A fire broke out on a container ship docked at Colombo which then led to an explosion near the accommodation block of the 18-year-old vessel.

At the time of the fire, the ship was unloading 995 boxes and loading 880 boxes. The ship, built in 2006, had set sail from Singapore and arrived in Colombo early on August 11th 2024. The fire initiated in the vicinity of 100 under-deck containers and 60 on-deck containers. The fire then later escalated to an explosion below deck. At this time, the above-deck containers had been disembarked. One container consisting of 'dangerous cargo' had already been disembarked alongside the above-deck containers.

Firefighters and other port services extinguished the fire and safely removed any affected cargo.

SLPA’s Director of Port Operations, Mr. H.J.K.U. Kumara stated that "the vessel berthed at our terminal showed no prior signs of fire".

"However, during operations, our team identified the precise location from which the smoke was originating, leading to an explosion".

Investigations are ongoing into the cause of fire and status of cargo.

Read more here and here.

Events took place across the North-East today, to mark 18 years since the Sencholai massacre, where four Sri Lankan air force jets flew over the Vanni and dropped sixteen bombs over the Sencholai children's home for orphans, killing 53 school girls and 3 teachers.

The children's home had been designated a humanitarian zone and its GPS coordinates had been passed to the Sri Lankan military via the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

Read more: Remembering the Sencholai massacre 18 years on

In Vallipunam, relatives of the murdered fathered to light lamps and place flowers before portraits of their loved ones.

Tamil families of the disappeared in Vavuniya, also paid tribute to the 53 school children and 3 teachers as they marked 2733 days of continuous roadside protest. 

Former Northern Provincial Council member T Ravikaran visited the site of the bombed orphanage in Mullaitivu, where he lit a flame to commemorate those killed.

To this day, no one has been held accountable for the massacre that took place 18 years ago. 

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the massacre of 53 school girls by the Sri Lankan Air Force. 

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the massacre of 53 school girls by the Sri Lankan Air Force. 

On August 14 2006, four Sri Lankan air force jets flew over the Vanni and dropped sixteen bombs over the Sencholai children's home for orphans, killing 53 school girls and 3 teachers. 

The children's home had been designated a humanitarian zone and its GPS coordinates had been passed to the Sri Lankan military via the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

As news of the massacre broke, the Sri Lankan government initially denied the bombing had taken place. It later claimed it had bombed a training camp of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and killed “50-60 terrorists.”

“We have studied this for three years and know what was going on," claimed Sri Lankan government spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella.

"If the children are terrorists, what can we do? The fact is that gender or the age limit is of no concern when it comes to training and when it comes to soldiers, because they are carrying arms in order to kill the enemy."

That claim was rejected by international ceasefire monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and UNICEF.

"These children are innocent victims of violence," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF said in a statement.

UNICEF’s Colombo chief, Joanna VanGerpen told reporters: "we don't have any evidence that they are LTTE cadres...  From what we understand at this point, these children were from surrounding communities."

UNICEF staff from a nearby office immediately visited the compound to assess the situation and to provide fuel and supplies for the hospital as well as counselling support for the injured students and the bereaved families.

Ms Van Gerpen told reporters, “We visited the site and saw severed limbs that were there". Speaking to the BBC, she also said, "We did see more than 100 [wounded] in the local hospitals, some with loss of limbs, head and shrapnel injuries."

After visiting the site of the massacre, the Head of the SLMM, Ulf Henricsson said: “We couldn’t find any sign of military installations or weapons. … This was not a military installation, we can see [that].”

SLMM monitors said they found at least 10 bomb craters and an unexploded bomb at the site.

SLMM official inpsecting the site of the bombing in 2006.

A survivor of the attack, Paranthan Hindu Mahavidyalam student Mary Arulappan Juliet, recalled the horror of the massacre, in an interview just days later.

"As the bombs fell, the girls ran in all directions, and took cover by lying on the ground face down, hoping that the bombers will go away after attacking once. But the Kfir jets returned firing additional munitions directed to our facility," she said.

