India and Sri Lanka to hold joint anti-terror exercises

The Indian and Sri Lankan military are to hold a joint “anti-terror” exercise in Pune later this week, according to a statement released by New Delhi. The 14 day exercise, entitled ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti’, will begin on September 29 once the Sri Lankan military contingent arrives in India. "The aim of the joint training is to share the best military practices and promoting healthy military to military relations between the two armies and developing joint strategies by sharing expertise of conducting operations," said the statement. The exercise comes following the conclusion of the Annual...

‘We stand for justice’ in Sri Lanka says India

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it hoped for justice in Sri Lanka and remained hopeful that a resolution would pass with the consent of the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council later this week. "As far as India is concerned, we naturally support the quest for justice,” said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup. “At the same time we are respectful of Sri Lanka's sovereignty,” he added. “We are hopeful that a way will be found where both these points and objectives can be met." "Our expectation at this point is that hopefully it will be a consensus resolution which everyone will be able to pass unanimously and it is something which will be acceptable to the Government of Sri Lanka also," Mr Swarup stated.

Sri Lankan military opens new officers’ mess at Eastern HQ

The Sri Lankan security foreces headquarters in the Eastern province saw the opening of a new Corporals’ Club and OR’s Mess earlier this month. On September 19th, the military held a ceremony to mark the opening of the newly constructed buildings “fulfilling a long requirement of the other ranks serving the 233 Brigade,” stated an official army website. The buildings were constructed by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Mahinda concerned at UNHRC resolution

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa says there are several areas of concern in the text of the consensus resolution tabled at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. Mr Rajapaksa said in a statement, the first paragraph encouraged the government to implement the recommendations of the OISL report , which called for a hybrid accountability mechanism and demilitarisation of the Tamil provinces. “The most contentious recommendations in that report have been included as operational paragraphs in the UNHRC draft resolution as the following indicates: "Operational Paragraph 4 welcomes the...

Remembering Thileepan

Lt. Col. Thileepan addresses crowds at Nallur, Jaffna as he commences his hunger strike. Today marks the 28th anniversary of the death of Lt. Col Thileepan, after he fasted to death on hunger strike, appealing to the Indian government to honour pledges made to the Tamil people.

Mangala hails resolution as a victory for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera on Friday hailed the consensus resolution on mass atrocities in Sri Lanka to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), as a "victory" for Sri Lanka. "Today we have achieved a path-breaking success in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at the current 30th Session," Mr Samaraweera said, chairing the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting in New York. "For the last several years, Sri Lanka was repeatedly humiliated by the international community with Resolutions that censured the conduct of our country. Successive resolutions since 2012, adopted by divisive and acrimonious voting, resulted in repeated defeats and isolation for Sri Lanka."

Former LTTE cadre detained in Jaffna by Sri Lanka's anti-terror officers

A 42 year old former LTTE cadre was detained by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division on Wednesday in Jaffna. The man, Markandu Nevinathan, left the LTTE in 1997 and then went on to live in Kodikaamam, where he got married and had four children. The TID officiers arrived from Colombo and detained him, before transferring him to Colombo's TID "fourth floor" office, notorious for its use of torture.

Sri Lankan president's son joins official delegation to UN

Daham Sirisena seated behind President Maithripala Sirisena at the UN in New York Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena took his son to the UN General Assembly on Friday, despite being elected on a pledge to break away from the nepotism of the previous Rajapaksa regime. His son, Daham Sirisena, sat with the official government delegation at Sri Lanka's desk, and later accompanied the delegation to Mr Sirisena's meeting with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.

UK welcomes Sri Lanka's cooperation on resolution

The UK welcomed the Sri Lankan government's cooperation in tabling a resolution calling for accountability and justice for mass atrocities during the final stages of the armed conflict in 2009 at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. "Warmly welcome #SriLanka cooperation on resolution tabled in Geneva yesterday. Another step closer to addressing legacy of conflict. #HRC30" the UK's minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire tweeted on Friday.

Jaffna Uni remembers Thileepan

Students at the University of Jaffna held a memorial event on the 28th death anniversary of hunger striker Lt Col Thileepan. The event was held at a secret location on Saturday evening. Students at the university have often been forced to hold remembrance events in secret, amidst heavy scrutiny from military and police presences around campus. See also, Remembering Thileepan .

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