Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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Amnesty International has called for the release of detained Tamil rapper Sangeethan Ganeshkumar and renewed demands for the repeal of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), warning that the legislation continues to facilitate arbitrary detention and human rights abuses. In a statement issued this week, the international rights organisation expressed concern over the continued use of…

Namal Rajapaksa refused entry into US

The son of the former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa said he was blocked from entering the United States this week after spending time in Moscow as an election observer. 

"I won't make my Houston Flight as #US Officials instruct them to not let me board. Sure it has nothing to do with my name, being part of #lka opposition or my travel from #Russia," he tweeted yesterday.

Mr Namal Rajapaksa has been charged with money laundering in Sri Lanka, along side other family members. 

 

Council needs to maintain scrutiny on Sri Lanka - HRW

Human Rights Watch this week urged the UN Human Rights Council to the maintain its scrutiny on Sri Lanka until the commitments agreed on within the 30/1 resolution were implemented in full. 

"The Sri Lankan government should present a time-bound implementation plan to carry out its pledges to this body, and the Council needs to maintain scrutiny until Sri Lanka’s commitments are met in full," HRW said in its submission to the Council on Wednesday. 

Sri Lankan soldier and intelligence personnel convicted of 2010 murder of Hindu priest

A Sri Lankan soldier and two local Tamil military intelligence employees were handed death sentences by the Jaffna High Court for the murder of a Hindu priest during a burglary in 2010.

The high court judge, M. Ilancheliyan convicted the three of shooting and killing the priest in Sankanai in April 2010, as well as injuring his two sons.

With the death sentence in excess of twenty years imprisonment, the judge also ordered the three to pay several hundreds of thousands of rupees in compensation and court fines.

Switzerland calls on Sri Lanka to release list of persons surrendered to armed forces in 2009

Switzerland has called on the Sri Lankan government to release the list of those who surrendered to the army in 2009, a demand which has been reiterated by families of the disappeared throughout their struggle for justice.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council session on Wednesday, the Swiss mission in Geneva expressed concern at Sri Lanka’s lack of progress in implementing the commitments the government had signed up to in previous human rights council resolutions:

Do not wait any longer to deliver transitional justice - Special Rapp tells Sri Lanka

The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff told the Sri Lanka and the Human Rights Council "do not wait any longer" to deliver transitional justice, as he submitted his report to the Council on Wednesday. 

Germany - worried about Sri Lanka's delays in resolution implementation

Germany expressed concern over the Sri Lanka's government's failure to implement the co-sponsored UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1, as well as recent attacks on Muslims in Kandy by Sinhala mobs. 

Canada urges time-bound strategy to implement Sri Lanka's resolution

Canada urged the Sri Lankan government to ensure a time-bound plan to implement the UN Human Rights Council co-sponsored resolution 30/1. 

"While noting positive initial first steps, Canada urges the government with the technical support from the OHCHR to set a time-bound strategy for full implementation of Resolution 30/1," Canada said in a statement. 

"We call on Sri Lanka to meet its domestic and international human rights obligations to ensure a peaceful, reconciled and prosperous future for all Sri Lankans."

Tamil journalist detained and harassed by Sri Lankan Army while reporting in Mullaitivu

A Tamil journalist was detained by the Sri Lankan army and subject to threatening and abusive language by an army official while reporting on the army’s plans to appropriate land in Mullaitivu.

The journalist who had been working in Alampil, were residents have reported that the Sri Lankan Army is attempting to permanently seize the land of a destroyed LTTE cemetery was stopped and questioned by soldiers.

When the journalist refused to hand over his camera to be searched, he was taken aside and interrogated by a higher ranking officer who implied that his days were numbered and also subjected him to verbal abuse.

Army attempts to appropriate destroyed LTTE cemetery, angering Mullaitivu residents

Attempts by the Sri Lankan Army to permanently appropriate the land of a destroyed LTTE cemetery have angered locals in Mullaitivu.

Notices about the seizure by the village officer have gone up in parts of Alampil where the Thuyilum Illam, residents said.

Alampil residents have stated that they will resist any move to build permanent army structures on the site.

“We have nowhere to mourn our children,” one resident whose daughter was buried at the Thuyilum Illam said. “Now they want to to taunt us by building a camp on top of their bodies.”

UN: Sri Lanka yet to display willingness to address impunity

The United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore on Wednesday reiterated the High Commissioner's call on states to exercise universal jurisdiction to ensure justice in Sri Lanka, stating that "authorities have yet to demonstrate with the willingness or the capacity to address impunity for gross violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law."