Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena named a new foreign minister, as he reshuffled his cabinet this week, his first such move since coming to power in 2015. Mangala Samaraweera, who was criticised by the opposition and Sinhala nationalists, for agreeing to co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution in 2015 has now been moved to a new portfolio. He will now be the government's finance and media minister. Ravi Karunayake, who previously held that role, will now be the government's foreign minister. Economy Next reported that Mr Samaraweera “had publicly declared that finance was a...
Three Tamil judges have been chosen by the Sri Lankan Chief Justice top preside over a special trial-at-bar for the rape and murder of Pungudutivu student Vithya Sivaloganathan in 2015. The trial will be held at the Jaffna High Court, with Vavuniya High Court judge Balasingam Sasi Mahenthiran leading alongside Jaffna High Court judge Manikkavasagam Ilancheliyan and Trincomalee High Court judge Annalingam Premashankar. A request by the defendants to transfer the case to Colombo met with fierce opposition from the victim’s family and the local community.
Sri Lanka’s Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka reiterated that the armed forces were not collectively responsible for war crimes stating, “We don’t need to worry about human rights as we are facing allegations due to certain isolated incidents. No one can point fingers at the military as a whole and I take responsibility for the collective conduct of the military.” Speaking to the Sundayleader, Mr Fonseka further added, “In fact it is my greatest pride and glory that I was able to give leadership to win the war”. Speaking at a separate event Fonseka reiterated that the military will not be...
The Tamil National Alliance will pressure the Sri Lankan government against passing new anti-terrorism legislation.
Families of the disappeared protested in Mannar during Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit on Friday.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is assisting the Sri Lankan government in a project that aims to provide potable and irrigation water for dry zones in the North. The project aims to divert water from the Mahaweli River system to the reservoirs in the North. Specifically, the project aims to retain excess water accumulated through the monsoon flows. It is estimated that the project will provide 260 kilometers of improvements in canals, tunnels, and reservoirs by 2024. Furthermore, upon completion it is estimated that 1 billion cubic meters of water will reach the North annually with the hope...
President Maithripala Sirisena offered new investigations into alleged secret detentions centres would be established to ascertain their whereabouts. Speaking in the former wat zone of Sampur, Mr Sirisena said, “If there are allegations that people are still being held in some locations, the government will set up a mechanism to inspect them.” The announcement comes after Sri Lanka’s prime minister last year said that the disappeared are most likely dead. The North-East has seen intensifying protests related to the plight of the disappeared. Last year, Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil...
Members of the Mahasen Balakaya Sinhalese nationalist group raised a Sinhala flag in Killionochchi on May 18, a day when Tamils were remembering the Mullivaikkaal massacres. The Sinhalese group members travelled by bus to Killinochichi to raise the flag on a day when Tamils remember thousands of civilians killed by Sri Lanka’s state forces.
Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena pledged the government towards “strengthening the Tri-forces to fulfil its responsibility for national security,” whilst addressing a ‘war heroes’ commemoration event. Sri Lanka’s armed forces held a War Heroes Commemoration ceremony on May 19 at the War Heroes Memorial in Colombo. The event, organised by the ministry of defence, was attended by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, reports Colombo Page. Entitled, Distinguished felicitation for the dedication shown towards the secured forward march of mother Sri...
A police summons that was issued for Tamil civil society activist Father Elil over his involvement in organising a Mullivaikkaal memorial event was issued today and reversed hours later, following domestic and international pressure on Sri Lankan authorities. The Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research tweeted earlier today that their programme director Father Elil had been summoned again by Sri Lankan police, and ordered to report to the Special Crimes Division of Mullaitivu police on Monday the 22 nd of May. This marked the third time this week that Father Elil had been called for questioning...