As Sri Lanka’s Sinhala nationalist parties tussle over their support for current president Ranil Wickremesinghe ahead of presidential polls next month, the Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is reported to be considering announcing Namal Rajapaksa as its own official candidate.

In recent days, dozens of members of parliament, including SLPP members met Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat to pledge their support for his candidacy. But without the official backing of the party, and simmering discontent amongst its members that they haven’t fielded their own candidate, reports swirled this week that Namal Rajapaksa – the son of accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Rajapaksa press team sent out a series of flashy portraits of the controversial 38-year-old on Tuesday, with a potential official unveiling set to take place later this week.

^{One of a series of photographs of Namal Rajapaksa sent out by the Rajapaksa media team.}

Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe managed to secure the support of a breakaway faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), one of the Sinhala South’s oldest political parties and traditional rivals of his United National Party (UNP).

The SLFP had been divided into three groups with one of them being led by former president Maithripala Sirisena, who had an acrimonious split from Wickremesinghe during his tenure in government, the other led by Dayasiri Jayasekara and the central committee having the support of ministers such as Nimal Siripala, Mahinda Amaraweera and Lasantha Alagiyawanna.

The SLFP  has been embroiled in internal party struggles for months with different groups putting forward their own representative.

The party offices have been under police guard in recent months, as court cases were filed between members clamouring for control of the party.

^{Several members of the SLFP were forced to leave after finding that the office was locked last month.}

While the infighting continued, two security guards were even reportedly held hostage at the SLFP headquarters in Colombo for five days. Earlier last week, Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa announced his resignation from his ministerial post to contest the elections on the SLFP ticket.

The support from two of Sri Lanka's main political parties bolsters Wickremesinghe's bid for the presidency with the election scheduled for September 21st this year. Wickremesinghe in a Facebook post said he was grateful to those who aligned with him.

A total of 17 candidates have registered to stand in the polls thus far.

Sri Lankan MP and leader of the United National Party (UNP) Wajira Abeywardana warned of a “third civil war” if political parties on the island continued to follow what he termed “'traditional ideologies”.

The former minister told reporters “if political parties continue to adhere to traditional ideologies, caste-based politics, or religious divisions, they will be held responsible for any potential third civil war”.

“It is crucial for these parties to remember this," he added. The UNP leader went on to praise current president Ranil Wickremesinghe, stating he “took on the task of securing the country’s future”.

Abeywardana went on to state,

“Given this context, the question arises: will voters use their ballots to risk a situation resembling a third civil war, or will they choose to prevent such a scenario? The decision on September 21 will be crucial in shaping the future of civil society in Sri Lanka.

His remarks come as Tamil political parties continue to debate over whether to put forward a common Tamil presidential candidate or boycott the upcoming presidential polls entirely.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minsiter, Sheikh Hasina, was forced to resign and flee the country earlier today amidst protests which have seen the deaths of over 300 people.

The protests originated in response to a decision by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court which saw the revival of a quota system that awarded 56% of civil service jobs for the descendants of those who fought in Bangladesh’s independence war. Whilst the decision was later scrapped, the protests morphed to encompass a wide range of issues.

Photo by the World Economic Forum

Bangladesh’s Prime Minsiter, Sheikh Hasina, was forced to resign and flee the country earlier today amidst protests which have seen the deaths of over 300 people.

The protests originated in response to a decision by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court which saw the revival of a quota system that awarded 56% of civil service jobs for the descendants of those who fought in Bangladesh’s independence war. Whilst the decision was later scrapped, the protests morphed to encompass a wide range of issues.

The country’s military chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman has said he is temporarily taking control until fresh elections can be called. The BBC notes that Bangladesh’s military holds significant military influence and that the country has faced over 20 coups since independence in 1971.

Under Hasina, Bangladesh sought deeper ties with Sri Lanka. In June she met with Sri Lanka’s Presiden to discuss deepening investments in tourism and in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis Bangladesh provided the country a currency swap of $200 million. In 2022, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minsitry also  opposed the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, which sought to advance accountability, by claiming it was “politically motivated”.

