The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is set to visit Sri Lanka later this year. The visit by the Working Group will take place from the 4th to the 15th of December 2017. The announcement of the visit comes after United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non‐Recurrence Pablo de Greiff’s visit to Sri Lanka next month.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that a proposed constitution for the island would continue to ensure that state holds a duty to protect and foster Buddhism in remarks made on Saturday. Speaking to members of the United National Party (UNP) on Saturday, Mr Wickremesinghe said that “all are in agreement that Buddhism should be given the prominence as stated in current constitution (sic),” reports ColomboPage. He went on to reiterate that “no room would be allowed to divide Sri Lanka” and assured the unitary nature of the island. The prime minister also reportedly stated...
A further 5 people have been arrested on Saturday in connection with the storming of a UN safe house in Mount Lavinia on Tuesday where 31 Rohingya refugees had been sheltering, the Colombo Page reported. The arrests following the initial arrest of a 34 year old suspect, a resident of Moratuwa. He is understood to be a member of the Bodu Bala Sena. He was brought before Mount Lavinia magistrate's court on Saturday and is to be detained until an identification parade on October 9.
A Sri Lankan court has banned protests by Sinhala Ravaya organisation and Buddhist monks from the Sinhala National Force by the Boosa Detention Center, where 31 Rohingya refugees are currently sheltering. The order was issused by Galle Magistrate's Court following the storming of a UN Safe house in Mount Lavinia on Tuesday where the group of Rohingya refugees were previously sheltering. "Information had been received that the extremist organisations are planning to protest in front of Boossa detention Center today," the police media spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted by the Colombo Page...
The Sri Lankan army declared open a new generator room for its military base in Mullaitivu last month. An official military website reported that the 591 Brigade headquarters in Mullaitivu received a newly constructed generator room on the 26 th of August. The room was reportedly “designed by officers and ORs of 591 Bde, under the close supervision of the Brigade Commander”.
Three Tamil and Muslim farmers in Kankuveli - Padukadu, Muthur were hospitalised on Saturday morning after being attacked by Sinhalese workers attached to Sinhalese Home Guards from the Neelapola village. 34-year-old Tharmalingam Sivakumar was most severely injured in the attack, with the other victims Muhammad Jihad, age 51, and Muhammad Rishad, age 38, also having to receive treatment. They were attacked when going to work on their cultivation lands, which they had recently gained access to following a protracted struggle with Sinhalese Home Guards who had appropriated the lands during the...
The Security Forces Headquarters – Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) started an initiative to plant 135,000 saplings across the Kilinochchi District reports Sri Lanka’s army website. The project led by Commander of Security Forces – Kilinochchi Major General AJith Kariyakarawana will see the military plant and distribute 100,000 saplings in the area, whilst 35,000 saplings will be distributed across army Battalions. The opening ceremony of the initiative took place at the Kilinochchi headquarters last week, with commanders of battalions present.
The Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SFHQ-J) took part in the opening ceremony of a house for a family in Jaffna. The house was built by 14 troops under the directive of Commander of the Security Forces in Jaffna Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi, who presented the keys of the house to the family during the opening ceremony.
One man has been arrested in connection with the storming of a UN safe house in Mount Lavinia where 31 Rohingya refugees were sheltering, the police spokesperson, Ruwan Gunasekara said. “The suspect was arrested on charges of obstructing the duties of the Police, acting in an unruly manner,” Mr Gunasekara was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. The suspect has been identified as Weerasekarage Deshantha Chamiruwan Rodrigo of Moratuwa. The arrest has raised tensions in the area following the incident on Tuesday.
Reiterating his commitment to an undivided Sri Lanka, the president, Maithripala Sirisena, said the new constitution was "totally rejected" in the new constitution.