Updated 2220 GMT
A British Tamil doctor who was working on the frontlines of the country’s National Health Service has passed away after contracting coronavirus.
Dr Anton Sebastianpillai, a consultant geriatrician at Kingston Hospital, passed away on the weekend at the hospital’s intensive care unit. His final shift at the hospital had been on March 20.
Tamil News
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Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) president and former Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan, has urged the Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to take immediate action to release political prisoners, just as the other prisoners have been released recently amid coronavirus (COVID-19) fears.
Adaikalanathan emphasized the various difficulties that the political prisoners have been subject to whilst in prison to be considered.
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This week marks 11 years since thousands of British Tamils began a 73 day long continuous protest at Parliament Square in London, as the Sri Lankan government ramped up a military offensive that had already massacred tens of thousands.
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With healthcare workers across the globe working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, we look at some of the Tamils on the frontlines of the battle to save lives.
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The British Tamil Conservatives (BTC) have sent out a message of support to Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as he is moved to an intensive care unit in a London hospital after suffering from coronavirus symptoms.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his family tonight,” said a spokesperson from the BTC.
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The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has continued to rise in Sri Lanka, reaching a new high of 162 this morning.
There have been 5 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 so far.
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1,493 people have been arrested in the last 24 hours including 105 in Mannar, in the Tamil homeland.
Thus far 12,223 people have been arrested since the island imposed curfew which started at 6 pm 20 March. The police have also seized a total of 3,017 vehicles.
Read more from the Colombo Page.
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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has put out a statement condemning the spread of fake news on social media platforms with various false messages claiming to be from him.
On Twitter the Sri Lankan President stated;
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Sri Lankan police officers arrested a member of the Chavakachcheri Municipal Council for an alleged curfew violation earlier this week, despite the man carrying a valid permit as he delivered supplies to under privileged families in Jaffna.
The council member was arrested alongside three other volunteers whilst delivering food in the Varani area.
The vehicle they had been travelling in was also seized by the police.
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Following the outbreak of coronavirus on the island, “Sri Lanka’s inspector general has ordered police to arrest those who ‘criticise’ officials involved in the coronavirus response, or share ‘fake’ or ‘malicious’ messages about the pandemic,” writes Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“Blanket censorship and threats of arrest for speech not only violate Sri Lanka’s obligations under international human rights law, but are counter-productive,” she...
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Forced cremations of COVID-19 victims defy WHO guidelines and disregard minorities’ rights – Amnesty
Global Human Rights Group, Amnesty International, released a press statement in response to Sri Lanka cremating their coronavirus (COVID-19) victims, stating the authorities “must respect the right of religious minorities to carry out the final rites of their relatives in accordance with their own traditions unless they can show that restrictions are needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Sri Lanka has forcibly cremated the bodies of two of the early COVID-19 victims, on...
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Sri Lankan financial authorities appealed to Sri Lankan expatriates to consider depositing their foreign currency savings into the Sri Lankan banking system to help tackle coronavirus.
In a statement, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka called for support to "safeguard the people from coronavirus, to bring its spread under control and to provide healthcare and social security to the people."
"Such remittances would go a long way to promote people's welfare during the current period...
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Sri Lanka’s defence secretary warned that the military was still “are kept on high alert on other security threats” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including the “re-grouping of certain elements”, as a military enforced curfew engulfed much of the island.
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Sri Lanka’s presidential pardon of a soldier convicted of massacring Tamils is “a slap in the face to the member countries” of the UN Human Rights Council, said the International Council of Eelam Tamils in a statement this week, as they reiterated calls for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
The release of Stag Sgt Sunil Rathnayke, who was convicted for the Mirusuvil massacre, “does not surprise the Tamils who have seen too many Sinhalese criminals walk...
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Tamils across the North East are finding it increasingly difficult, to cope with the hardships incurred from the curfews, that have been imposed across the country to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19).
A lack of support from the Sri Lankan government during the curfews has particularly affected Tamils from small villages, the elderly and those from low-income families, prompting the Tamil diaspora and local volunteers to help out instead.
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The Human Rights Commissions of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) expressed “deep concern” over the pardon granted to a soldier who was convicted of massacring Tamil civilians, in a statement released this week.
Staff Sergeant Sunil Rathnayake, who a Sri Lankan court found guilty of the Mirusuvil massacre, was pardoned by Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week.
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Sri Lankan police have arrested 1,015 people within the last 24 hours for breaking a police-imposed island-wide curfew which was intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus
The Colombo Page reports that 254 vehicles have also been seized.
The total number arrested since the initial start of the curfew on 20 March has risen to 9,466 with the police seizing 2,332 vehicles.
Read more from the ...
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided Sri Lanka a grant of $100,000 through which emergency medical equipment has been purchased through the United Nationals Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to respond to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Colombo Page has reported that this has enabled for the purchase of “4 suction machines, 4 suction apparatus, 10 infusion pumps, 12 syringe pumps, 7 multipara monitors, 11 laryngoscopes, and 1 point of care analyser”. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of...
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Sri Lankan soldiers attacked Tamil villagers in the North this week, for allegedly breaking a military enforced curfew in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak on the island.
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Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has urged the Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat to publicise the documents pertaining to presidential pardon of Sunil Rathnayake for the Mirusuvil Massacre of Tamils in December 2000.
TISL insisted it was compulsory that the Presidential Secretariat and/or the Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, immediately disclosed the; Report of the Trial Judge, Advice of the Attorney General and the Recommendation of the...
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The Hindu said there has been “justified outrage” after a Sri Lankan soldier on death row, who had been convicted over the murder of Tamil civilians, was pardoned by Sri Lanka’s president.
“It hardly needs emphasis that the exercise of the power of pardon is an act of compassion, and not a tool for political or electoral messaging,” said The Hindu.
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Former opposition MPs have called on the Sri Lankan government to reconvene Parliament, nearly a month after Parliament was dissolved, The Hindu reports.
Former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed that, “funds have been allocated for government through the Vote on Account until the 30th of April. From that day onwards until the new Parliament is convened again, the President does not have powers to approve additional expenses.” He highlighted that after this date, the...
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Sri Lankan President, and accused war criminal, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has mandated that decision on lockdowns will be made at the highest levels of government and that no regional authority should make this decision.
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Britain’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka met with Shavendra Silva, the war crimes accused head of the Sri Lankan military, as the two discussed the island’s coronavirus outbreak measures.
Sarah Hulton met with Silva at the Sri Lankan army’s headquarters last week, as the military continues to lead Colombo...
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C.D Wickramarathna, Sri Lanka’s acting Inspector General of Police, has instructed Sri Lanka’s CID (Criminal Investigation Department) and police to pursue legal action against those on social media criticising government officials on the pretence that it obstructs their duties.
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Sri Lanka’s police have arrested 206 people with a 6-hour span on Sunday for violating the island-wide curfew intended to curb the spread of coronavirus.
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The United States military celebrated the end of a month-long training exercise with the Sri Lankan navy this week, which continued to take place despite the head of the Sri Lankan army being subject to travel sanctions over his role in overseeing war crimes.
The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) took place at...
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The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) have condemned the presidential pardon of Sergeant Sunil Rathnayake, insisting the “pardon of convicted murderer of Tamils proves justice only possible through international criminal tribunal.”
Rathnayake, was sentenced to death for killing eight Tamil Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Mirusuvil, Jaffna on December 2000, after being convicted in June 2015 and had his sentence upheld in April 2019 at Sri Lanka’s supreme court.
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A Tamil journalist in Kilinochchi was attacked by a group of unknown persons at his office yesterday, even as Sri Lanka’s security forces patrolled the streets and enforced a curfew in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
Nadarasalingam Thusanth was at his office when a group of unknown persons burst in and...
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The British High Commission in Colombo have urged British tourists currently in Sri Lanka to return home while commercial flights are still available.
In a tweet, the High Commission advised that British visitors to leave now before the potential shut down of borders and hotel closures.
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Civil society organisations from across the island have condemned the Sri Lankan president’s pardon of a soldier who was convicted for massacring Tamils, stating that “power has been abused and justice has been forsaken”.
World News
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Indian police fired tear gas at approximately 500 workers in the western city of Surat after stating that they could not return home despite losing their jobs.
According to Vidhi Chaudhari;
“The police tried to convince them that it is not possible since buses or trains are not available...However, the workers refused to budge, and started pelting stones at police,”
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Discussions between the Afghan government and the Taliban over a possible prisoner exchange have broken down following the withdraw of Taliban negotiators.
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for Taliban told reporters that this withdrawal was caused by “intentional delays in the release of our prisoners”.
As part of these discussions, both the Taliban and Afghanistan were set to release an approximate 6,000 prisoners in total.
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The World Health Organisation, whilst not issuing a blanket policy, has warned against easing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus stating the importance of preventing a fall back again.
This follows reversal from US President, Donald J. Trump, who previously pledged to get the country back to work by Easter, 12 April. Trump’s demands had been met with criticism given that a member of his own coronavirus task force, Dr Anthony Fauci, who warns that additional waves of the...
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Brazil’s lower house of Congress has pushed forwards a “war budget” in response to the COVID 19 pandemic which aims to distinguish spending on the government’s response to the coronavirus from their main budget.
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Jammu and Kashmir medical workers have been threatened by the state they “will end up in jail for up to six months” if they speak against the government.
Last week, the Directorate of Health Services in Kashmir issued a circular intimidating workers with “strict action” if they criticise the government’s efforts to combat the pandemic on social media, or to the press.
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US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has announced the reduction of US aid to Afghanistan’s security forces by $1 billion which would hamper efforts by the Afghan government to combat the Taliban and weaken its negotiating position.
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Tensions have escalated in Yemen where warring sides accused each other of attack an oil pipeline in the central province of Marib.
The attack follows calls from the United Nations for a global ceasefire in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Neither side has given details of the attack but it is known that the pipeline is operated by the Yemeni government’s Safer oil company.
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US coalition troops have withdrawn from a military base in Northern Iraq.
