Meeting Sri Lanka's president at Temple Trees on Tuesday, India's visiting foreign affairs minister, SM Krishna, felt assured by the president's commitment on finding a political solution based on the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the "meaningful devolution of powers".
There has been "no progress" achieved during TNA-government talks, TNA delegates told India's foreign affairs minister, S.M. Krishna, during his current visit to Sri Lanka.
Calling the government's attitude, "lethargic", the TNA reportedly urged India to take an "active role" in the process of arriving at a political solution.
Responding to US sancions on Iranian oil, Sri Lanka's petroleum resources minister, Susil Premajayantha, reiterated Sri Lanka's dependency on Iranian oil.
Critically acclaimed Sri Lankan born novelist Roma Tearne has released a satirical short story ahead of the Galle Literary Festival, which she, along with Reporters Without Borders, Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy amongst others, called to boycott last year.
Extracts from her piece have been reproduced below.
“The festival was in full swing. All the great writers from around the world were present, topping up their tan by the pool. Sorry I mean all the great white writers. The UK-returned natives were keen to stay out of the sun. Listen, you must understand, on this island paradise, the darker you were the harder it was to find a spouse and the more likely you were to be killed. It’s true.”
“The Festival sponsors strutted about and got lots of exposure. The organisers played at blind-man’s bluff. And the tan-toppers drank a lot. I’m telling you, all was as it should be.”
“One or two people were a bit worried about security.
‘Did you hear a Russian girl was raped?’
‘No, no,’ SS told them, waggling his head. ‘That didn’t really happen! It was a play put on for the purpose of the Festival. It wasn’t the real thing!’
‘What about that Red Cross guy who was killed?’
‘That was in the play, too. Remember your Hamlet? The play’s the thing and all that…’
‘Oh okay,’ said the foreigners and off they went for a swim thinking, gosh, these people are incredibly friendly. They just smile and smile…. wasn’t there something like that in Hamlet, too?”
Dismissing the LLRC report for falling "dramatically short of international standards applicable to accountability processes", the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) called on the "international community to institute measures that will advance accountability", in a 70-page response to the LLRC report, released Sunday.
Tamils from Manalaaru in Vanni, who remain forcibly displaced by the Sri Lankan army since 1984, have urged the TNA to act or else the "structural genocide [of Eelam Tamils] will be complete in Mullaiththeevu in 2 years" reported Tamilnet.
Marking the Tamil harvest festival of Thai Pongal, the Premier of Onatrio Dalton McGuinty realised a video statement praising the contribution the Tamil community have made to Canada.
The Sri Lankan president's advisor on reconciliation, Rajiva Wijesinha, called for a "ministry of reconciliation" to be created and "be charged with fulfilling the recommendations of the commission".
The release of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee report will not be enough to stop Canada from boycotting the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, due to be held in Sri Lanka.
The British Foreign office announced in Parliament on Thursday that they were left “disappointed” by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission report.
The statement, which came on the same day that Canada demanded “decisive action”, was released by Minister Alistair Burt, who commented,
“The British Government is, on the whole, disappointed by the report’s findings and recommendations on accountability. Like many others, we feel that these leave many gaps and unanswered questions.
We welcome the acknowledgement that “considerable civilian casualties” occurred during the final stages of the conflict and the recommendation that specific incidents require further investigation. But we note that many credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including from the UN Panel of Experts report, are either not addressed or only partially answered."
The Minister went on to say,
“We believe that video footage, authenticated by UN Special Rapporteurs, should inform substantive, not just technical, investigations into apparent grave abuses."
Whilst the Minister welcomed some of the recommendations made in the report, he called for their “vigorous” implementation and noted the “success or failure” of the LLRC hinged on this.
He carried on to reiterate that Britain
“continue(d) to believe it is important that an independent, credible and thorough mechanism is put in place to investigate all allegations of grave abuses.”
