Kilinochchi's business community marched on Thursday in solidarity with protestors demanding land returns and with families of the disappeared
Families of the disappeared continued their protest in Kilinochchi for the fourth day on Thursday. Muththan Theivendran insists his son Ratheeswaran is still alive and demands that the government reveal his whereabouts. Ratheeswaran was detained by the army in 2009 and was seen by former detainees in Magazine prison. Nithees was taken by the army in 2009. His mother says he has serious mental health issues and worries about how the army would treat him. Mrs Thangarasa's daughter Kalaivani was handed over to the army at Omanthai in May 2009. They were told that anyone with even one day of LTTE...
A Batticaloa land reform director was shot and injured outside his home on Wednesday evening. Nesakumar Vimalraj, director of the Batticaloa Land Reform Commission was shot after he was called outside by two unidentified motorcyclists, whose faces were covered by helmets. Mr Vimalraj was immediately taken to Kaluvanchikudy Hospital, and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital for further care. Locals noted that Mr Vimalraj was a vocal opponent of military land-grabs in the district.
Residents of a Kilinochchi village resumed a protest this week calling for the return of their military-occupied lands.
The conviction of a Malaysian human rights activists for screening the ‘No Fire Zone’ documentary amounts to an “outrageous assault on basic free expression” said Human Rights Watch, in a statement released on Wednesday. “This prosecution is part of the Malaysian government’s disturbing pattern of harassment and intimidation of those seeking to raise public awareness of human rights issues,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. Rights activist Lena Hendry will be sentenced next month and faces fines as well as up to three years in prison for hosting a screening of the award-winning...
Activist Lena Hendry was convicted in Malaysia for screening “No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka” without the approval of the Malaysian Censorship Board. Magistrate Mohd Rehan Mohd Aris stated that the defense had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the case. Hendry said that she was disappointed in the decisions and seeks to appeal. Ivy Josiah, the National Human Rights Society’s executive committee member expressed her disappointment as well, stating, “The film had been shown everywhere in the world.” Hendry’s supporters were also present at the courthouse. One supporter held a...
International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) have released a report quoting three female victims who were used as sexual slaves by the Sri Lankan military over prolonged periods under custody. The cases occurred in 2007, 2009-2013 and 2012-2015 and include different sites: one near Vavuniya, one near Puttalam, one in Colombo and one outside of Colombo but not in the North or East. “Two of the women describe being detained in a group in one room, available for any soldier to come and chose from and take to an adjacent room or tent to be raped,” the report stated. “In two cases, the women...
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is to review women’s rights in several countries signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The review for Sri Lanka is to take place on February 22 nd in Geneva. In a recent report to CEDAW, Sri Lanka responded to concerns and recommendations made by CEDAW in the fifth, sixth and seventh periodic reports. Some areas of concern expressed by CEDAW included: the legal status of the convention, prohibition of discrimination against women, discriminatory laws, national...
Human Rights Watch accused Sri Lankan leaders of backtracking on pledges made to the UN Human Rights Council over a year ago, as the government faces further scrutiny at Geneva later this month. “It’s crucial that the Human Rights Council consider closely whether Sri Lanka made progress in the security sector as well as its other commitments such as transitional justice,” said Brad Adams , the organisation’s Asia director, noting the lack of reforms made by Colombo. In particular, HRW highlighted the little change in the Sri Lankan security sector and the continued use of the Prevention of...
On the 31st January, 84 Tamil families from Mullaitivu awaited the scheduled return of their lands, only to be turned away by the Sri Lankan air force personnel whose camp was built on the land. The families of Pilavu village in Keppapilavu, owners of around 20 acres of occupied land, commenced a protest outside the air force camp, announcing they would stay there until they were given access to their properties.