• Jaffna Uni Teachers Assoc condemns student clashes

    Jul 16
    The Jaffna Uni Teachers Association condemned the clashes between Tamil and Sinhalese students over the attempt by Sinhala students to push a Kandyan dance act into a university welcome event.

    “We unequivocally condemn all the students who were involved in this clash. We would like to assure the people of the country that we will take every necessary step to protect the cultural rights of each student community at our university and bring about unity among the different student groups,” the JUTA secretary, S Sivakanthan was quoted by Colombo Telegraph as saying in a statement today.

    The Jaffna University Science Teachers' Union (JUSTA) said:
    “Some unwanted incidents related to the freshers’ welcome party led to violent clashes among the Students today. Some students were injured and are being treated in the hospital. As a result, the Science Faculty is closed to the students and all the students are returning to their homes."

  • Sri Lankan navy deny attacking Tamil Nadu fishermen
    The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday denied attacking Tamil Nadu fishermen on Saturday night, accusing the fishermen of making "such false allegations on a regular basis".

    The Indian Fishermen's Association accused the navy of attacking four fishermen off by the Kachchathivu island last night.

    “The navy personnel took away their cell phones and GPS equipment and also damaged the nets of 10 other boats,” the association's leader, R Sesuraja told India's media.

  • Sri Lankan navy is escalating abduction of Tamil Nadu fishermen - Jaya
    The chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa on Saturday accused the Sri Lankan navy of escalating abductions of Indian fishermen.

    In her latest letter to Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on the issue, the chief minister J Jayalalithaa said:
    “The Sri Lankan government continues to infringe upon the historically enjoyed rights of our fishermen to fish in the traditional waters of the Palk Bay.”

  • Sri Lankan army fortifies camps in Jaffna HSZ

    The Sri Lankan army has been constructing concrete pillars around military bases located within a High Security Zone in Jaffna, with fears the camps could become permanently situated within the North-East.

    The military was seen engaging in construction work around the border of the Valikaamam North High Security Zone. The military had recently released 201 acres of land in the area after 26 years of occupation.

    However, a vast bordering region remains occupied by the military. Whilst temporary fences still exist across areas that have been released, the recent fixation of permanent concrete fences has increased fears the army will be a permanent presence in Jaffna.

  • ‘There are no tribunals’ says Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister
    Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera declared tribunals would not be taking place in a soon to be declared accountability mechanism, and that instead the government would be investigating “allegations of war crimes”.

    In an interview with the Sunday Observer Mr Samaraweera also said his government would have to accommodate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s opposition to international judges.

    “Between these two positions of having foreign judges and not having them, there are many acceptable options which can be explored and finalised,” he said.
    However, he went on to add that tribunals would not be taking place and instead the accountability mechanism will “investigate” if war crimes had taken place.

    “There are no tribunals. There are allegations of war crimes, the mechanisms are to make a credible investigation if those allegations are true,” he said. “If the allegations are not true then we will say it, but we are not going to shoot the messenger like the previous government.”
  • Cabinet approves military participation in national development organisation

    Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a national development organisation which will include the military.

  • Mullaitivu farmers want army to release agricultural tanks
    Farmers in Mullaitivu have urged the Sri Lankan government to push the army to release agricultural tanks currently under its occupation, Ceylon Today reported.

    The demand comes after requests to date have proved futile, with no action taken.

    “Southern fishermen are poaching in our waters," the farmers were quoted by the newspaper as saying.

    "Ancient lands of farmers have been occupied under the Mahaweli Zone. This had now extended up to the borders of our ancient lands. Thousands of acres of prime land have been taken over such as the Kent and Dollar farms,”  the farmers added.

  • Kilinochchi IDPs demand land back from Sri Lankan military

    Tamil internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Paravipanchan, Kilinochchi this week requested government to take action to allow them to be settled into their own homes.

    The Sri Lankan military continues to occupy 17.2 acres of land owned by the 52 families, who remained displaced since the end of the armed conflict.

    Paravipanchan, an area within Kilinochchi town, was previously the site of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) political headquarters, including the organisation's peace secretariat as well as media and educational offices.

  • Thousands of acres in Mullaitivu used for Sinhalese settlements – NPC member
    Since the armed conflict ended in 2009, the Sri Lankan military has occupied thousands of acres of land for Sinhalese settlements stated Northern Provincial Council member T Ravikaran.

    Approximately 4712.5 acres of land has been grabbed by the military in the district alone, said the NPC member, with 9 Buddhist viharas constructed and 794 Sinhalese families settled in the region.
  • Sri Lanka Navy Commander attends 'Leaders Symposium' in United States

    Photograph: ColomboPage
  • Sri Lankan intelligence officer arrested over murder of Sunday Leader editor

    A Sri Lankan military intelligence officer has been arrested over the murder of Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramatunge.

  • Tamil schoolchild raped and then beaten by Sri Lankan police for reporting crime

    A 14 year old Tamil school child who was raped last month was beaten by Sri Lankan police officials as she tried to report the crime, reports Colombo Telegraph.

    The girl, who was reportedly abducted and raped by her school bus driver on June 19th, attempted to report the crime to Haputale police on the 7th of July.

  • China ready to support Sri Lanka in every way possible claims minister
    The Chinese Government said it will assist Sri Lanka in any way possible, claimed Sri Lanka’s Ministry of National Policy and Economic affairs on Friday.

    Quoting the commercial counsellor at the Chinese embassy Wang Yingqi, Siri Lanka’s Minister of National Policy and Economic Affairs Niroshan Perera, said China was fully involved in the development of the country.
  • Welsh town rallies to save Tamil man from deportation to Sri Lanka
    A Tamil man who feared for his life after facing deportation from the United Kingdom has won the right to stay in the UK, after residents in his Welsh village rallied around him.

    Rakuvaran Parameswaran, a 25 year old man who fled the island in 2005, has been in the UK since he was 13. Originally from Puthukkudiyiruppu, his parents sent him from the island as fighting began to intensify, with the Sri Lankan military preparing to launch a major offensive in the Tamil North-East.

    “My parents sent me to the UK when I was 13 to keep me safe,” said Mr Parameswaran. “I never heard from them again.”
  • Sri Lanka ‘will never bring down foreign judges’ declares FM
    Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told a crowd in Colombo that his government “will never bring down foreign judges” to prosecute for violations of international humanitarian law, reports the Sri Lanka Mirror.

    Speaking at the inaugural session of the mayors’ conference in Colombo, Mr Samaraweera was reported to have said that “war crimes allegations will be investigated and resolved through a local mechanism”.

    Sri Lanka Mirror went on to add that the foreign minister said this was the “firm stance of both president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe” and that “certain media and groups were painting a wrong picture when the government was acting with transparency”.
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