The 39th anniversary of the Vankalai Church massacre was solemnly commemorated at St. Anne's Church in Vankalai, Mannar, marking the day when members of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) fatally shot Reverend Father Mary Bastian and nine other locals, including children, at the Vankalai Church on 6 January 1985.

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) remembered assassinated human rights lawyer and former leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar Ponnambalam, at their Jaffna office yesterday. 

Sri Lankan police have arrested three people during a protest against President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Jaffna today. 

Leader of the Tamil People’s National Front, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, has urged Tamils to consider boycotting the upcoming Sri Lankan presidential election as a strong display of public distrust in the electoral system. 

Ponnambalam notes that to participate in the upcoming elections would be “an acceptance of that state machinery”; when the reality is that “the entire government machinery is anti-Tamils”.

Canada’s Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities and MP for Brampton West, Kamal Khera, marked the beginning of Tamil heritage month with a video message celebrating the Canadian Tamil community as driving force that makes Canada stronger.

Writing in the ‘Eater’, Pallavi Pundir explores how Kanji, or rice gruel, became a symbol for Eelam Tamils of political resistance.

Examining the roots of this meal, Pundir notes how Tamils turned to it during the armed conflict as the Sri Lankan military cut off access to food and basic essentials. He further notes that during the final stages of the armed conflict, food distribution centres in “no-fire zones”, that were distributing kanji, were targeted by the Sri Lankan military and resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians.

The UNP’s sole member, MP Vajira Abeywardene, expressed gratitude to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the party of the Rajapaksas, for not bowing to international pressure.

On this day 18 years ago, five Tamil students were summarily executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee.

To date no one has been held accountable for the murder.

Batticaloa District Court has ordered for the continued detention of 9 Eelam Tamils detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), who were arrested for commemorating Maaveerar Naal.

Responding to these arrests, Human Rights Watch issued a statement condemning the continued crackdown on Tamil memorials.

“The Sri Lankan authorities’ use of a counterterrorism law against Tamils commemorating those who died in the civil war is cruelly abusive and further marginalises a community that already faces persistent government discrimination,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

She added: