UPDATE: Director General of Customs has informed Tamil writer Theepachelvan, that based on recommendations made by Sri Lanka Arts Council & State Literary Sub-Panel, 2 of his books will be released while the rest will be retained in their custody under section 120 of the Penal Code.
2.Prominent Sinhala writers, Keerthi Welisarage, Kamal Perera & Dr. Sunil Wijesiriwardane represented the state literary body at the meeting convened by Minister of Cultural Affairs & said that their observations will be shared confidentially with the Customs Dept. |📹 Lakshman Warnakulasuriya
1. During a meeting held on Friday (17), members of Sri Lanka's state run Arts Council & State Literary Sub-Panel refrained from stating their opinion on the decision made in late march by Customs Dept. to detain 360 copies of 5 books written by acclaimed Tamil writer Theepachelvan Piratheepan. 🧵
'US attacks against civilians & civilian infrastructure in Iran that are essential to their survival, can be characterised as genocidal acts...US President's statements may be relied upon as evidence demonstrating a specific intent to eliminate the Iranian people.' -ITJP
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During a protest march in Kilinochchi on Friday (20), relatives of the disappeared highlighted the current NPP govt's policy of duplicity towards genocidal crimes against Tamils, by focusing on state's constant reluctance in holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
While marching to mark 3287 days of protest, relatives of the disappeared Tamils on Friday (20) stopped by the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) in Kilinochchi to voice their protest against inaction of the state run body tasked with 'searching for & tracing missing persons.'
Hundreds of relatives of the #Tamils who disappeared at the hands of #SriLanka's state armed forces took to the streets of war ravaged #Kilinochchi on Friday (20) to mark the 9th year of the longest running protest campaign seeking truth & justice on the island.
A commemoration event organised by Mullaithivu Press Club in memory of 3 journalists - S. Sugeethrajan (Jan. 2006), Lasantha Wickrematunge (Jan. 2009) & Prageeth Ekneligoda (Jan. 2010) - murdered by Sri Lanka's state sponsored assassins was held on Saturday (31).
Dozens of social activists & rights defenders staged a protest in front of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Justice on Friday (30) to voice their opposition against proposed anti-terror legislation, 'Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA)'. | 📹 Lakshman Warnakulasooriya
On 24.01.2010, political cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda went missing after leaving his office in Colombo.16 yrs later his perpetrators still remain at large. On Saturday (24), Prageeth's widow Sandhya Ekneligoda made offerings at Mōdara Kaali Amman Kovil, demanding justice long denied.
Human rights defenders & social activists of Negombo took to the street on Saturday (24), calling for the immediate withdrawal of Sri Lanka govt's new counterterrorism legislation - Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) - proposed to replace the existing terror laws.
On Saturday, journalists in Batticaloa marked the 20th death anniversary of Tamil journalist Subramaniyam Sugirtharajan of 'Sudar Oli' newspaper, who was gunned down on 24.01.2006 after exposing the role of state armed forces in the killing of 5 Tamil students in Trincomalee.
Sri Lanka's counter-terror police (CTID) questioned Fr. Sherard Jayawardena, a leading catholic priest & social activist from Negombo, for 4hrs on Friday (23) after he was summoned over his involvement in an event held in May 2025 to commemorate the war dead.
The 17th death anniversary of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was murdered in Colombo by armed members of state security forces, was marked on Thursday (8) by family members & fellow journalists at his grave site in Borella Cemetery.| 📷 Sakuna M. Gamage
Hundreds of trade unionists & social activists took to the streets in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and staged a protest in front of the US embassy on Monday (5), condemning the US aggression against Venezuela. | 📷 Sakuna M. Gamage
Sivakumaran Hayakirivan of Trincomalee, a Tamil provincial journalist & social activist who is a prominent member of community based organisation "Thalam" has been summoned to be present at the regional office of the Counter Terrorism & Investigation Division on Friday (27).
Dr. Kāsipillai Manoharan (84), a persistent fighter who campaigned to get justice for his son Ragihar Manoharan (20) executed with 4 Tamil students in Trincomalee on 02.01.2006 by Sri Lanka's police Special Task Force, passed away in exile on Sunday(21), without seeing justice.
RIP🪔
A joint report by International Truth & Justice Project & @redress.org, "The Killing of Sri Lankan Journalists:the case of Nimalarajan Mylvaganam" was released in Jaffna in an event organised by Jaffna Press Club on Sunday(7) to mark the 25th anniversary of the killing of BBC reporter M.Nimalarajan.
Thursday (21) marks the 12th day since excavations recommenced at the Colombo port mass burial site where over 85 bodies, haphazardly buried without clothes, were unearthed. The site was first found in July 2023 during construction work for the Port City Expressway entrance.
UPDATE: After being interrogated for over 7 hours about his journalistic work by the police counter- terrorism officers, journalist K.Kumanan left Alampil CTID station with his lawyer Nadarajar Kandeepan, a short while ago.
Tamil journalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan is seen walking into Alampil sub-station of Counter Terrorism & Investigation Division with his lawyer Nadarajar Kandeepan, on Sunday morning (17), after he was summoned under PTA for an "inquiry" abt his journalistic work in Tamil areas.
#SriLanka: Kanapathipillai Kumanan, who covered the recent exhumations of mass graves, has been summoned on 17 August. by the anti-terrorism division for an unspecified "investigation.” RSF denounces this new act of intimidation and demands an end to police harassment of this Tamil photojournalist.
International media rights group, Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Sri Lankan authorities to "immediately stop harassing photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan", who has been summoned by Counter Terrorism & Investigation Division (CTID).
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On 27.10.89 M.S.Wijeratna of Divulapitiya, a father of 4,was abducted by a police team led by OIC Nimal Fernando. And thus began his brother Ratnasiri's long search for justice for victims of Walpita mass grave.
Today, as the sun set over Divulapitiya, Ratnasiri was laid to rest.
Mihindukulasuriyage Ratnasiri, who led the families of the disappeared in the mid 90s braving threats and intimidation, demanding justice for the victims of Divulapitiya mass grave in western Sri Lanka, passed away on Sunday (10) morning without seeing justice.
Rest in power!🪔
Chemmani mass grave body count rises to 147 as 6 more bodies - including skeletal remains of infants - unearthed on Wednesday (6), marking the end of the second phase of an excavation process that continued for 41 days. #SriLanka #MassGrave| 📸 Sakuna M. Gamage
Asian Football Confederation, one of the six continental confederations operating under #FIFA, has imposed US $2000 fine on #SriLankan midfielder Mohamed Thilham for showing solidarity with #Palestine following a win against Chinese Taipei in a qualifying match played on June 10.
#SriLanka's Counter Terrorism & Investigation Division (CTID)has summoned leading #Tamil journalist & rights defender, K. Kumanan, informing him to appear at CTID Sub-station in #Alampil, #Mullaithivu on August 17th for an 'inquiry'. @pressefreiheit.bsky.social @pressfreedom.bsky.social @rsf.org
On Tuesday (5), 100s of relatives of the disappeared Tamils visited the 2 forensic excavation sites in Chemmani, Jaffna where skeletal remains of at least 141 victims have been unearthed from a mass grave during an exhumation process ongoing for 40 days. | 📸 © Sakuna M. Gamage
As the 18th day of the ongoing excavations at Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna concluded for Wednesday (23), the ever staggering body count stood at 85 with five more human remains unearthed during the day.
