An advanced version of the High Commissioner for Human Right’s oral update released on Monday, called on Sri Lanka's government to take concrete “steps to address impatience, anxiety and reservations towards the process,” noting that “international participation in the accountability mechanisms would be a necessary guarantee for the independence and impartiality of the process.” The High Commissioner Zeid Al Hussein went on to stress in his conclusion that “continuing allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture and sexual violence, as well as more general military surveillance and harassment, must be swiftly addressed, and the structures and institutional culture that promoted those practices be dismantled, to show there will be no tolerance for practices of the past.” Noting Sri Lanka's constitutional reform process, Mr Hussein stressed that he hopes, "the political process of adopting constitutional changes will not involve trade-offs and compromises on core issues of accountability, transitional justice and human rights." The high commissioner highlighted further concerns regarding a rise of "aggressive campaigns in social media and other forms that stoke nationalism against ethnic, religious and other minorities." The oral update stressed that ongoing “encouragement and support of the Human Rights Council has been crucial in giving assurance and confidence to all stakeholders, particularly the victim community.”
Sri Lanka and Ukraine signed three treaties on "judicial cooperation" during Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera's official visit to Ukraine this past weekend. The government of Sri Lanka's website reported that the treaties covered mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of sentenced prisoners, and extradition. During his visit Samaraweera spoke about "recent developments in Sri Lanka including measures taken by the Unity Government to achieve reconciliation and inclusive economic development, strengthen democracy, rule of law, and good governance including combatting corruption" alongside recent constitutional processes.
The Sri Lankan army released a tranche of occupied land in a ceremony held in Jaffna earlier this week, reported a military website . Approximately 700 acres of land in the Northern Province was released by the armed forces at the ceremony, which was attended by various Sri Lankan government officials and military figures. However, the Commander of Sri Lanka’s Security Force Jaffna Major General N.U.M.M.W. Senanayaka “specified that Army will remain in Jaffna to assist the poor people in any case of emergency and security requirement”.
Sri Lanka’s president said that his government “would not in any way weaken” the armed forces and boasted of international support for the military, at a ceremony on Monday. According to Sri Lanka’s official army website , the “President Maithripala Sirisena in his address to the occasion re-iterated that his government would not in any way weaken the forces, nor would it cut down their privileges or other benefits currently available to them”. “He also told the gathering that as alleged by some quarters his government has not allowed any member of the armed forces to get demoralized or be humiliated,” the website continued. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website quoted Mr Sirisena as saying soldiers had “sacrificed their lives, limbs and families to protect the race, sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of the country” and that “each drop of blood fallen from the war heroes were devoted towards the future and strength of the country in defeating ruthless terrorists”.
SriLankan Airlines announced that it will be suspending flights to Paris and Frankfurt as the carrier continues to make losses. The airline said in a statement that the Sri Lankan government has made it clear that it will no longer fund continuing losses and that the “route network is being continuously evaluated in the context of changing market dynamics”. The European market travelling with the airlines has reportedly dropped which has been “further exacerbated by the depreciation of the Euro against the Dollar”. “Airline sources further stated that there were no short term signs of...
The leader of Sinhala Buddhist organisation Bodu Bala Sena made threats that there would be a ‘ second Aluthgama ’ where Muslims were killed in riots by Sinhala nationalists, in a speech earlier this month, stated the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL). In a letter addressed to the Sri Lankan police, the president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, N. M. Ameen, called for urgent action to prevent any violence. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the Buddhist monk that leads BBS, reportedly addressed a rally in Mahiyangana, threatening riots if Sri Lankan police sided with Muslims in the town.
Tamil National Alliance MP M A Sumanthiran stated that the Sri Lankan government “cannot backtrack” on implementing a UN resolution which will see foreign judges involved in a accountability mechanism. “The TNA is very firm on an investigation with the involvement of the foreign legal luminaries,” said the parliamentarian in an interview to Ceylon Today. Speaking on his meeting with the UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein, Mr Sumanthiran said “even the UNHRC Commissioner is firm on implementing whatever agreed upon by the Lankan Government in the resolution". "So, the Lankan Government cannot backtrack from what it had agreed upon on accommodating the foreign legal luminaries.”
High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al Hussain should identify the "fundamental transgressions in the approach of the Government to the resolution", the Tamil Civil Society Forum said on Monday, days before the release of the high commissioner's oral report. "The unwarranted praise and promotion that the Sri Lankan Government continues to receive from certain powerful sections of the International Community, which also ironically co-sponsored the resolution, will only encourage the Government to further withdraw from its obligations under the Geneva resolution and is unlikely to inspire...
More to follow "Initial hopes for accountability and justice are fading fast in the Tamil population," said Mr. Mario Arulthas, Advocacy Director for People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (P.E.A.R.L.) during an informal event at the 32nd Human Rights Council on Friday June 24th. The panel moderated by David Whaley (a former UN Resident Coordinator), also featured Ms. Nimalka Fernando (IMADR), Mr. Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon (Campaign for Free and Fair Elections, CaFFE), and Mr. Ruki Fernando (INFORM). Ms. Nimalka Fernando noted that while we now have the Resolution which provides guiding...
The Sri Lankan government gains the most amount of tax from intoxicants from the Tamil North-East stated Maithripala Sirisena. The Sri Lankan president said that the areas were the government collects the most tax was from Jaffna, Nuwara Eliya and Batticaloa respectively. Alongside a rises in alcohol use, there has been an increase of illegal drug usage across the North-East, which civil society activists and politicians say has been contributing to the breakdown of the social fabric of the North-East.