"There was chaos within the Sencholai premises with each round of bombing, as more students were getting wounded severely and getting killed. In between air strikes, the girls changed their cover locations by running to other positions to take better cover".

"In the aerial strikes, many died on the spot, and many were wounded, most had multiple injuries, some lost their limbs, some had severe burns. All the girls were pleading for help, pleading to be taken to a hospital."

See another survivor's account based on interviews with Together Against Genocide here.

The attack drew outrage from Tamils in the North-East and across the world. Protests and vigils were held across Europe, including in London, Geneva, Palermo and Oslo as well as in South Africa.

Meanwhile protests were held across the Tamil homeland, with hartals in Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Mannar.
 

Protestors in Geneva, Switzerland condemning the attack.	An interfaith vigil held in Durban, South Africa
Protestors in Batticaloa held a march condemning the attack.	In Kilinochchi, demonstrators gathered outside the UNICEF office the day after the bombing.

The Tamil Nadu State Assembly passed a resolution stating the bombing was an "uncivilised and inhumane act", with members of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) walking out of the legislature later in protest against the Indian government's silence over the attack. Parties across the political divide condemned the attack, with Chief Minister Karunanidhi saying the killing was "atrocious" and Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy warning, "No political party in the state will accept the brutalities meted out to the Tamils by the island government".

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was described by a spokesman as “profoundly concerned at the rising death toll including reports of dozens of students killed in a school as a result of air strikes in the northeast.”

However, the air strike on the schoolgirls did not draw condemnation from the Co-Chairs of the peace process - US, UK, EU and Norway.

The Swiss government described the bombing as “an outrage.”

In a statement, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said:

“The heavy aerial bombardment on the premises clearly indicates that the attack was premeditated, deliberate and vicious. The heavy repeated aerial bombardment of the same premises clearly indicates the bombing was definitely not accidental. The ferocity of the attack clearly indicates that its objective was to cause the maximum possible casualties. The objective was to kill the maximum number of Tamil children.

“We appeal on behalf of the Tamil speaking civilian population to the International Community particularly to India, to take the earliest possible action to stop the Sri Lankan State from proceeding with its genocidal program.”

To this day, no one has been held accountable for the massacre that took place 18 years ago. 

See details of victims here and here. 

Tamil parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran said he was against the concept of a proposed Tamil common candidate for next month’s presidential elections and would only consider backing a “main candidate” from the Sinhala South.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) lawmaker told reporters in Vavuniya that he was in favour of the devolution of powers based on a unified North-East and would support a southern candidate that backs it.

“This is our political position,” he said at the ITAK office in Vavuniya. “If any of the Presidential candidates agree to the same, they can also be supported.”

The common Tamil candidate idea is a very bad one, because it will make the Tamil cause weak, Sumanthiran said. “This is not an election one can use to send a message on Tamil issues. This is not a referendum on the right of self-determination…,” he said https://t.co/nOvJeNqksa

— M A Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) August 8, 2024

However, we have not taken any decision in this regard,” he said, adding that “We are waiting to see who will come up with a political manifesto which reflects the same”. 

Sumanthiran’s remarks come in the wake of the announcement of a Tamil candidate endorsed by a range of Tamil political parties and civil society members. The selected candidate, Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran, is a former ITAK MP from the Eastern province.

Sumanthiran has repeatedly spoken out against the move, stating that “We must talk to the main candidate”.

“We have already spoken to two candidates and we will continue with that. We will decide at the end who we will support,” he told The Island earlier this month.

“This is not an election one can use to send a message on Tamil issues. This is not a referendum on the right of self-determination. You must never do that.” he said.

“This is a crazy idea and we have publicly condemned it,” he added.

“In our party discussions, we have mainly focused on the solution to the Tamil National question,” Sumanthiran told reports earlier.

“We have had discussions with President Wickremesinghe since he assumed office on implementing the provisions that are already in the constitutions.  He promised do all of that, but nothing has been done so far.”

“We seek meaningful devolution and want to implement things we have agreed in the past time to time.”

Earlier today, Sumanthiran met with India’s High Commissioner Santosh Jha in Colombo, where the pair reportedly discussed “recent political developments in Sri Lanka, including in the North and the East”.

The Office of Missing Persons (OMP), a government-run initiative, conducted its final registration process at the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat. Despite being 15 years since the end of the armed conflict, the OMP has faced criticism for its inability to locate even a single forcibly disappeared individual. Tamil families in the North-East have consistently rejected the OMP, labeling it an ineffective institution.

In the Conference Hall of the Divisional Secretariat, OMP officials recorded statements from relatives of missing persons. Letters were sent to 62 individuals, urging their participation in the registration process. However, the OMP’s track record remains contentious, and many continue to seek answers about their loved ones.

The latest call for registration comes after years of delays by the OMP. Despite its establishment, the OMP has struggled to take proactive measures. Families affected by the conflict have endured a painful wait for information, hoping to discover the fate of their missing family members. The OMP’s inability to provide meaningful updates has left many disillusioned. The OMP’s shortcomings have not gone unnoticed on the international stage. Human rights experts have consistently criticized the institution’s lack of progress. In 2022, the UN High Commissioner highlighted the OMP’s failure to trace a single disappeared person or clarify their fate in meaningful ways. The frustration extends beyond Sri Lanka’s borders, with Eelam Tamils in the North-East and the diaspora rejecting the OMP as a whitewash.

The OMP’s repeated calls for registration raise questions about its effectiveness. Families who have waited for over a decade remain skeptical. The promise of compensation and certificates for missing persons has been rejected by families who have called for an international investigation into allegations of war crimes and enforced disappearances.  

Recently, a special task force led by the Sri Lankan President’s Secretary has been formed to accelerate the operations of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), according to a report in Virakesari, despite the failure of the office to have any tangible process on the issue and years of Tamil protests against it. The latest registration run comes after years of delays by the OMP to take any proactive measures. It is unclear how much more a special task force would contribute to providing justice to the families of the disappeared. The government under Ranil Wickremesinghe has in the past has appointed several committees and task forces. Yet 15 years since the armed conflict families still languish for answers to what happened to their loved ones. 

The OMP has been routinely criticised by international human rights experts and Tamil family members of the disappeared. In 2022, the UN High Commissioner highlighted that the OMP "has not been able to trace a single disappeared person or clarify the fate of the disappeared in meaningful ways". Eelam Tamils in the North-East and the diaspora have rejected the OMP citing that it has failed to find their loved ones, with many labelling the institution a whitewash.

4

Tamils in Mannar staged a protest in front of the Mannar District General Hospital, as hundreds of demonstrators demanded justice for the tragic death of 27-year-old Sinthuja. Sinthuja had been admitted to the hospital and subsequently lost her life, allegedly due to the negligence of doctors and staff.

The protesters expressed their outrage over the incident. With mouths bound by black cloths and black flags in hand, they stood united in their call for accountability. The death of Sindhuja on the 28th of last month has ignited a fervent demand for justice throughout the North-East.

Sindhuja’s case has raised critical questions about patient care and resources at the Mannar Hospital. At the center of the controversy is also Dr. Ramanathan Archuna, who was recently arrested forcibly entering the same hospital. Dr Archuna in the past has highlighted the lack of resources, corruption, and neglect of patients at the hospital. He alluded that many specialists privately saw patients while neglecting their duties at the government hospital. 

Meanwhile, outside the Mannar Hospital, family members, relatives, and concerned Tamils held placards and shouted slogans calling on Sri Lankan authorities to deliver justice. Sinthuja’s mother sat among the protestors clutching Sinthuja’s new born baby. 

The Sri Lankan government’s representative in Toronto has formally written to the Mayor of Brampton, in a bid to try and halt the construction of a monument dedicated to the victims of the Tamil genocide.

The letter, exclusively released by the Tamil Guardian today, was sent to Mayor Patrick Brown in May 2024, and claims that the construction of a memorial would “severely disrupt communal harmony” within Canada itself.

^{The final design of the Tamil Genocide Monument that Brampton City Council approved earlier this year.}

The Sri Lankan government’s representative in Toronto has formally written to the Mayor of Brampton, in a bid to try and halt the construction of a monument dedicated to the victims of the Tamil genocide.

