Tamils in Mannar sent postcards to the newly elected Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake and prime minister Harini Amarasuriya as part of a campaign to call for an end to sand mining activities and a proposed wind power project. 

The postcard campaign was launched by the Mannar Social and Economical Development Organization (MSEDO), at the Mannar bus stand on September 27. Several Tamils expressed their displeasure over the proposed projects, which they state have serious repercussions on the ecosystems and the livelihoods of Tamils in the area. Over 1,500 postcards were posted to Dissanayake and Amarasuriya. 

Local Tamil residents have been holding protests for many months, to highlight their concerns over the impact the project will have on the environment.

In the run-up to the Presidential elections, Dissanayake had stated that his government would cancel the Indian conglomerate Adani's 450MW wind power project if elected. He claimed that the agreement was corrupt and was against Sri Lanka's interests. According to media reports, Dissanayake had highlighted that Sri Lanka is purchasing energy from Adani at a rate of $0.0826 per unit, whereas a nearby Sri Lankan firm supplies energy at only $0.0488 per unit.

“The Adani project’s costs should decrease, given its large scale, but it’s the opposite. This is clearly a corrupt deal, and we will definitely cancel it,” he said.

In February 2023, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment approved Adani Green Energy’s $442-million wind power project, with plants planned for Mannar and Pooneryn in Northern Sri Lanka. In the court case which is before Sri Lankan courts, the petitioners have raised environmental concerns and lack of transparency in the bidding process to grant Adani Green Energy the go-ahead.

The Supreme Court has ordered the remand of Immigration Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya pending the resolution of his contempt case. Ilukpitiya faces accusations of failing to adhere to an August 2, 2024 court order that required the restoration of the previous expedited Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.

Earlier, the court had blocked a Cabinet decision to outsource Sri Lanka's visa operations to a private consortium. However, Ilukpitiya did not comply with this directive, citing practical challenges.

The contempt charges were initiated after a petition was filed by Parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rauff Hakeem. Ilukpitiya, who appeared in court, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Representing Ilukpitiya, President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha argued that his client had made efforts to follow the court’s interim order from August 2, but faced significant technical and logistical obstacles. He maintained that Ilukpitiya had not deliberately ignored the order and intended to fully comply within a week.

President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, representing the petitioners, countered by highlighting Ilukpitiya’s initial request for two months to implement the order, which was later reduced to one week. Sumanthiran argued that this inconsistency demonstrated clear contempt of court. After considering the arguments, the court ordered Ilukpitiya’s remand under the Contempt of Court Act until the case is concluded.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, who oversaw the visa issuance under the Department of Immigration and Emigration, defended the controversial VFS-led consortium, which manages the new visa system. He suggested that a few immigration officials were attempting to sabotage the system, which has faced public backlash after a video of a visa issue incident at the airport went viral.

Sri Lanka’s decision to outsource visa services included a sharp fee increase, which replaced the previously efficient ETA process. The new system faced criticism after a viral video showed a frustrated Sri Lankan citizen confronting the private visa facilitator when his foreign companion was denied entry.

C. Prem Kumar’s debut feature film entered the pantheon of the greatest romantic dramas produced by the Tamil film industry; 2018’s ‘96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha is a delicate film told by a first-time director with an assured and gentle tone. Due to the largely warm welcome his first film received, a mountain of expectation was placed on the director, as his fans tentatively waited to see if he could recapture lightning in a bottle. Six years later, Prem Kumar returns with his next film, ‘Meiyazhagan’ starring Arvind Swamy and Karthi in the lead roles.

C. Prem Kumar’s debut feature film entered the pantheon of the greatest romantic dramas produced by the Tamil film industry; 2018’s ‘96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha is a delicate film told by a first-time director with an assured and gentle tone. Due to the largely warm welcome his first film received, a mountain of expectation was placed on the director, as his fans tentatively waited to see if he could recapture lightning in a bottle. Six years later, Prem Kumar returns with his next film, ‘Meiyazhagan’ starring Arvind Swamy and Karthi in the lead roles. 

