Ranil thanks new army commander for ‘measures’ in Jaffna

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the newly appointed Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake this week, thanking him for his work during his time as Jaffna Commander.

Torture of Tamils in Sri Lanka continues into 2017 - ITJP

Torture and rape of Tamils in Sri Lanka has continued into 2017 found the International Truth and Justice Project’s (ITJP) latest report “Unstopped: State Torture & Sexual Violence in 2016/17." Commenting on the continuation of torture under the Sirisena government, which came into power in January 2015, ITJP Director Yasmin Sooka said, “It is hardly surprising that Sri Lanka’s white van abductions continue as those in charge of past system crimes have been promoted and rewarded by this Government, which reassures perpetrators that they will never be held accountable... In addition...

Chief Minister Wigneswaran condemns deadly shooting of Tamil man by Sri Lankan police

The Chief Minister of the Northern Province has condemned the deadly shooting of a Tamil man by Sri Lankan police. Speaking to journalists about the killing of Yogarasa Thines in Vadamaradchi, Chief Minister Wigneswaran said: “Even if the murdered youth had done something wrong, there would have been many ways to have stopped him. They could have shot the wheels of the vehicle he was in. Or they could have informed police officers based in the opposite direction. None of this was considered and instead a young man has been shot and killed.” “This is the wrong approach. The police officers...

TNA leader visits Kilinochchi disappeared families on Day 143 of protest

The TNA leader and Opposition leader R. Sampanthan visited families of the disappeared in Kilinochchi, on the 143rd day of their protest on Wednesday.

PHU leader says former Sri Lankan navy spokesperson is innocent

The leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), Udaya Gammanpila condemned the arrest of a former Sri Lankan navy spokesperson over the disappearance of eleven Tamil youths in 2008, arguing that he was "wrongfully accused". Commodore D K P Dassanayake was arrested on Wednesday over the abduction and enforced disappearance of the Tamil youths. Describing the Commodore as "a well respected individual in the navy [who] immensely helped the government win the civil war at the time", Mr Gammapila was quoted by Adaderana as saying the arrest "was merely an attempt made by supporters of the LTTE to...

Sri Lanka launches inquiry into 2012 Welikada prison massacre

An inquiry was launched on Thursday into the 2012 prison riot in Welikada which led to the deaths of 27 inmates, mainly Sinhalese, at the hands of Sri Lankan security forces, AFP reported. Eye witnesses said the officers executed many of the inmates in cold blood. The launch comes just days before the anniversary of the worst massacre at the prison on 25th July 1983 when 54 Tamil detainees murdered by Sinhala inmates. Over three decades later no inquiry has been held and no one has been brought to justice. Prison riots in 1997 and 2000 also saw Sinhala inmates murdering Tamil inmates. Fearing...

HRW: Sri Lanka's Difficulty With Truth

In a statement published on Thursday, Human Rights Watch criticised the Sri Lankan governments failure to meet its promises on accountability. "To heal, there needs to be communication, understanding, and above all a sense of righting wrongs. In this, Sri Lanka’s Government is faltering, despite promises to its own people, as well as to the international community," the statement read. In a scathing assessment of the government's failure to the report by the Consultation Task Force which was tasked with delivering on the UN Human Rights Council 2015 resolution, the New York based rights...

Joint Opposition accuses govt of lying over disappearances convention

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition accused the government of lying to the public when the foreign minister said that the Convention for Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances would not have a retrospective effect. “The convention can and will be used to take action against armed personnel who fought terrorists during the final phase of the war in 2009," the former SLFP minister, G L Peiris was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. "This piece of legislation will allow the arrest of Sri Lankans when they visit a foreign country. Sri Lanka is also bound to extradite a person against...

Implementation of OMP unlikely, Wigneswaran tells Canadian High Commissioner

The implementation of the Office of Missing Persons is unlikely as the idea was created simply to pacify he UN Human Rights Council, the Northern Chief Minister told the Canadian High Commissioner on Tuesday. Chief Minister Wigneswaran spoke to journalists following the meeting with the outgoing High Commissioner, Shelley Whiting, at his official residence on Temple Road, Jaffna. The Chief Minister said that Ms Whiting expressed regret that the Office for Missing Persons had not yet been established, to which he responded that plans for the OMP had been drafted purely to deal with resolutions...

Sri Lanka Navy arrests 7 Tamil Nadu fishermen

Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by Sri Lanka’s Navy on Wednesday announced the fisheries ministry. The Assistant Director of Fisheries said two boats used by the fisher men had been confiscated. The latest series of arrests, are the third this month, amidst heightening tensions between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka over the plight of Indian fishermen. See more here.

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