Read more here.

Seven Tamil People’s Party representatives who met in Jaffna at a private hotel said they would announce the name of the Tamil Common candidate by next Thursday.

The representatives who gathered in the afternoon deliberated for four long hours but failed to reach a consensus during this meeting. Some members who were present and spoke to the press following the meeting said that former TNA parliamentarian Chandrakanthan Chandraneru’s name has been shortlisted and may likely be chosen. 

Several prominent Tamil politicians took part in the meeting, including the head of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Movement (TELO) Selvam Adaikalanathan,  former Tamil National Alliance MP Suresh Premachandran, N. Srikanth, the Northern Provincial Councillor, P. Aingaranesan, TELO member Surendran Gurusamy, Political analyst Nilanthan, 

This was the first meeting by the Tamil political parties after they formed an alliance in Jaffna in July. At that meeting in Jaffna, several Tamil political parties and civil society activists signed an agreement, uniting to field a common Tamil candidate for the Sri Lankan Presidential election which is to be held later this year.

The agreement comes in response to a sentiment acknowledged widely by Tamils in the homeland and abroad that no presidential candidate has advocated on behalf of Eelam Tamils on the island. 

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 last week.

^{File photograph. Eelam Tamil fishermen protesting in 2021.}

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 last week.

According to the  Deccan Herald, 59-year-old K Malaichamy, R Muthu Muniyandi (57), M Mookaiah (54), and V Ramachandran (64) were fishing in Neduntheevu (Deft Island) when the Sri Lankan navy began to chase their vessel. A collision between the two occurred, with Malaichamy killed. Ramachandran continues to be missing, whilst the other two fishermen were taken to Kankesanthurai in Jaffna for further hospital treatment.

The body of Malaichamy was handed over to the Indian navy mid-sea on Saturday.

"The government of India has always emphasised the need to deal with issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Last month, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that a sailor had “succumbed to his injuries,” after the security forces launched an operation that ended with the arrest of 10 Indian fishermen and the seizure of a trawler in Jaffna. Official reports from the navy state that the 10 fishermen were apprehended in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna. The navy went on to confirm that “a sailor from the Navy Special Boat Squadron sustained critical injuries,” claiming that it was “due to the aggressive maneuvers of an Indian trawler, resisting its seizure (sic)”. Sri Lanka detained those 10 Indian fishermen for causing the death of the sailor. 

The Sri Lankan navy has for years clashed with Tamil Nadu fishermen, resulting in hundreds of arrests and dozens of deaths.

In another incident, Nagapatanam fishermen in Tamil Nadu rescued a fisherman from Trincomalee, who was found to have been stranded at sea for over 10 days. Ahmed Iran and Astin were stranded on the high seas when their boat experienced an engine failure. They had reportedly waited for help however they had passed out since they had not had any meals for 10 days. On the 10th day, Astin had reportedly taken the petrol can from the boat and had told Iran that he would go and find help. It was during this time that Nagapatanam fishermen who had been returning to shore found this boat adrift and rescued Iran. The Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai has been alerted and efforts are underway to ensure that the fisherman receives medical treatment. Meanwhile, Indian fishermen are engaged in search operations for Astin who is still reported as missing.

The Indian-Sri Lankan fishermen row was also taken up at the Indian parliament this 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.

"As per the available information, Indian fishermen are apprehended for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Currently, there are 83 Indian fishermen in the judicial custody of Sri Lanka," the minister had said in response. Immediately after the reports of apprehension are received, "our High Commission through diplomatic channels" takes up the matter with the government of Sri Lanka, he added.

In the last two months alone, Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 84 foreigners who were allegedly operating online scamming compounds in the south if the island – including in hotels along the tourist-filled coasts.

The latest announcement comes as the island seems to be the latest base of activity for online fraud, similar to those in Myanmar and Cambodia.