The film follows Arulmozhi Varman (Arvind Swamy), a man returning to his hometown after twenty-two years to attend a wedding. We then watch for most of the runtime as Arulmozhi reconnects with people from his past over the course of the night, and the unexpected internal journey he undertakes. The plot is wonderfully wrought, allowing the central themes of identity, memory and nostalgia to blossom. 

The lead duo of Arvind Swamy and Karthi are spectacular in their respective roles. Arvind Swamy is in fantastic form, who displays a role with an immense quiet sadness, wrestling with a knotted past with ease. The ever-lovable Karthi is a perfect fit for his character, a role with both the lightest and largest heart witnessed in recent cinematic memory. The chemistry between the two characters is a joy to watch unfold. All the supporting cast are great in their roles too, managing to create lasting impressions with minimal screen time. Rajkiran, Jayaprakash and Swathi Konde come to mind as performances that are most immediately impactful, moving mountains in moments. 

The technical craft of the film is superb too. The cinematography is never overly showy, but precise and gorgeous. The second half takes some unexpected tangents, which bolster the themes of the film. The runtime may seem daunting, but if you allow yourself to be drawn into the experience, you will not notice the time go by. 

Govind Vasantha’s soundtrack and score, although not as immediately iconic as his work for ’96’, serves the film very well. The music is mostly quiet, melancholic and melodramatic, nicely hinting at the whirlwind of emotions of our protagonist. The highlight of the soundtrack is ‘Oor Manney’, an aching feeling of revisiting the past put into musical form. Kamal Haasan also lends his voice for ‘Poraen Naa Poraen’ and ‘Yaaro Ivan Yaaro’, both of which fill the tracks with a fragile vulnerability. 

Overall, it is difficult to write about ‘Meiyazhagan’ without delving into spoiler territory. The film is a truly rewarding and transformative experience if you allow it to be. C. Prem Kumar manages to outdo his debut with an incredibly moving story about self-discovery. It is a sweet, wholesome and funny film overflowing with heart.

Krishna's rating: 5 stars. 

___

Official trailer for film below.

Former Military Intelligence Director Brig. (Rtd) Chula Kodithuwakku informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that the group behind the Easter Sunday attacks were apparently funded by state intelligence agencies, former CID Director Shane Abeysekara alleged. pic.twitter.com/YyaMHNWh3K

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) September 26, 2024

Former director of Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), retired SSP Shani Abeysekara, has called for the immediate release of two commission reports concerning the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which claimed the lives of over 250 people.

Speaking to reporters Abeysekara stressed the need to make the commissions’ findings public so as to further investigations and uncover the truth. He made these statements at the launch of a book written by journalist, Sunanda Deshapriya, which alleges that Sri Lanka’s military intelligence deliberately misled the CID during their investigations and raises serious concerns over the intelligence service’s financial ties with the attackers.

Abeysekara maintains that the Easter Sunday attacks were not isolated events but instead part of a wider conspiracy. His claims echoes that of Sri Lanka’s own Parliamentary Select Committee (OSC) which raised concern that Sri Lanka’s security forces had permitted the attack to “create chaos and instil fear” ahead of the 2019 presidential elections which saw the ascendancy of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Channel 4 documentary on the matter also supported this claim and spoke with Sri Lanka’s former director general of police, Ravi Seneviratne, who claimed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had acted to “prevent the investigation”. The documentary further alleges that an intelligence officer with close ties to the Rajapaksa clan met with the members of the local islamist group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), which carried out the attack. Abeysekera also claimed that one of the suicide bombers, who died in Dehiwela, had ties to Sri Lanka’s military intelligence.

In his address to the media, Abeysekara also pointed to the murder of men in Vavunathivu in 2018, which Sri Lanka intelligence attempted blame on former LTTE cadre. He claimed that Sri Lanka’s intelligence services went so for as to plant a military jacket to bolster their narrative.

