The Sri Lankan government under President Maithripala Sirisena continues to torture Tamils who have gone to Sri Lanka from the UK said Freedom From Torture, reiterating remarks made by UN Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez on Saturday.

Ann Hannah, International Advocate and Researcher at Freedom from Torture, said that the organisation supports demands for “an internationalised justice process for torture and other serious human rights abuses which took place during and after the civil war”.

Freedom From Torture went on to state that “while torture is still being practised any efforts towards long-term stability are undermined”.  “The number of referrals Freedom from Torture has received for people tortured since the January 2015 presidential election is deeply worrying,” said the organisation.

“Our clinical evidence shows that torture continues in Sri Lanka under President Sirisena,” said Ms Hannah. “Ahead of scrutiny by the Human Rights Council in June, we hope that the Government will announce a credible and effective torture prevention programme as part of efforts to fully implement its international commitments and build a sustainable peace.”

At least 28 Sri Lanka navy personnel have been injured following a bus accident in the Tamil North-East, reports News First.

The Sri Lankan navy bus veered off a road in Parayanakulama in Vavuniya. The military reported that the injured troops have since been admitted into hospital. None are thought to be in a critical condition.

It is not known whether any civilians were also injured.

The rise of drug smuggling in the Tamil North-East is degrading education, culture and development in a manner that seems “well planned” and aims to eradicate Tamil society, said Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran.

Speaking at a teachers’ conference at Vembady Women’s College in Jaffna, Justice Wigneswaran told the audience that despite the presence of 15,000 Sri Lankan army soldiers in Jaffna, illegal drug smuggling has continued to increase.

“At whose behest is this happening?” he questioned, noting that there were even greater numbers of air force, navy and police personnel.

“We understand that the sale of these narcotics is mainly focussed on school children, with an aim to destabilise the education of our students,” he continued.