Cash deposits have been placed for a total of 24 candidates to contest the 2024 Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka. This also includes a bond for former Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran who is to be a common candidate for the Eelam Tamils.

According to the Election Commission, bonds had been placed on behalf of 24 Presidential candidates to-date. Among the candidates nominated for the Presidential Election, 11 are from registered political parties and 12 are names nominated by the public and one is from a separate party. The Presidential polls are scheduled for September 21, while Nominations will be accepted till August 15.

The Election Commission reports a total of 17,140,354 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential Elections. Ariyanethiran has been endorsed by a group of Tamil political parties as a fitting common candidate who would voice the Tamil aspiration on a common platform. Although Sri Lanka's constitution does not permit a Tamil to become the country's President, Tamils in the North-East hope that this would be an indication as well as a representation of the Tamil aspiration. 

Tamils in Trincomalee remembered the victims of the Thiriyai massacre in which 12 Tamils were shot by Sri Lanka's security forces 39 years ago and called for the perpertrators to be held accountable. 

The families marked the massacre with a memorial, prayers, and floral tributes. 

On August 5, 1985 homes were set on fire and destroyed by Sri Lankan soldiers in Trincomalee. As a result, many of the families fled, finding refuge in the Thiriya Tamil Maha Vidyalaya. 5 days later on August 10, 12 Tamils were taken away on a bus belonging to the Sri Lanka Transport Board. The Sri Lankan security forces detained the Tamils at Kajuwatta, stripped them naked, tied their hands, and shot them at point blank.

In a letter to Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, the families of the victims wrote:

"On this day of 09th August 2024, we would like to remember that we, the people of Thiriyai village, were subjected to many acts of violence and harassment by the Sri Lankan Security Forces during the period of ethnic conflict and in the present situation and in the midst of threats from the Intelligence Unit, we are in a state of denial of justice in the name of archeology and loss of their lands as well."

The families called on Wickremesinghe to ensure that justice is delivered to these families, who continue to mourn their dead. In their letter, they mentioned to him that the first and most important step he could take was to acknowledge the war crimes that were committed during the war. 

They also called for greater accountability to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. This they said may involve legal action and processes, however, such processes are vital to ensure transparency. They also called on him to provide psychological support in the form of counseling and support systems to deal with the trauma. 

Sri Lankan police in Mankulam have summoned Mullaitivu based journalist Shanmugam Thavaseelan for interrogation this week, as the harassment of Tamil journalists by the security forces continues.

Police officers went to Thavseelan’s home when he was not home on August 7 and handed the summons to his family.

The summons ordered Thavaseelan to visit the office of the Assistant Superintendent of Police at Mankulam Police Station on Friday morning to record a statement for an investigation.

Thavaseelan has been subject to harassment, intimidation and violence for his work on multiple occasions.

In 2022, he was attacked by an unidentified man at Mallavi petrol station while reporting on a story on the fuel shortage on the island.

In October 2020, Thavaseelan alongside another Tamil journalist, Kanapathipillai Kumanan were attacked with iron rods while reporting on a story on illegal logging timber smuggling.

He is the current Mullaitivu Media Association President and has a court case against him that is currently ongoing, lodged by a Sri Lankan naval officer who accused Thavaseelan of assault.

A group of Tamil political parties have endorsed the former Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran to be a common candidate in next month’s presidential elections.

A group of Tamil political parties have endorsed the former Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran to be a common candidate in next month’s presidential elections.

The announcement was made in Jaffna on Thursday, after a coalition of Tamil political parties and civil society organisations agreed to support such a move last month.

“Official campaigning will begin imminently,” said EPRLF leader Suresh Premachandran. “This will focus on bringing about a political solution for the Tamil people....it will greatly help espouse the Tamil people's political rights to the outside world.”

“Most who belong to the ITAK support this [candidate],” he claimed.

“We wish to take everyone with us. This is not a closed group - it is very open. We had to consider hundreds of possible candidates. One person from the party has come forward and we have put him forward, as a symbol of the Tamil people".

Ariyanethiran, a former MP from Batticaloa, was last in parliament after the 2010 polls, having failed to get elected in 2015.

In 2014, Ariyanethiran gave an interview to the Tamil Guardian, where he spoke of Sri Lanka’s attempt at “destroying the concept of a Tamil homeland”, continued military intimidation and justice for the Tamil genocide.

Read more: Interview with TNA MP Ariyanenthiran

Sri Lanka’s cricket players are reportedly fearing for their security, as they prepare to tour England later this month, after far right riots flared across the UK this week.

"Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned," one player who is already in England told ESPNcricinfo. 

Sri Lanka’s cricket players are reportedly fearing for their security, as they prepare to tour England later this month, after far right riots flared across the UK this week.

"Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned," one player who is already in England told ESPNcricinfo. 

"We can't really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up."

"We've asked the board to try and ask for some security for us until the main team arrives, but we haven't heard anything back yet."

Sri Lanka's team manager Mahinda Halangoda however said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reassured Colombo that adequate security arrangements are in place.

"I raised the issue with them, but the ECB responded very quickly and sent us their comprehensive security arrangements," Halangoda said. "We'll be having a security liaison on the tour from them as well."

Whilst the issue of security has been raised by players, it remains unclear if any have spoken out on race issues in the UK or back on their home island.

In 2021, as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the globe, Sri Lanka Cricket doubled down on a directive issued to players not to ‘take the knee’ in support of the anti-racist movement, despite several other sports team routinely making the gesture.

Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Dasun Shanaka reportedly said, “We’re not hoping to take any special stance because in Sri Lanka we live in harmony and as a team also, we have a strong bond amongst each other”.

The island has been marred by racism for decades, including a genocide which has seen tens of thousands of Tamils killed by the Sri Lankan government and an ongoing military occupation of the Tamil North-East.

A controversial tour

Sri Lanka are set to play three Tests in England; on August 21 in Manchester, August 29 at Lord's, and then September 6 at The Oval.

The team will be headed by former cricketer and ex-parliamentarian with the Rajapaksa clan, Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been appointed as the interim coach.

Jayasuriya is a controversial figure, having aligned himself with war criminals and himself served a two-year ban from cricket-related activity by the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit, after he failed to co-operate in a corruption investigation.

He was also previously a member of parliament representing the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), under then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa. A year later, aged 41, he rejoined the Sri Lankan cricket team, a move slammed as a “selfish and an overtly political act”.

Previous Sri Lankan cricket tours of England have seen protests and boycott campaigns, calling on the British government to ensure Sri Lanka is boycotted from international sport until human rights concerns have been addressed.

A Sri Lankan police officer shot dead three people, include a constable from the same police station, before turning his rifle on himself and committing suicide.

According to the Sri Lankan police, the 42-year-old shot dead killing a 33-year-old policeman, before going on to kill a 54-year-old woman and her 17-year-old daughter in the Eastern Province.

The police officer later returned to the station where he turned the gun on himself. He was pronounced dead upon admission to the hospital.

Investigations are reportedly ongoing.

The Sri Lankan security forces in Jaffna paid their respects to Denzil Kobbekaduwa, marking his 32nd death anniversary at the memorial in Jaffna. Jaffna District Commander Chandana Wickramasinghe and other high officials of Sri Lanka's tri-forces participated in the event. This memorial is one of several built by the Sri Lankan military across the Tamil homeland. A statue of the commander also stands in Vavuniya.

He was killed in August 1992 in Kayts, after the vehicle he was travelling in hit a landmine. A presidential commission carried out by the then Sri Lankan government speculated that senior military and political figures were involved in the assassination. Kobbekaduwa is accused of orchestrating and overseeing several abuses, including the disappearance of hundreds of youth from Mandaitivu, Allaipaddy, and Mankumban from August to September 1990, as the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive. ITAK MP Sritharan once claimed that more than 100 Tamil victims may remain buried in a mass grave on the islet of Mandaitivu.

After weeks of deliberating on who the presidential candidate would be for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, the party was forced to make its announcement following the withdrawal of business tycoon Dhammika Perera who voluntarily backed out. 

Perera in a letter seen by the media addressed to Sagara Kariyawasam, the General Secretary of the SLPP, says that due to personal reasons he no longer intends to be in the running for the Presidential post. The move has taken many by surprise since Perera himself had told the media only weeks ago that he was waiting on the SLPP to give him the nomination. 

His exit from the running has put the SLPP in an awkward position demonstrating that the party had little clout to nominate someone suitable. During the last two weeks, several party members openly vouched for their support to Ranil Wickremesinghe. 92 such members attended a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat where they endorsed Wickremesinghe for the post. 

Bringing the split of #SriLanka's two years old ruling coalition to the open, MP @RajapaksaNamal, son of @PresRajapaksa and nephew of @GotabayaR was officially endorsed by @PodujanaParty
general secretary Sagara Kariyawasam as presidential candidate for the 21 September election pic.twitter.com/rr0tdD3mBZ

— LankaFiles (@lankafiles) August 7, 2024

The new entrant is a scion of the contentious Rajapaksa clan, Namal who also has a sullied reputation for several reasons. Rajapaksa like the father has a slew of allegations. An investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), found that Namal had received more than a million euros in payoffs from Australian medical firm Aspen. Namal has denied the allegations, as has Aspen. 

