• Domestic investigation will leave Sri Lanka following US instructions says Colombo MP

    Aug 25
    Criticising the Sri Lankan government's decision to establish a domestic investigation into war crimes allegations committed during the final stages of the armed conflict, the Colombo MP, Udaya Gammanpila, said such an inquiry would leave Sri Lanka following American instructions.

    "A US-backed domestic investigation is more dangerous than an international investigation," Mr Gammanpila was quoted by the Island as saying, at a press conference on Tuesday at the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) party head office.

    "This domestic investigation is like a person who is new to driving a vehicle with ‘L’ board. He has to follow all instructions of his master. Similarly, Sri Lanka will follow the instructions of the US in conducting the proposed domestic investigation."

  • CaFFE calls for repeal of anti terror legislation
    The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) urged the Sri Lankan government to repeal the country's draconian anti-terror legislation, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), reports the Daily Mirror.

    The PTA, which has been used by successive governments to detain without charge a number of Tamil political activists and human rights workers on alleged charges of "terrorism", has long been criticised by international NGOs.

  • Biswal meets with wife of missing Sri Lankan cartoonist
    Photograph US embassy


    The US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Nisha Biswal, who is currently visiting Sri Lanka, met with the wife of the missing political cartoonist, Prageeth Eknaligoda on Wednesday.

    Earlier this week, the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department has questioned four army officers over the disappearance of cartoonist, who his wife says disappeared after he had uncovered evidence of the Sri Lankan army’s use of chemical weapons against the Tamil people.

    “In 2008, Prageeth wrote and informed the diplomats about the Sri Lankan government’s usage of chemical weapons against the people in the north," Mrs Eknaligoda told the BBC in 2010.

  • Sri Lankan military remains on alert – Army commander
    The commander of Sri Lanka's army stated the military was still on alert, despite more than 6 years since the end of the armed conflict on the island.

    Lieutenant Crishanthe De Silva said terrorism, as well as human trafficking and drug peddling were issues that the army was wary of and ready to tackle. His comments came at a press conference announce the '5th Defence Seminar' due to take place at the Colombo Galadari Hotel next month.
  • Biswal meets with TNA and Wigneswaran
    The US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, Nisha Biswal, met with the Tamil National Alliance and the chief minister of the northern province on Wednesday.

    The TNA delegation, which included the leader, R Sampanthan, Mavai Senathirajah and M A Sumanthiran, stressed to Ms Biswal that the party would continue pushing for an international inquiry into mass atrocities, despite the US announcement on Wednesday to support a credible domestic inquiry in Sri Lanka.

  • South African Tamils call on TNA to ensure ‘political and economic rights’

    The South African Tamil Federation congratulated the Tamil National Alliance on its recent election victory in the North-East and called on the party to ensure “peace, stability, political and economic rights for the Tamil speaking people in Sri Lanka”.

  • US officials arrive in Sri Lanka for talks on justice

    Senior US officials have arrived in Sri Lanka for talks with government officials and civil society leaders on issues including reconciliation and justice, announced the US State Department.

    The US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

    A State Department press release said talks would focus on “US-Sri Lanka cooperation to further economic growth, strengthen good governance and democratic institutions, and promote reconciliation and justice”.

  • Sri Lanka tells US about domestic mechanism for human rights violations
  • Govt's missing persons interim report to be released ahead of OISL
    The Sri Lankan government's Presidential Commission into Missing Persons is to release a second interim report, just days before the release of the UN's report, the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka.

    “We handed over the First Mandated Interim Report in April and the Second Mandated Interim Report will be handed over to President Sirisena on Friday. It will mainly deal with the issues of the violation of the International Humanitarian Law or War Crimes allegedly committed by both parties and the recommendations to prevent a repetition,” the report's chairman, Maxwel Paranagama, was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.

    The paper also stated that "highly placed diplomatic source told Daily Mirror the government should present the Paranagama Commission report in Geneva to counter the allegations levelled at the Sri Lanka government and the armed forces personnel by pro-LTTE groups".

    The commission, which has been marred by claims of military intimidation of witnesses, has been criticised by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), who labelled it “deceptive”. Highlighting Sri Lanka's historic failure of domestic inquiries, the Bishop of Mannar refused to testify before it and protests were held outside other hearings in the North-East.

  • US to provide $1m to resettlement efforts in North-East

    The US Embassy in Colombo has announced it will provide $1 million to support resettlement efforts in Sampur, in the Trincomalee district, as part of its “continuing commitment to strengthen Sri Lanka’s peace and development”.

    “Our goal is to help Sri Lankans around the country overcome the effects of conflict and displacement, improve the lives of their families and communities, and live with dignity,” said the new US Ambassador Atul Keshap.

    The first $100,000 will be managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide the newly-resettled communities with a range of services and means of support to meet their basic needs, the embassy said in a statement. Another $900,000 is earmarked to build two schools in the Sampur region with facilities to support and house displaced families.

  • Sri Lanka to hold seminar on 'non-military threats to national security'
    Sri Lanka’s annual defense seminar will focus on threats to national security including “non-military threats to national security,” reports Colombo Page.
  • Holding Tamils in refugee camps is ‘condemnable’ – Tamil Nadu outfit

    Nearly 800 protestors were arrested during a demonstration against the detention of Eelam Tamils in special refugee camps across Tamil Nadu.

  • 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen attacked by Sri Lankan navy
    Twelve Tamil Nadu fishermen reported being attacked on Monday night by Sri Lankan navy personnel, reported Indian newspapers.

    The fishermen said that the navy personnel stripped some members, before beating them with sticks and stones.

    The fishing equipment was damaged, and there remain unconfirmed reports that twenty boats were damaged in the attack.

    See here and here.

    Fishermen from Tamil Nadu have reported attacks by the Sri Lankan navy, who accuse the fishermen of straying into Sri Lankan waters.

  • Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara offered diplomatic posting
    Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has offered cricketer Kumar Sangakkara the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, after the batsman concluded his final test match on Monday.

    Mr Sangakkara, a cricketer from the south of the island, had been widely tipped to go into politics, following his retirement. He said he respected the offer but has not yet accepted the role.

     The offer was reportedly made after former UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake confirmed that she rejected offers to take up the post last week.

    Mr Sangakkara, who the president called "a great honour to Sri Lanka", was widely hailed for his 2011 Cowdrey lecture at Lord's in London, igniting rumours that he may enter politics after his sporting career. In his speech, the cricketer spoke out against Sri Lankan cricket administrators, whom he accused of losing “accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of conduct”.

    He went on to suggest the solution in tackling the sport's mismanagement may lie in international cricketing authorities “taking a stand to suspend member boards with any direct detrimental political interference and allegations of corruption and mismanagement”.

    Whilst his criticism of the cricketing administration drew appreciation from abroad, the call for international intervention sparked an investigation by the Sri Lankan sports minister.
  • Mannar villagers face eviction by conservation department

    Residents of a Mannar village are facing land-grab and eviction by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation.

    The 22 families of Kuruvilvaan village have complained to the civil society group, Mannar Citizen’s Committee of having long faced intimidation from department officials, including their homes being trespassed upon, with the ultimate purpose of having their lands grabbed.

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