The US withdrawal follows the assassination of senior Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic began a number of countries around the world have released thousands of prisoners in order to stem a possible spread of the virus within prisons. According to public health ...
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Human Rights Watch has expressed caution with respects to Nigeria’s plans to deploy police and soldiers to enforce social distancing warning that they have been implicated in a number of human rights abuses including “arbitrary arrests, extortion, illegal detention, and use of excessive force”.
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Militants are holding Mali’s main opposition leader, Soumaila Cisse, as well as 6 members of his delegation hostage following an attack on their campaign trail.
Reuters reports that that the militants attacked Cisse during an ambush between villages in the northern region of...
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Following calls for a global ceasefire, Yemen’s warring parties have entered into a truce as coronavirus presents an unprecedented threat to public health however the US has began to withdraw aid.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has started to withdraw aid from the Iranian back Houthi controlled regions as...
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon Australia’s Defence Department to re-examine previously dismissed cases of alleged summary executions and other war crimes in Afghanistan in light of new evidence.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) broadcasted an episode on March 16th reporting on the possible war crimes of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan and...
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that migrants, stateless people and refugees are at an “extra risk” of COVID-19 and has called on Malaysia took take actions to ensure healthcare services are readily available for these migrants without the risk of arrest or deportation.
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, warned that this was a matter of public safety stating;
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In an attack on Afghanistan’s minority Sikh community, which ISIL has claimed credit for, 25 people have been killed.
According to Afghanistan’s Interior Minister, Tariq Arian, the Afghanistan security forces have killed all attackers. Earlier this March, attackers affiliated with ISIL killed a further 32 minority Shia Muslims in Kabul.
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Turkey have charged 20 Saudi nationals over the murder of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in 2018, The Guardian reports.
Two of the men charged are allies of the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The former royal court adviser, Saud al-Qahtani and the former deputy head of intelligence, Ahmed al-Asiri were among the suspects charged. Both men are accused of having "instigated premeditated murder with monstrous intent."
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Human Rights Watch in a joint report with the right group, “Belady: An Island For Humanity” have issued a report detailing worry horrifying abuses from Egypt’s security forces including but not limited to engaging in arbitrary detention and torture of children as young as 12.
In a statement, Aya Hijazi, co-director of Belady, stated;
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UN Secretary-General, Antonia Guterres has called on a global ceasefire in order to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a statement, he said;
“the fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. That is why I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict in lockdown...
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned Ethiopia’s government-imposed shutdown of internet and phone services in western Oromia as it has caused significant difficulty in monitoring outbreaks of the disease and providing adequate support.
In their statement they note;
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The war crimes tribunal of Alieu Kosiah, the former commander of the United Liberation has Movement of Liberia for Democracy, has been postponed from April till June-July due to concerns over the Coronavirus.
Kosiah was initially arrested in November 2014 whilst in Switzerland. He has been charged with killing and raping civilians as well as recruiting child soldiers, and ordering for cruel treatment of civilians during the period of 1993-5, during the first Liberian civil war (1989-...
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Egypt has arrested four leading intellectual female activists who have been campaigning for the release of prisoners during the midst of the coronavirus; they were arrested on charges of spreading false news and violating Egypt’s protest ban.
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Two former Congolese warlords have been released after serving sentences for war crimes which were issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has released footage of an Australian soldier, from the Special Air Service (SAS), killing an unarmed Afghan civilian during a raid on a village.
The attack has been described as a “straight-up execution”.
The footage shows the soldier fire at an unarmed man at close range, three times...
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The UN refugee agency (UNHCR), as well as the International Organisation for migration, has suspended resettling refugees in permanent homes as coronavirus has caused significant travel disruptions.
This suspension would take effect within the next few days however the UHCR has also called on the international community to enable movement where it is a matter of...
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a statement criticising the United Nations and the African Union’s plan to limit the UN’s role in protecting civilians in Sudan, stating it will threaten civilians in Darfur.
HRW has reported that Darfur continues to threaten civilians as government and rebel fighting continues in the Jebel Marra region when the UN peacekeeping force (UNAMID) had focused on protecting civilians since 2018. In this region, civilians are forced to flee for their...
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A prisoner exchange in advance of peace negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government have been delayed due to disagreements over the number of detainees to be freed and guarantees that they will not return to the battlefield.
Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, agreed to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners on Saturday with further releases to follow as conditions were met. In total 5,000 prisoners were set to be released so that peace negotiations could occur and an end to the 18-...
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In response to violent anti-Muslim riots in New Delhi, which killed 52 people, mostly Muslims, India’s opposition party’s have called for the resignation of the Interior Minister.
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After being detained for 7 months, Kashmiri independence leader, Farooq Abdullah, has been released by Indian authorities.
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Zambia has arrested two human rights activists who protest against the arrest and harassment of hip-hop artist, Pilato.
The two activists, Laura Miti and Bornwell Mwewa, have been charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers and were arrested on the 21 December. This was after they travelled to Livingstone (also known as Fumba Chama), to protest...
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Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with the International Service for Human Rights, (ISHR), to address continuing human rights abuses in Xinjiang by China’s government.