"We the British Tamil youth are shocked by such racially motivated attacks and the malicious and spiteful slogans such as "F*** Tamils” and other expletives hurled at the peaceful men and women, several of whom sustained injuries from the incident. At this time we commend the Tamil activists caught up in the violence, for remaining steadfast in their purpose as peaceful campaigners even in the face of such violence and abuse."


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The British Council will hold a global education forum in Colombo, with attendees from several countries coming together to discuss international higher education issues.

“Global education dialogues are organised around the world to bring together key policy-makers and influences so that they can reflect on and debate the challenges and opportunities facing international higher education,” the British Council said in a statement.

Over 100 participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the UK are expected to attend.

Sri Lanka as a venue for international events is already being heavily criticised, over its hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November, with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper threatening to boycott the event.

More photos and videos have emerged of the violence in London yesterday, as Sri Lankan cricket fans hurled racist abuse and attacked Tamil activists who were campaigning outside the Oval cricket stadium.

Find full coverage of the event here: Sri Lankan cricket fans attack #BoycottLKA activists in London (18 June 2013)

The video below was sent to Tamil Guardian by an activist, which shows Tamil activists being beaten and dragged into the road by a mob of Sri Lanka cricket fans.

The Sri Lanka fans hurled racist abuse at the Tamils, with police struggling to cope as hundreds more swarmed around the small group of activists.

See more photos of Sri Lanka cricket fans attacking Tamils, as an elderly Tamil man and child take cover on TamilWin here.

The cricket fans were screaming "F*** Tamils!" and "One nation!" as police reinforcements arrived and attempted to herd the Sri Lankan fans away from the Tamils. Bottles and rocks were then launched towards the 20 or so activists, as the Sri Lankan fans continued to chant.

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Writing in the Guardian's 'Comment is free' section, Emily Howie - a lawyer with the Human Rights Law Centre and a leebron fellow at Columbia university - said the new 'enhanced screening' is jeopardising Sri Lankan asylum claims, and described Australia's deportation of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka as "reckless".

See here for full opinion. Extract published below:

"Australia's practice of returning Sri Lankans is reckless. Not only does the country turn a blind eye to the harm that the they may face on return, it does so on the basis of a diminished understanding of individuals' claims for asylum and without adequate monitoring back in Sri Lanka."

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Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ravinatha Aryasinha, has urged that more action be taken against “terrorist” activities in the diaspora, carried out under guises, such as religious, sport and youth organisations.

Aryasinhe was addressing the International Counter-Terrorism Focal Points Conference on 'Addressing Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism and Promoting Regional Cooperation' and said that front organisations increase the legitimacy of certain causes, where the “parent group” may already be discredited.

“Since the military defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka in May 2009, besides the radicalised activism of LTTE front organisations in several European capitals, and the arrest of 32 LTTE activists in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland and the conviction of a further 28 in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, its known activists continue to advocate mono-ethnic separatism in Sri Lanka while espousing the ideology of the LTTE, using its money and being manipulated by its surviving military leaders, who are primarily domiciled in Europe” Aryasinhe said.

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A Buddhist organisation, the Ravana Balaya, manhandled a group of evangelical Christians who were distributing religious magazines outside Colombo, reports Colombo Page.

Buddhist monks mobbed the Christian campaigners and handed them over to the police.

After facing further intimidation from the monks at the police station, the campaigners were eventually released.

The Sri Lankan Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has said he agreed to a suggestion made by the UNP to invite international monitors to observe the Northern Provincial Council elections.

The commissioner said that it would be appropriate to have monitors from Asia or other Commonwealth countries, rather than observers from the European Union.

Deshapriya said that he would discuss the idea with the Sri Lankan government and arrange the invitations for the election monitors.

The Sri Lankan delegation to Europe has urged the German government to be aware of several Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) front organisations, that were operating under the disguise of community initiatives and organisations.

Speaking to the Minister of Foreign affairs, Dr Guido Westerwelle, Siri Lankas External Affairs Minister, G.L Peiris, proposed that a substantial number of schools operating in Germany were for terrorist propaganda and fund raising purposes.