The letter, exclusively released by the Tamil Guardian today, was sent to Mayor Patrick Brown in May 2024, and claims that the construction of a memorial would “severely disrupt communal harmony” within Canada itself.

Thushara Rodrigo, Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Toronto, goes on to state that the memorial “conveys a deeply distorted and false message of violence”.

Sri Lanka continues to deny that it committed a genocide, despite state forces having massacred tens of thousands of Tamil civilians during a massive military offensive in 2009. Hospitals were repeatedly targeted, widespread sexual violence was deployed and surrendering Tamils were executed on camera during the 2009 operations – events that have since been marked by Tamils worldwide as a genocide. Several UN reports have also documented the restrictions on food and medicine placed on entering Tamil areas during the genocide, a point that Rodrigo directly refuted.

To date, Sri Lanka has refused to hold a single person accountable for the atrocities.

Read more: 15 years today - A massacre in Mullivaikkal

The Sri Lankan government continues to occupy vast swathes of land across the Tamil North-East, where tens of thousands of soldiers remain stationed. Tamil families of the disappeared have also been continuously protesting, demanding to know the whereabouts of their forcibly abducted loved ones, many of whom were handed over directly to the military.

Rodrigo’s letter however claims that Colombo has “released LTTE combatants and handed over the lands in the conflict areas which were previously held by the security forces,” despite the ongoing protests.

^{A Tamil mother holds a photograph of her forcibly disappeared daughter at a protest last month.}

The construction of a memorial Brampton was first proposed in 2021, in response to the destruction of a memorial dedicated to Tamil genocide victims in Jaffna. At the time, Canada's Minister for Foreign Affairs and several MPs condemned the destruction, which sparked widespread protests on the island and in Canada.

“While the Sri Lankan regime attempts to whitewash their own blood stained history, we will do the opposite in Canada,” said Brown at the time, as Brampton City Council unanimously passed a motion to construct a memorial. “We will not forget the Tamil Genocide.”

^{The original memorial at the University of Jaffna, which was bulldozed in 2021.}

The final design was released earlier this year and will see a 4.8-metre-tall stainless steel monument stand permanently in place in Chinguacousy Park.

The move sparked outrage in Sri Lanka, where the Sri Lankan government even reportedly summoned the Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo over the plans.

In his letter, Rodrigo also claims that the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), which it calls “one of the leading Tamil Organization in Canada (sic), commenced their humanitarian activities in Sri Lanka with the participation of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo”.

“Also, the CTC has made important engagements with Buddhist monks under the framework of Himalaya Declaration to support the reconciliation efforts (sic),” the letter continues.

The CTC, is a Toronto-based Tamil community organisation that has been functioning for over 20 years. In the past, the CTC, like many other Tamil diaspora groups, demanded justice and accountability for the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state in 2009.

^{CTC and GTF meet with Mahinda Rajapaksa in December 2023.}

However, the CTC and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) meeting with Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who directed the massacre of Tamils at the height of the 2009 genocide, triggered outrage last year, with widespread condemnation from the Tamil diaspora who called it a ‘betrayal beyond belief’.

The Sri Lankan government-approved ‘Himalaya Declaration’ initiative has seen CTC and GTF members tour the island, following the signing of the agreement.

In the North-East, Tamil families of the disappeared, women’s organisations, students and clergy rejected it, accusing it of “totally ignoring Tamil grievances and the pain and suffering Tamils have undergone since independence”. Elected Tamil parliamentarians refused to meet with them, whilst dozens of diaspora organisations denounced the initiative, accusing it of undermining calls for an international justice and accountability process.

In Canada, a collection of 18 different Tamil Canadian student and youth organisations have demanded a “public apology” from CTC, whilst at least two members of their advisory council resigned.

Read more: ‘A betrayal beyond belief’ - Tamil Canadians vent their fury at CTC after meeting with Rajapaksa

The latest correspondence from a Sri Lankan state official seems to be the latest in attempts to crack down on those that attempt to commemorate the genocide. Tamils on the island have faced arrest under terrorism charges for trying to do so, even when lighting lamps or raising red and yellow flags.

“This latest attempt from the Sri Lankan government is outrageous,” said Ravi*, a Tamil Canadian activist in Toronto. “Aside from the fact that the Sri Lankan government is guilty of genocide, this is a foreign government attempting to intervene in the domestic affairs of a Canadian city. In our homeland, the government can try and stop us remembering our loved ones and heroes, but they cannot do that in Canada."

"Canadians in Brampton City Council unanimously voted for [building the memorial], and Canadians will ensure that the monument is constructed.”

_____

^{*Name changed on request}

Speaking at the announcement of a common Tamil candidate to contest in Sri Lanka’s upcoming presidential elections, political analyst Nilanthan outlined the rationale behind such a move, stating that it was to unite Tamils across the island.

Read more of his remarks, translated into English, below.

_____

A concept spoken about for 10, even 15 years, is materialising today. Common Tamil candidate. A common Tamil candidate means a common Tamil stance. A common Tamil stance means a stance on Tamil nationalism. A stance on Tamil nationalism means protecting and nurturing the unity of our homeland. A candidate hailing from the east has been put forward today as the common Tamil candidate on this basis, or protecting the unity of the Tamil homeland.

Tamils stand today scattered into various groups. The candidate from the Eastern Tamil homeland is a symbol, with the goal of uniting Tamils in strength. This common Tamil candidate is a symbol. It doesn't signify an individual. It is a principle. Tamils have always voted for a principle. They have voted for principles over the past century. They have also voted out their leaders who deviated from their principles. So, Tamils will always vote on principle. If they are killed in their masses they will [still] vote on principles. The concept of a common Tamil candidate has been presented today to unite the Tamil people who haven't realised their strength. This candidate, as far as Tamils are concerned, is one to unite them as one. To the outside world he will be one who highlights the still burning issue of Tamils' national problem. The Tamil national question still prevails. It hasn't been resolved even after 15 years from the end of the armed struggle. A solution is required. Regional and global powers who intervened have so far failed to solve the Tamils' problems. On this basis he will espouse a solution to the national question. He will unite the Tamil people into a nation. There are many examples over the past century to show that Tamils will unite as a nation. It is on this basis that the concept of a common Tamil candidate has turned into reality.

The common Tamil candidate will unite the Tamils as one. I said at the outset, when the memorandum for this was signed, that this body will be an open house. This body has been created to welcome parties and powers that are on the outside. Tamil national entities can still join this body. Because a common Tamil stance is a common Tamil national stance. The common Tamil candidate's success depends on creating a wave of votes. Most surges in Tamils' votes over time have been around Tamil nationalism. So, if we are to create a wave, a surge of Tamil votes, then we need to welcome all Tamil nationalist entities who are yet to be part of this. Tamil unity has to be built on a wide base. When Tamils voice as one what their identity is, and what their wishes are, to the outside world, that will carry a lot of weight. That call will have strength. This common Tamil candidate is being put forward as a symbol of that Tamil strength. Our people have been scattered over the past fifteen years. We have to unite them around this candidate.

You, the media, have to support us in uniting our people. This is the time of social media. This is plain to see by looking at what is happening in Bangladesh and Kenya. Media has a major role in uniting a nation. This candidate is a symbol to unite our people. This is a symbol of Tamil unity. Using this unity, we will espouse as one our issues to the world. This body has been created for everyone who cares about Tamil nationalism. Through this the Tamil people will have influence. This power to influence will lead to the ability to negotiate. It will then tell the whole world and Sri Lanka that our national problems have not been resolved and that they need to be resolved.

We are gathered in Thanthai Selva auditorium. It is in this auditorium we signed the memorandum of understanding. Thathai Selva's bust is behind me. He was a Protestant Christian. Yet he united the mainly Hindu Tamils. We didn't address him as 'thanthai’ (father) because of his faith. We honoured him as our father because we saw him as the father of our nation. He was called the 'Gandhi of Eelam'. Our people stood behind him because of his principles, transcending faiths. Our people cannot be divided by faith, caste, regionalism or whatever else. But unfortunately we have been scattered over the past fifteen years. We have to unite them once more. Our people will show once more they cannot be divided. It is for that a candidate from the Eastern Tamil Homelands is being put forward here.

