The commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Vanni visited a Sinhala settlement in Vavuniya on Friday, where thousands of Sinhalese villagers were settled in 2013.
The Global Tamil Forum reiterated its call for the full implementation of the UN resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka in 2015, adding that the ensure this a new resolution ought be adopted taking into consideration the UN High Commissioner for Human Right's recommendation that the process must include close international monitoring. "GTF calls upon the Government of Sri Lanka to make every effort to implement all of the recommendations presented in the High Commissioner’s report, which include: ‘present a comprehensive strategy on transitional justice, with a time-bound plan’; ‘invite Office...
Official data shows that the North-East of Sri Lanka has been worst hit by the ongoing drought. In the Jaffna district where majority of the rice cultivation is rain fed, crops are facing widespread destruction. The Department of Agriculture stated that almost 99 percent of rice cultivation was fully or partially destroyed. Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Amparai, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi are also areas that have been greatly impacted by the drought. Farmers are expected to lose a total of 545,717 metric tonnes of rice paddy this season. The government has promised 10,000 rupees per acre in...
Sri Lanka is to scale back the Hambantota port deal with China after widespread protests by local residents. The original deal was to transfer an 80% stake to China Merchants Port Holdings through a long lease. However, after protest by local community members and some politicians, it is expected that the deal will be renegotiated. “We have proposed several changes and we will end up with a situation which is far more favourable to the institution [Sri Lanka Port Authority],” said the Ports Minister, Arjuna Ranatunga. The port was built during Rajapaksa’s presidency and is included in the $8-...
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Saturday reiterated its call for the UN resolution 30/1 to be fully implemented by the Sri Lankan government, also calling for an office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to be established in Sri Lanka to monitor progress on implementation. The TNA added that if Sri Lanka fails to do so, the UN Human Rights Council must ensure that the "victims will receive the intended benefits of the fulfillment of such obligations, by way of international mechanisms." Full statement: "The following decision was arrived at following a meeting of TNA...
Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister claimed that United Nations resolutions are not binding and dismissed a recently released report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights which criticised Sri Lanka's lack of progress in implementing a previously co-sponsored resolution. The Island reported Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva as saying UN resolutions had "no impact on a sovereign nation" and denied the government was under any pressure from the international community or the UN to implement federalism on the island. Sri Lanka is currently in negotiations with member states of the UN...
Families of the disappeared have been protesting, demanding information about their loved ones, in Bharathipuram, Trincomalee.
Unemployed Tamil graduates have been protesting continuously against the North-East in response to widespread unemployment and lack of employment opportunities for graduates in the region.
A debate took place in parliament earlier this month, where members raised concerns over torture and the treatment of asylum claims, highlighting Sri Lanka as cause of “exceptional concern”. MPs from the Conservative party, Labour party and Scottish National Party all mentioned Sri Lanka in their addresses to parliament, with Gareth Thomas noting that for Freedom From Torture, “Sri Lanka remains its top country both for those receiving therapy and for medico-legal reports on torture in custody”. “That reflects a trend that it has seen over several years,” he added. “How we treat the asylum...
Tamil civil society organisations, political parties and trade unions have called on the UN human rights council to pass a robust resolution with strong follow up mechanisms in order to put enough pressure on Sri Lanka to deliver on its commitments on issues such as accountability and transitional justice. Full statement published below: ‘The credibility of the UNHRC has been put at stake by Sri Lanka’ ‘The UNHRC must respond strongly’ Joint Appeal by Tamil Civil Society Organisations, Political Parties and Trade Unions 09 March 2017 When Resolution 30/1 was passed by the UN Human Rights...