The Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday warned that "difficult decisions" would have to be taken in order to prevent the "complete breakdown of the economy", the Colombo Page reported citing a post on Mr Wickremesinghe's Facebook page in Sinhalese. Commenting on a meeting with MPs, ministers and electoral organisers, Mr Wickremesinghe said, "during this meeting, we analyzed the future of Sri Lanka's economy, and the reasons behind the nation's dire economic situation." "It was explained that going forward, difficult decisions would have to be made in order to avert a complete breakdown of the economy."
Tamil residents in Paravipancham, Kilinochchi protested outside an army camp that had encroached their lands with demands for the complete return of all appropriated land. Photograph: Tamil Guardian Gathered outside the army camp on Monday, the demonstrators called on the occupying army to respond to a memorandum that they had submitted on the 27th June to demand the release of their land. In response to the Tamil protestors demands, the soldiers said they had communicated the issue to their army officers and district secretary. The residents called on Sri Lanka’s president, who is due to...
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Sunday rejected rumours that a deal had been struck between the TNA, the Sri Lankan government and the United States on the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council resolution adopted last September. "The Tamil National Alliance has always held the position that the resolution must be implemented both in letter and spirit and there has been no change in this position. We will remain committed and take all necessary steps to ensure that the resolution is implemented fully in the future," the TNA said. "The TNA wishes to urge all Sri Lankans not to get...
Sri Lanka and India on Monday agreed to commence talks on proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), the Business Standard reported. "The leaders reviewed progress of the proposed ETCA between India and Sri Lanka and agreed to start negotiations on an expedited track for an early conclusion of the agreement, preferably before the end of the year," Sri Lanka's commerce and industry ministry said in a statement. A delegation from India is expected to visit Sri Lanka shortly. See more here .
Hundreds of Sinhalese families have been settled into Mullaitivu with the assistance of the Sri Lankan military said a member of the Northern Provincial Council. T Raviharan, an NPC member, said that hundreds of Sinhalese families have settled in the Nayaru region and have been actively assisted by Sri Lankan troops. He noted that in 2011, 72 Sinhalese families were granted temporary passes to the region, which allowed them to fish in Nayaru waters with the help of the military, despite protests from local Tamil fishermen. Today that number has swelled to more than 290 families. At the...
A midterm report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein has confirmed Sri Lanka has not moved fast enough on issues of justice and accountability said the US Tamil Political Action Council, as it outlined a range of measures that must be immediately addressed. "High Commissioner Zeid's constructive oral report confirms USTPAC's observations that the government has not moved fast enough on confidence building measures or transitional justice," said USTPAC President Karunyan Arulanantham. "Sri Lanka's security forces must return all land to its rightful owners, demilitarize from the Tamil-dominated North and East and undergo serious reform if Sri Lanka is to achieve reconciliation. USTPAC also reiterates High Commissioner Zeid's conclusion that the government must execute a comprehensive plan for transitional justice and launch a concerted public information campaign to explain its efforts to all communities." "Despite Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Samaraweera's statements in Geneva, USTPAC has concerns about the government's determination to fully implement Resolution 30/1,” he added.
The leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Mavai Senathirajah warned of continuous Tamil protests if the Sri Lankan government continued to ignore implementation of a United Nations resolution. Speaking at Nallur temple in Jaffna, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian said promises made by both the Sri Lankan president and prime minister were yet to be kept. “If the UN resolutions are ignored by the Sri Lankan government even after the report submitted by the High Commissioner of the UNHRC, then we will be in a position to decide on staging continuous protests,” he added. See...
Sri Lanka’s Security Force Headquarters Jaffna (SFHG-J) celebrated its 20th birth anniversary in the North-East. A Buddhist Bodhi Pooja blessing was made on the Security Force Flag with all soldiers serving in Jaffna present. Photograph:Defence.lk The Security forces went on to visit other places of worship to seek blessing for the Security Forces flag. Flower wreaths were also placed at a war memorial erected to remember Sri Lanka’s soldiers who died in the conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The defence ministry website reports that in 1996 the “SFHQ-J was founded as a Task force against illegal migration,” and "played a major role during humanitarian operations to eradicate terrorists from the Jaffna Penninsula.” At the end of 1995 the Sri Lankan army made brutal advances on the Jaffna peninsula which saw the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians to seek safety in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled areas of Vanni. 30 Oct 1995: Jaffna exodus as Tamils flee for Vanni ahead of SL military advance The fight for Jaffna
The Sri Lankan government is "frittering away energy and time on political controversies, India's The Hindu newspaper warned in its editorial on Saturday, urging the government to stay on track and ensure implementation of the resolution adopted last year at the UN Human Rights Council. See here for full editorial. Extracts reproduced below: "The UNHRC has tried to nudge Sri Lanka towards rebuilding civilian lives through resettlement, reducing the military presence in the north and east, and delivering accountability for past crimes through a credible judicial process with international participation. However, the update presented by High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein in Geneva does not present an encouraging picture. He expressed concern about the “heavy military presence” in Tamil areas, noting that the process of the military returning land to its civilian owners has been tardy. There is a lack of urgency in coming up with tangible measures to build confidence among minorities and victims of human rights violations. In turn, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has informed the ongoing session in Geneva that the government has instructed the military to release by 2018 all civilian land it holds. He has promised that the proposed judicial mechanism will inspire confidence among the stakeholders, but has drawn attention to the “divergent views” in the country on it, perhaps a hint of further delay."
Land ownership certificates were on Thursday given to over 190 families who had been housed in the Sidhambarapuram village camp in Vavuniya for over 25 years, Colombo Page reported. The certificates were presented to the families by Sri Lanka's minister of prison reforms, rehabilitation, resettlement and Hindu affairs, D M Swaminathan. Addressing the event, Mr Swaminathan claimed, "we are committed to ensure the well-being of the Tamil Community and all projects implemented in the North are to benefit the people living in these areas. The Tamil community should understand that the present...