The British Tamil Conservatives hosted their annual reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on Tuesday. Held in the prestigious Castle Fine Art gallery, the BTC event has become a popular fixture in the conference calendar, and as customary was attended by several MPs and high-profile Conservatives who expressed their support for the Tamil community in their struggle for human rights.
Sri Lanka’s president assured Sinhala Buddhist monks that his government would not pass any laws affecting the clergy, without agreement from them. Any decision regarding laws on the Buddha Sasana would be passed “only with the blessings of the Sangha led by the Mahanayake Theras,” The Island quoted Mr Sirisena as saying. Speaking after attending a Buddhist religious ceremony in Peradeniya, Mr Sirisena explained that the passing of a law around the Buddha Sasana has been postponed until advice has been sough from senior Buddhist monks. “Our country is in an important position in world because...
The Sri Lankan army declared open new buildings at the military headquarters in Mannar last month, according to an official army website . The commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Vanni Major General MHSB Perera was present at a ceremony alongside the Colonel of the Regiment of Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, as they opened a newly constructed Officers’ Mess, Corporals’ Club and Other Ranks’ Mess at Periyavalayankadu in Mannar. The ceremony saw the presence of Sinhala Kandyan dancers, whilst military officials cut a ribbon to declare open the buildings. The buildings “were a long due...
Scottish police strengthened ties with their Sri Lankan counterparts on training for the management of public peace. In a conference held in Sri Lanka on Friday, Sri Lanka's Inspector of General of police, met with the Superintendent of Police, Mark Anderson. Scotland's police force has been criticised by human rights groups for their previous links to Sri Lanka's police which is accused of the routine practise of torture. See more here .
The Northern Provincial Council this week urged security to be provided to the chief minister CV Wigneswaran due to death threats by Sinhala nationalists. Making the request in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, the chairman of the NPC CVK Sivagnanam said Mr Wigneswaran was receiving further threats from Sinhala groups in the South following the mass Tamil rally, Ezhuka Tamil last month.
The Terrorism Investigation Division's surveillance list of human rights activists has emerged, the Sunday Leader reported on Sunday. The details of activists on the list have not been released. The TID is yet to comment on the leak.
The Sri Lankan government announced that it would be hiring retired military personnel for “nation-building purposes,” in a media briefing on Friday. Speaking to reporters, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Defence and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence said the project was “initiated under a visionary concept of the President Maithripala Sirisena” and is to be officially inaugurated in the next week. 50 former soldiers would be hired to “offer their expertise towards the Nation-Building process… with the experience gained through defeating terrorism,” said the Ministry of Defence website. The...
The Northern Provincial Council passed a resolution this week, calling for an investigation into death threats issued against Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran by Sinhalese protestors. "The resolution asked the Inspector General of Police to investigate the complaint and, if necessary, increase security for the Chief Minister,” NPC chairman, C V K Sivagnanam, told the New Indian Express . The Chief Minister had said in an earlier speech that he had received information of assassination plots against him. "I have been receiving information continuously that there are efforts being taken to kill...
Locals in Kokkuvil, Jaffna have accused the Sri Lankan police of shooting at a house on Wednesday, before raiding the premises and threatening those residing in the property. The home owner, and father of the youth told reporters "two uniformed police officers came to my house at Pirambadi 2nd Street in Kokkuvil whilst I was not at home, but two of my children were at home." "The officers enquired after my son to my other two children, naming him. When they were told that he was not at home, they forcibly entered the property and searched for him, threatening my other children." "After...
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday dismissed the Northern Provincial Council chief minister's call for a federal solution. "Anyone is free to air their views but the Constitution making process is the work of parliament," he was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. “It is the constitutional assembly and the steering committee which decides on the constitution and not the chief minister. There may be some who would oppose the proposals of the steering committee report and some who would welcome it. Therefore let’s get on with our duty,” Mr Wickremesinghe said,...