Mullaitivu police detained an individual involved in Mullivaikkaal remembrance activities and summoned one other organiser for questioning on Tuesday evening. The organiser, Father Elil Rajan, responded to the summons by attending the police station with a lawyer. Father Elil was questioned about the remembrance activities he was involved in organising and was released after submitting a statement. The other individual was also released after the statement was given. Last week, multiple military officials were reported to have harassed the same civil society members involved in the...
Sri Lanka could lose a real opportunity to address the roots of its decades of political turmoil with chances of an eventual return to violence would then grow considerably, concludes the International Crisis Group in their latest report on Sri Lanka. Highlighting the new unity government’s failure to implement tangible changes to build confidence within the Tamil North-East, the ICG said, “Tamils in the north and east were assured of confidence building measures that require major changes in the security forces’ role. Yet, the military resists returning additional occupied land to its owners...
Organisers of the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week held a ceremony in Point Pedro today, where a flame was lit in memory of those who have been killed.
Hundreds of students at the University of Jaffna protested today against the transfer of the trial for the rape and murder of a Punguditivu student to a Colombo High Court.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe this week asserted China's 'One Belt One Road' programme would help Sri Lanka "to become a hub of the Indian Ocean", the Daily Mirror reported. Mr Wickremesinghe made this remark as he took part in talks on the programme in Beijing along side over 30 heads of states. “It is important to establish peaceful non military ties among the countries in the region. Therefore it is essential to establish multilateral trade ties based on a commercial basis,” he was quoted by the paper as saying.
Sri Lanka's Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) party on Monday slammed the Indian prime minister's plans for development, accusing him of viewing the island as India's 30th state. “Mr. Modi pledged to expand the Indian-funded ambulance service to cover the entire country and build 10,000 housing units for residents in the estate sector. What right has he to make decisions on behalf of Sri Lanka? He spoke as if Sri Lanka was the 30th state of India with President Sirisena as the Governor and Premier Wickremesinghe as the Chief Minister of that state,” PHU General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila was...
Sri Lanka's state minister of defense, Ruwan Wijewardene reiterated on Monday that he would not let anyone discredit the country's security forces. In an apparent reference to remembrance events in the North-East this week marking the massacre of Tamils at the end of the ethnic conflict, Mr Wijewardene was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying, "there were some elements trying to tarnish the reputation of the security forces by lighting lamps while enjoying the freedom reinstated in this country because of the efforts of security forces who sacrificed their life and limb to do so." “Some...
Tamil civil society groups and local politicians have criticised the Sri Lankan health ministry’s declaration of May 18 and 19 as National Dengue Eradication Week, claiming the move is an attempt to disrupt Mullivaikkaal remembrance activities. The sudden announcement which was passed via the directors of the Northern and Eastern Provincial Health Services included instructions for health officials to search homes in the North-East for dengue mosquito breeding habitats. Residents reported that during previous similar searches, military forces were involved, sparking fears that future searches...
Organisers of Tamil genocide remembrance week commemorated the passing of the Vaddukoddai resolution 41 years ago on Sunday.
The Commander of the Security Forces in Kilinochchi, Major General Ajith Kariyakarawanan distributed 20 dairy cattle amongst families in Visuwamadu and Poonakaryan. The distribution event was attended by the Government Agent, Mr Suntharam Arumainayaham, General Jariyakarawanana and a prominent Buddhist monk. Dr ration packs were also circulated amongst families that attended the event, reports the Sri Lankan army website.