“On four occasions, the head of military intelligence insisted that the Vavunathivu murders were done by the LTTE”.

He stressed it was only after the CID investigated the matter that they were able to arrest a suspect and recover weapons related to the Vavunathivu killings. The suspected arrested was linked to group responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings and led by the extremist preacher, and leader of the NTJ, Zaharan Hashim.

Additionally he detailed how a senior military intelligence officer testified before Sri Lanka’s Presidential Commission, and had confessed to financial ties between the intelligence services and the attackers.

Abeysekara further criticised former presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Gotabaya Rajapaksa for obscuring the investigation. Upon becoming president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Abeysekera from his position in the CID. In 2023, Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal reported that intelligence agencies had uncovered an alleged plot to assassinate him by intentionally causing an accident while he was travelling. Abeysekara concluded the conference expressing hope that the newly elected NPP government will pursue a thorough investigation and break from the previous government’s pattern of evading full transparency and accountability.

Read more here and here.

Following a meeting with Sri Lanka's security forces, Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification calling on the three divisions of Sri Lanka's armed forces to maintain public order, under Section 12 of the Public Security Ordinace, effective from 27th September 2024. 

The maintenance of public order by the Armed Forces will be for all of the 25 districts in Sri Lanka.

The gazette notifaction follows the dissolution of Sri Lanka's parliament and the announcement of a general election set for 14th November. 

The Gazette reads:

Sri Lanka’s new president Anura Dissanayake has been in power for less than a week but already has brought about a range of changes. From his appointment of Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister to his rapid stripping down on unnecessary government expenditure and pledge to stamp out corruption, many on the island have been pleasantly surprised by his seemingly progressive early moves. But it has not all been positive for the newly crowned president. For the Tamil people, the few steps he has taken so far have been disappointing.

<p class="rtecenter">^{<em>Illustration by&nbsp;<u><a href="https://twitter.com/keera_ratnam">Keera Ratnam</a></u>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/wavesofcolour/" target="_blank">wavesofcolour</a></u></em>}</p>

<p>Sri Lanka’s new president Anura Dissanayake has been in power for less than a week but already has brought about a range of changes. From his appointment of Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister to his rapid stripping down on unnecessary government expenditure and pledge to stamp out corruption, many on the island have been pleasantly surprised by his seemingly progressive early moves. But it has not all been positive for the newly crowned president. For the Tamil people, the few steps he has taken so far have been disappointing.</p>

<p>With only three lawmakers in parliament, the calling of a general election was inevitable. Dissanayake’s swift dissolution of parliament came alongside doling out interim cabinet roles between himself and his alliance’s remaining two parliamentarians. The appointment of Amarasuriya as prime minister, only the third woman to hold the role, was widely hailed. Her past remarks on how racism has plagued Sri Lanka and justice for Tamil women <u><a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lanka-s-new-prime-minister-ha…" target="_blank">are encouraging</a></u>&nbsp;and lend credence to the hope that she will be a clean break from her predecessors.</p>

<p>That task will be difficult – particularly given the island and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) bloody history. It is exemplified by her colleague, Vijita Herath, the alliance’s other senior parliamentarian, who took on the role of foreign secretary this week. His <u><a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/new-sri-lankan-foreign-ministers-…" target="_blank">first remarks</a></u> included thanking Saudi Arabia for their support in resisting UN resolutions that called for accountability over the massacre of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state. Herath has himself repeatedly <a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/international-probe-%E2%80%98viol…" target="_blank">spoken out against an international justice mechanism</a> that Tamils demand and <u><a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/strongly-opposed-indo-lanka-accor…" target="_blank">vowed to stand against the devolution</a></u> of powers to the North-East.</p>

<p>Though Amarasuriya has spoken on how devolution through the 13^th Amendment is a move that her coalition “intend to honour”, it directly contradicts Herath and even Dissanayake, both of whom have spoken out against Tamil autonomy. During the election campaign, Dissanayake told Tamil voters it was <a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/dissanayake-tours-homeland-fails-…" target="_blank"><u>something he would not offer</u></a>, and in his recent inaugural televised address he spoke of building a “unified Sri Lankan nation”. It echoes much of the same language Mahinda Rajapaksa chose to deploy after the Mullivaikkal genocide when he spoke of “one nation” and “one country”. It not only directly ignores the history of Tamil nationhood on the island, but it also once more sharply contrasts the view of his own prime minister, who previously wrote <em>“most calls for ‘unity’, a ‘Sri Lankan identity’, also reflect the majority preoccupation of ‘taming’ the minorities and bringing them under the benevolent control of the majority community”</em>. Amarasuriya went on to <a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-covid-19-resp…" target="_blank"><u>write in 2020</u></a> that <em>“many Sinhalese who would consider themselves cosmopolitan, democratic and tolerant, would not see the implicit exclusions and violence, in enforcing a totalising identity in a society such as Sri Lanka”.</em> Words that Dissanayake would be well-advised to adhere to.</p>

<p>Those are not the only contradictions that the newly elected president is having to juggle. The self-declared ‘Marxist’ party of staunch anti-imperialists is navigating the island out of an economic crisis by cosying up to global powers. Though his anti-establishment message gained him traction at the polls, in office he has markedly softened his tone. The “renegotiation” he pledged with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still on the cards but with a more conciliatory overture. The previously anti-India and anti-US stance of the party has been subdued, with Dissanayake’s <a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lanka-s-president-elect-meets…" target="_blank"><u>first foreign meeting&nbsp;with&nbsp;Indian officials in Colombo</u></a>. He even reached out to current US President Joe Biden, pledging to strengthen relations with Washington “under my leadership” and echoing his language of “a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region”. As some of his detractors pointed out, his approach to global institutions bears little difference from his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe.</p>

<p>Indeed, the JVP leader having to temper their engagement with the international community is evidence of how much influence the international holds, as well as a marker of where the island stands in today’s global order. All spectrums of Sinhala parties, from the right-wing capitalists to the so-called Marxists, are fully cognizant of it. Governments and financial institutions around the world must now levy that influence to ensure that Sri Lanka breaks out of its cycles of ethnic violence, economic crisis and political instability.</p>

<p>Eelam Tamils, who notably did not vote for Dissanayake in their masses, have already shown a willingness to work with him. The <u><a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tnpf-leader-tells-new-sri-lankan-…" target="_blank">outreach from the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF)</a></u> this week is one the new Sri Lankan president should embrace. If he ignores it and treads the same path as those before him instead, as he seems to be going down with the appointment of <a href="https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/another-accused-sri-lankan-war-cr…" target="_blank"><u>yet another accused war criminal</u></a> as the latest secretary of defence, he threatens further entrench impunity. In doing so, he would&nbsp;continue the same mistakes as those before him.</p>
 

More than a year after a set of skeletons presumed to be those of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters were unearthed from a mass grave in Kokkuthoduvai, their details are finally to be made public after repeated delays and accusations of a cover-up.

A court in Mullaitivu on Thursday finally ordered details of Tamil Tiger fighters’ identification tags recovered from 52 skeletons to be made public in the hope information of the deceased would come from the public. The skeletons believed to have been buried between 1994 and 1996 were accidentally discovered in June 2023 by construction workers from the National Water Supply and Drainage Board in Kokkuthoduvai, a small town in the north-eastern district of Mullaitivu. 

The recovered dog tags from LTTE cadres and their numbers found on their uniforms have been ordered by the court to be made public in due course, after intense pressure from Tamil families of the disappeared.

Lack of funding by the Sri Lankan government resulted in the excavation being suspended for more than seven months. This prompted a protest in August by the Association for the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances (ARED) that suspected the suspension as a cover-up, and demanded an international inquiry into all mass graves found in the island’s North and East. Relatives say the Office for the Missing Persons (OMP) had also attempted to silence their call for justice and accountability by intimidating them into accepting death certificates. Despite the continued international support to the OMP, since its inception eight years ago, it has not successfully traced a single disappeared person. 

