The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) expressed frustration with the slow pace of progress in Sri Lanka at Wednesday’s review meeting in Geneva. The review meeting aimed to assess the status of women’s rights in Sri Lanka – a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Sri Lanka failed to provide adequate responses to questions of transitional justice raised by CEDAW – such as whether findings from the consultation task force reports would be implemented, witness protection and the establishment of the...
Security Force Headquarters Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) commenced an English program for officers on Monday. “The 60 day-long course will focus on latest writing, speaking, listening and reading techniques and communicative skills,” said the army website . The Tamil district of Kilinochchi is heavily militarised, with military personnel engaging in administrative and commercial activities. Tamils have have long complained that Sri Lankan soldiers rarely speak Tamil and are ill-equipped to deal with the needs of locals.
Families of the missing resumed a hunger strike protest in Vavuniya on Friday.
People in Mullaitivu protested outside the district secretariat in support of the land return protestors at Pilavu and Puthukudiyiruppu. The protest took place on Wednesday morning, while a similar large scale demonstration happened in Jaffna town. Tamil politicians including Northern Provincial Councillor Ravikaran and former TNA MP Suresh Premachandran also participated.
Kilinochchi's business community marched on Thursday in solidarity with protestors demanding land returns and with families of the disappeared
Families of the disappeared continued their protest in Kilinochchi for the fourth day on Thursday. Muththan Theivendran insists his son Ratheeswaran is still alive and demands that the government reveal his whereabouts. Ratheeswaran was detained by the army in 2009 and was seen by former detainees in Magazine prison. Nithees was taken by the army in 2009. His mother says he has serious mental health issues and worries about how the army would treat him. Mrs Thangarasa's daughter Kalaivani was handed over to the army at Omanthai in May 2009. They were told that anyone with even one day of LTTE...
A Batticaloa land reform director was shot and injured outside his home on Wednesday evening. Nesakumar Vimalraj, director of the Batticaloa Land Reform Commission was shot after he was called outside by two unidentified motorcyclists, whose faces were covered by helmets. Mr Vimalraj was immediately taken to Kaluvanchikudy Hospital, and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital for further care. Locals noted that Mr Vimalraj was a vocal opponent of military land-grabs in the district.
Residents of a Kilinochchi village resumed a protest this week calling for the return of their military-occupied lands.
The conviction of a Malaysian human rights activists for screening the ‘No Fire Zone’ documentary amounts to an “outrageous assault on basic free expression” said Human Rights Watch, in a statement released on Wednesday. “This prosecution is part of the Malaysian government’s disturbing pattern of harassment and intimidation of those seeking to raise public awareness of human rights issues,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. Rights activist Lena Hendry will be sentenced next month and faces fines as well as up to three years in prison for hosting a screening of the award-winning...
Activist Lena Hendry was convicted in Malaysia for screening “No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka” without the approval of the Malaysian Censorship Board. Magistrate Mohd Rehan Mohd Aris stated that the defense had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the case. Hendry said that she was disappointed in the decisions and seeks to appeal. Ivy Josiah, the National Human Rights Society’s executive committee member expressed her disappointment as well, stating, “The film had been shown everywhere in the world.” Hendry’s supporters were also present at the courthouse. One supporter held a...