KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka — A former member of the LTTE has publicly endorsed M. A. Sumanthiran as a candidate for Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, urging Tamils to rally behind him and challenging critics to propose a more suitable alternative. The endorsement came from Tharan Sri, a former fighter of the LTTE’s Charles Anthony Brigade who now leads a regional civil group, the Vanni Tamil People’s Union, in a Facebook post. He said M. A. Sumanthiran had invited former militants to

April 8, 2026 BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka — A fisherman in eastern Sri Lanka has filed a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission, accusing Navy intelligence personnel of subjecting him to prolonged physical abuse and public humiliation following his arrest over the alleged use of a banned fishing net, according to documents submitted to the commission on Wednesday. The fisherman, identified as Nandheesan, said he was detained on April 5 while fishing off Chettipalayam beach in Batticaloa b

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 7, 2026 — The Sri Lankan government auctioned gas cylinders, cooking stoves and batteries seized from Indian fishing boats on Tuesday, drawing large crowds to a public sale in Jaffna that offered a rare glimpse into how the state disposes of assets taken during maritime enforcement operations in the Palk Strait. The auction, organized by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, featured equipment confiscated from both Sri Lankan and Indian vessels — some of i