The Sri Lankan army on Thursday conducted a human rights training project for residents in Kilinochchi.
Crowds gather at Nallur as the first day of the commission began. Photographs: Tamil Guardian Tamil families in Jaffna testified before Sri Lanka’s presidential commission into disappearances this week, pleading for information on their whereabouts of their missing loved ones. The first phase of the sittings took place in Nallur where 235 complaints were filed, with proceedings continuing today.
British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said the United Kingdom will continue to work towards promoting accountability, reconciliation, political settlement and human rights, in its relationship with Sri Lanka. Writing to the British Tamil Conservatives, Mr Swire said that he had “welcomed the recent report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)” which detailed the patterns of serious human rights violations and other international crimes that have taken place on the island. Speaking on British Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that the UK will provide £6.6 million to Sri Lanka to support “military reform, displaced persons and reconciliation,” Mr Swire added “the Prime Minister, as he has done previously, raised ongoing concerns and urged further progress towards delivering a lasting peace”. The funding would be used to “support reconciliation efforts, to influence and embed change in institutions central to democracy and stability and to support demining to allow displaces persons to return to their land”.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP E Saravanabavan asked why the new government had investigated the murder of journalists in the South and not attacks and disappearances of Tamil journalists in the North. Speaking in parliament on Friday, Mr Saravanabavan, who owns the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna, said that while it is good to see the new Governemtn investigating some of the incidents involving journalists, there must be a focus on incidents involving journalists. Mr Saravanabavan said that several attacks on Tamil journalists had occurred in highly militarised areas.
The European Union and Sri Lankan authorities met in Brussels to discuss the currently suspended GSP plus trade concession. Sri Lanka’s deputy Foreign Minister Dr Harsha de Silva said that the meeting was part for Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to regain the HSP plus concession from the EU, reports Colombo Gazette . The GSP plus is awarded based nations complying with the 27 international conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In a statement made on World Human Rights Day the Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran said that Sri Lanka’s constitution violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Tamil rights violated by successive Sri Lanka governments says Chief Minister on World Human Rights Day (11 Dec 2015) Sri Lanka businesses must lobby for improved human rights to see GSP+ reinstated says EU ambassador (27 Nov 2015)
The rights of Tamils as individuals and as a People have been violated over the course of time by successive Sri Lankan governments said the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran in his statement to mark World Human Rights Day. Sri Lanka’s former Supreme Court judge, in his statement issued in Tamil and English, quoting article one of the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights said, “The legitimate right of self-determination has been denied to the Tamils instead their right to equality, a central human right, has been violated throughout the period of Sri Lanka’s existence. The right to life of individual Tamils has been violated through extra-judicial killings in which the State and its agents actively participated. There has been no accountability for any of the killings that have taken place.” On the right to liberty, Mr Wigneswaran added, “Again a non-defeasible right stated in the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights continues to be violated with the incarceration of many hundreds of young Tamils detained without trial or deprived of proper hearings. Their continued imprisonment is a continuing violation of this important right by the Government of Sri Lanka.” Welcoming the establishment of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and drawing upon an Northern Provincial Council passed in February, the Chief minister of the predominantly Tamil Northern Province said,
Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende is set to visit Sri Lankan in the first week of January 2016, to hold high level talks with senior government officials. Mr Brende, the Former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum and Former Minister of Trade and Industry in Norway, will be holding discussions regarding increasing trade and investment opportunities on the island. He will also address the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Trade between Sri Lanka and Norway during 2014 accounted for US$ 30 million. The visit comes after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ruled out signing a trade deal with India this week, stating his government would never sign such an agreement .
Yet another group of Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Thursday, as the detention of fishermen for reportedly crossing the international boundary continues. The group of 10 fishermen from Karaikal were reportedly apprehended 26 miles off Point Pedro and taken to Karainagar naval base, where they will be prosecuted, reports the Times of India . The latest incident comes as the remand of six Indian fishermen from Rameswaram, who were also arrested by the Sri Lankan navy, was extended to December 21.
The UK opposition MPs have expressed concern about the British government's decision last month provide £6.6 million to the Sri Lankan government which will include funds towards military reform without sufficient clarity on what sort of reform is expected. "The conduct of the Sri Lankan military is in need of serious improvement, but if the UK Government is intent on providing taxpayer’s money to Sri Lanka you must be explicit about what reforms you want to see in return. In addition, we request that you clarify how this part of the funding allocation will be spent and whether any of the £6.6m pledged will be given directly to the Government of Sri Lanka," the Labour MP and Senior Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Siobhain McDonagh, backed by fellow opposition MPs - Joan Ryan MP, John Mann MP, Stephen Pound MP, Steve Reed MP, Wes Streeting MP, and Stephen Timms MP, in a letter on Thursday to the Minister of State, Hugo Swire. "We attended the Freedom from Torture parliamentary reception on Tuesday 8th December where we were informed that they have received 7 referrals for people tortured in Sri Lanka since the elections in January, including as recently as July 2015." "In light of these circumstances we would urge, at the very least, extreme caution by the UK Government when making decisions to significantly increase assistance to Sri Lanka and we would not be willing to support any changes to Home Office asylum policy in Sri Lanka which might make it even more difficult for survivors to secure protection in the UK."
A Tamil language centre was opened by the Indian High Commission on Indian history, cultural heritage, Tamil art and culture in Jaffna Library on Friday. A statement released by the Indian High Commission, read, “The "India Corner" has been set up in partnership with the Jaffna Municipal Council, with the objective of offering access to a variety of books, DVDs, periodicals and other entertainment material to the people of Jaffna. The "India Corner" would house books procured from India, mainly in Tamil language, on Indian history, cultural heritage, fiction, children's books, mythology,...