Sri Lankan Foreign Minsiter Mangala Samaraweera pledged that his government “will and must have the approval” of victims who suffered during the armed conflict when deciding the degree of international participation in courts that will prosecute perpetrators of human rights abuses.

Addressing the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs in Oslo on Tuesday, Mr Samaraweera said “there’s a certain degree of controversy” when it came to the issue of international involvement in the setting up of a court to try perpetrators accused of committing violations of international humanitarian law.

However, he went on to add,

“That too will be decided after the consultations are over but all I can say now is whatever we decide upon, will and must have the approval, not only ourselves but of the victims those who suffered. This is not an exercise to please ourselves. So the final contours of the architecture of the courts we are hoping to set up will be in discussion. Especially with parties like the TNA and other groups which represent the victims.”

In his wide ranging speech, the minister went on to state that his government had “the intention of de militarizing the North and the East immediately after coming into power”.

“We are now in the process of even giving back the land which has been taken over for military purposes over the years,” he said.

He continued to say,

“In fact I know that during the course of this week another 700 acres will also be released. So far nearly 4000 acres but perhaps an equal amount of land remains to be released and that too we have told the military, that all must be released in a timeline going up to the end of 2018.”

 

The Sri Lankan military reported that troops handed out milk packets to former LTTE cadres in Jaffna earlier this month, in what was labelled a series of “Socio Economic Welfare Coordinating Workshops”.

Sri Lanka’s credit profile will depend on how effectively the government will be able to implement a series of reforms laid out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Moody’s Investors Service.

In a new report entitled “Government of Sri Lanka: Reform Implementation Key to Lasting Fiscal, External Improvement from IMF Program”, Moody’s noted that Sri Lanka’s fall in foreign currency reserves and balance of payments crisis was what led to the government seeking IMF intervention.

Sri Lanka’s credit profile will depend on how effectively the government will be able to implement a series of reforms laid out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Moody’s Investors Service.

In a new report entitled “Government of Sri Lanka: Reform Implementation Key to Lasting Fiscal, External Improvement from IMF Program”, Moody’s noted that Sri Lanka’s fall in foreign currency reserves and balance of payments crisis was what led to the government seeking IMF intervention.

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Co-Spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne categorically rejected allegations that Sri Lanka’s military forces had used cluster bombs during their campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that saw mass atrocities committed against Tamil civilians.

Mr Senaratne stressed that Sri Lanka similar photographs of cluster ammunition had been put forward before, and asked for verification if the photographs had been taken in Sri Lanka, reports Adaderena.lk.

A discussion at the Geneva Press Club saw participants provide their perspectives on the future of Tamil accountability under the current government.

Speakers included the TNPF president Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, human rights activist Sinnamany Kokilavany, South African rights activist Govender Kisten and International Council of Eelam Tamil representative Thirukulasingam Thiruchchoti.

See full video of the event below:

 

Human rights organisations have urged next week's oral update on Sri Lanka's progress on last year's resolution to include clear benchmarks which include immediately achievable steps, in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain.

The letter, signed by FORUM-Asia, Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurist, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and the International Service for Human Rights, said while the "government’s assurances on progress have been plentiful its performance on the ground has been mixed and not befitting expectations outlined in your report and in the resolution as well as those of victims and people on the ground," but acknowledged "some positive developments on international cooperation".