Tamils living in cities across Europe took part in May Day rallies on Sunday, calling for justice for the Tamil people. As part of demonstrations in Britain, Germany, France, Norway and Switzerland, Tamils marched in rallies denouncing massacres committed by the Sri Lankan state and called for justice and accountability. See photos from the various rallies below.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) requested the government not to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) on food items consumed by the general public and education services, according to a May Day resolution.. The government decided to remove the VAT exemptions on private health services, education and the telecommunications in its budget but TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran told the Daily Mirror that his party would adopt a resolution calling on the government not to impose taxes on the education sector and essential food items.. He said there would be also be two other resolutions calling for the...
Sri Lanka has again denied holding discussions with India regarding the proposed sea bridge between Tamil Nadu and the Tamil North-East. Government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne told Xinhua that despite media reports saying that discussions between the two countries were ongoing, there had been no talks. "Formally and informally, no talks have been held. We have not entered into any talks with India on this subject," he said. In April, Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said that discussions were held. "The project is under consideration, it is under...
Recalling the protracted process of her husband's release from the Sri Lankan government's 'rehabilitation' programme, the wife of Krishnapillai Kalainesan, the former head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) intelligence wing in Batticaloa who was arrested on Monday, wiped away tears, asking if it was right of the government of 'good governance' to do such a thing. "On the 14th August 2013, they gave us the letter granting us rehabilitation - look here it is. They took our signatures however, they did not give him to us. They did not hand over my husband to us," Mr Kalainesan's...
The Sri Lankan police media unit was suspended by the ministry of law and order on Tuesday over its coverage of the apparent finding of a suicide vest in Chavakachcheri. The Daily Mirror cited sources in the ministry as saying the media unit had been ordered by the IGP Pujith Jayasundara to only issue written statements on the issue. However, the unit had defied such orders, issuing a verbal statement over the incident. See more here .
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R Sampanthan, marked World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, calling on the present Sri Lankan government to protect press freedom immediately and investigate the killing of murdered journalists. "At a time when the freedom of press is being subjected to oppression worldwide, I request the Sri Lankan government to take all necessary steps to ensure the freedom and protection of press immediately in Sri Lanka," Mr Sampanthan said in a statement on Wednesday. "It is a matter of concern that Sri Lanka ranks 141st place among the list of press freedom of 180 countries." "It is is no secret that the previous governments turned a blind eye to many incidents of ill treatment, violence and murders that took place against journalists." "I urge the current government to conduct proper investigations of these incidents and bring the perpetrators before justice."
Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) arrested the leader of the ITAK youth wing over messages that he had reportedly sent to diaspora Tamils on Facebook. Subramaniyam Sivakaran was detained under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act last week, before being released on bail. Mr Sivakaran’s private Facebook messages with Tamils living outside of the island were reportedly cited by Sri Lankan police as why the youth leader was detained under anti-terrorism legislation. It is not yet known how the Sri Lankan police gained access to Mr Sivakaran's Facebook account or the number of social media accounts the government is monitoring.
The Sri Lankan government declared firearms amnesty to collect weapons that had gone missing after the military had recovered them from the LTTE, has so far retrieved 84 weapons from the South. Guns were collected from Puttalam, Ratnapura, Kandy, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Gampaha and Colombo. None have been reported from the Tamil North-East of the island. Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi initially said that 900 weapons that had been recovered from the LTTE during the armed conflict had initially gone missing, with approximately 200 such weapons still yet to be...
Sri Lankan soldiers took part in a religious ceremony at a Tamil Hindu temple in Kilinochchi last month. As thousands of Tamil devotees came to the Kanakambikal Ambal Hindu Temple “troops assisted the conduct of the pooja,” said an official Sri Lankan military website . The commander of Sri Lanka’s Security Forces – Kilinochchi was also handed the first copy of a CD of Hindu prayers, in a ceremony held before other devotees. Sri Lanka’s military has been extensively involved in civil life in the Tamil North-East, including in temples and other places of worship.
Sri Lanka’s parliament erupted into a brawl after Sri Lanka’s former army chief claimed that a previous bomb attack that had been blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was actually staged-managed by Sri Lanka’s defence secretary at the time. Soon after the attack, the Sri Lankan government, withdrawing from the internationally supported ceasefire and peace talks, called on Norwegian peace facilitators to halt communication with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Sri Lanka’s former army chief and current minister Sarath Fonseka lead Sri Lanka’s army in the brutal onslaught...