This follows the historical pattern reported by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) in June 2023 on Sri Lanka’s record of dealing with mass graves. They concluded that out of the 20 mass graves partially exhumed, hardly any family has had the remains of their loved ones returned. The report highlights that there has been systemic political interference in actively preventing families of the disappeared from receiving the remains of their loved ones, and preventing the prosecution of those responsible for their disappearance and death.

According to the Jaffna District MP M.A.Sumanthiran, magistrates and forensic experts have been transferred abruptly, police have delayed carrying out judicial orders, families’ lawyers have been denied access to sites, no effort has been made to find living witnesses, no ante mortem data was collected and, in the very few cases where someone was convicted, they were then pardoned. 

Mr Sumanthiran also expressed his disappointment about the lack of international expertise when witnessing the initial excavation of the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave. “Whatever is being seen and found is just being kept as forensic evidence. It is not done based on international expertise. Therefore, there is a danger of evidence going missing, particularly important evidence has been found.”

The complete set of reports will be submitted in court on the 12th of December. To date, very few exhumations have led to the identification of any victims, and no clarification has been provided to the Tamil families of the disappeared.

The World Bank has extended its congratulations to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, while reaffirming its commitment to support Sri Lanka as the country embarks on resetting its economy. In a letter signed by Martin Raiser, Vice President for the South Asia Region, and Riccardo Puliti, Vice President for Asia and the Pacific at the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank reiterated its readiness to assist as Dissanayake leads the nation forward.

"Your election comes at a pivotal moment in Sri Lanka's history," the letter stated. "While the country's economic reset demands continued government attention, the opportunities for growth, prosperity, and development are equally significant. As one of Sri Lanka's longstanding development partners, the World Bank Group reaffirms its strong commitment to fostering inclusive growth, economic recovery, and addressing the pressing needs of the poor and vulnerable."

They also expressed confidence in Dissanayake's leadership, believing it will help Sri Lanka build on its strengths and advance its development agenda.

In addition to the World Bank's congratulatory message, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) announced its full support for the current government's transparency initiative. KOICA pledged loan assistance for projects aimed at combating fraud and corruption in Sri Lanka. This commitment was made during a meeting between a KOICA delegation and Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat earlier today, according to the President's Media Division. Representatives from KOICA emphasized their intention to tailor loan support to meet the country's specific needs.

Similarly today the Japanese government has pledged to resume the construction of 11 stalled projects in Sri Lanka and has promised full support for the new government's development programme, the President Media Division (PMD) said. The Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki, said the Japanese government was committed to fully supporting efforts to combat corruption and irregularities. He expressed readiness to continue close collaboration with Sri Lanka.

Tthese projects include the Kandy City Water Management Project, Phase II of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Development Project, the Terrestrial Television Broadcast Digitization Project, the National Transmission and Distribution Network Development Project, Phase II of the Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project, the Rural Infrastructure Development Project, the Kalu Ganga Water Supply Project, and improvements to health and medical services.

Jaffna MP C VWigneswaran has confirmed that he will withdraw from the running in the upcoming General Election, which is to be held on November 14th, stating that the opportunity should be given to Tamil youths to enter parliament instead.

In a statement released to the media, he says that he has decided not to contest so that this space could be given to the youth instead. He said he would continue to stay in Jaffna and engage in political activities in his capacity. 

“The time has come when the Political Leadership of the Tamil People needs more participation from the youth," said the former Supreme Court Jusice. "Accepting that, I request the Tamil people to support the youth in the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.”

The announcement from Wigneswaran comes days after former President Ranil Wickremesinghe also declared that he would not contest in the upcoming general election. UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene and Chairman Vajira Abeywardena confirmed the decision made by Wickremesinghe during a media briefing held last week. Wijewardene said that Wickremesinghe was not keen on coming back to Parliament through the national list and would instead focus on the leadership of the UNP for the next election campaign. 

“Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided not to contest or enter Parliament through the national list in the forthcoming election,” Wijewardene confirmed, adding that despite this, Wickremesinghe will remain actively involved in guiding the party through this critical period. This decision by Wickremesinghe comes after a crushing defeat in the recent Presidential polls.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'RD' (Restricted Default) and its Long-Term Local-Currency IDR at 'CCC', citing concerns that the recent election of Anura Dissanayake as president, adds "uncertainty to the country’s policy direction".

The ratings agency highlighted that this uncertainty could delay the completion of foreign-currency debt restructuring or the renegotiation of the country’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Fitch pointed to the upcoming 2025 budget, expected to be adopted by November 2024, as a potential indicator of the new government's policy direction. However, the agency warned that weak implementation of the IMF programme, particularly in terms of fiscal measures, remains a significant risk to achieving long-term debt sustainability.

Although Sri Lanka has historically struggled to raise revenue, authorities have introduced several major tax reforms since May 2022 in a bid to improve revenue collection and address the country’s mounting debt crisis. These reforms include raising the corporate income tax rate, increasing the value-added tax, and hiking fuel excise taxes. As a result, revenue collection improved by 42% year-on-year in the first half of 2024.

Despite these efforts, Fitch expressed concern over the potential for policy shifts under the new administration, which could affect the timeline and success of both debt restructuring and IMF negotiations. The country remains under close scrutiny as it navigates its way through an ongoing economic crisis.

Fitch's move reflects concerns over the country’s ability to stabilize its economy and navigate its substantial debt obligations amid ongoing political upheaval.

In a televised address Dissanayake has said he plans to immediately begin talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to advance the country’s $2.9 billion bailout program. “Additionally, to advance our debt restructuring program, we are negotiating with relevant creditors to expedite the process and secure necessary debt relief,” Dissanayake stated.

Sri Lanka's dollar bonds and stocks sharply initially declined following the election of Dissanayake as president, with global uncertainty over what his rule would bring.

Sri Lanka's newest Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath kicked off his tenure by thanking Saudia Arabia for supporting Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, where Colombo is rejecting calls for an international accountability mechanism for atrocities committed against Tamils.

Herath, a senior Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader, was speaking at Saudi Arabia’s National Day event in Colombo this week, shortly after he was appointed as foreign minister.

"I wish to note and appreciate that Saudi Arabia continues to support Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council," said Herath.

The latest UN Human Rights Council session is currently underway, where a new resolution on Sri Lanka is due to be introduced. Previous resolutions have called on Sri Lanka to cooperate with an international accountability mechanism to prosecute war criminals. Successive governments have refused to comply.

In attendance at the event in Colombo was former army commander and accused war criminal Shavendra Silva, a man who remains banned from entering the USA due to his role in executing Tamils. He is barred from entering the USA “due to credible information of his involvement, through command responsibility, in gross violations of human rights." 

Silva led the notorious 58 Division as the government launched a massive military assault. That culminated in the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils during the 2009 genocide. They oversaw the repeated bombing of hospitals, widespread sexual violence, torture, and the execution of surrendering Tamils.

Tamils across the North-East are marking 37 years since the death of Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE, who fasted unto death in a protest appealing to the Indian government to honour pledges made to the Tamil people.

Two days before Thileepan began his fast, he put forward five demands  to the Indian government following the signing of the Indo-Lanka accord in July 1987.  The 23 year old passed away after refusing food and water for 11 days. 

Read more here: Remembering Thileepan's sacrifice 37 years on. 

Jaffna

In Jaffna, hundreds of Eelam Tamils gathered in Nallur, where Thileepan began his strike 37 years ago.  

A tribute was arranged in the main town so Tamils could pay their respects by laying flowers, garlands and by lighting candles. 

Students at the University of Jaffna laid flowers and observed a minute's silence on campus to commemorate Thileepan. 

Mannar

A solemn event was held in Mannar by the Tamil National Right to Life Movement headed by V.S Sivakaran. Candles were lit and floral wreaths were placed on a photograph of Thileepan. Several members of the organization, journalists, and civil society participated in the event. 