Attending a meeting of the German Association for Foreign Policy (GDAP), Peiris stressed the need for an objective approach when looking at Sri Lanka, Peiris also suggested that the resolution was only passed due to the overarching influence that the United States of America had over large members of the council.

He stressed that the tabled resolution was at the United Nations Human Rights Council, due to strong political ties between nations and strategic economic interests.

The latest warning of diaspora terrorism comes as a German Non governmental organisation worker was arrested in Colombo.

"Head of German NGO arrested in Colombo" (14th June 2013)

President Rajapaksa’s begrudging announcement of a Northern Provincial Council election in September has sparked an utterly predictable melee of impassioned responses to the 13th Amendment. The government is presenting an urgent bill to parliament, a minister is demanding a referendum to guarantee abolition, the TNA is aghast, a party of Buddhist monks is on the warpath, and an alarmed New Delhi is summoning the TNA for talks. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s main opposition, the UNP, is attempting to position itself as defender of ‘minority’ rights. This circus is a farce. Neither the 13th Amendment, nor the provincial council election, is of any consequence to the Tamil question. The 13th Amendment cannot address the immediate needs of the Tamil people in the North-East, or the political aspirations of the nation. Its presence, absence and anything in between is of absolute insignificance and irrelevance. That Tamils are compelled to reiterate this 26 years on, is testament to the dismaying lack of progress on resolving the conflict.

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1. The possible re-emergence of terrorism
2. The emergence of other extremist groups
3. The creation of ethnic divisions and communal violence
4. The challenges of maritime security and border control
5. The growth of organised crime
6. Foreign interference in domestic affairs
7. Non-traditional threats through technology driven new media, including social media.

"The threat of terrorism re-emerging still persists. One of the main reasons for the LTTE’s success during its heyday was its extensive international network, which has been in operation for many decades."

"As a result of the July 1983 riots, a large number of Tamil people left Sri Lanka and travelled to countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and parts of Europe. These countries granted asylum to these immigrants, and later granted them citizenship. As such, there is a large population of immigrant Sri Lankan Tamils in other countries. A small minority of this population supports the LTTE even to this day. Extremist elements within this community, together with LTTE agents and operatives, including trained terrorists who fled Sri Lanka at various times during the war, comprise the LTTE’s international network."

 The United Nations said on Tuesday that 140,000 people remained displaced in Burma’s western Rakhine state, a year after the Buddhist-Muslim clashes left 200 people dead.

The United Nations report, outlined temporary progress made in restoring the livelihoods of Rohingya Muslims in the Rahkine state, describing the quantities of temporary shelters and latrines that had been built.

The report however warned that the stateless situation of 800,000 Muslims in the Rakhine state had to be addressed, as

“consequences of statelessness for Muslims in Rakine state continue to have direct effect on fundamental human rights and the social economic development of Burma.”

Though many of the Rohingya have lived in the Rakhine state for decades they are declined citizenship, and are subject to discriminatory government policy.

The UN report said consequential restrictions of access to freedom of movement have “ severely affected employment, and health and education rights.”

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan doesn't want any threats from Afghanistan soil to other countries, and neither permits anyone to threaten other countries using Afghanistan soil.

"We support a political and peaceful solution that ends Afghanistan's occupation, and guarantees the Islamic system and nationwide security."

The new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, has said he will make the country’s nuclear programme more transparent. Speaking at a news conference after his surprising victory, Rouhani said the sanctions on Iran were “unfair”.

Rouhani said his government would work towards "constructive interaction with the world", while thanking Iranians for "choosing moderation".

"Our nuclear programmes are completely transparent," Rouhani told media in Tehran.

"But we are ready to show greater transparency and make clear for the whole world that the steps of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely within international frameworks."

"And this coming from the same people who always claim they liberated Turkish democracy from army intervention."

"Of course, our opinions do not coincide. But all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria, to stop the growth of victims, and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiations table in Geneva."

"With respect to Syria, we do have differing perspectives on the problem, but we share an interest in reducing the violence; securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they're neither used nor are they subject to proliferation; and that we want to try to resolve the issue through political means, if possible."