The first arrests came in June this year when Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) unearthed a large-scale online financial fraud network operating from Negombo, targeting multiple foreign countries and residents through online scams. 

The raid at this residence led to the arrest of 33 suspects, including several foreign nationals, involved in the illicit scheme. The investigation itself was triggered by a complaint lodged by a Sri Lankan woman who reported that she was lured into a WhatsApp group promising cash payments in return for tasks like commenting on videos and taking screenshots. She told the officers that there were hundreds like her in her group alone while there were dozens of similar groups being operated in the similar manner. She said that although she was paid as promised by the scammers, she later faced demands by them to deposit substantial sums of money into private bank accounts. She herself was scammed into a deposit totalling Rs.5.4 million. 

Police followed the trail of bank accounts which led them to a father and son (both Sri Lankans) from Kandy who confessed to being part of the ring. Based on the information, police raided a luxury house in Negombo where they arrested the suspects including two women. They seized 57 mobile phones, 13 computers, and 3 laptops that were used to scam people. The foreigners were from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The arrested suspects disclosed that their operations stretched beyond Sri Lanka with bases in Dubai and Afghanistan.

This week, the police also raided another property, this time in the coastal town of Kalpitiya, where they arrested 54 Chinese nationals and one Japanese woman on suspicion of engaging in online fraud. The suspects allegedly defrauded money through online schemes. Authorities recovered over Rs. 10 million from their possession, during the raid, police recovered 98 mobile phones, 44 laptops, and numerous SIM cards from the suspects. 

"A hotel in the Kalpitiya area of Puttalam was searched based on a search warrant obtained from the Magistrate's Court. The arrest was made after discovering that this group of foreigners was using computers to conduct suspicious online transactions," said DIG Ruwan Gunasekara (Attorney-at-Law), the Acting Police Spokesperson.

Sri Lanka is still reeling from an economic crisis that shot up inflation sharply. This resulted in the price of goods and services increasing and the cost of living. Compounded by loss of livelihoods, layoffs, and stagnant salaries, the island has seemingly attracted a hive of online money-making scams. 

There has been a flurry of activity in Colombo, as Sri Lanka announced presidential elections are finally to be held later this year. Candidates and parties are bartering with each other and with the Southern electorate, as they tussle to take the reins of the state in September. But in the Tamil North-East, there is no such frenzy or excitement. Sri Lankan elections have never brought much to the Tamil people. Indeed, following decades of broken promises and continued assaults on their livelihood, there remains an overwhelming sense of pessimism.

^{Illustration by Keera Ratnam / wavesofcolour}

There has been a flurry of activity in Colombo, as Sri Lanka announced presidential elections are finally to be held later this year. Candidates and parties are bartering with each other and with the Southern electorate, as they tussle to take the reins of the state in September. But in the Tamil North-East, there is no such frenzy or excitement. Sri Lankan elections have never brought much to the Tamil people. Indeed, following decades of broken promises and continued assaults on their livelihood, there remains an overwhelming sense of pessimism.

Whenever Sri Lankan elections are announced, particularly for the presidency, questions are always raised about the futility of such exercises. The electoral system in Sri Lanka has always been set against the Tamil people, structured in a way to enable a Sinhala ethnocracy since independence. It was manufactured precisely so that Tamil voices, vastly outnumbered across the island, would have minimal impact. In 2019, for example, when a record Tamil turnout came to the polls to overwhelmingly reject Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the accused war criminal’s Sinhala nationalist base easily overcame the Tamil votes. Their efforts were in vain.

Never has a Tamil candidate won and only a select few handful of occasions, when the Sinhala vote was split, has the Tamil vote made any significant impact – such as in 2015 when the Tamil vote was instrumental in bringing the Maithripala Sirisena into power. Even then, there was little reprieve, however. Despite having helped his regime secure government, the Tamils were rewarded with no devolution of power, continued military occupation and absolutely no progress on their demands for international accountability. It is no wonder that they feel entirely disillusioned by the whole electoral process.

