• ‘South will look after the Southerners’ says Ranil

    Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the people from the South “will look after Southerners”, when asked if members of the former government would face charges for war crimes.

    Mr Wickremesinghe stated that the government “would not sacrifice anybody”, when asked if members of the military may be brought before a war crimes trial, reports Daily Mirror.

    When questioned on whether former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa would be put before a war crimes tribunal, Mr Wickremesinghe said they would be looked after.

    Noting that both foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha were from the South, he reportedly smiled and told reporters, “Those from the South will look after the Southerners”.
  • India must back fully international mechanism – DMK

    DMK leader M Karunanidhi called on the Indian government to back a fully international mechanism to investigate and prosecute for mass atrocities committed during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict.

    “A domestic investigation will not be impartial and a probe by the accused into the crimes will turn justice into a mockery,” said the DMK chief. “The Indian government should voice its support for an independent, credible and international investigation and introduce a resolution for it in the United Nations Human Rights Council”.

    His comments come after India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it hoped for justice in Sri Lanka and remained hopeful that a resolution would pass with the consent of the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council later this week.

  • Police in Jaffna construct new checkpoint

    The Sri Lankan police have announced the construction of a new checkpoint in Jaffna town.

    The new checkpoint will be constructed by the main bust station and will function 24 hours a day, manned by officers from the crime branch, road traffic and the sub inspector.

    It will be functioning from Tuesday September 29th, with Fredrick Woodler Headquarters Inspector (HQI) of Jaffna saying crime, including theft and robbery, had increased in the town.

  • Sri Lankan military visits homes in Jaffna for ‘dengue control’
    Sri Lankan security forces have visited houses in Jaffna over the last week, under the pretext of dengue control.

    Security forces accompanied public health inspectors as they went door to door in Jaffna, with several villagers expressing fear over the visits.
  • Children of Tamil political prisoners protest in Cheddikulam

    Children of Tamil political prisoners held a protest on Monday in Cheddikulam demanding the release of their parents.

  • Woman missing in Mannar

    A 20 year old woman has been reported missing in Mannar. Kalaivani, from the Uyilankulam region of Mannar has not been seen for eleven days, her mother, Pusparani Jayakumar said.

    Speaking to media on Monday, Ms Jayakumar wept as she spoke about her daughter’s disappearance.

  • We await credible implementation of resolution says Pasumai Thaayagam

    Urging UN member states to remain vigilant to ensure the consensus resolution on Sri Lanka is implemented, the NGO, Pasumai Thaayagam said they awaited “meaningful and credible implementation to gauge progress by Sri Lanka”.

    Addressing the UN Human Rights Council’s 30th session on Monday, Pasumai Thaayagam called on all states to “actively assist Sri Lanka in setting up an accountability process”.

    “The resolution is founded on the new government's said commitments to pursue justice. Tamil victims on the ground and in diaspora await meaningful and credible implementation to gauge progress by Sri Lanka. We expect to see significant international involvement in the justice process. As the High Commissioner said, "for accountability to be achieved in Sri Lanka, it will require more than a domestic mechanism.”

  • Ranil to visit Japan for talks

    The Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is to hold talks in Japan with his counterpart, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reports The Japan Times.

    The meeting is likely to take place on October 5, the paper reported.

  • Implementing resolution and OISL report will be real test of progress' - GTF

    The Global Tamil Forum cautiously welcomed the tabled UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, stating that it is of the view it will lead to “a credible accountability process with substantial international involvement”.

    “The GTF has consistently called for an international accountability mechanism, and though the tabled resolution falls short, still we view that the proposed resolution can lead to a credible accountability process with substantial international involvement,” said the GTF.

    “We note that implementing the resolution and the recommendations of the OISL report of the High Commissioner will be the real test of progress, and not merely words,” it added. “Victims of Sri Lanka’s brutality have heard far too many words, and now deserve credible actions.”

    See the full text of the statement below

  • Australia co-sponsors resolution on Sri Lanka

    Australia has co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution calling for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka during the end of the armed conflict, reports AAP.

    In a statement on Sunday, the foreign minister Julie Bishop said that if the resolution is implemented effectively it “would provide Sri Lanka a platform to heal the wounds of war crimes committed during the nation's civil conflict”.

  • Ban Ki Moon urges Sirisena to advance dialogue on political settlement
    The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, to advance dialogue on political settlement in Sri Lanka, during a meeting in New York as President Sirisena attended the UN General Assembly.

    In a statement Mr Moon's spokesperson said, “the Secretary-General discussed recent political developments, congratulated the President on the elections, and commended his message of national unity, reconciliation and good governance.

    He encouraged the President to advance the dialogue on a political settlement and seize this opportunity to lay the foundation for long-lasting peace and stability.”
  • India and Sri Lanka to hold joint anti-terror exercises
    The Indian and Sri Lankan military are to hold a joint “anti-terror” exercise in Pune later this week, according to a statement released by New Delhi.

    The 14 day exercise, entitled ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti’, will begin on September 29 once the Sri Lankan military contingent arrives in India.
  • ‘We stand for justice’ in Sri Lanka says India

    India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it hoped for justice in Sri Lanka and remained hopeful that a resolution would pass with the consent of the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council later this week.

    "As far as India is concerned, we naturally support the quest for justice,” said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup. “At the same time we are respectful of Sri Lanka's sovereignty,” he added. “We are hopeful that a way will be found where both these points and objectives can be met."

    "Our expectation at this point is that hopefully it will be a consensus resolution which everyone will be able to pass unanimously and it is something which will be acceptable to the Government of Sri Lanka also," Mr Swarup stated.

  • Sri Lankan military opens new officers’ mess at Eastern HQ

    The Sri Lankan security foreces headquarters in the Eastern province saw the opening of a new Corporals’ Club and OR’s Mess earlier this month.

    On September 19th, the military held a ceremony to mark the opening of the newly constructed buildings “fulfilling a long requirement of the other ranks serving the 233 Brigade,” stated an official army website.

    The buildings were constructed by Sri Lankan soldiers.

  • Mahinda concerned at UNHRC resolution

    Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa says there are several areas of concern in the text of the consensus resolution tabled at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.

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