• ‘Outrageous reversal of promises’ by Sri Lankan president - FFT

    Jan 21

    The Sri Lankan president’s total denial of ongoing torture on the island is an “outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community,” said UK-based charity Freedom From Torture.

    In a statement released on Friday, Freedom From Torture’s Director of Policy and Advocacy Sonya Sceats said,

    “This is an outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community in October 2015 to deliver an internationalised justice process as part of the new government’s determination to achieve accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka”.

    Ms Sceats went on to say,

    “Survivors of torture receiving rehabilitation treatment from Freedom from Torture have been clear from the start that for them to have any confidence in the justice process, there must be strong international participation at every stage and level.”

  • Sri Lankan president’s comments ‘an insult to victims and witnesses’ – ITJP

    Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s questioning of mass atrocities during the armed conflict is “an insult to the thousands of victims and witnesses” said the International Truth and Justice Project.

    ITJP Executive Director Yasmin Sooka said “it’s rather late in the day to question whether crimes took place,” adding,

    “This is an insult to the thousands of victims and witnesses who testified to the UN inquiry and other bodies.”

    The ITJP statement also said the organisation “is deeply concerned that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena appears to be rolling back on his commitment in Geneva to include international involvement in a future judicial mechanism” and “shocked that the Sri Lankan President should question that crimes took place after the detailed and graphic revelations of the year-long OHCHR Investigation, as well as reports by many other credible international and Sri Lankan organisations”.

  • ‘People were made to disappear’ confirms Sri Lankan minister
    Sri Lankan Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe confirmed that enforced disappearances were carried out on the island during the previous government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a press cofnerece on Wednesday.
  • Tamil Nadu police arrests 6 Eelam refugees
    A group of Eelam Tamil refugees have been arrested by the Q branch of Tamil Nadu police, for arranging an attempt to flee to New Zealand, reports The Hindu.

    The group of six refugees had been arrested on Wednesday after they met near a school to discuss a plan for their boat journey.

    Earlier this month it was reported that over 100,000 Tamil refugees from the North-East remain in Tamil Nadu, almost 7 years after the armed conflict on the island.
  • Sri Lanka looks to IMF for $1 billion loan as foreign reserves dwindle
    Sri Lanka’s Central Bank is in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a $1 billion Stand By Arrangement (SBA) in order to boost foreign reserves, confirmed Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama.

    “Sri Lanka’s annual debt service amounts to a mammoth US$ 4 billion or more which is a big burden on the economy,” said the minister at a weekly SLFP news briefing.

    “Foreign remittances have remained relatively stagnant in recent times, which has aggravated the situation,” he added.

    His comments come just weeks after Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran said the government was in “informal consultations”, though claimed foreign reserves were “comfortable”.

    Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is also at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, where he outlined his vision for Sri Lanka’s development, claiming the government had “revived the economy”.

    Yet, the IMF had     warned  Sri Lanka in December that the “economic outlook remains uncertain” and said there was continued weakness in the structure of Sri Lanka’s public finances. It also cited Sri Lanka’s fiscal deficit is a key concern for 2015 and the medium term in their annual report on Sri Lanka.
  • Buddhist monk MP vows not to allow international community to harm Sri Lanka

    A Buddhist monk and parliamentarian vowed that the island’s Buddhist clergy would not allow the international community to harm Sri Lanka, reports The Island.

    Addressing a news conference organised by the National Sangha Council, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) MP Athuraliye Ratana called on Sri Lanka’s chief Buddhist monks to unite and beat back a proposed bill relating to the Buddhist clergy.

    He called on the Mahanayake Theras of the three Nikayas on the island to unite against the bill, stating “we are at a loss to understand why the government embarked on bringing in a Bill of this nature”.

    The MP went on to add that the Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka would not allow the international community or anyone else to harm the country.

  • Exiled Tamil journalist given bail after detention in Sri Lanka

    An exiled Tamil journalist who was detained on Wednesday morning on arrival back to Sri Lanka was released on bail on Thursday, after spending over 24 hours in detention.

    The journalist, who had previously fled Sri Lanka, was detained at Katunayake airport. He is understood to have decided to return to Sri Lanka after receiving an invitation from the new government.

     

  • Indian foreign minister to visit Sri Lanka Feb 5

    India's foreign affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, is to visit Sri Lanka on Feburary 5th for the Sri Lanka-India Joint Commission in Colombo, the Daily News reported.

    Her scheduled visit was preceded by that of India's foreign secretary, Mr Jaishankar, who visited the island earlier this month.

     

    Speaking last year, following the Indian prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka, Ms Swaraj had stressed the need for “equality, justice, peace and dignity” for Tamils on the island.

  • EU reiterates need for Sri Lanka to fully implement resolution
    The EU trade delegation currently visiting Sri Lanka on Thursday reiterated the need for country to fully implement the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution, reported Colombo Gazette.

    The remarks were made during the first meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, which was held at the ministry of foreign affairs in Colombo.

    According to the news site, both the EU and the Sri Lankan officials present highlighted the full implementation of the resolution as a priority.

  • Kilinochchi land being sold illegally

    Hundreds of acres of land in Kilinochchi have been illegally sold to Sinhalese, locals have claimed.

    Fraudulent documentation has been used so far to sell around 860 acres of land in villages in Poonakari, Kilinochchi.

    A former army officer that served in Thenmaradchi is also understood to have bought several million rupees worth of land in the area.

  • Tamil Nadu governor demands justice for genocide in Sri Lanka
    Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah called on the Indian government to ensure justice is served for war crimes and genocide committed by the Sri Lankan government, against Tamils on the island.

    Addressing the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, Dr Rosiah said Tamils across the world were outraged over the atrocities committed and recalled that the State Assembly had passed resolutions calling for justice for genocide.

    ''I hope the Central Government will take serious note of various resolutions passed by this Assembly and take appropriate action to persuade the Sri Lankan Government to restore their lands to the affected Tamils, thus providing equal rights and an opportunity to live peacefully with dignity'' said the governor. “It should ensure equal rights and an opportunity to live peacefully with dignity.”
  • Sri Lanka ready to ‘share lessons’ with international community says prime minister
    Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government had “consolidated democracy and revived the economy” in an essay published as the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos kicked off on Wednesday.

    “A new era has dawned in Sri Lanka,” said Mr Wickremsinghe, adding that “peace has been consolidated” on the island.

    Mr Wickremesinghe said his government was ready to “play its full role as a responsible member of the global community of nations,” and was “well placed to play a constructive role in addressing the pressing international issues of the day, such as terrorism, climate change, migration and strengthening democratic values”.

    In his essay, Mr Wickremesinghe went on to add his government was bolstering Sri Lanka’s democracy by “reasserting the independence of the judiciary, combating bribery with the UN Convention Against Corruption and allowing a free and vibrant press to flourish”.

    Yet, Sri Lankan continues to rank 6th in the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2015 Global Impunity Index published in October 2015, with both the Jaffna Press Club and Northern Provincial Council calling for justice for murdered journalists.
  • Sri Lankan president ‘more committed to national security than ever before’
    Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena stated he was “more committed in upholding the national security better than ever before” as he called for “moves to crush active LTTE ideology”.

    Speaking at a ceremony for disabled Sri Lankan soldiers on Tuesday, the official Ministry of Defence website quotes Mr Sirisena as stating “the present government is progressively more committed in upholding the national security better than ever before”.

    Mr Sirisena went on to add that “the dream of Ealam subsists in overseas” and “moves to crush active LTTE ideology is the greater responsibility that has befallen us which also needs the global support”.

    “We have determined to thwart such actions of carrying LTTE ideology wherever and have the compliance of the international community for same,” added the president, stating that “ties with the foreign countries were further strengthened while reopening avenues for military training during the last year.”
  • EU trade delegation meets with TNA


    The European Union trade delegation, currently visiting Sri Lanka for discussion regarding the regaining of GSP+, met with the Tamil National Alliance on Wednesday.

  • Exiled Tamil journalist detained on return to Sri Lanka
    Reports emerged on Wednesday night that an exiled Tamil journalist from the North-East had been arrested on arrival at Sri Lanka earlier during the day.

    The journalist, who reportedly returned after being invited by the new government, was arrested at Katunayake airport.

    It is not clear what the alleged offence is. He is expected to be produced before Negombo Magistrate Court on Thursday morning.
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