In the months of electioneering this year so far, no Sinhala candidate has made any clear pledges on the issues that matter most across the North-East. The JVP and the SJB, both of whom have been trying to win over Tamil votes with recent trips to the homeland, have both only made piecemeal pledges of devolution. Yet, even as the candidates made vague promises in the North-East, their respective parties in South would contradict and even deny their words entirely. They have in effect been playing both sides, attempting to garner Tamil votes in the event of a tight contest, whilst also ensuring the Sinhala population remains appeased. That is precisely why to date, no significant pledge to the Tamil people has been delivered in writing. They cannot afford to lose their Sinhala nationalist base.

Tellingly, neither of the above candidates has even paid lip service to matters that remain at the forefront of Tamil politics – justice for mass atrocities and accountability for the crimes committed, including the thousands of abductions and disappearances that Tamils are still on the roadsides protesting about. Instead, both parties continue to court the military, including recruiting senior figures who are responsible for the very crimes that Tamils seek justice for. The prospect of any movement on this issue from any future Sri Lankan government appears non-existent.

With such little hope emanating from the South, the path ahead seems grim. It explains why, as of yet, no Tamil politician has called for the backing of a Sinhala candidate. Given the history of shattered pledges and ongoing refusal to accommodate Tamil demands, the reason for the hesitancy is clear. Doing so would be naive at best, and duplicitous at worst.

“The only option left to the Tamil people is to reject the presidential election,” said the Tamil National People’s Front earlier this year, echoing a widely held sentiment that has reverberated for decades. Participating in these elections could be seen as endorsing Sri Lanka’s racist political system, they argued. Others have rallied around the idea of a joint Tamil candidate; one that would not win the elections but a figure they claim will be a symbolic and powerful move aimed at highlighting Tamil demands to the international community. There is a logic behind both options.

Both, however, share a common basis and reiterate what Tamils have long known. There is nothing to be gained from placing hope in Sri Lanka’s ballot boxes or relying on the state’s institutions. It is only through international mechanisms and efforts in capitals across the world that will bring them their liberation. Until then, Eelam Tamils remain defiant in the face of continued crackdowns and harassment by Sri Lanka’s security forces, taking to the streets and making their voice clear. This is not our state. And these are not our polls. 

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, US Ambassador, Julie Chung, met with accused war criminal and candidate for the presidency, Sarath Fonseka.

On X, Chung claimed that they discussed the "political and economic environment" ahead of the election. Fonseka expressed his gratitude for her visit and noted that he looked forwards t further working with the US.

It was a pleasure to host you at my residence today, Ambassador Julie Chung.

Thank you very much for sharing insights and ideas on how corruption can be crushed in Sri Lanka.

Our country Sri Lanka can only progress if we #CrushCorruption, and I look forward to working with… https://t.co/Xsnd0F3HbP

— Sarath Fonseka (@SF2024_SL) August 2, 2024

This is not the first time that Fonseka has made a presidential bid. In 2010 he stood against Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Presidential elections but was defeated. He was then imprisoned by his political rival under charges of corruption relating to military procurements and treason. He was given a 30-month jail sentence. Fonseka is an infamous figure for Eelam Tamils as one of the architects of the Mullivaikkal genocide. He served as Sri Lanka’s army commander during the final years of the wars, from 2005 to 2009, which oversaw a litany of war crimes, including the indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, mass executions, and sexual violence. During the final months, tens of thousands of Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan military. Examining different sources, including from the United Nations, census figures and World Bank data, ITJP found that the highest estimate of those killed during that final phase could be as large as 169,796. In 2011 he admitted that during the armed conflict, LTTE cadres who had surrendered were summarily executed under the orders of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then acting defense secretary. Fonseka would later recant the statement and claim he was misquoted. Fonseka has since lashed out at moves towards accountability, accusing then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet of harboring LTTE sympathies. In a recent speech, he instead said he rescued 150,000 in Mullivaikkal.