In 2016 Namal was arrested on charges of money laundering, The case against Namal Rajapaksa was over an agreement signed with a real estate company while his father Mahinda was still 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.

Namal in the past has also denied he or his family had anything to do with the murder of former Sri Lanka rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. In an interview with the BBC Sinhala Service, Namal said he and his family were close to Thajudeen and had often visited his house while he and Thajudeen were also in school. He said his family has been blamed unfairly.  A vehicle owned by Sri Lanka’s former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been linked to the murder of a Sri Lankan national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. Three members of Sri Lanka's former Presidential Security Division (PSD) are suspected to be responsible for the murder, the Sri Lankan media reported.  Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger son Yositha, who played alongside the murdered rugby player, is rumored to have been involved in the abduction of the rugby player.

Namal was also once refused a visa to enter to the US. He said he was blocked from entering the United States after spending time in Moscow as an election observer. "I won't make my Houston Flight as US Officials instruct them to not let me board. Sure it has nothing to do with my name, being part of Sri Lankan opposition, or my travel from Russia," he tweeted.

Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe undertook a visit to Jaffna last week, where he told an audience of Tamils that “the majority Sinhalese and Buddhist people hold a prominent position” on the island, as he continued electioneering ahead of next month’s polls.

Wickremesinghe, who undertook several stops during his tour of the Tamil North, was addressing a group of Tamil professionals and entrepreneurs at the Valampuri Hotel in Jaffna, when he made the remarks, but added that “it is crucial to treat everyone equally, ensuring equality among ethnic and religious groups as well as between women and men”.

The current president has been a staunch exponent of Sinhala Buddhism, vowing to ensure it remains within Sri Lanka’s constitution to “protect and foster” Buddhism, and previously campaigned on a platform to build 1,000 Buddhist viharas in the Tamil homeland.

During his visit however, Wickremesinghe also highlighted the connection that Eelam Tamils may have to their northern neighbours in Tamil Nadu.

“We should promote both the Sinhala and Tamil languages,” he said, but went on to note “with the upcoming economic growth in Tamil Nadu, Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans will have opportunities that others might not”.

His remarks come as his government has ushered in a wave of Indian investment on the island, which has seen a particular focus in the Tamil North-East. For decades, India has been keen to build links to the region, with air and sea travel connections having recently expanded.

Touted next is a bridge, connecting Tamil Nadu to Tamil Eelam, a project that has earnt the ire of Sinhala nationalists.

“The people of Jaffna and the Northern Province have suffered for a long time, but this province has immense potential that we should harness,” said Wickremesinghe.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has set October 14 as the date to hear petitions against the Indian backed Adani wind power project case in Mannar.

A total of five fundamental rights petitions were brought forward by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), arguing that the proposed project endangers biodiversity and migratory birds. The court has set September 13 as the deadline for all respondents to file objections. Respondents include the Sri Lankan government, the Board of Investment, and the Central Environmental Authority.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) is one of the groups that filed a petition. They also challenged the action by Minister of Environment Pavithra Wanniarachchi to exclude the Viddathalathivu area in Mannar district from being designated as a forest reserve. This exclusion was intended to facilitate the wind power project.

In May, the Sri Lankan Government approved the 20-year power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy to develop 484 MW wind power stations in the country. These renewable energy projects include a 250 MW project in Mannar and a 234 MW project in Pooneryn. The Sri Lankan government states that the Adani Group's investment is crucial for the country to achieve its goal of sourcing 70% of its power needs from renewable energy by 2030. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) refused approval to award procurement of the 484 MW wind power plant in Mannar and Pooneryn to Adani Green Energy.

Tamil residents last month prevented Sri Lankan authorities from surveying and partitioning land for a wind farm along the Mannar-Talaimannar main road. The residents expressed that they would not allow anymore land to be forcibly acquired by the state. Proposed Indian business ventures have frequently focused on North-East Sri Lanka.

India's ventures on the island have often been met with opposition from within Sri Lanka amidst allegations of cronyism in India, particularly with the involvement of the Adani group. A Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister highlighted the anti-Indian sentiment among Sri Lankan bureaucrats following India’s role in Sri Lanka’s 26-year armed conflict as a reason for delay of the proposed Mannar wind farm.

Read more here.
 
 

This week Sri Lanka’s Navy arrested 22 Indian fishermen deepening the rift between the two nations over the illegal fishing row. 