Vavuniya

Meanwhile,  Tamil families of the disappeared in Vavuniya also held an event to remember Lt. Col. Thileepan. Today also marks 2777 days of continous protest by the families of the disappeared who have been searching for their forcibly disappeared relatives.  Commenting at the event, the families said they do not have any faith a new Sri Lankan government will bring justice to the enforced disappearance of their loved ones. "We can only trace our children through an international mechanism,"  they said. 

Kilinochchi 

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi's (ITAK) Kilinochchi district branch held a remembrance event which was attended by ITAK MP S Shritharan. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene following a spate of arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka and the punishment, including hefty fines, subsequently meted out. 

In a letter written last week to Mr Jaishankar, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said “Sri Lankan courts are imposing penalties that are beyond the means of these fishermen. Strong measures must be taken to prevent the Sri Lankan authorities from detaining fishermen and seizing their boats.”

Thirty seven Indian fishermen and their boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy two weeks ago. They were released after fines of up to Rs 50,000 each. 

This follows a similar event on 26th of August when eight fishermen from Tamil Nadu were detained and their boats seized for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary. Two weeks later five were released by a court in Mannar after paying fines of 50,000 rupees each. Their heads were also forcibly shaved. 

This drew sharp criticism  from M. Appavu, a ruling party lawmaker in Tamil Nadu, who likened this to shaving the heads of the leaders and the people of Tamil Nadu. The other three were sentenced to six months in prison. "We were taken by force, and our heads were shaved. They told us we had been sentenced to four months in jail and made us clean the jail area", according to one of the fishermen, Ainnasi Raja.

The Chief Minister also called for swift action to secure the release of all detained fishermen and their boats. This is his second recent intervention, having also written to Indian Central government last month over the 'alarming' arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka.

In his inaugural address this week, newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pledged to dismantle divisions rooted in race, religion, and ethnicity, despite the fact that Sri Lanka has been deeply divided along these lines for decades. Speaking in a televised address, Dissanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka’s future depends on fostering unity among all its citizens, regardless of whether they identify as Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, or Malay.

“Our nation will only thrive when we create an environment where every person can proudly say, 'We are Sri Lankan citizens,'” Dissanayake said. “We will not hesitate to implement the necessary constitutional, economic, and political reforms to make this vision a reality.”

The newly elected president announced the launch of a comprehensive program aimed at building a unified nation that respects diversity. He stressed the importance of ending long-standing divisions along ethnic, religious, class, and caste lines, declaring this initiative a cornerstone of his administration. “We are embarking on a permanent journey to forge a unified Sri Lanka," he continued. "An era of division based on race, religion, and other social barriers must end for us to move forward."

One of the key goals of his government, Dissanayake said, is to restore the global reputation of Sri Lanka, ensuring that its citizens can travel abroad with pride and that their passport is respected internationally. He called on every Sri Lankan to play a role in this transformation. “Our vision is to create a nation where citizenship is a source of pride for all,” he affirmed. “But this will require the collective effort of every citizen. I know there may be doubts about our intentions, but I am determined to earn your trust through action.”

Without directly addressing the deep divisions that still exist in the country, particularly in the North-East, where Tamils overwhelmingly supported the Tamil common candidate signaling their quest for autonomy and recognition of atrocities during the armed conflict.

“We are aware of the uncertainties some may have,” he said, speaking directly to skeptics. “But I welcome constructive criticism and encourage everyone to join us in shaping our future. If we can set aside our differences, I believe you will see that we share the same goals.”

His remarks come at a time of profound economic uncertainty and political tension in Sri Lanka. The JVP leader’s ascent to the presidency is seen as a major turning point in the country's history, especially as the nation grapples with ethnic divisions and a struggling economy.

As Dissanayake takes office, Sri Lanka faces enormous challenges—not least the demands for justice and autonomy from the Tamil population in the North-East.