Marking the 50th year since the 21st October 1966 uprising against caste and untouchability in Sri Lanka, the Mass Movement for Social Justice held a conference today in Kokuvil, Jaffna. A series of academics and activists spoke about the history of the struggle against caste on the island and also about the ongoing perpetuation of caste-based discrimination and the disregard paid to it by Tamil political parties and leaders. Speaking about caste in the education system, one local activist, Ahalya, explained that while students from all different castes could now go to the same school, you...
8 months after the Sri Lankan government passed a resolution establishing a Constitutional Assembly to draft a new constitution, the government has launched a website detailing the constitutional drafting process and the membership of those involved in the Steering Committee, the Sub-Committees and the Panel of Experts. The website states that early on it was decided that the Steering Committee would be responsible for the following issues: matters covered by Chapter 1 and 2 of the present Constitution; nature of the State; sovereignty; religion; form of government; electoral reforms;...
Locals in Vavuniya on Friday signed their names against a petition calling for the release of Tamil political prisoners. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Sivasakthi Ananthan also joined locals in signing the petition. The event was organised by the Mass Movement for Social Justice.
European Union Ambassador Tung-Law Margue remarked that European countries are amazed by “rapid progress made by Sri Lanka under the new government,” according to the Sri Lankan President’s Media Division, following a meeting in Colombo on Friday. Mr Margue met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, where he reportedly affirmed the EU’s support for the Sri Lankan government’s plans for “reconciliation, economic development and social progress”. He had attended the Export Fair in Colombo earlier this week, commenting that the country offers an impressive range of export products. Mr...
The construction of a Buddhist vihara in the Tamil North-East has continued to take place, despite the Mullaitivu District Secretariat ordered a halt to further proceedings. Footage obtained by TamilNet shows an expansion in the vihara’s construction from previous video footage obtained in April of this year. A Sinhala Buddhist monk was seen in the April video, assisting directly with the construction. The construction is taking place on private land owned by Mr Manivannadhas, who stated that Buddhists monks initially began occupying his land in 2012. Though a 2015 complaint by him calling...
The Sri Lankan military oversaw a Hindu festival inside the Palali High Security Zone this week, with devotees still requiring a military escort to attend the temple festival. The Palali Rajarajeshwari Temple remains off limits to Tamil civilians, located inside the Sri Lankan military designated High Security Zone. The annual festival was allowed to take place with permission from the Sri Lankan Headquarters Security Force (Jaffna). An official military website said the festival was “divinely and delightfully completed” as Sri Lankan soldiers provided “transport, water, medical and basic...
The Sri Lankan government says it faces no pressure from the UN Human Rights Council. Speaking at an event in Kandy, Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said the government had been able to implement most of the recommendations of the resolution passed in Geneva last October. As Sri Lanka is hardly discussed at the UNHRC anymore, there is no pressure, Colombo Gazette reported the minister as saying. Only last month, President Sirisena said there was absolutely no pressure from world leaders on the UNHRC resolution, while he was attending the UN General Assembly.
Sri Lanka’s commander of the Security Forces in Jaffna met with the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues this week, where the military delegation spoke of how it was “evolving to uplift the livelihood of Jaffna people,” reports an official website. Major General Mahesh Senanayaka met with Rita Izsak-Ndiaye and a United Nations delegation this week, as part of Ms Izsák-Ndiaye’s visit to the island. According to the official website of the military in Jaffna, the military delegation “described the military involvement in nation building project such as national security, prevention of...
A former Sri Lankan intelligence officer has been found dead in his home, with note by his body allegedly claiming responsibility for the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. The officer, identified as Indirage Jayamanth, was found in his home in Kegalle. Reports indicate that he had hung himself in his kitchen. In a letter found by his body and allegedly written by him, the former officer claims responsibly for the 2009 assassination of the journalist in Colombo. The letter goes on to call for the release of Sri Lankan intelligence officers who are currently being investigated for...
The Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena this week condemned the prosecutions against former military figures in the country, stating "military commanders who led the successful campaign to crush separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 should not be humiliated in such a way." Speaking at a meeting in Colombo he criticised the government commissions investigating former military figures on charges of corruption as political. “I condemn the actions of FCID (Financial Crimes Investigations Division), the CID (Criminal Investigations Division) and the Bribery Commission,” Mr Sirisena was...