Buddhist monks protest against human rights team visit
Tamil Guardian 21 September 2012
Buddhist monks led 300 protesters from the office of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) or National Heritage Party to demonstrate opposite a local UN office, reports the Associated Press.
The demonstrators were protesting against a visit from a delegation of the UN Office of Human Rights, complaining of unfair criticism and allegations of abuse since the end of the war in 2009.
The protesters voiced fears that the visit was just taking Sri Lanka a step closer to being subjected to an international war crimes investigation.
Placards showed the JHU’s concern for human rights in other nations, reading slogans such as ‘Your services are needed in Afghanistan and Iraq’.
Other placards were asking to ‘give peace and reconciliation a chance’, breaking from the usual norm of Buddhist monks demonstrating for the demolition of non-Buddhist places of worship.
The Sri Lankan government has expressed concern over a recent Memorandum of understanding, signed between the US Embassy in Colombo and the Trincomalee Urban Council, to establish an ‘American Corner’, a public information centre.
[more]
Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has interrogated members of the German NGO the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, for allegedly working beyond its legal mandate.
[more]
A Sri Lankan military soldier is suspected to have perpetrated the rape of a 7 year old girl in Nedunkeni, Vavuniya, reports Uthayan.
The incident led to a protest by local Tamils, demanding that the culprit be arrested.
[more]
Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse has warned the government of the consequences in case the TNA wins the Northern Provincial Council polls, due to be held later this year.
[more]
A ruling government coalition party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), have submitted a motion proposing a 19th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, earlier on Thursday.
[more]
Sri Lanka's Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister, Mervyn Silva, has decided to launch a hotline for public complaints, reports Colombo Page. The hotline would allow the user to choose their language of choice,
[more]
Amidst discontent over Sri Lanka's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Sri lanka will launch a campaign to ‘promote’ the Colombo ahead of the meeting.
[more]
Print Article
E-mail Article
Feedback On Article