• Germany hopes for 'fundamental reconciliation' from new president

    Jan 08
    Germany expressed its hope for a "fundamental reconciliation between the different communities" on the island, in a message congratulating the newly elected president, Maithripala Sirisena on his win.

    "I congratulate Maithripala Sirisena on his election victory. We wish him the best of luck and much success for the realisation of his political goals for a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Sri Lank," said the country's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a statement on Friday.

  • Amnesty calls for new Sri Lankan government to fully cooperate with UN investigation
    Sri Lanka’s new government must “fully cooperate with the UN investigation,” said Amnesty International in a press release on Friday.

    “The lack of accountability for past human rights violations has been the tragic norm in Sri Lanka over the past decade. Tens of thousands of victims and family members are still waiting for the justice they deserve and the new administration must work to deliver it,” said Amnesty International’s deputy Asia pacific director David Griffiths.
  • Explosion near Jaffna polling booth


    A hand grenade exploded by an abandoned house in Point Pedro, Jaffna, on Thursday morning, as polls opened for Sri Lanka's presidential election.


  • Tamils vote in North-East amid grenade explosions
    Updated 23:45 GMT
  • Tamils voted to ensure no fraud, not in belief things will change says TNA spokesperson
    The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson, Suresh Premachandran, questioned what change the election would bring for the Tamil people, stating that votes were cast merely to prevent election fraud in Tamil areas, not in any belief that the election would bring progress to the Tamil people.

    "Whether our problems as Tamil people will be resolved whoever of these two come to power remains an important question," Premachandran told reporters in Jaffna on Thursday, after casting his vote.

    "They say that if the opposition wins democracy will come to Sri Lanka however, a key question of mine is will this democracy come to the Northern province? Will that democracy stay in the South? Or will it look over at the North? Will the people here be able to live peacefully?" he asked.

  • Ensure peaceful and inclusive election Kerry tells Rajapaksa ahead of polls
    The US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday to ensure today's election was "credible, peaceful and inclusive".

    "The United States supports a free and fair electoral process in Sri Lanka that is credible, peaceful and inclusive," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told journalists on Wednesday.

    "To that end, Secretary Kerry called the Sri Lankan President yesterday [Tuesday] to underscore the government's responsibility to ensure the January 8th elections will be free from violence and intimidation and that the vote counting is carried out credibly and transparently."

  • Police ban demonstrations for 7 days
    Sri Lankan police banned all demonstrations and processions for seven days following the state's presidential election on Thursday.
  • Sri Lanka slams UN again over peaceful election call
    The Sri Lankan government has criticised the United Nations yet again, after the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General of the UN reiterated calls for a peaceful presidential election this week.

    Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, had said in his press briefing on Monday,
    “Obviously, we've seen the recent events in Sri Lanka, even those today, and I think it makes the Secretary-General's call for reconciliation, political dialogue that much more important and also his call to the Government to ensure that the elections are peaceful and that they're inclusive, including for minorities.”
  • Sri Lanka's astrologers face nervous times ahead of polls
    Astrologers in Sri Lanka face a nervous time ahead of tomorrow's presidential polls, with worries of repercussions for failed predictions of victory for incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

    Speaking to the     New York Times Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena told of the hazardous task he has as Rajapaksa's “royal astrologer”. Rajapaksa is known to be a strong believer in astrology, frequently seeking the advice of astrologers on a range of issues (see here and here). He recently announced that the Sri Lankan Treasury would provide modern computer technology to a group of astrologers, in order to assist with their predictions.

  • Sri Lanka's election could change everything... and nothing' – Callum Macrae
    The ongoing repression of the Tamil people will continue regardless of which candidate wins the upcoming Sri Lankan presidential election, said documentary maker Callum Macrae in an opinion piece on Wednesday.

    Writing for Channel 4 News, Macrae said,
    “[Rajapaksa's] message to the Sinhala majority is designed to reinforce their conviction that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala nation, indivisible - and that the Tamils of the north and east must accept that, or have that forced upon them.”
  • Military deny election involvement in Tamil areas
    Sri Lanka's military on Wednesday denied any involvement in election activities amid reports of soldiers being deployed to deter Tamils from voting.
  • Amnesty condemns death threats against opposition campaigners
    Amnesty International, in a statement released a day before Sri Lanka's presidential election on January 8, condemned death threats issued to three prominent opposition campaigners.

    "The Sri Lankan authorities must hold to account those who threatened three prominent opposition activists with death today and ensure that tomorrow’s presidential election passes without further violence," Amnesty International said, noting that the threats came after severed heads of dogs were placed outside the homes of the campaigners earlier this week, in an apparent warning to them.

    Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director David Griffiths said:
    “These death threats against activists who have been peacefully defending human rights are utterly deplorable.

  • HRW: serious concerns of post-election violence, esp in Tamil areas
    The New York based rights group, Human Rights Watch, called on Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the presidential election on Thursday occurs without voter intimidation or violence, warning of the possibility of violence continuing after the election, particularly in the Tamil areas.

    "There are also serious concerns about violence after the elections, regardless of the outcome. The Election Commission and other relevant authorities need to ensure that police and other security forces act in an impartial manner and respect the human rights of the population. This is especially true in the ethnic-Tamil dominated north and east of the country and other minority areas," HRW added in a statement.

  • No faith election will bring about political change for us - Jaffna Uni Students' Union

    The Jaffna University Students' Union said in a statement on Tuesday, the Sri Lankan presidential election on January 8, will in no way help to bring about a permanent political solution for the Tamils.

    “We do not have a drop of faith that this election will bring about a permanent political solution for us, the Tamil people” since both of the main candidates were “proponents of Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism," JUSU said.

    “Today in this country, the Tamil people are living in a dark age, without good, stable political leadership, without freedom, and without rights,” the Union added.

  • Future president must address Tamil issue first - BJP
    The winner of Sri Lanka's presidential election must first address the Tamil issue, stressed the BJP's global convener of overseas affairs, Vijay Jolly.

    "Whoever wins in Sri Lanka should first address the Tamil issue," he was quoted by IANS as saying on Wednesday.

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