Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Co-Spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne categorically rejected allegations that Sri Lanka’s military forces had used cluster bombs during their campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that saw mass atrocities committed against Tamil civilians.

Mr Senaratne stressed that Sri Lanka similar photographs of cluster ammunition had been put forward before, and asked for verification if the photographs had been taken in Sri Lanka, reports Adaderena.lk.

A discussion at the Geneva Press Club saw participants provide their perspectives on the future of Tamil accountability under the current government.

Speakers included the TNPF president Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, human rights activist Sinnamany Kokilavany, South African rights activist Govender Kisten and International Council of Eelam Tamil representative Thirukulasingam Thiruchchoti.

See full video of the event below:

 

Human rights organisations have urged next week's oral update on Sri Lanka's progress on last year's resolution to include clear benchmarks which include immediately achievable steps, in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain.

The letter, signed by FORUM-Asia, Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurist, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and the International Service for Human Rights, said while the "government’s assurances on progress have been plentiful its performance on the ground has been mixed and not befitting expectations outlined in your report and in the resolution as well as those of victims and people on the ground," but acknowledged "some positive developments on international cooperation".

A soldier attempting to break in to a home late at night on Monday has angered residents of a Kilinochchi village.

The house in Dharmapuram, Kilinochchi, was home to a Tamil woman and her two young daughters.

According to a complaint lodged with Dharmapuram police, a soldier tried to force entry at around 1am on Monday.

Neighbours chased the soldier who escaped and hid in the nearby army camp. Locals identified the soldier as one of three stationed at the camp.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Karunaasena Hettiarachchi said he had no currents comments, on recent reports that cluster bombs had been used by the Sri Lankan government whilst shelling No Fire Zones at the end of its armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Responding to reports in The Guardian based on leaked photographic evidence of cluster bombs found during de-mining activities in the North, Mr Hettiarachchi said that he did not wish to comment on the report.

Photographic evidence obtained by The Guardian showed demining teams excavating near cluster munitions from Kilinochchi and in Mullaitivu.

A well-known businessman from Vavuniya, Shanmugan Selvarasa, was kidnapped by unidentified men on Tuesday evening learns Tamil Guardian.

The 55 year old man was returning from the work to his house by motorcycle when he was abducted at the entrance of his house.

His family have lodged complaints at Vavuniya Police station. Shortly after the complaints the police station arrived at his house and took Mr Selvarasa’s motorcycle and cell phone as part of the investigation.

Mr Selvarasa, is a well-known businessman in the area who owns a collection of stores called Shanmugan Stores and several rice mills in the area.

 

"I believe that the issue of confronting and resisting demilitarisation for the Tamil community has to start from home. We need to keep reminding ourselves that we are actually living in a state of abnormalcy. This may sound strange but this is absolutely essential and key to any resistance. It is important to learn not to live with militarisation and to internalise oppression. The easiest path to breaking the inherent collectivity of a community is for it to internalise oppression and accept it as a way of life. We need to educate our children that what they see around them is not normal and that they should not accept it as normal. The most difficult need that has no alternative is a process of political consciencitisation. I truly believe that this is necessary both in the homeland and the diaspora,"

Lecturer in Law, University of Jaffna and Co-Spokesperson of the Tamil Civil Society Forum, Kumaravadivel Guruparan, at the Mamanithar Late Prof C.J. Eliezer AM Memorial Lecture, Monash University, Melbourne, 12 June 2016.