• Sri Lanka's Defense Spending Remains a Cause for Concern - Taylor Dibbert

    Dec 01
    Sri Lanka’s increase in defence spending sends the wrong message, said Taylor Dibbert whilst commenting on the “continued militarisation of the historically Tamil northern and eastern provinces.”

    Noting that the Sirisena administration was “yet to address the issue of militarisation,” Mr Dibbert added that “there are no legitimate national security reasons for justifying” such an increased budget for Sir Lanka’s defence.
  • Lok Sabha members concerned about fishermen detained by Sri Lanka Navy

    Members of India's Lok Sabha expressed concern on Tuesday about the latest arrest and detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan navy personnel.

    The AIADMK party member, V Elumalai urged the men to be released immediately, the PTI reported.

    He also urged Mr Modi to ensure the Katchtheevu island was regained.

  • Sri Lanka to auction off seized Indian fishing boats

    The Sri Lankan government will not released any fishing trawlers seized from Tamil Nadu fishermen but plans to auction them off instead, the Daily FT quoted the director general of the department of fisheries and aquatic resources, Lal Fernando as saying.

    “The Ministry has taken a firm decision not to release any trawler or mechanised boat caught violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) of Sri Lanka. We will release the Indian fishermen, but not their boats and trawlers,” Mr Fernando reportedly said.

    “Though, we keep the trawlers in our custody to discourage them poaching into our waters, there is no reduction in the number of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters,” he added.

  • Evidence of another torture cell revealed in buildings formerly occupied by Sri Lanka's army
    Evidence that a torture cell existed in the Varani army camp was released by former Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran on Monday.
  • CBK announces plan to set up Sri Lanka war crimes court by January
    Sri Lanka will set up a special court to examine alleged war crimes committed in the final phase of the government’s war with the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), announced the head of the reconciliatory task force and former president Chandrika Kumaratunga.

    Ms Kumartunga stressed that though there will be foreign technical assistance, foreign judges would not be allowed in the process.

    Stating that reconciliation is not possible without missing past mistakes, Ms Kumaratunga said,

    “The special court should start work by the end of this month or by early January. No reconciliation is possible without accepting the mistakes of the past. They will not be chasing behind every soldier.”

    Sri Lanka co-sponsored a binding UNHRC resolution in September that called for participation of foreign judges, investigators and prosecutors in a war crimes court to investigate systemic crimes committed by Sri Lanka’s government over an extensive time period. Notably Sri Lanka’s government also committed to reform domestic law to allow for “the trial and punishment of those most responsible for the full range of crimes under the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations relevant to violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law,” remains unaddressed.

    The UNHRC resolution added requirements for "broad national consultations with the inclusion of victims and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, from all affected communities that will inform the design and implementation of these processes, drawing on international expertise, assistance and best practices,” before setting up any reconciliation process.

    Sri Lanka's announcement of a special court for war crimes in Sri Lanka comes as Tamil Civil Society raised concerns about the lack of proper consultation with victim communities and provisions taken for witness protection as well as progress on de-militarisation of the North-East.  Questions regarding the time frame of such an investigation have also been questioned by victim communities.
  • Sirisena says no compromise on national security
    The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena on Monday assured French Sri Lankans that he "would not take any decision under any circumstances that would compromise the national security", reports the Daily Mirror.

    Mr Sirisena met with the Sri Lankan expatriates at the country's embassy in France.

    Asked about allegations that government actions could undermine national security, Mr Sirisena said "he was totally committed to the safety, security and integrity of Sri Lanka and he would never allow anybody to take any action that could be affect the national sovereignty or security."

  • India offers Sri Lanka assistance to modernise army
    India offered assistance and training to Sri Lanka to modernise its army, reports Colombo Page.

    Arriving in Sri Lanka, the chief of the Indian army, General Dalbir Singh met with Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva on Monday.

  • India's new arms to Sri Lanka will be used to annihilate Tamils says PMK
    The Tamil Nadu party, PMK on Monday urged India's central government to stop giving Sri Lanka new arms and military aid, the Business Standard reported.

    Stating that India was intending to "give Lanka new war planes, arms, tanks and anti-aircraft weapons system," Mr Ramadoss said, "there is no doubt that such weaponry would be only used to annihilate Tamils. Thousands of reasons can be listed to deny supply of weaponry to Sri Lanka."

  • Sri Lanka's lecturer associations pledge to raise awareness of worsening national security
    The National University Teachers Association and Kandy association of Scholars and Professionals agreed to canvas representatives of political parties, religious leaders about the growing dangers posed by abolishing existing security measures.
  • Sri Lankan president says no need for foreign judges
    The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena said there was no need for the country to import judges from abroad, given the calibre of judges within Sri Lanka.

    Delivering the keynote address at the BMICH event to mark the 50th anniversary of the appointment of Justice Weeramantry, Mr Sirisena was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying, "with judges of the calibre of one of the world’s most eminent jurists, C.G. Weeramantry, among us, he saw no reason for Sri Lanka to import judges".

    See more here.

  • Sri Lankan military unveils new war monument in Vanni

    The Sri Lankan military unveiled a new war monument in the former LTTE stronghold of the Vanni days before Tamils marked 'Maaveerar Naal' - a day of remembrance for fallen LTTE cadre.


    The Sri Lankan army website said the monument was built "to pay tribute to brave hearts those who sacrificed their energetic youth, for establishing peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mother Sri Lanka, by annihilating brutal and inhuman terrorism which spread over the country more than three decades".

  • Sri Lankan navy arrest 8 Tamil Nadu fishermen
    The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested eight Tamil Nadu fishermen, reports The Hindu.

    The men were detained along with two of their boats, and taken to Kangesanthurai.
  • Sri Lanka’s transitional justice: Genuine move or red herring?
    Noting the absence of commitment to demilitarisation of the North-East JS Tissainayagam questioned the Sri Lankan government’s commitment to an all-inclusive transitional justice process that had the buy in of the victims.

    Writing in the Asian correspondent Mr Tissainayagam said,
  • Tamil poet denied visiting visa to launch book in Jaffna
    Award winning Tamil poet and actor VIS Jeyapalan has been stopped by the Sri Lankan government from attending a launch of his latest book in Jaffna, reports Journalists for Democracy Sri Lanka.

    Mr Jeyapalan was denied a visiting visa by Sri Lanka's authorities.
  • Pakistan Navy ship on goodwill visit to Sri Lanka's Colombo port
    Pakistan’s Naval Ship PNS Shamsheer is to arrive at Colombo port on a four day goodwill visit starting Monday, reports Colombo Page.

    Pakistan’s naval commanders are expected to Sri Lanka’s navy officials.

    Sri Lanka and Pakistan have seen strengthening bi-lateral relations over past months.
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