In 2011 he admitted that during the armed conflict, LTTE cadres who had surrendered were summarily executed under the orders of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then acting defense secretary. Fonseka would later recant the statement and claim he was misquoted. Fonseka has since lashed out at moves towards accountability, accusing then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet of harboring LTTE sympathies. In a recent speech, he instead said he rescued 150,000 in Mullivaikkal. Fonseka has previous been subject to a travel ban by the US due to concerns over his human rights record.

Following a collective agreement amongst Tamil political parties, leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan(TMTK) CV Wigneswaran has accused Tamil lawmaker MA Sumanthiran of being the sole opponent of fielding a common Tamil canidate at the upcoming presidential election, which will be held on 21st   September. 

Following a collective agreement amongst Tamil political parties, leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan(TMTK) CV Wigneswaran has accused Tamil lawmaker MA Sumanthiran of being the sole opponent of fielding a common Tamil canidate at the upcoming presidential election, which will be held on 21st   September. 

He told journalists in Jaffna that it is only Sumanthiran who is "making a big noise against the Tamil general candidate". Last month, Sumanthiran slammed the proposal for a common candidate claiming that it was "not beneficial and can be harmful, especially for the Tamil community". Wigneswaran has rebuked the idea stating that, "the general candidate is to support the Tamil people and their aspirations, not Ranil or Sajith. It is completely wrong to say that a common candidate is to support Ranil". 

Commenting on opposition to the common candidate, Wigneswaran stated, "they are saying that they will somehow stop the appointment of a common candidate and they are not afraid to be called out as traitors". He went on to say that the opposition to the candidate might be stemming from fear among the Sinhalese candidates. 

Wigneswaran also stressed that there was no pressure from Indian diplomats to drop the idea of a common candidate. 

"I don't think there was any pressure from the Indian counterpart. They rarely talk about such things with me. They will talk about culture and religion. It is rare to talk about this matter."  

The agreement to field a common Tamil candidate was agreed to last month and is an overt rejection of Sinhala candidates which Tamil leaders note will not further the aspirations of the Eelam Tamils.

Read more here: Tamil political parties and civil society activists sign agreement to field common presidential candidate

The signatories include Member of Parliament and leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK) CV Wigneswaran, Member of Parliament and leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) Selvam Adaikkalanathan, former parliamentarian and Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front leader (EPRLF) Suresh Premachandran, Member of Parliament and leader of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) Dharmalingam Siddharthan, former Member of the North Provincial Assembly P. Aingaranesan, former parliamentarian and Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) member N Sri Kantha, leader of the Crusaders for Democratic Party C. Vendan, head of the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Jaffna K T Ganesalingam, Jaffna-based political analyst and senior lawyer S A Jothilingam, political commentator Yathindra and political analyst Nilanthan.

Australia's Attorney General department was pressed during a public hearting this week on its failure to impose sanctions on Sri Lankan war criminal Jagath Jayasuriya, who entered the country in 2019 after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) failed to investigate his war crimes. 

Greens New South Wales Senator David Shoebridge questioned the Attorney General's department on the case, stating that Jayasuriya “was a senior military commander of in Sri Lanka army who oversaw a significant part of the hostilities at the end of the war in Sri Lanka that ended in 2009 is considered by many to have to be a notorious war criminal”.

"Detailed briefs were provided to the Australia Federal Police by a number of bodies and then the AFP said because of an administrative error they never directed those concerns to anyone in the AFP to actually investigate,” he continued. “Are you aware of that background?" 

Asking the AG's Department how even with the international crime of genocide on the books here, a detailed brief on war crimes committed by Jagath Jayasuriya in Sri Lanka did NOT result in a prosecution while he was in the country? pic.twitter.com/lJVWEsE3UH

— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) July 30, 2024

Christoper Malone, who was representing the AG's Department during the hearing responded by stating they would take notice of the query and would need to revert.

"I am not familiar with the specifics of the individual matter and I think it would be difficult for us to comment on such individual matters especially those investigated or primarily health with AFP, but we are happy to take it on notice," said Malone. 

