• Gotabaya talks strategy

    May 27
    The Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has denied allegations of human rights abuses, refused to devolve police powers, justified increased militarisation  and stated that the North of the island should not be viewed as a predominantly Tamil area, in interviews to both the BBC and Sunday Leader.

    When asked by the BBC about the North being a mostly Tamil area of the island, the defence secretary replied,
    "Why should be that? Why should be that? If you are a Sri Lankan citizen you must be able to go and buy the properties from anywhere."
    Slamming reports of abductions and disappearances as “wrong allegations”, the defence secretary accused BBC’s Charles Haviland of reading “some website, no?”

    When Haviland responded that “They’re not wrong allegations, because I’ve met the victims”, Rajapaksa replied,
    “Don’t get angry! Usually I get angry, so you don’t get angry. Ok don’t get angry. I am the secretary of defence, I have investigated this. You don’t take the words from these people, take the word from me.
    Further stating Sri Lanka had defeated terrorists, Rajapaksa went on to say,
    "All this we have stopped... but you don't talk about that. You are supporting the terrorist cause!"
    See the full report from the BBC here.

    Being interviewed by the Sunday Leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa also talked about the possibility of Tamil militancy and  refused to answer any questions on released former army commander Sarath Fonseka, and when questioned responded,
    “I don’t know. You have to ask the President. I am not interested! I have not known any of these things. I have a lot of work to do… you can see I am not sleeping…"
    “I don’t know … I don’t know! I don’t want to comment! I will stop the interview if you continue with this!”
  • Major Tamil party calls for North-East merger

    The largest party in the Tamil National Alliance, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, has called for the merging of the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit at its annual General Council meeting.

  • Just one story…
    The Sunday Times has reported on the plight of a 16-year old child, born to a widowed mother who was repeatedly raped as she was forced into sexual slavery in a holiday resort in the South of the island.

    The girl was trafficked from Batticaloa after a smuggler promised to send her abroad, but instead she was sent to a holiday resort in Hikkaduwa, where she was repeatedly raped by a tourist.
  • Son of Indian consulate officer abducted in Jaffna
    The son of the cultural officer of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna was abducted by unidentified men on Friday afternoon, before being released the next day.
  • Protest over Rajapaksa’s visit to the UK

  • Monks protest against mosque in Colombo
    Buddhists monks have again led another protest, demanding the demolition of a mosque in Colombo, stating that the building is there illegally.

    Leading a group of around 250 people, monks marched through Dehiwala claiming that the mosque has been constructed illegally, and that goats were being reared and sacrificed in the premises. The claims have been disputed by a mosque trustee board member Hizni Mohammed who stated,
  • UK High Commissioner criticises military presence in the Northeast

    The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, John Rankin, has criticised the large military presence in the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

  • Benin, India and Spain in Sri Lanka UPR troika

    The troika tasked with serving as rapporteurs for Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review, consists of Benin, India and Spain.

    Sri Lanka’s review is due to start in November this year.

  • ‘We are watching and we are holding you accountable’
    The United States State Department have released their 2011 human rights report, raising numerous concerns with the situation in Sri Lanka, including disappearances, torture, freedom of the press, IDP protection, sexual violence, government co-operation with NGOs and unlawful killings in Tamil areas.

    Marking the release Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a warning to governments across the world that abuse human rights, stating
    “These reports, which the United States Government has published for nearly four decades, make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding you accountable.  And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere:  You are not alone.  We are standing with you.”
    Regarding Sri Lanka, the report stated,
    “The major human rights problems were unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas, which led many to regard them as politically motivated, and attacks on and harassment of civil society activists, persons viewed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sympathizers, and journalists by persons allegedly tied to the government, which created an environment of fear and self-censorship.”
    “Other serious human rights problems included disappearances, as well as a lack of accountability for thousands who disappeared in previous years.”

    “Discrimination against persons with disabilities and against the ethnic Tamil minority continued, and a disproportionate number of victims of human rights violations were Tamils.”

    “The government continued to refuse the request by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for an expanded mission and an independent presence in the country.”
    See the section of the report on Sri Lanka here.

    See Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's and Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael Posner full speeches at the release, in the video below.

    Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris met with both the officials on a recent trip to the State Department last week.
  • ‘Naval zone’ to be established in Eastern Province
    In a sign that the militarisation of the Eastern Province is set to increase, the Sri Lankan Navy has declared that they will establish a ‘Naval zone’ around Amparai town.
  • Army rejects US human rights report
    The Sri Lankan Army has rejected the claims laid out in the 2011 US State Department report on human rights, calling it ‘yet another wild allegation’.

    Stating that the report was just another attempt by international powers to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces, military spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said,
  • Minister accuses Fonseka of betraying country two days after pardon
    Sri Lankan government Minister, Wimal Weerawansa, has accused recently released former General Sarath Fonseka of betraying the county with recent statements made to the media, two day after he was released from jail.
  • Hunger strike called off

    Tamil political detainees have called off their hunger strike, after the government promised to deal with the grievances raised by them.

    The Sri Lankan Government has said it will establish four new special courts to deal with Tamil detainees swiftly.

  • Murder of Canadian Tamil ‘solved’

    The ‘killers’ of the Canadian Tamil, Anthonypillai Mahendrasa, have been caught, according to the pro-government newspaper, The Island.

  • Committee to find athletics “traitors” appointed
    Following conflicting reports regarding the postponement of the 15th Asian Junior Athletics Championship due to be held in Colombo, the Sri Lankan Sports Minister has announced that a committee to find “traitors” would be formed.

    It has been reported that the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) secretary Maurice

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