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 22 fishermen on Monday for crossing over to Sri Lanka’s Maritime Boundary Line. The Indian fishermen maintained that their fisherfolk were arrested when they were fishing in the deep waters between India and Sri Lanka, adding that their mechanized boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy. 

According to Sri Lanka’s Navy, it was a coordinated operation by the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard which led to the arrest. They said the fishermen were found fishing off Kudirmalei Point, South of Mannar Sea during the arrest. 

According to the Indian press, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has taken representatives of the fishermen community along with him to meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi to discuss the continuous attacks they face from the Sri Lankan Navy. After the meeting, Jaishankar said that necessary measures would be taken to address the matter.

"We will look at this to find some amicable solution. This should not be a political problem. It's a matter of their livelihood. Our Government and High Commission have always worked for their welfare. Recently, 20 fishermen were released," the External Affairs Minister added. Jaishankar had assured a meeting with the fishermen's association and a joint working group soon.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Deep Sea Fishermen Association secretary Pugazhi Selvam told the Indian press that even though the Lankan Navy arrested them at 2 pm, they informed the families only by 6 pm. 

The fishermen did not breach the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), he said, adding that the navy personnel could not find any violation as the fishers had all the necessary documents. The fishers were booked on false charges, Selvam added. Last week, the Indian government summoned Sri Lanka’s representative and lodged a “strong protest,” after one Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed and another remains missing, following a confrontation with the Sri Lankan navy recently. 

The Indian-Sri Lankan fishermen row was also taken up at the Indian parliament last week. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha said four Indian fishermen are serving sentences and 169 Indian fishing vessels have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan authorities. He was asked whether the government has taken any action concerning the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's "letter dated July 11, 2024, requesting the release of 80 fishermen and 173 fishing boats detained by Sri Lankan Navy" and details thereof.

Civil society in Mannar has called upon the Sri Lankan authorities to expedite a swift investigation into the untimely death of a 27-year-old pregnant woman who bled to death, adding that most investigations in the North-East have been swept under the carpet with no accountability and arrests. 

President of Mannar District Public Organizations V.S. Sivakaran held a media briefing in Mannar where the husband of the deceased woman also took part. They collectively called for justice and the doctors who were negligent of the patient to be taken to book. 

“We have been calling the hospital daily,” he said. “Much of the investigation is complete and the authorities who acted with careless neglect should be apprehended. In the past, such investigations have led to nothing since none of their findings are implemented.” 

Sivakaran also mentioned another incident in Kilinochchi where another woman died during a hysterectomy. Another incident was reported in Vavuniya where a young child had to have her arm amputated from the elbow due to medical negligence. “Despite the many investigations, no action has been taken till today. In the Mannar hospital, 56 doctors are from outstations, only five are from Mannar. We ask the Sri Lankan authorities to fill in vacancies.” 

Meanwhile, the former  Medical Superintendent of Chavakachcheri Base Hospital Dr. Archchuna Ramanathan, who caused an uproar at the hospital when he refused to vacate his position to make way for a new superintendent, was arrested earlier this week for allegedly assaulting several doctors at the Mannar Base Hospital. 

He was arrested based on a complaint made by a few doctors that he attempted to assault them and enter the hospital premises forcibly. 

The issues faced by the people in Mannar due to the occupation of land has left thousands feeling helpless, said Fr. S. Marcus, President of the Mannar Citizens Committee.

“For the last five years, there has been much effort by various private companies to lay claim for a stake in lands in Mannar for Ilmenite and sand mining, despite putting up stiff opposition, one company will begin its work on the 14th of this month,” Fr. Marcus told reporters.

“None of the families affected by this company has received any compensation. Altogether 4000 families in Mannar do not have their land.” 

He added that the Tamil residents have opposed this project and demanded intervention to halt the illegal mining of sand in Mannar.

He went on to say that lands in Mannar are being sold off to residents from Colombo and those coming from abroad, even though locals have been waiting for their land deeds for many years. He said land in Mandal Kulam in the Anthoniyar Puram Village in Manthai West was sold to a few individuals from overseas, “yet people who have been farming on these lands for more than 30 years are without land”. 

Fr. Marcus also said that many young people from Mannar are seeking employment opportunities and have applied to secure land rights to set up their businesses. “More than 800 youths had applied but none have received a response.” 

Alongside land issues, the lack of proper healthcare facilities continued to impact the region, Fr. Marcus continued, pointing to a specific incident where a young mother died shortly after giving birth.

“The citizens of Mannar requested that this death be investigated. The families and residents have expressed their anger in writing as well. 

