The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of judges and lawyers  Diego Garcia-Sayan, expressed concern that over the lack of equal representation of minority groups in prosecution services and the police force at the 35^th session of the United Nations Human Rights council.

Quoting his predecessor, Monico Pinto’s, report on Sri Lanka, he said,

“Problems related to language are very serious and have very serious effect on justice and on the likelihood of obtaining a fair process if you belong to the Tamil community.”

Mr Sayan noted that victims were often coerced into pleading guilty adding that,

President Maithripala Sirisena promised families of the disappeared he would issue directives to the National Security Council the following day to release lists of surrendees, detainees, and political prisoners that families were demanding.

This assurance was given during a meeting between representatives of families of the disappeared from across all eight districts of the North-East and President Sirisena in Jaffna on Monday. The meeting was arranged as a result of demands by the families at demonstrations on the 100^th day of their Kilinochchi protest on May 30.

Sri Lanka’s Police arrested five people in connection with a recent surge in anti-Muslim violence in South of the island on Sunday.

Of the 5 that were arrested, one unidentified man is thought to be linked to Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) who are deemed largely responsible for inciting violence against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka.  

“The police was able to arrest a 32 year old person who is directly related to four arson attacks. The person has direct links with Bodu Bala Sena. Since 2014 he has been associating with Bodu Bala Sena. ” Sri Lanka’s police spokesman Priyantha Jayakody told reporters.

An Eelam-Tamil authored book about land-grabs and colonisation of the Tamil homeland was seized by Sri Lankan customs last week.

The Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabai has petitioned the Chavakachcheri court to halt the construction of a large-scale Buddhist stupa in Navatkuli.

While a vihara already exists in the Navatkuli Sinhalese settlement, monks began laying foundations for a new large scale stupa, costing around 1 crore rupees, in the area last month.

The Tamil National People’s Front protested in Jaffna today calling for the release of Tamil Nadu activist Thirumurugan Gandhi, who was arrested by Tamil Nadu police for organising Mullivaikkaal memorialisation efforts.

The Sri Lankan government and joint opposition are preoccupied with covering up atrocities rather than working towards accountability, the TNA MP and spokesperson M. A. Sumanthiran said in Parliament on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka’s joint opposition submitted a motion accusing the government of threatening Sri Lanka’s sovereignty by sponsoring the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on accountability and reconciliation.

Submitting the motion in parliament, Dinesh Gunawardena said that parliament was taking action on military officers to appease the international community.

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A Muslim-owned shop in Wikerama, Nugegoda was petrol bombed on Tuesday night.

The latest arson attack is one of a series of escalating attacks on Muslim businesses in Sri Lanka.

A member of the Muslim Council in Sri Lanka, speaking to Colombo Telegraph said,

“While the President is talking about discussions among religious leaders to resolve ethnic conflicts, the Muslim economy is being set on fire on a daily basis. The president must immediately order the arrest of those arsonists or force the IGP to resign if he cannot do his job.”

Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera stated that his government would not implement recommendations from a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Mr Samaraweera, who held the post of foreign minister until a cabinet reshuffle last month, reiterated his government’s refusal of an international investigation into human rights abuses committed during the armed conflict, and said that he had instead lobbied for a domestic mechanism.