Sri Lanka’s parliament today voted to go ahead with a scheduled debate on the controversial Online Safety Bill that has been vehemently opposed by critics who state it stifles freedom of speech on the internet. 

India’s new High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha assured India’s support for the Tamil national question, ITAK parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran told the Tamil Guardian, after a cross-party group of Tamil legislators met with the diplomat this week.

Saman Perera, the leader of the right-wing Sinhala nationalist party 'Ape Janabala Pakshaya' (meaning “Our Power of People Party” in Sinhala), was confirmed to be among the five individuals shot dead in Tangalle, on Monday (22).

A batch of nearly 200 Eelam Tamil who have been living in Tamil Nadu received Sri Lankan passports at a ceremony organized by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai on Friday (19), after decades in limbo as refugees. 

The newly elected leader of the Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Sivagnanam Shritharan spoke to the Tamil Guardian for an exclusive interview on how he hopes to further Tamil aspirations.

A protest march and demonstration was held in Batticaloa on Monday (22), calling for the repeal of the the Anti-Terrorism Bill and Online Safety Bill, adding both repressive laws hinder the freedom of expression and assembly.

UN experts who are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council have expressed alarm at the heavy security-driven approach of Sri Lanka’s anti-narcotics operation which has seen tens of thousands of people arrested do far.

In a statement released on the UNOHCHR website, the experts called on Sri Lankan authorities to immediately suspend and review the so-called Operation ‘Yukthiya’ and to focus on policies based on health and human rights.

Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister, Tiran Alles has vowed to continue the controversial “Yukthiya” Operation adding that they "will not stop based on anyone’s statement", after coming under criticism from the UN human rights c

Addressing a gathering of media and newly appointed members to community police committees, Alles cautioned that there “was a gang of people who are envious and working against the interest of this country.”

Sri Lanka's Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has called on the "community police committees" to spy on residents in their local villages and collect information  to prevent "extremism" and "terrorism", claiming that it is part of their effort to safeguard the country’s national security. 

“To prevent such unfortunate incidents (attacks on Easter Sunday), the community police committee in every Grama Niladhari's main duty is to collect information about people residing in your area,” he told a gathering of newly appointed community police members in Avisawella. “This committee should visit each household in their respective village.The  printed Police form 76 has the details in all three languages.”

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ),  in a statement issued recently, said a bill gazetted by Sri Lanka to establish a Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation, "lacks credibility and is unlikely to bring accountability". The ICJ cited it is concerned the lack of consultation with victim communities and the continued neglect of their long-standing demands deprives the bill of its legitimacy.