age and the scorching sun, before going home to cook and care for his family.
The United States said that Sri Lanka “continues to be a valued partner in the Indo-Pacific,” as Ambassador Alice G. Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, addressed a virtual press briefing on Wednesday.
More than a dozen British Tamil student organisations and the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) have written to UK’s foreign secretary Dominic Raab, urging Britain to “take a principled stand” and “safeguard the victims – Tamils, from the state-sponsored genocide in Sri Lanka”.
Sri Lanka’s embassy in the United Arab Emirates has come under criticism after posting a message on its official website with a string of Tamil language errors.
The message, which is still visible on the website here, also contains errors in English.
As Tamil Genocide Day was marked around the world this week, one initiative sought to retell testimonies from eleven years ago, when tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred by the Sri Lankan state.
‘Voice from Mullivaikkal’ recounts testimonies collected from Tamils who were just children during the atrocities.
From 5 pm to 6.15 pm heavily armed troops, on a Mahindra Bolero people carrier and approximately 5 field motorbikes, circled the Tamil National People’s Front’s offices continuously, maintaining their direct surveillance for the third day straight.
<p>The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued a statement criticising the detention of author Shakthika Sathkumara, who was arrested following the publishing of a controversial short story, stating it was in violation international human rights law.</p>
Marking the 11th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, North Carolinians for Peace, hosted an online event featuring distinguished leaders from Sri Lanka and the United States, to discuss the efforts to pursue justice against those involved in the Mullivaikkal massacre. 
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