A common Tamil candidate means a common Tamil stance. A common Tamil stance means a stance on Tamil nationalism..

Two Tamil youths were injured when a Sri Lankan Air Force vehicle crashed into their motorbike in Vavuniya. One of them is said to be seriously injured and is being treated at the Vavuniya hospital. 

Bystanders in the vicinity said that the motorbike which was heading towards Vavuniya attempted to avoid an oncoming car but was hit by the air force vehicle. 

Earlier this year, a 23-year-old Tamil woman was killed when the bicycle she was riding collided with a van belonging to the Sri Lankan army in Jaffna. The woman, identified as Sudhakaran Saruja, was returning from buying milk at her local shop in Puttur, Jaffna when the collision occurred.

In another incident, 41-year-old Selvanayakam Pradeepan, a resident of Koppay South. Sri Lankan police claim that Pradeepan failed to stop at a checkpoint in Jaffna. Officers further along the road were reportedly alerted, with one blocking Pradeepan’s path and kicking his motorbike.

The Sri Lankan military has tens of thousands of troops stationed across the Tamil homeland with military vehicles frequently patrolling the streets of the North-East.

Checkpoints and roadblocks are embedded across Tamil Eelam, and fatal collisions involving military vehicles have occurred in the past.

Tamils have frequently complained of the dangers of the military occupation and demanded demilitarisation of the North-East.

Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam rejected the need for a common Tamil candidate at the upcoming Sri Lankan presidential election telling reporters:

“There is no need for a common candidate. The Tamil people have no interest in supporting one. One of the current candidates will inevitably become President. There is also speculation that this common candidate was introduced to serve the interests of another candidate, to prevent votes from going elsewhere”.

 The statement follows the announcement that a group of Tamil political parties have endorsed ormer Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran as the common candidate. He is supported by the Tamil Eelam Libeartion Organisation (TELO), People’s Libeartion Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Tamil United Political Front (TUPF), the Tamil National Party, and the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF).

Read more here:Tamil political parties endorse Ariyanenthiran as presidential candidate

Rasamanickam is supported in his rejection of a common candidate by Tamil politician M.A. Sumanthiran who told Newsfirst Sri Lanka that it was a “very bad idea” and "crazy". In his objection he noted that presidential election was separate from a referendum on “self-determination or a federal solution” and would “make the Tamil cause weak”. He further noted that when the candidate lost it would look badly on the causes he purported to champion such as self-determination.

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, Tamil lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran met with candidate for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, Namal Rajapaksa, to discuss issues facing the North-East.

The SLPP’s Politbureau member, G. Cassilingham told reporters that Namal Rajapaksa had claimed he was willing to address the grievances of those in the North-East and provide a better livelihood.

The Daily Mirror quoted Cassilingham as stating Sumanthiran "appreciated Rajapaksa's efforts in working for the people in the North and East".

Namal Rajapaksa is the son of accused war criminal and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who during his reign oversaw genocidal violence against Tamils during the final phase of the armed conflict. This includes the indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, aid lines and “no fire zones” that resulted in the killing of over 160,000 people.

During the Aragalaya protests of 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign from his position as prime minister due to the widespread economic unrest. The Supreme Court found that the Rajapaksa clan bore guilt for the bankrupting of the country and of economic mismanagement.

In 2016, Namal Rajapaksa was arrested on charges of money laundering relating to an agreement with a real estate company that occurred whilst his father was in power. 

The company leased state-owned land in the heart of Colombo for a mixed-use development plan valued at $650 million, including residential skyscrapers, a luxury hotel, and shopping. The project grew contentious after opposition party members accused figures of the Rajapaksa administration of accepting secret payments to secure the land deal.

Sumanthiran's political has garned criticism over recent years for its willingness to engage with the Rajapaksa clan and even supporting a Rajapaksa-backed candidate during the 2022 elections. Speaking to Newsfirst Sri Lanka, Sumanthiran admitted that he had spoken to two other presidential candidates, Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He also noted that his party has engaged in conversations with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on implementation of the 13th amendment but they have not discussed what they would like him to do to fulfil Tamil aspirations should he win the election.