The questioning took place during a hearing regarding a bill that would remove the requirement for the Attorney General to consent to prosecutions for genocide.

^{Image by ITJP} 

Jayasuriya served as 19th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and oversaw the brutal assault on the northern province during the final stages of the armed conflict. His operations oversaw acts of torture, sexual violence, targeted attacks on civilians, the shelling of hospitals, and summary executions. He has been rewarded with important diplomatic posts serving in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Suriname.

Following Jayasuriya's visit to Australia in May 2019, the ITJP,  the ACIJ and the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) wrote to the AFP and referred Jayasuriya to the authorities for urgent criminal investigation under the principle of universal jurisdiction which is available under Australian law.

Later that year, the groups lodged a formal criminal complaint and a request to investigate Jayasuriya to the AFP. The draft indictment contained testimonies from 40 witnesses and survivors of torture, many who were held in Joseph Camp.

In their response, the AFP advised the groups that “this matter is being progressed through the [AFP] to the office of the Commonwealth Attorney General.” However, when the group sought an update in August 2021, they were told by the AFP that  “unfortunately, this matter was not allocated to an investigations team for review due to an administrative oversight which was not realised until receipt of your recent letter.”

In a joint press release in 2022, the Tamil Refugee Council, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), and the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) reiterated calls on the Australian government to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Jayasuriya.

The US military will join hands with the Sri Lankan Air Force and conduct a military exercise next week, despite ongoing human rights abuses and a history of atrocities.

The Montana National Guard, US Pacific Air Forces, Sri Lanka Air Force and members of the Maldives National Defense Force, are scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise which according to the US mission in Colombo is to be better prepared and respond to "natural and man-made disasters".

Named 'Atlas Angel,' the exercise will kick off from August 5- 9, with more than 70 US personnel and two C-130 Hercules aircraft scheduled to participate.

The military exercise according to the US Mission "underscores the importance of international cooperation in disaster response and U.S. commitment to fostering a resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific region." 

Atlas Angel will feature six exercises, including urban and medical search and rescue as well as airfield repair, culminating in a crisis management exercise on August 9. 

“Following the main exercise, US Air Force surgeons will engage in a knowledge exchange session at the Kothalawala Defence University in Colombo, sharing best practices with Sri Lankan military and civilian medical counterparts,” the embassy continued.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung praised the disaster response cooperation adding that the US is committed fostering “resilience and prosperity in the region”.  

“Throughout this week, I look forward to working with regional counterparts and learning from their expertise as we go through realistic simulations, ensuring we are all ready to act in the event of an emergency,” added Montana National Guard Adjutant General Pete Hronek.

^{Photo of makeshift shelters in Mullaivaikkal 2009}

For decades, the Sri Lankan air force bombed the Tamil homeland, killing countless Tamils. In the final stages of the armed conflict alone, tens of thousands were massacred as hospitals and 'No Fire Zones' were repeatedly targeted. 

Earlier this year, the United States completed a three-day training of Sri Lankan troops, teaching the air force how to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) flights, as the military relationship between the two continues to grow.

The latest military training for Sri Lankan troops comes after the US government announced it was looking to gift Colombo a cutter, with US$9 million allocated to support the effort.

India's biggest budget airline IndiGo has announced that it would begin daily direct flights between Chennai and Jaffna next month, as it praised the Northern city’s “vibrant Tamil heritage”.

The move will significantly increase connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam, with a flight time of just 75 minutes between the two cities. Jaffna will be the second destination in Sri Lanka after Colombo for IndiGo, the airline said in a statement.

“The demand for travel between Chennai and Jaffna is evident, with over 21,000 passengers flying the route in just nine months last year,” it added.

The airline went on to praise Jaffna’s “vibrant Tamil heritage” which it said was “reflected in its traditions, festivals, and historical landmarks, showcasing the resilience and diversity of its people”.

