Sri Lanka’s Vavuniya remand prison holds three times its capacity and is “worse than a concentration camp”, one of the eight Tamil detainees who was arrested during the Shivarathri prayers at the Vedukkunaari earlier this month, told reporters after their release.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Sri Lanka to order its archaeological department to end its “discriminatory interference” in Hindu sites and protect their rights as well as other minority communities. In a statement , Deputy Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly said that Sri Lanka’s targeting of Tamil and Muslim sites is a “violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief”. While the North-East has been subject to Sinhalisation for decades, there has been a rise in efforts to appropriate lands belonging to Tamils and Muslims. The statement comes amidst tensions over the disputed...
The Sri Lanka government opened a new consulate and engaged in expanded trade talks with Israel this week, despite purportedly calling for a ceasefire to its offensive in Gaza in which tens of thousands have been killed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a communique said it established a new honorary Consulate for Haifa and the Northern District of Israel which is a main trade and industrial hub. The ministry said there are around 2,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers in Haifa and the northern area of Israel at present. A week after the opening of the new honorary consulate, Sri Lanka and Israel...
Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne resigned from his position on the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) stating that members to the committee must not be associated with allegations or convictions or corruption, and the appointment of a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) member as chairman failed to meet those checks and balances. “COPE has been established to ensure the observance of financial discipline in Public Corporations and other semi-governmental bodies where the Government has a financial stake," he said in a statement. "By...
The UNDP in Sri Lanka released its Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) in Sri Lanka which shows a large percentage of individuals in North-East live below the poverty line and have several vulnerabilities, with some of the districts being the worst affected on the whole island. Overall, the Northern and Eastern Provinces had the highest incidence of multidimensional vulnerability by province, according to data gathered by the UNDP. By district, Mullaitivu was the worst affected. According to the report, “in the districts of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, the predominant concern is not...
China’s embassy in Colombo has objected to a decision by Sri Lanka authorities to permit a German research vessel to dock on the island amidst a one year ban on foreign research vessels. China’s objections follows a refusal from Sri Lanka authorities to permit a Chinese vessel to dock in Sri Lanka in February. The one-year ban on foreign vessels docking on the island came amidst heavy security concerns from both India and the United States after the visit of two Chinese research vessels. Earlier this month the US released a report detailing China’s potential interest in establishing a...
India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka detailed how his government was “taking the first steps” to construct a land corridor between the two regions, calling it a “game-changing initiative”. Speaking at the annual dinner of the Sri Lanka-India Society Santhosh Jha spoke of connectivity between the two regions, in the wake of several recent initiatives by New Delhi. “Connectivity undoubtedly is the central pillar of our emerging partnership,” said Jha. “When I speak of connectivity, I mean all its dimensions – air, maritime, trade, digital, energy or people-to-people connectivity. Daily...
The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) commemorated Annai Poopathy today to mark 36 years since she began her fast unto death to protest the atrocities committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF). TNPF members lit a flame and laid flowers at Annai Poopathy's resting place in Navalady, Batticaloa. Poopathy Kanapathipillai, fondly referred as 'Annai Poopathy', was a member of the Navatkerny Mother's Front when she began her fast unto death on March 19, 1988. The IPKF are accused of perpetrating several atrocities while occupying the North-East including massacres, enforced...
Sri Lanka’s former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa received a warm welcome on his return to the island from the USA earlier this month, as he called for elections to be held. Rajapaksa was greeted at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by several members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) including Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and MP Sarath Weerasekara. Speaking to Sirisa since his return, Rajapaksa said his party does not support the postponement of the parliamentary elections. “Be it the parliamentary elections or the presidential,...
The Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has initiated an investigation over the murder of a youth in Karainagar, in which the Sri Lankan Navy have been accused of being complicit in. T. Kanagaraj, the regional coordinator for the HRC confirmed that they had launched an investigation into the incident where a violent mob had ambushed a couple who were on their way home in Karainagar on March 11th. Footage captured by CCTV taken from SLNS Elara (Navy camp) shows them pleading with armed officers on duty for help, whilst troops initially assault the man. As they...