Last week, Eelam Tamil residents of Parangikamam,  Iluppai Kadavai, and Antoniyar Puram, villages in Manthai West, Mannar, held a protest march towards the Land Reforms Commission demanding that the commission take measures to prevent land grab by foreigners, illegal Sinhala settlers, and the Sri Lankan security forces. 

A week before the protests, Tamil residents in Pesalai blocked the road to prevent Sri Lankan authorities from surveying and partitioning land for a wind farm along the Mannar-Talaimannar main road. Several women demanded that the officials retreat, stating that residents would not allow more land to be forcibly acquired by the state. The authorities surveyed a section of the land before retreating. 

Despite it being 15 years since the end of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan government and armed forces continue to occupy swathes of land belonging to the Tamil people. 

35 years ago, up to 64 Tamil civilians were killed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Valvettithurai in a massacre that was termed “India’s My Lai”.

The massacre, which saw dozens killed, came on the background of escalating violence and rights abuses committed by Indian forces across the Tamil homeland. As Tamil militant groups continued hostilities with the IPKF, the Indian forces imposed a curfew on August 2, 1989, following an ambush attack.

Indian soldiers then embarked on a systematic killing spree in Valvettithurai. Many in the town were blocked from receiving urgently required medical treatment for at least two days, whilst the curfew was in place.

See a video interview with survivors of the massacre below.

See a timeline of some of the many instances of violence by Nadarajah Anantharajah, the then-secretary of the Citizen Committee Valvettithurai and a survivor of the IPKF massacre, and compiled by PEARL here.

David Housego, a journalist for the London Financial Times, published a piece on the massacre on 17 August 1989. See an excerpt from his article below.

“On Tuesday I was the first western reporter to visit Valvettiturai, a small coastal town near Jaffna, where Indian troops carried out reprisals on August 2 after the Tamil Tigers, the Tamil guerrilla movement, ambushed one of their patrols close to the main square…

Most of the killings took place in the hours after the ambush, but the burning and ransacking continued, for another two days while Valvettiturai was under curfew and surrounded by Indian troops. What is also certain is that the official Indian explanation for the deaths - that civilians were caught in crossfire in the wake of the ambush - has no credibility.”

Almost a fortnight after the event, a smell of charred remains hangs over Velvettiturai. Of the 15,000 people perhaps half have left in fear or despair. Many who remain are distraught over the loss of relatives or belongings, and uncertain how to begin again or where."

Several eyewitness accounts were also published in the Indian Express on 24 August, 1989. See excerpts below.

"There were many males and females in addition to children inside the house. We confined ourselves in a room. At about 2.30 pm somebody knocked at the door of the house.

The Indian Peace Keeping soldiers who came inside the house first shot Mr Subramaniam and ordered the males and females to stand separately. They shot the males and then shot the females. I fell on the floor along with the dead and pretended to be dead and got up after the armed forces left. I saw my mother and brother dead, all totalling nine people.

When the soldiers came into the compound they fired at the house, set fire to the car and then came into the kitchen, into which we had all run. As one of the soldiers pulled my husband into the yard, his mother and I held on to his hands and tried to drag him back, pleading with the soldier to let him go. The soldier just didn't heed our pleas, and pushing us aside shot my husband dead. They did the same to Vellummylum. We pleaded, we begged on our knees, even my 75-year old mother-in-law Valliammal did so.

Fourteen-year-old Umadevi was witness to yet another scene of horror:

"The IPKF soldiers ordered the men to kneel down and opened fire. Four died on the spot and four were seriously wounded."

Fifty two bodies have been identified, 12 persons are still on the missing list and presumed dead, 43 injured, 122 houses and 45 shops burnt, ten cars, 50 bicycles, 175 fishing nets and fishing gear destroyed."

George Fernandez, an Indian opposition parliamentarian who would later serve as the country's defence minister, commented on the massacre a few months later.

"When in early August, 1987, I had said that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi's military adventure in Sri Lanka would be India's Viet Nam, I had not anticipated that India's Viet Nam would also have its own My Lai. Of course, I was aware and I had also said repeatedly that soldiers everywhere alike, their training and the rigours of their life, not to speak of the brutalisation caused by war, making them behave in the most inhuman ways when under pressure.

Now, in Velvlettiturai, the Indian army has enacted its My Lai. London's Daily Telegraph commenting editorially on the barbarism exhibited by the Indian army in Velvettiturai says that, if anything "this massacre is worse than My Lai. Then American troops simply ran amok. In the Sri Lankan village, the Indians seem to have been more systematic; the victims being forced to lie down, and then shot in the back".

See a list of the victims below.