Read more here.

Tamil journalists, hailing from the North-East of Sri Lanka, recently found themselves barred from a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Their purpose was clear: to present a letter demanding justice and accountability for numerous crimes committed against their fellow Tamil journalists—many of whom were killed or remain missing.

Despite their intentions, Tamil journalists were denied access by the President’s security detail. The same privilege however was extended to Sinhalese journalists from the South, through the intervention of Manusha Nanayakkara, the former Minister of Industry and Foreign Employment. who was seen seated next to Wickremesinghe. This disparity highlights the continued discrimination faced by Tamil journalists in their pursuit of justice.

The meeting, organized by the President’s Secretariat, took place at Water's Edge in Colombo. As the presidential election looms, Tamil journalists and media organizations have expressed strong opposition to such gatherings. Journalists and media organizations have boycotted these meetings, accusing the government of stifling media freedom and failing to address the assassinations of their colleagues. 

Even during the President’s visits to the North, regional journalists were denied permission to engage in news gathering. However, at the request of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Employment, several journalists from the North and East participated in the Colombo meeting. They planned to hand over a letter urging justice and concrete action for their murdered and disappeared colleagues.

Regrettably, the petition could not be delivered to the President. Security officials intervened, preventing it from being shared with him. Furthermore, Tamil journalists were denied the opportunity to express their opinions during the meeting, while Sinhalese journalists were allowed to present their demands and speak freely.

In a letter addressed to the President, journalists from the North and East called for the establishment of a Special Judicial Council. This council, with international monitoring, would ensure justice for those journalists who have suffered for decades. They called out on the blatant neglect and discrimination of journalists from the North-East under the guise of security must be rectified. Meanwhile, a report compiled by Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) found Tamils ​​to be the majority of victims. Tamil journalists point out that media freedom cannot be ensured without accountability and justice for their slain colleagues.

During President Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent visit to Northern Province, local Tamil journalists were not allowed to enter the premises or gather news. All information was reported by the Presidential Media Unit. Tamil journalists said that they are being ignored and humiliated through such activities

The Tamil People’s General Council has taken an executive decision to not engage in talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.  The move comes days after the group, named former Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran as the common Tamil candidate.  During the meeting, 14 of its members decided not to engage in talks with Wickremesinghe. The Tamil People's General Council comprises Selvam Adaikalanathan of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), C.V. Wigneswaran of the Tamil Makkal Kootani, D. Siddarthan of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), N. Srikantha of the Tamil Nationalist Party, Suresh Premachandran of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), P. Iyngaranesan of the Tamil Nationalist Pasumai Movement, and S. Venthan of the Democratic Cadres Party.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa met with Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran in Colombo over the weekend. The discussions between them reportedly centered on the current political situation and the issues facing the North and East. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam also participated in the meeting which was held at Sumanthiran’s residence. 

During the meeting, Rajapaksa expressed his intention to engage with the ITAK in the future. Rajapaksa mentioned his commitment to addressing grievances in the North and East, emphasizing plans to develop these districts into international trading hubs. According to media reports, he had also expressed his willingness to work with Tamil Parliamentarians from the North-East to improve livelihoods.  In response, Sumanthiran indicated that he would present Rajapaksa’s proposals to the TNA’s central committee meeting. He also acknowledged Rajapaksa’s efforts to address the needs of the North and East. 

Tamil residents of Chettikulam Vazhavaithakulam, Andiapuliankulam in Vavuniya staged a protest today demanding that the illegal construction of a dam be halted as it poses a grave risk to at least 80 families.

The protestors said that an individual had initiated the construction of the dam without any permission from the relevant authorities. They added that if the dam overflows, at least 80 families will have their homes submerged. 

The protestors pointed out that the construction of such a dam without an impact assessment in a place where there are no open fields, poses a threat to the residents of the town. 

The demonstration came to an end after a rural development officer of the district visited the protest site and said that the land belonged to the Forestry Department, therefore that the Divisional Secretariat would discuss the matter with the Forestry Department.