Two Sri Lankan policemen are injured after being attacked with swords in Kokkuvil, Jaffna, earlier today. The two police officers of Koppay police station were reportedly attacked around 1.30pm by over ten men on four motorcycles while walking down Nanthavil Amman Kovil road. Special Task Force troops and police were patrolling the area and questioning locals until around 5pm. CID intelligence personnel remain visible in the area. Named as Suren and Thambikka, the officers are receiving treatment for their injuries at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
The people of Iranaitivu have now been protesting for over three months for the return of their land from the Sri Lankan Navy.
For months relatives of the forcibly disappeared have been protesting on the streets across the North-East, demanding to know the whereabouts of their loved ones. Despite years, sometimes decades, of various government mechanisms and pledges, their search for answers continues. In this series, Tamil Guardian goes behind the protest to the individual stories that make up this unyielding movement of Tamil families of the disappeared. Ratheeswaran Ratheeswaran was 27 years old when he was disappeared, last seen with the Sri Lankan military in June 2008.
Myliddy fishermen are struggling to work from the recently released Myliddy fishing harbour, having received no support or compensation from the Sri Lankan government. The Myliddy Fishing Union said that although fishermen have shown enthusiasm to fish from their traditional jetty, they have had almost no support in resettling their livelihood there. While around 300 fishermen have wanted to use the jetty, the resettlement ministry has only provided 5 fishing boats. The Myliddy Fishing Union which was made responsible for the boats has said that with so few boats, the organisation struggles...
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday expressed his thanks to the Indian premier, Narendra Modi for securing the release of 75 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were detained in Sri Lanka, however he urged Mr Modi to ensure release of over 107 fishing boats impounded by the Sri Lankan navy. “On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I thank you for your personal intervention and sincere efforts which have enabled the release of the fishermen and the boats,” Mr Palaniswami was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying. "The State received communication from the external...
The Sri Lankan navy on Saturday detained twelve local fishermen for allegedly using unauthorised nets off the coast of Viduthalaitivu. The men and their equipment were handed over to Viduthalaitivu fisheries inspector, Colombo Page reported. Viduthalaitivu, which was a former stronghold of the Sea Tigers unit of the LTTE, continues to have Sri Lankan navy personnel stationed there 8 years after the end of armed conflict.
Sri Lanka's minister of ports and shipping, Mahinda Samarasinghe on Saturday welcomed the signing of the Hambantota deal arguing it would help to alleviate the country's considerable debt burden. "According to the ultimate agreement signed today, the Treasury will directly receive a sum of US$ 1.12 billion. In addition the Chinese Company has agreed to invest another US$ 600 million in the future," Mr Samarasinghe was quoted by Colombo Page as saying at the signing ceremony. "The government has the ability to amend the agreement in future as a result of a clause added to the agreement by...
Only a few hours after the much delayed Hambantota port city deal was signed, the JVP on Saturday threatened to block the implementation of the deal, warning of its influence on workers at Sri Lanka's Ports Authority. “The parties may sign a paper today but the workers at the ports authority could always prevent it being implemented," the JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, criticising the government's signing of the deal with China's state owned company yesterday ahead of any debate on the issue in parliament. "How the signing could take place today when the President himself had assured...
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the US Prasad Kariyaswasam will become the new Secretary to the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Kariyawasam took over as Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States in June 2014, at a time when Sri Lanka was facing heightening pressure from the US and the Untied Nations Human Rights Council for failure to deliver on justice and accountability for mass atrocities in Sri Lanka. A seasoned diplomat, Kr Kariyaswasam has held postings at the United Nations in New York from 2005-2008, Geneva from 2001-2004 and in India from 2009-2014. See more here.
Sri Lanka’s Burueau of Foreign Employment has signed a MoU to train interns from Sri Lanka in Japan, reports Adaderena.lk The agreement signed with the Chairman of Japan’s international Manpower Development Organisation, will result in knowledge and technical expertise exchange from Japan to Sri Lanka. The MoU, which will give interns from Sri Lanka training, is expected to be implemented from November.