A group of NGOs and individuals have called on the European Parliament to reject the EU Commission’s proposal to restore the GSP+ trade preference status to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was suspended from the preferential tariff in August 2010 in response to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. In a letter to the European Parliament, the organisations noted concern about a number of “factual inaccuracies and omissions with the EU Commission ‘Report on assessment of the application for GSP+ by Sri Lanka.’” The letter outlined “Flawed factual analysis of Sri Lanka’s implementation...
The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council boycotted the military parade that was held in Jaffna to mark Sri Lanka’s Independence Day and instead attended a protest held by Tamil villagers. Justice C V Wigneswaran was invited to the military parade being held in Jaffna, but instead chose to travel to Keppapilavu and Puthukudiyiruppu in the Mullaitivu district to join protesting Tamil villagers, demanding the release of their land. See more on the protests in Keppapilavu here and Puthukudiyiruppu here . In Jaffna, whilst the security forces held an unprecedented parade, family...
Tamil businesses in Mullaitivu shut their shopfronts on Saturday, in boycott of Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations taking place in the town.
Sri Lanka marked its 69th Independence Day on Saturday with a military parade in the capital as well as military-run events across the North-East. Tamils across the homeland held protests, despite Sri Lankan police seeking court orders to prevent demonstrations, rejecting celebrations of the day.
The Northern Provincial Council unanimously rejected the central government’s proposal to centralize decision-making regarding national economic policy through the Sustainable Development Strategies Bill. The NPC believes that the bill infringes on the provinces’ rights – as it limits the powers under the 13 th Amendment of the constitution. The bill will establish a Sustainable Development Council, which will consist of eight members – three of whom will represent the nine provinces. It is alleged that the minister of the Council is likely to be Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The bill...
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has said that the involvement of courts into the probe on Sri Lankan war crimes is not needed. Kumaratunga, the current head of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), responded to the question of national reconciliation in a recent interview stating: “It is successfully carried out. In the face of opposition and a handful of extremists, activities are continuing with the blessings of the majority. Reconciliation means a lengthy activity. What is urgent now is to bring in a new Constitution, and then comes the establishment...
The UN Human Rights Chief expressed his concern at Sri Lanka’s slow progress on accountability when meeting the country’s prime minister. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, commented on his meeting with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe regarding human rights issues in Sri Lanka. Zeid noted his appreciation of the consultation that was undertaken by the Consultation Taskforce on Reconciliation Mechanisms. However, he further stated, “At the same time, I expressed my concern at the slow progress in a number of areas, especially those relating to accountability, and...
A lavish military parade was held in Colombo on Saturday morning, to mark Sri Lanka’s 69th Independence Day. Thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers marched in the ceremony, which was watched over by senior government and military officials. Though the theme of the parade was declared to be “national unity”, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena praised the military in his address. “When we talk about the freedom it is essential to remember the valiant war heroes who fought to save our country from LTTE terrorism throughout 30 years,” he said. Sitting alongside him was Prime Minister Ranil...
Tamils in the North-East have protested on Sri Lanka's 69th Independence Day, as a large security forces parade was held in Jaffna. STF personnel film Tamil protestors on Sri Lanka's Independence Day Jaffna Magistrate's Court had banned protests obstructing the road, but despite demonstrators confining themselves to the sides, police obstructed the civilians from moving. Family members of the disappeared and of political detainees attended the protests and chanted slogans, demanding the release of detainees, answers for the disappeared and for the removal of the military from Tamil land...
A Mannar court has ordered an injunction against demonstrations boycotting Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. The injunction against protests was ordered by the court in order to prevent disruptions to the Mannar District Secretariat’s Independence Day celebrations. Civil organisations in Mannar had planned a black flag vigil in Mannar town and urged all Tamils to boycott Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations, calling instead for protests against ongoing issues faced by the Tamil people, including militarisation; the failure to account for the missing and disappeared; failure to return Tamil...