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UK defence adviser will work with Sri Lankan troops on accountability and human rights

Dec 7, 2015

Britain said that the appointment of a Defence Adviser will allow the UK to work with the Sri Lankan military on issues of accountability and human rights, in order to address the legacy of the armed conflict.

A British High Commission spokesperson told The Island that the Defence Adviser in New Delhi will concurrently function as non-resident military representative for Sri Lanka.

"The Sri Lankan government has committed itself to addressing the legacy of its long conflict, including through co-sponsorship of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council this year,” said the spokesperson. “The military have a crucial role to play in this process and in fulfilling the commitments Sri Lanka has made on long-standing issues of reconciliation, accountability and human rights. The appointment of a Defence Adviser will enable the UK to work with the Sri Lankan armed forces on these issues, just as we are supporting the Government and civil society.”

However former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was credited with masterminding the final Sri Lankan government offensive which saw tens of thousands of civilian deaths, expressed his concern over the move.

India says it is committed to building 50K houses for Tamils in Sri Lanka

Dec 7, 2015

The Indian government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to building 50,000 houses for internal displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Economic Times reported.

Addressing the Lok Sabha, India's minister of state for home, Kiren Rijiju said the 50,000 homes project would include the building of new homes, as well as repairing ones that were damaged. The project would be driven via agencies as well as through beneficiary owners.

"The beneficiaries of the housing project are identified through a consultative process," Mr Rijiju said.

Case fixed for Raviraj murder suspects

Dec 7, 2015

The case against seven men accused of being responsible for the assassination of the former TNA MP N Raviraj was on Tuesday fixed for January 4, the Daily Mirror reported.

Three of the seven suspects, including Palana Sami Suresh, Prasad Hettiarachchi, Gamini Seneviratne, Pradeep Chaminda, Sivakanth Vivekanandan, Fabian Royston Toussaint and Sampath Munasinghe are in absentia.

The prosecution has reportedly sought the assistance of Interpol to find two of the men who are believed to be out of the country.

GTF activities will be investigated says Sri Lanka govt

Dec 7, 2015

Sri Lanka's state minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene on Tuesday said that the Tamil diaspora organisation, the work of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) would be investigated.

Mr Wijewardene made these remarks following criticism by an opposition MP of the government's decision to de-proscribe the GTF, despite the organisation allegedly continuing to display of the Tamil Eelam map on its website.

"De-proscription was welcomed if the organizations which are de-proscribed had given up separatism, but the government should be alert if these organizations continued to hold such views," the opposition MP, Dullas Alhapperuma was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.

Former president needs more security says spokesperson

Dec 6, 2015

The former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, requires more security said his spokesperson on Sunday, stating that his life was in danger as former LTTE cadres had been released from prison.

"the release of hardcore LTTE cadres posed a serious threat to the former leader and those who had spearheaded the war against the LTTE," his spokesperson, Rohan Weliwita, was quoted as saying.

Sri Lanka's missing persons commission to meet in Jaffna on Friday

Dec 6, 2015

Sri Lanka's domestic Missing Persons Commission is set to meet in Jaffna on Friday, despite government announcements that the process was to be scrapped in October.

Colombo Gazette reported that the commission was set to hold sittings in Jaffna, Nallur, Vadamarachi and Vallikamam later this week.

However in October, Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who is also minister for the Buddha Sasana, announced the abolition of the commission, admitting that “even locally, most of the people are not happy with the Commission and they have no faith in its process”.

Mangala denies existence of secret detention centres in Sri Lanka

Dec 6, 2015

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera denied the existence of secret detention centres on the island, in a speech made to parliament last week.

"As we have mentioned before, there are no secret detention centres in operation in this country under this Government," said the minister.

"If anyone in Sri Lanka or overseas has any information regarding any such facility that may be in operation, the Government will take upon itself the task of ensuring that such facilities are examined and action is taken under the due process of the law," added Mr Samaraweera.

His comments come after the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UN WGEID) visited the island and announced that it had discovered a “secret underground detention cum torture center”, calling on the government to reveal the existence of other such centers if any existed.

The minister though seemingly denied the group's findings, stating that their visit "proved to those both within the country and outside the country who allege that there are still secret detention centres in operation in this site, that there are no such detention centres in existence anymore in the Navy Base in Trincomalee".

Bar Association of Sri Lanka calls for accountability mechanism 'within framework of constitution'

Dec 6, 2015

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said an accountability mechanism to deal with crimes committed during the final phase of the armed conflict must take place "within the framework of Sri Lanka's Constitution" in a statement released last week.

The statement, addressing the recently passed UN Human Rights Council resolution mandating an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities, acknowledged that "existing judicial and prosecutorial systems have not met the confidence of many concerned".

Jaffna political prisoner declares hunger strike

Dec 6, 2015

A Tamil political prisoner has declared a hunger-strike to highlight the ongoing delays in the release of Tamil political prisoners.

Currently being held at the Jaffna Prison, 36-year-old S. Jeleepan is undertaking the hunger strike, which has already come to the attention of the Commissioner General of Prisons.

Jeleepan, originally from Achuveli, was arrested in 2006 while travelling from Mullaitivu to Polannaruwa.

EU announces housing project for war victims in North-East

Dec 6, 2015

The European Union will invest 14 million Euros to build houses and improve infrastructure in 9 divisions of the North and East.

The EU programme will seek to benefit over 300,000 people in Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa.

The Habitat for Humanity project aims to construct at least 16,000 houses for conflict affected persons, minimise debt and provide holistic development support.

Speaking during the inauguration of the project, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, David Daly, said,

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UK defence adviser will work with Sri Lankan troops on accountability and human rights

India says it is committed to building 50K houses for Tamils in Sri Lanka

Case fixed for Raviraj murder suspects

GTF activities will be investigated says Sri Lanka govt

Former president needs more security says spokesperson

Sri Lanka's missing persons commission to meet in Jaffna on Friday

Mangala denies existence of secret detention centres in Sri Lanka

Bar Association of Sri Lanka calls for accountability mechanism 'within framework of constitution'

Jaffna political prisoner declares hunger strike

EU announces housing project for war victims in North-East

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