The experience of growing up and beginning her work as a human rights advocate in apartheid South Africa has never left Navi Pillay. It is an experience that deeply informs her work as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights.

It is just over 10 weeks since we launched the Campaign. In that time, pressure on the Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) - from this Campaign and from many other directions - has helped to keep alive the issue of the Tamil internees (a more accurate phrase than "internally displaced persons").

Asylum seekers were involved in a riot at the Christmas Island detention centre, off the coast of Australia.

Amnesty International has written to the Commonwealth heads of state, drawing attention to the human rights violations in Sri Lanka and urging them to raise their concerns about these with their Sri Lankan counterparts.

In Haiti on November 10, United Nations peacekeepers from Sri Lanka fired live ammunition resulting in injuries to civilians, reported Inner City Press.

The UN head of peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this month rejected accusations that the organisation is complicit in war crimes Congolese troops allegedly committed in an offensive against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

Several American activists protested in front of the midtown Manhattan New York State armory building where Victoria's Secret catwalk event was being held Thursday, November 19.

Human rights groups are calling upon developers and publisher to address the way war crimes are portrayed in video games.

Factors affecting my retirement from the regular force of the Army

 

A Tamil Canadian protester chokes back tears as she recalls a cellphone conversation she had several days ago with a cousin detained in a Sri Lankan camp holding Tamils displaced during the country's civil war.

The International Monetary Fund has declared that Sri Lanka’s budget deficit targets for 2009 and 2010 are challenging, due to the slowdown in growth

General Sarath Fonseka resigned from the Sri Lankan Army on November 12, and in doing so, fuelled speculation that he intends to run for President at the next election.

General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), sent his letter of resignation to the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse on November 12. His letter was accompanied by a 17 point Annex setting out the factors that led to his resignation. These factors included his dissatisfaction at being stripped of his position as Army Chief to be appointed CDS with fewer powers and responsibilities, as well the government allegedly putting Indian troops on high alert about the possibility of a coup in Sri Lanka. The body of his letter, as published in the Sri Lankan Guardian, is reproduced below. The annex is reproduced separately on this page.: