• OHCHR sends inquiry details to Sri Lanka

    The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said today that the Sri Lankan government has been notified of the details of the team that will conduct the investigations into human rights violations.

  • ‘False documents’ used for land ownership claims in Northeast – SL Army

    Claims for land, which has been taken by the military in the northeast, are being made using “false documents”, military spokesperson Ruwan Wanigasooriya said according to Ceylon Today.

    He said that the people asking for the return of their land should produce relevant documents.

  • Concrete action' needed at London Summit - HRW
    Human Rights Watch has called on governments worldwide to make strong commitments to end impunity for those who carry out sexual violence, ahead of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict tomorrow.

    The summit tomorrow is expected to be the largest gathering of its kind to discuss prevention and response to sexual violence, with  Liesl Gerntholtz, women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, adding,
    “The terrible human cost for civilians caught in conflict is even greater for women and girls, who often face sexual violence from all sides and have nowhere to turn for protection... The London summit will only be a success if the pledges countries make to end the scourge of rape in war are translated into concrete action.”
    Noting that they have documented cases of sexual violence  in countries, including Sri Lanka, HRW went on to say,
    “Countries with armed conflicts should make clear they will arrest and prosecute those responsible for sexual violence, including officers in their own troops with command responsibility for the attackers.”
  • Sri Lanka releases fishermen as Jaya calls for 'strong response'
    Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the release of 78 Indian fishermen held under Sri Lankan custody, as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again, to address the issue of attacks on fishermen.

    The released Indian fishermen were part of a group recently arrested and had their fishing trawlers confiscated by the Sri Lankan Navy, as arrests of Indian fishermen continued.

    Jayalalithaa, in her second letter to the Indian Prime Minister, called for a “long-term, permanent solution to the problem and also to put in place a strong and robust diplomatic response”.

    She went on to add that,
    “As an immediate measure, I request you to kindly ensure that India registers the strongest disapproval of the belligerent actions of the Sri Lankan Navy.”
  • Jaffna Press Club deplores unabated attack on Tamil press freedom by Sri Lankan state
    The Jaffna Press Club, condemned the Sri Lankan state's actions to ‘prevent the knowledge-based development workshops for Tamil speaking journalists,' in a statement on the recent disruption, by a Sinhala mob, of a journalism workshop hosted by Transparency International.

    "Many journalists in the North-East have been murdered with impunity in recent critical times. Some have been abducted or been disappeared. A number of journalists have escaped murder attempts with serious injuries. Such a critical situation has led to many journalists fleeing the profession and even the country,” said the statement outlining the unabated oppression of Tamil press in the North-East.


    Full statement reproduced below.
  • Rising number of army deserters committing crimes

    An increasing number of soldiers who have deserted the Sri Lankan Army are going on to commit crimes according to the latest reported statistics, with tens of thousands of soldiers classed as deserters.

  • Sri Lankan Navy arrests dozens of Indian fishermen

    A total of 82 Indian fishermen were arrested and 18 of their trawlers have been seized by the Sri Lankan Navy, in another spate of arrests.

  • Judge’s absence causes postponement of Jeyakumari case

    A case filed against Balendran Jeyakumari and her daughter Vipoosika, for allegedly sheltering a member of the LTTE, has been postponed after the presiding judge failed to appear in court.

    Disappearances campaigner Jeyakumari and her 13-year old daughter Vipoosika were both detained by the Sri Lankan security forces on the 13th of March 2014 at their home in Tharmapuram. Since then, Jeyakumari has been held at the infamous Boosa camp in the south of the island.

    Despite protests calling for their release, the Sri Lankan government has refused.

    See more from the Uthayan (in Tamil) here.

  • Unidentified attackers leave man injured in Batticaloa

    A Tamil  man was attacked by unidentified men today, leading to his admission into Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

    28-year-old Paalippodi Gunaseelan was returning to his home in Kanjiran'guda Panaiyaruppan village, in Batticaloa, to find a group of unidentified men questioning his wife. The men, wearing motorcycle helmets, then attacked the victim using logs. He is currently being treated in hospital.

  • Sinhala mob stops training event for Tamil journalists in North-East
    A workshop aimed at training Tamil journalists from the North-East was shut down yesterday after mobs of protestors gathered outside the hotel that it was being held at , resulting in journalists and trainers having to evacuate the premises on grounds of a risk to safety, reports
  • Over 17,000 Tamil children from North-East Sri Lanka rendered stateless
    Delays in registration with the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai has resulted in 17000 Tamil children from the North-East of Sri Lanka being rendered stateless reported The Hindu. Registration is essential if Sri Lankan citizenship is to be granted to these children.
  • Over 1,400 acres to be seized by government

    Arrangements are underway to obtain over 1,400 acre of land in Kilinochchi, stated the government in Parliament on Thursday, as land grabbing by the state continues.

  • Minister calls for Sinhalese ‘to produce children as much as possible’

    Sri Lankan Minister Mervyn Silva has called on the Sinhalese people to reproduce as much as possible, in order to increase population numbers.

    Silva, Sri Lanka’s Public Relations Minister, was reportedly addressing a government function in Wattala, and stated,

    "The Sinhala race is rapidly becoming a minority and my only only request to the Sinhalese is to produce children as much as possible to avoid extinction of their race".

    The Sri Lankan government already offers cash incentives for the Sri Lankan Army, almost exclusively Sinhalese, to have extra children, having awarded over Rs. 700 million in payments so far.

    See more here.

    The Minister then went on to  offer his services to the Sinhala people, adding,

    "There is no point in lamenting over this problem… If any woman has a problem in having children, I kindly request her to contact me for further assistance".

  • Tamil Eelam defeats Darfur United

    In the last game for the team at this tournament, Tamil Eelam defeated a weakened Darfur United by ten goals to nil.

    The Darfurians, all of whom live in a refugee camp in eastern Chad, started the game with 10 players, and as expected, Tamil Eelam controlled the game from the start.
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