A lavish military parade was held in Colombo on Saturday morning, to mark Sri Lanka’s 69th Independence Day. Thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers marched in the ceremony, which was watched over by senior government and military officials. Though the theme of the parade was declared to be “national unity”, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena praised the military in his address. “When we talk about the freedom it is essential to remember the valiant war heroes who fought to save our country from LTTE terrorism throughout 30 years,” he said. Sitting alongside him was Prime Minister Ranil...
Tamils in the North-East have protested on Sri Lanka's 69th Independence Day, as a large security forces parade was held in Jaffna. STF personnel film Tamil protestors on Sri Lanka's Independence Day Jaffna Magistrate's Court had banned protests obstructing the road, but despite demonstrators confining themselves to the sides, police obstructed the civilians from moving. Family members of the disappeared and of political detainees attended the protests and chanted slogans, demanding the release of detainees, answers for the disappeared and for the removal of the military from Tamil land...
A Mannar court has ordered an injunction against demonstrations boycotting Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. The injunction against protests was ordered by the court in order to prevent disruptions to the Mannar District Secretariat’s Independence Day celebrations. Civil organisations in Mannar had planned a black flag vigil in Mannar town and urged all Tamils to boycott Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations, calling instead for protests against ongoing issues faced by the Tamil people, including militarisation; the failure to account for the missing and disappeared; failure to return Tamil...
Mullaitivu villagers continued their sit-in protest for a fourth day, staying three nights outside an Sri Lankan air force camp.
A Sri Lankan government body has threatened that Tamils will not be given housing if they continue to protest against Sinhalisation. Last week Jaffna citizens and politicians condemned plans to build a permanent Sinhalese settlement in Naavatkuli. The foundation stones for the scheme, which would see houses built for 50 Sinhalese families, was laid on Monday, alongside foundation stones for a Tamil settlement housing 200 families.
The British Tamils Forum (BTF), Swedish Tamils Forum (STF) and United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) called on the European Union to seek a briefing from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights before deciding on whether to reinstate trade concessions for Sri Lanka. In a statement released on Wednesday the diaspora organisations said the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament must take the full four months provided to thoroughly evaluate Sri Lanka’s GSP+ application, after it was withdrawn in 2010 in response to persistent human rights abuses. Dr Karunyan...
Residents of a Mullaitivu village continued to protest for a second day, having spent the night outside an air force camp, demanding the return of their lands.
Sri Lanka’s president stated that his government would “extend its highest respect to the security forces,” as he praised troops at a military ceremony on Monday. Maithripala Sirisena stated that his government “will execute its responsibility to strengthen them to help to win their future challenges, gratefully remembering their commitment made through many a sacrifice during the period of conflict”. His comments, during the awarding of the first-ever President's Truncheon and the Regimental Truncheon to the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR), come ahead of a United Nations Human Rights Council...
The Sri Lankan government must turn “words into action” said Ann Hannah, head of International Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, warning that every new case of torture or harassment by security forces undermines Colombo’s rhetoric on reconciliation. Responding to the release of a report by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Torture, FFT said the release “demonstrates the need for a real political commitment from the Sri Lankan government to end torture”. “Co-operation with UN human rights mechanisms only goes so far,” said Ms Hannah. “The government has to turn words into action;...
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) had a 75-member delegation participate at the eighth annual Jaffna International Trade Fair (JITF).