Delivering his first speech in parliament as president of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe laid out a roadmap for Sri Lanka which vowed to upload Buddhism; authorised the police to “maintain law and order”; eliminate state enterprises; support controversial investments; tackle corruption; strength Sri Lanka’s export economy; and provide a “political solution” for Tamils.
Tamil News
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Following continued opposition from Indian officials, Sri Lanka has requested an indefinite delay to a Chinese military ship that had planned to dock in Hambantota port.
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The National Forum of Tamil Culture launched a petition in Jaffna yesterday, demanding the arrest of former President and war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
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All images courtesy of Thaarakam
Tamils in France held a memorial event to mark the 16th anniversary of the Muttur massacre, where 17 aid workers from the French NGO, Action la Contre Faim (ACF), were summarily executed by the Sri Lankan security forces.
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Image courtesy of Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
On August 4 2006, Sri Lankan security forces summarily executed 17 aid workers from the French NGO, Action la Contre Faim (ACF), in Muttur, Trincomalee.
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Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the 2019 presidential election. It is no secret that it has succeeded in instilling Islamophobia among the Sinhalese population. 6.9 million voters – mostly Sinhalese Buddhists – elected him. They celebrated the victory with loud cheers and by serving milk rice, saying that they have got a solid leader for the country.
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Protests have been put up across Jaffna this week demanding that former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa be arrested for genocide.
The posters, spotted at several points across the peninsula, were put up by the National Forum of Tamil Culture.
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Hundreds of trade union members led by Coalition of Trade Unions & Mass Organisations protested in Colombo on August 4, demanding the release of General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin and all anti-government activists arrested by Sri Lankan police.
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Amidst Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic collapse, Britain’s High Commissioner, Sarah Hulton, met with Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Dinesh Gunawardene and discussed a range of topics, including constitutional reform, trade, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
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India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, met with Sri Lanka’s recently appointed Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, during the annual ASEAN regional forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
On Twitter, the Indian minister tweeted:
A warm first meeting with FM Ali Sabry of Sri Lanka. Congratulated him on his new responsibility.
Reaffirmed India’s...
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Sri Lanka’s newly appointed president Ranil Wickremesinghe told Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmakers yesterday that he knew some of the parliamentarians had voted for him, despite the coalition announcing it was backing another candidate the night before the ballot.
In his first meeting with Tamil MPs, Wickremesinghe...
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Protestors in Vavuniya staged demonstrations calling for the release of Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union, after he was arrested by Sri Lankan security forces yesterday.
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In a recent statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW), condemned the Sri Lankan government for its use of emergency regulations to “harass and arbitrarily detain activists seeking political reform and accountability for the country’s economic crisis.”
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In a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, human rights groups and Tamil civil society organisations request for her to publicly, to call upon the government of Singapore to prosecute former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
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A spate of heavy rainfall has led to flooding across the in the Nawalapitiya area of Kandy, with at least three local Tamils swept away in the waters and still missing.
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At least three Sri Lankan athletes who were part of the contingent competing in the Commonwealth Games that is currently taking place in the UK have gone missing, according to team managers, with reports they may look to seek asylum in the country.
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Singapore’s foreign minister said Sri Lanka’s fleeing former president has not been granted “any privileges, immunity or hospitality” by his government, as calls mount for the accused war criminal to be prosecuted for genocide.
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On August 2, 1989, up to 64 Tamil civilians were killed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Valvettithurai in a massacre that was termed “India’s My Lai”.
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After railing against the crackdowns of Sri Lanka’s president, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has pledged to support the government’s “national all-party programme”.
In a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi maintained that he provide “our fullest support” to implement “a national all-party...
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British national, Kayleigh Fraser, has reported being accosted by Sri Lankan immigration officers who have seized her passport following her critical coverage of the “Go Home Gota” protests.
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The annual festival, Thiruvizha, of the iconic Nallur Kandasamy Kovil in Jaffna began today with the ceremony for hoisting of the deity's flag.
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Writing in the Caravan, Viruben Nandakumar details the worrying militarisation of Sri Lankan society and the influence Sri Lanka’s war crimes accused security forces continue to wield.
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British Minister of State at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Amanda Milling, said the UK has a "significant voice in international debt fora" and is working with organisations such as the World Banka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to work on solutions to resolve Sri Lanka's...