In its first direct comment on reports that emerged over a week ago of US surveillance of the internet, China called on US authorities to provide the 'necessary explanation', reports Reuters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said on Monday:

"We believe the United States should pay attention to the international community's concerns and demands and give the international community the necessary explanation." 

Asked for her comments on claims that the whistleblower Edward Snowden is a spy for China, Chunying simply said: "this is sheer nonsense".

    “Those talks have to be real. They have to be based on them living up to their obligations, to include on proliferation, on nuclear weapons, on smuggling and other things,”

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that international pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear programme must continue, after reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president.

"The international community should not fall into wishful thinking and be tempted to ease pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear programme,

"Iran will be judged on its actions. If it insists on continuing to develop its nuclear programme the answer needs to be clear - stopping its nuclear programme by any means."

The US has said it could engage with the new president.

"If [Rouhani] lives up to his obligations under the UN Security Council resolutions to come clean on this illicit nuclear program, he will find a partner in us," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told media in the US.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed assertions made by the US that Syria has used chemical weapons against rebels.

Lavrov said it made "no sense" for President Assad, who also denies the claims, to use chemical weapons as "the regime has not been driven into a corner".

The US meanwhile has decided to keep Patriot missiles and F-16s in Jordan, after recent training exercises. Lavrov criticised the decision, saying that any attempt to use the F-16s to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would violate international law.

At the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation on Wednesday, UN member states reiterated their support for the Saharawi's people's right to self-determination, including representatives from Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba.

Xavier Lasso from Ecuador said his country supported the 'legitimate aspiration of the Saharawi people' and called for an end to the "military occupation of this non-autonomous territory".

Hassan Rouhani, the sole reformist candidate in Iran’s presidential election, has won the presidential elections according to state-run Press TV.

The cleric and former nuclear negotiator with western powers enjoyed a surge in support the last week of campaign.

Though many view his election as the liberalisation of the Iranian public, Iranian affairs analyst, Rassol Nafisi, told the Associated Press,

“Rouhani is not an outsider and any gains by him do not mean the system is weak or that there are serious cracks. The ruling system has made sure that no one on the ballot is going to shake things up.”

According  to Human Rights Watch a new law passed by the Ecuadorian government seriously undermines free speech in the country.

The Communications Law that the Ecuadorian National Assembly approved on June 14 2013, includes discursive language that has a strong potential of limiting the free expression of journalists and media outlets.

Expressing concern over the new law, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said,

“This law is yet another effort by President Correa to go after the independent media. The provisions and criminal prosecutions of journalists are clear attempts to silence criticism.”

See here for a full critical analysis of the new law.

The US has said it will provide arms to the Syrian opposition, after confirming that chemical weapons had been used by the regime.

"Following a deliberative review our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year," said a White House statement.

Washington will supply small arms and training to the Syrian rebels, but voices within the Senate are calling for stronger support.

Senator John McCain said that “the president of the United States had better understand that just supplying weapons is not going to change the equation on the ground [or] the balance of power. These people – the Free Syrian Army – need weapons, heavy weapons to counter tanks and aircraft, they need a no-fly zone, and Bashar al-Assad's air assets have to be taken out and neutralised. We can do that without risking a single American airplane."

David Cameron meanwhile has stressed that Britain had not made a decision on arming the rebels.

"We have made no decision to arm the opposition but it was right to lift the arms embargo,

"We will continue to support, train and assist and work with the opposition. Of course there are concerns about some of the opposition, but my argument is this: If we don't engage with elements of the opposition and encourage those that do have a positive pluralistic and democratic view about the future of Syria, we won't be able to influence the shape of that opposition."

"The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, has agreed with the Libyan government that the repatriation from South Africa of Libyan funds and assets will be handled in terms of United Nations (UN) protocols."

"The decision was informed by the fact that the government of Libya established a single body in 2012 to co-ordinate the repatriation of assets to Libya,"

“This body cooperates with the Committee formed in terms of the UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and the Panel of Experts which coordinates the orderly and transparent repatriation to Libya of assets frozen in various countries.”

"Clearly therefore, the unilateral proclamation made today is a deliberate attempt to stall the reform agenda in Zimbabwe. Without reforms, Zimbabwe is yet again heading to another contested, predatory and illegitimate election."