Canada's foreign minister, Stephane Dion discussed international involvement in any accountability mechanism with the Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. "Spoke w/ @RW_UNP on int’l involvement in accountability processes, women in politics & regional issues," Mr Dion tweeted on Thursday evening. The discussion comes after the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena reiterated his rejection of any foreign judges in any accountability mechanism. Mr Dion is currently visiting Sri Lanka and has met with a number of people, including his counterpart, Mangala Samaraweera, the...
The Canadian foreign minister on Thursday told the Sri Lankan government that "much remains to be accomplished" on the implementation of the UNHRC resolution. Mr Stephane Dion, who is currently visiting Sri Lanka, was quoted by Colombo Page as saying at a press conference after a meeting with his counterpart, Mangala Samaraweera, "We welcome the initial steps taken by your government to implement this Resolution, and we note the progress made toward constitutional reforms. In particular, we note the public commitment for the establishment of the Office of Missing Persons, and the release of...
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his government was looking to expand relations beyond Colombo and reach out to Jaffna, after signing a series of free trade agreements with Sri Lanka earlier this month. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was on an official three day visit to Singapore last week, where he signed “four Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and a Joint Statement between the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore and the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade of Sri Lanka to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement”, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister Loong though said his country wanted to go beyond Colombo, stating Sri Lanka can be a gateway “to the Indian Ocean region for Singapore companies”. During a lunch held to mark Mr WIckremesinghe’s visit Mr Loong highlighted how “since the 19th century, Singapore’s small but vibrant Sri Lankan community has contributed significantly to our development”. He went on to point out that “Jaffna Tamils in the Straits Settlements’ civil service helped to lay the foundation for Singapore’s administrative and government services”.
The report of the presidential commission investigating cases of missing persons in Sri Lanka, headed by Maxwell Paranagama is ready to be given to the president, Ceylon Today reported. Mr Paranagama told the paper that he had written to the president, Maithripala Sirisena for a date and time to present the report. Stating that the commission had received 20,000 complaints from the North-East, he reportedly told the paper, "about 4,500 complaints of those 20,000 are duplicate complaints." "From among the remaining 15,500 complaints, we held oral inquiries into 6,400 complaints by visiting the...
Plainclothes police and Sri Lankan intelligence officers have been deployed at Jaffna University said a senior police official, following clashes between Sinhala and Tamil students at the campus last week. Inspector General Pujitha Jayasundera told the Divaina that security in Jaffna would be maintained. “ In addition to officers in civvies, we have deployed a large number of officers within the Jaffna university ,” he said. He added that intelligence officers had also been deployed in order to provide “security to Sinhala students”. This is the first instance of Sri Lankan police officials admitting to the use of plainclothes and intelligence officers at the campus reports JDS.
Tamil and Sinhala students have been ordered to appear before the Jaffna judicial Magistrate court over charges related to a clash at Jaffna University last week. A total of 4 Sinhala and 4 Tamil students appeared on charge sheets issued by Magistrate C Satheeskaran on Tuesday, based on a complaint filed by Koppai Police. The Tamil students have been ordered to appear based on a complaint lodged by Sinhala students who were injured in the clash and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in the southern capital Colombo. Meanwhile after a complaint raised by the Jaffna student's union chairman at the Koppai police station, 4 Sinhala students names have also appeared on the charge sheet.
Outside of the courtroom following the acquittal announcement. Six former Sri Lankan army corporals were acquitted by a Sri Lankan court today over the rape and massacre of 24 Tamil civilians in Kumarapuram in 1996. The Sri Lankan soldiers were standing on trial over the involvement in the killings, which took place in the village in southern Trincomalee on the 11th of February 1996. Several women and children among the murdered and two young girls were raped before they were killed.
The Sri Lankan government is to set up special economic zones for China and India, the minister for international trade and strategic development, Malik Samarawickrama said on Tuesday. “Indians will be setting up pharmaceutical and auto-parts industries in their zone. The Chinese have asked for 55 sq km (15, 000 acres) of land in the Hambantota area in the Southern Province for their zone, and we are in the process of acquiring the land. When developed, this area will generate one million jobs,” Mr Samarawickrama was quoted as saying by the Daily News . The site for India's zone will be discussed during talks next week with Indian officials on the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), the news site reported.
India is to grant Sri Lanka a $318 million loan to improve rail connections. Sri Lankan minister Gayantha Karunathilake said the signal system connection Anuradhapura to Omanthai, and Maho to Anuradhapura would be improved, as well as buying six new air conditioned carriages, 10 engines and 160 carriages. See here and here .
Sri Lanka’s military Chief of Staff has told the army to be aware of the activities of ‘LTTE supporters’ and ‘overseas activists’ reports Colombo Gazette. Addressing Sri Lanka’s army on emerging threats, Major General Milinda Peiris called on the army to be alert to the possible re-assembling or resurgence of Liberation Tamil Tiger of Tamil Eelam supporters and overseas activists. The major general, went on to criticise calls to repeal legislation that allowed for arbitrary detention, adding, “We are living in fast changing environments which are highly complex. Unlike those days, an arrest...