In response to a Sri Lankan government-backed initiative that has seen the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) sign a joint declaration with Sinhala Buddhist monks, a host of Tamil diaspora organisations from around the globe have reiterated their commitment for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court for genocide and for an international monitored referendum to be conducted in the Tamil homeland.

“The key organizations listed below within the Tamil Diaspora, which closely align with the views of the Tamil people in the North-East, have developed their position through extensive dialogues with members of the grassroot community,” said the joint statement, which was released this morning.

The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) met with Ranil Wickremesinghe this week after it signed a declaration with a group of senior Sinhala Buddhist monks from different sects in Sri Lanka.

Photographs published on the Sri Lankan president’s official website show GTF members alongside saffron-robed monks, handing over a copy of the ‘Joint Himalayan Declaration’ to Wickremesinghe.

File photograph

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a statement condemning Sri Lanka’s arrest of 9 Tamils in Batticaloa under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) during Maaveerar Naal commemorations.

Tamils across the world marked Maaveerar Naal on Monday, paying tribute to the men and women who laid down their lives for the liberation of Tamil Eelam.

Whilst a crackdown was underway in the North-East, around the world - from Australia, to Europe to North America - several large scale commemorations were held.

See a round up of events that took place around the world below.

For events that took place in Tamil Eelam, see here.

Australia

The Sri Lankan air force has completed the purchase of two new Chinese built planes, as military spending continues, and the island continues to be plagued by militarisation.

Relatives of a Tamil youth, who was reportedly tortured to death under Sri Lankan police custody, staged a protest in Jaffna this week, demanding justice for his killing

25-year-old Nagarasa Alex died after being arrested and tortured by Sri Lankan police last month. A post-mortem examination revealed “multiple injuries” that led to his death.

The father of a 13-year-old Tamil boy who was reportedly tortured to death after being arrest by Sri Lankan police and sent to a reformatory school, has demanded justice for his killing.

Standing outside the magistrate’s court in Kalmunai, Ananthadevan Darsanth’s father spoke to reporters about his son’s death and the tortured he faced.

Gunshots were fired in Jaffna this week as Sri Lankan police reportedly gave chase to a gang of unknown persons armed with machetes, amidst ongoing crime in the highly militarised peninsula.

Dramatic footage has emerged showing the moment that at least two masked figures wielding large machetes appeared at a storefront in Tellippalai.

The Defence Service Command and Staff College (DSCSC) has spent Rs 1.1 million on "entertainment expenses" on five Sri Lankan military officers, a National Audit report revealed. 

The Rs 1.1 million was spent on food and refreshments during a visit to the DSCSC in 2022 by the Defence Ministry Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff, the commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 

Amongst the absurd spending, it is reported that Rs 350,250 was spent on "30 black colour dining chairs" that were left unused in the DSCSC warehouse reportedly because "the colour was deemed unsuitable and mismatched to the ambience of the hostel."

Ahead of a debate in Britian’s parliament later today, the Sri Lankan High Commission sent a confidential briefing to lawmakers claiming that Colombo “remains committed to pursuing tangible progress in the protection of human rights and reconciliation”.

The briefing, marked as confidential, claimed that Sri Lanka had made progress on a range of areas across human rights, despite the continued arrest of Tamils, land grabs by the state and lack of accountability for mass atrocities.