In an opinion piece written for the Hindu, TNA parliamentarian, M.A Sumanthiran, made a long awaited response to the recent Supreme Court Judgment on the devolution of land powers.

Extracts reproduced below.

“The timing of a judgment by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court recently on devolution of land powers — just two days after a historic election for the Northern Provincial Council — is of great significance.”

“Now, in a sudden instant, the Supreme Court tells us that these powers were in fact never devolved; that the way in which the Thirteenth Amendment has been understood for 25 years was erroneous; that the Thirteenth Amendment only meant for the Province to administer whatever land the Centre — in its beneficence — thought fit to give away.”

“The timing of the judgment is critical. The fact that it came two days after the historic election for the Northern Provincial Council where the people overwhelmingly voted for devolution and self-governance, but before the Council became functional, has received much comment. More critically however, the judgment arrives at a juncture where the government has explicitly committed to denying the Northern Provincial Council constitutionally mandated powers over land and law and order.”

“The government has now constituted a Parliamentary Select Committee — composed primarily of members opposed to any meaningful devolution — ostensibly to recommend a further weakening of devolution. The arrival of this judgment may be perceived by the government as easing its own burden and enabling it to hide behind a judgment of the Supreme Court. The government should be clearly told that this position is untenable and that it has a duty to make good on its promises of extensive devolution made to India and the international community.”

In a protest, organised by the human rights advocacy group, Tamil Solidarity,on Wednesday the 9^th of October, British Tamils demanded that representatives of the government boycott the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM). 

Coinciding with the Canadian prime minister’s announcement of his decision to boycott CHOGM, the British demonstrators demanded that David Cameron followed suit.

The demonstration, which was held outside downing street, individuals and speakers from the Tamil Solidarity organisation addressed the crowd.

Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs removed the flags of the Northern Province and India from the venue of the meeting between Northern Province Chief Minister Wigneswaran and Indian Foreign Minister Salman Kurshid.

Ceylon Today reported that sources claimed that the flags were removed as the Sri Lankan flag was not hoisted at the venue, and if the national fag was missing, no other flags should be flying.

A senior Sri Lankan economist has claimed that the government will soon face difficulties in borrowing from abroad, due to austerity measures in other countries affecting the global economy, coupled with the Sri Lankan Central Bank’s planned, “less accommodative”, monetary policy, reported the DailyMirror.

Speaking to the Guardian on Tuesday, Segal said that Sharma had concealed legal advice on the illegality of the impeachment of Sri Lanka’s chief justice.

The British Tamil Forum, in collaboration with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, held a forum on genocide at Porticullis House today.

Following opening remarks from conservative MP, Lee Scott, the event proceeded with presentations from 4 panel members ending with a short question and answer session, which was chaired by Redbridge Councillor Alan Weinberg.

The first panelist, Rajganna from Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) drew upon events that pointed towards genocide and highlighted the intent behind the government’s shelling of the no fire zone,  prevalent altering of demographics in the North-East and examples of hate speech by several members of the government.

Dr Andrew Higgingbottom , a lecturer at the University of Kingston, next took the floor  and argued that Navi Pilllay’s findings of land grab and militarisation illustrated that structural genocide was occurring in the North-East.

The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has confirmed that he will not be attending the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo in a statement released by his office.

Harper said that Canada hoped that the opportunity to improve human rights conditions and to take steps towards accountability and reconciliation, presented to Sri Lanka by awarding the summit to the country, was not taken and that Canada remained concerned over ongoing human rights violations.