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Sahathevan Nilakshan, the up and coming Tamil journalist who was shot and killed by suspected Sri Lankan military intelligence personnel on August 1st, 2007 was remembered today by the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF).
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Chairman of the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Mr. Saliya Wickramasuriya, has detailed that the prospect of extracting petroleum and natural gas from Mannar basin have significantly improved over the last two years, placing it on the radar of internal oil majors.
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Chinese plans to dock a military ship in Sri Lanka’s southern port have raised alarm in New Delhi as officials raise concerns that their southern neighbour may act as a military base in their backyard.
According to a Sri Lankan consulting firm, the Belt & Road Initiative Sri Lanka, the ship (known as the Yuan Wang 5) would dock in the Hambantota port for a week and "...
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Protests were held in Batticaloa, Jaffna and Mannar on Friday, condemning the recent flurry of arrests of anti-government protesters in the South.
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Speaking in Sri Lanka's parliament earlier this week, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Major Sudharshana Denipitiya claimed that the 'Aragalaya' protesters are "funded by the LTTE diaspora with hopes to ruin the country."
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Writing in Just Security, Tasha Manoranjan, founder and a director of People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) stresses that “accountability for atrocities against Tamils and curbing Sinhala Buddhist nationalism are key for the island’s future stability and prosperity”.
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Germany's Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) and the People's Council of Eelam Tamils (VETD) joined Tamils in the homeland and the diaspora to commemorate the 39th anniversary of Black July this week.
TYO Germany's coordinator Ancana Pakeerathan lit a fire to commemorate the thousands of Tamils that were murdered, displaced, raped, burnt alive and impacted during Black July.
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In a recent statement, the World Bank announced that it “does not plan to offer new financing in Sri Lanka” until the crisis-hit island has an “adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place.”
According to the lender Sri Lanka requires structural reforms that focus on economic stabilization in order to secure new financing. The economic crisis has...
World News
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Three UN-appointed independent human rights experts returned from Ethiopia on Tuesday after working to negotiate access to areas important for investigations into violations of international humanitarian law.
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Iraq protestors and supporters of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have stormed parliament and continue to occupy it, calling for early elections to be held.
Thousands of followers of the influential Shia cleric stormed into Iraq's parliament on Saturday, protesting against the government formation effort led by the scleric's rivals, an alliance of Iran-...
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A federal US judge issued a default judgement against Khalifia Haftar, finding him liable for war crimes.
Judge Leonie Brinkema's judgement paves the way for families in three separate civil suits to seek monetary compensation.
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The South African government has called for Israel to be declared an 'apartheid state', following its continued occupation of Palestinian territories.
The South African government expressed concerns that Israel continued occupation of "significant portions of the West Bank" and the developments of new settlements there "are glaring examples of...
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The Nepali government's bill to amend its current transitional justice laws will not fully provide justice to victims or meet Nepal's obligations under international law, says human rights groups.
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Pope Francis apologised and asked for forgiveness from survivors of Canada's church-run schools, with commentators noting it did not go far enough to address historic abuses.
During his tour of Canada, touted as his "pilgrimage of penance" the widely anticipated apology was received during a visit to the community of Maskwacis, Alberta.
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Kyaw Min Yu (L) Phyo Zeya Thaw (R)
Myanmar's military junta execution of four democracy activists,has drawn widespread condemnation, marking the country's first execution in decades.
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The international court of justice has rejected Myanmar’s attempts to obstruct a case raised by Gambia, alleging the country of “[...] mass murder, rape, and destruction of communities in Rakhine state.” ...
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Nine tourists were killed following a shelling attack on a water park near the Kurdish City of Zakho with the Iraqi government holding Turkey responsible.
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Soldiers in the Myanmar military have admitted to carrying out atrocities involving rape, torture and massacres of civilians, in interviews given to the BBC.
The testimony of 6 soldiers including a corporal, who have recently defected and are under the protection of the People's Defence Force (PDF), gives an insight into the military crackdown on...
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The former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was shot dead whilst giving a speech in the city of Nara earlier this morning.
A 41-year-old man was arrested by Japan’s security services at the scene of the murder, where Abe was delivering a speech.