“Visitors can explore iconic sites such as the Jaffna Fort, which serves as an architectural testament to the region's colonial past, and the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, a revered Hindu temple that holds both religious and cultural importance. The community's resilience, combined with its cultural treasures and culinary delights, makes Jaffna a must-visit destination for travellers seeking an authentic and enriching experience.”

The latest announcement comes as part of increasing moves from India to expand connectivity to Sri Lanka, and the Tamil North-East in particular. Earlier this year, the Indian government was keen on expediting a ferry between the two nations, however, it hit a snag that delayed the commencement of the service. 

The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santhosh Jha previously detailed how his government was “taking the first steps” to construct a land corridor between the two regions, calling it a “game-changing initiative”.

“Connectivity undoubtedly is the central pillar of our emerging partnership,” said Jha. “When I speak of connectivity, I mean all its dimensions – air, maritime, trade, digital, energy or people-to-people connectivity. Daily flights between Jaffna and Chennai and the launch of ferry services between India and Northern Sri Lanka are some of the latest steps in this direction.”

“We will continue to add to the existing multiple nodes of air and maritime connectivity,” he continued.

There has been mounting pressure Britain’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to airlift more than 60 Tamil asylum seekers on Diego Garcia, to the UK after reports of a mass suicide attempt on the island.

The group, first stranded on the island in October 2021, are facing extreme challenges and are “extremely vulnerable”, according to their lawyers.

There has been mounting pressure Britain’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to airlift more than 60 Tamil asylum seekers on Diego Garcia, to the UK after reports of a mass suicide attempt on the island.

The group, first stranded on the island in October 2021, are facing extreme challenges and are “extremely vulnerable”, according to their lawyers.

The commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Paul Candler also wrote a letter which detailed a mass suicide attempt involving 22 of the Tamils.

A partner at Leigh Day, the firm representing some of the migrants, stated that "the camp is in crisis", and "It is imperative that the foreign secretary and home secretary act now to end this cruelty and bring all of those on Diego Garcia to the UK without delay”.

Calls for the UK to take action follow after lawyers initiated a legal challenge and claimed that the migrants were being unlawfully detained on the island and held in a fenced-off area the size of a football pitch. This case is to be heard in September this year.

Reports on the migrant's camp describe poor conditions including rat-infested tents, claims of child sexual abuse and wide-spread self-harm.

Acting judge of the BIOT supreme court Margaret Obi granted the asylum seekers bail to access more of the island at a hearing on Friday. She said "The situation appears to be deteriorating rapidly”.

Previously on Thursday, BIOT commissioner Candler wrote a letter to Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty and requested some Tamils to be brought to the UK.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy then wrote a letter requesting permission from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

However, following the mass suicide attempt on the island, Candler issued another letter which instead requested all the migrants to be brought to the UK. He warned Doughty of risks of arson, hunger strikes and widespread disorder among those initially not in the group to be brought to the UK as well as reputational risk for the UK. 

There has not yet been a response to this request from the Home Office.

Read more at The Guardian here.

Sahadevan Nilakshan, a promising young Eelam Tamil journalist who was shot and killed by suspected Sri Lankan military intelligence personnel was remembered today by fellow media workers, 17 years after his murder.

The Jaffna Press Club held a special remembrance for the budding journalist, where they lit candles, laid floral wreaths and offered their condolences. 

Nilakshan was 22 years old when he was gunned down outside his home in Jaffna, on August 1, 2007. 

At a time when the Jaffna district was on lockdown due to military-imposed curfew, and the city’s streets were heaving with troops, so-called unidentified gunmen were able to approach Nilakshan’s home in Kokkuvil, a busy suburb less than 5km away from town.

The perpetrators forced a friend of the journalist to accompany them to Nilakshan’s home and call him outside, before gunning him down.

Speaking at an event in 2018, Nilakshan's mother called for the killers of her son to be brought to justice. 

“My son was innocent,” said his mother Selvarani Sahadevan. "The culprits who were behind this killing should be punished. Many Tamil journalists were killed but still there is no justice."