A memorial event was held in Jaffna Friday to mark the 11th anniversary of the journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram’s murder. A memorial pillar for slain journalists and media workers was also unveiled. Many local journalists and politicians attended the event.
Updated 2100 GMT Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström arrived in Jaffna on Tuesday, ahead of a series of meetings with civil society activists, displaced Tamils and the Chief Minister of the Northern Province. On arriving in the North-East, Ms Wallström was greeted by Jaffna’s Government Agent Mr N Vethanayaha, as she held a meeting at the District Secratariat.
Another two Tamils in the North-East were abducted in a white van on Tuesday. George Rajanayakam, 42, and V Michael, 45 were taken near Kattaikadu, Mulliyan, as they were about to go out to sea to fish, when the men came in a "Dolphin" van. "Both of them are family man, and we are not aware of the reasons behind their abduction. They never had any connections with the LTTE" relatives of the men said. Tensions in the Vadamaradchi area remained high on Wednesday according to local residents due to the spate of abductions and arrests by the TID. Former LTTE cadres are reported to be moving away from their homes. Sri Lanka's ministry for rehabilitation has further summoned former members of the LTTE to Colombo on April 30th, without giving them a precise location.
UK-based Freedom from Torture has hailed the forthcoming "historic visit" of the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Independence of Judges and Lawyers to Sri Lanka. In a statement , International Advocate and Researcher Ann Hannah said the officials " have a crucial role to play in holding the government to its international commitments". "This must include meaningful survivor consultation on an internationalised justice process as well as other measures in order to build trust across communities and deliver long-term peace and reconciliation," she said, pointing out that torture was still ongoing. “However, we cannot ignore that this visit takes place against a backdrop of ongoing torture. Freedom from Torture has received 248 cases of torture since 2009 including 17 referrals for torture in 2015 under the current government. This undermines the government’s work to secure a stable and prosperous Sri Lanka,
The US and Sri Lanka will adopt an ambitious joint action plan to promote greater trade and investment and major reforms in Sri Lanka in Washington DC later today. In a media brief the US government said, "On Thursday, April 28th, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Sri Lanka Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama will co-chair the 12th meeting of the U.S.-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) Council, at which both countries will adopt a U.S.-Sri Lanka Joint Action Plan with the goal of significantly increasing two-way trade and...
The Chief Minister of the Northern Province C V Wigneswaran discussed Tamil calls for federalism with Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, as she toured Jaffna on Tuesday. Justice Wigneswaran outlined Tamil demands for a political solution that allows the Tamil people to govern themselves through a federal system.
The leader of ITAK's youth wing, Subramaniyam Sivakaran, has been released on bail after being arrested by the Sri Lankan government’s Terrorism Investigation Department (TID). Mr Sivakaran was released from custody on Thursday morning after putting up 1 lakh rupees for bail alongside 2 sureties. As part of his bail conditions Mr Sivakaran has been banned from leaving the country and must report back to authorities. Sri Lankan police confirmed that the arrest was made as part of an investigation into the discovery of a cache of explosives, including an apparent suicide bomber vest, late last month. Mr Sivakaran is being accused of being involved with other former LTTE cadres who have also been arrested around the incident.
The rights group, Sri Lanka Campaign, on Thursday criticised the return of enforced disappearances via white vans in Sri Lanka. "The “white van” occupies a particular place in the Sri Lankan psyche. It was the method of choice for gangs linked to the military to snatch human rights defenders and political adversaries off the streets," Sri Lanka Campaign said in a statement . "Most victims disappeared forever, although some were detained and tortured before being released. To this day Sri Lanka ranks second in the world for enforced disappearances according to the UN working group on the subject, and was joint first for new cases in 2015."
Sinhala Buddhist monks have been overseeing the construction of a Buddhist vihara in the Tamil North-East, despite an order from the Mullaitivu District Secretariat to halt further proceedings. The construction, under way in Kokkilai, is reportedly taking place with assistance from the Sri Lankan army, the navy and the police. TamilNet published footage of one Buddhist monk, identified as Sri Thissapura Gunarathna, assisting in construction work earlier this week.
Photograph Tamilwin The leader of seven Sri Lankan parties, including Buddhist monks protested against the Tamil National Alliance's leader, R Sampanthan, demanding he resign from the position of opposition leader. The protest, which was held outside the official residence of the opposition leader, condemned the alleged illegal entrance of Mr Sampanthan into an army camp.