Video footage at the time shows gunshots being fired and the suspect apprehended with what appears to be a...
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The European Union (EU) has resumed funding of two prominent Palestinian organisations after a year-long suspension, following unfounded "terror" allegations made by Israel.
The European Commission sent letters several days ago to Al-Haq and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), informing them that their 13-month-long suspensions were lifted...
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There are growing calls for an investigation into the deaths of at least 37 people who died at the fortified border of Melilla, Spain’s enclave in North Africa.
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Finland, Sweden and Turkey have signed a joint memorandum at the NATO summit in Madrid, which addresses Turkey's concern about the nordic nation's support for Kurdish organisations and thus paves the way for the country's formal invitation to the military...
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First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has announced a proposed date for an independence referendum on 19 October 2023.
Sturgeon says she wants to hold a second independence referendum on 19 October 2023.
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A report by Oxfam has detailed that funding needed for climate disasters has risen more than 800% in 20 years, with half of all requested funding being unmet today.
Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB’s chief executive, described the finance gap as “unacceptable”.
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The national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) reached 12 days of protests on Friday, condemning the economic policies of Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso.
The Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza on Tuesday demanded – among other things – that the government repeal the state of emergency decree and remove the...
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The horn of Africa has suffered four consecutive failed rainy seasons and is experiencing its worst drought in four decades, stressing food supplies already exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.
Michael Dunford, the World Food Programme regional director for east Africa has called on governments to donate urgently to the horn of Africa, if they are to...
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A group of high-level British lawyers are compiling evidence that could hold as many as 10 countries responsible for the failure to prevent genocide against the Yazidis in northern Iraq.
The lawyers, who announced the collaboration as the Yazidi Justice Committee (YJC) on Tuesday have been investigating over the past two and half years the genocide committed from...
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More than 250 people mostly from the Amhara ethnic group, have been killed in an attack in the Oromia region of Ethiopia on Saturday.
The attack reportedly began around 09:00 on Saturday and continued until about 13.00. Calls were made by residents to district authorities but help only came hours later.
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The Caravan’s multimedia reporter, Shahid Tantray, has been summoned by Srinagar police following a relentless campaign of police intimidation and threats for his critical coverage of rights in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
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A former senior Rwandan official, Laurent Bucyibaruta will be the most senior officer to date to face trial in France for his involvement in the Rwandan genocide, as his trial opened in the country last week.
Bucyibaruta’s trial will be the fourth to be taken to trial in France in relation to the massacres of 1994. The trial is anticipated to last 2 months, and it has been announced that more than 100 witnesses (including survivors of the atrocities) will be called upon either in...
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Thousands of Palestinians rallied on Sunday during Nakba Day – which Palestinians call the “the catastrophe”.
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The UK’s controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 received royal assent to become UK law despite widespread criticism.
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Israel’s military has launched four missile strikes Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip during the holy month of Ramadan.
The move follows reports that Israel’s army intercepted a rocket launched from the Gaza strip amidst growing tensions over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thus far no Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the rocket launch, which Israeli...
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Israeli police have raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, with medics reporting at least 158 Palestinians injured.
Israeli forces entered in force before dawn on Friday, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers.
The Palestinian Red Crescent added that Israeli forces had hindered the arrival of ambulances and paramedics to the mosque, as Palestinian media said dozens of injured worshippers remained trapped inside the...
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Those entering the UK illegally, as well as those who have arrived illegally from 1 January, will now be relocated to Rwanda, the PM says.
This will provide "safe and legal routes" for asylum whilst "disrupting the business models of the gangs", he addshttps://t.co/a3jSwzI8yb pic.twitter.com/YfhwNtwZWi
— Sky News (@SkyNews...
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Human Rights Watch has documented numerous cases of Russian military forces committing war crimes in the occupied Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions of Ukraine.
Between February 27 and March 14, 2022, Human Rights Watch learned of "unspeakable" acts of violence against Ukrainian civilians in Russian...
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Hungary’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban, secured a fourth consecutive term on Sunday in a landslide election victory.
Orban is at the helm of the right-wing Fidesz party, which acquired about 67.8% of the vote. He is credited with steering the party towards its overwhelming win on Sunday night. The...
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Pope Francis has apologized to Indigenous delegates for the conduct of some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada’s residential school system.
