Major General Jagath Dias, who is thought to be responsible for large-scale mass atrocities against Tamils, has been appointed as the chief of staff of the Sri Lankan Army.

Mr Dias, who is also the commander of the security forces for Mullaithivu replaces Major General S. Samarasinghe, after his retirement on May 7, military spokesperson Jayanath Jayaweera said.

The major general was in command of the 57th division during the armed conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He is suspected to be directly responsible and hold command responsibility for mass atrocities committed by his troops, especially during the final phase of the war.

The Sri Lankan government is “duty-bound” to celebrate the “war victory” on May 18, the National Movement for the Protection of Liberated Land (NMPLL) said, according to the Daily Mirror.

The movement’s Bengamuwe Nalaka, a Buddhist monk, said the government had allowed the TNA to commemorate the memory of “LTTE terrorists”.

“LTTE activities have not stopped completely even today. While the LTTE is banned internationally, the government has allowed the TNA to commemorate the memory of dead LTTE terrorists. The TNA considers LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as its hero,” he said, adding that his organisation would commemorate “war heroes” alongside some opposition parties at Independence Square in Colombo on May 18.

Sri Lanka announced recently that it would launch a domestic probe to investigate war time mass atrocities in time for the release of the UN mandated investigation due in September. The announcement, made in the wake of a high profile visit to the island by the US Secretary of State John Kerry late last month, suggests that Sri Lanka is responding to international demands. However, it is not clear that this new international engagement necessarily translates to real changes on the ground. The government’s behaviour is notably contradictory. While it reassures international audiences that it is taking accountability seriously and is committed to reform and reconciliation, it says quite another to domestic Sinhala Buddhist constituencies. This duplicity is worrying and suggests that the government is intent on continuing with business as normal rather than committing to the deep changes in governance that are needed to secure a just and lasting peace.

Tamil graduates protest outside EPC office in Trincomalee (All photos: Tamil Guardian)

Graduates from the Amparai district complained of discrimination by the Sri Lankan government in providing job opportunities for Tamils.

The graduates started a symbolic hunger strike outside the offices of the Eastern Provincial Council offices in Trincomalee on Wednesday morning.

One graduate, speaking on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal, said the Sri Lankan government deliberately overlooked Tamils for job opportunities.

“Although we achieve the same qualifications as Sinhala and Muslim people do, we are not offered the same jobs. The new government has not delivered any benefits for us yet,” she told the Tamil Guardian.

The former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has prevented his arrest, with the Supreme Court issuing an interim order, staying his arrest until his fundamental rights petition, filed on Monday, is considered.

Mr Rajapaksa said in his petition his arrest would be a violation of his personal liberty.

The Fundamental Rights Petition was considered this morning before a panel of three Supreme Court judges, Justice Eva Wanasundera, Justice Sarath Abrew and Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare.