TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran called for “internationalised prosecutions” for mass atrocities committed in Sri Lanka, as part of an accountability process for the crimes. Speaking at a panel discussion on Saturday hosted by the Global Tamils Forum (GTF) in London Mr Sumanthiran said the TNA had “no trust in a local judicial mechanism” which is why they are pushing for “internationalised prosecutions” . “One of the most important things is that victims of these crimes must have confidence in these courts and they will not have any confidence in a pure domestic system,” he added. He stated that this strategy must run parallel with a long-term push for referral to the International Criminal Court, which he believes will eventually come with a “reformed Sri Lankan government”. Considering ongoing challenges in Sri Lanka, Mr Sumanthiran emphasised the importance of security sector reform, but also the difficulty in achieving it. “The military is the same military, the Terrorist Investigation Department is the same people guilty of serious violations,” he said. In response to a question concerning the LTTE, he stated the, “LTTE was a product of a problem of majoritarianism” and “the defeat of the LTTE cannot be agreed with because the means used to defeat the LTTE weren’t just to defeat the LTTE, they were to suppress the voice of the Tamil people once and for all.” He also explained that the TNA was pursuing a dual strategy of both a political solution and accountability, as you could not have one without the other. Mr Sumanthiran noted that the TNA’s leadership was given their mandate by the recent election and that this mandate included seeking a federal structure with maximum devolution of powers with a view to self-determination within a united undivided country.
The JVP said that previous government appointed commissions were a waste of public money, as he criticised former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for paving the way for a hybrid court to prosecute war crimes. JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath said appointing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and Maxwell Paranagama Commission had allowed the United Nations Human Rights Council to become involved in the island's reconciliation process, according to The Island . Despite this, Mr Herath stated that his party were "still demanding a domestic investigation and condemn...
The release of the long awaited OHCHR investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) report last week is a monumental moment for the victims of mass atrocities on the island and all those who continue to work towards seeing justice served. The crucial document, which was mandated by a UN resolution, meticulously outlines the gravity of the crimes perpetrated, and lays down the path towards accountability for them. Clear decisive action must now be taken to follow it.
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiaratchchi said the country must “be vigilant” due to “talk of local and international investigations” in Speaking whilst meeting Buddhist monks, Mr Hettiaratchchi said : “It is not only fighting the terrorists. It is a broad area. What I meant is when there is silence we can assume that some groups are organising themselves. Therefore, we should be vigilant and be ahead.” “These days there is talk of local and international investigations,” he added. “That’s why we say we have to be alert.” The defence secretary also accused Indian fishermen of carrying out “economic terrorism”. He went on to state: “Usually when a thief breaks into the house and few days later we tend to lose attention thinking that he will not break in again. But we do not work in that manner and we work assuming that there can be a threat."
The chair of the Sri Lankan president's commission on missing persons, Justice Maxwell Paranagama, rejected the UN Panel of Experts' estimated death toll of 40,000 Tamil civilians at the end of the armed conflict in 2009. In an interview to the New Indian Express, Mr Paranagama stated it was an "overestimation" by the UN, and said that 7000 would be more accurate. “The Department of Statistics which had done a house to house survey in the conflict zone, and the reports sent out by the various foreign embassies suggest a death toll of 7,700 or thereabouts. Our commission could not arrive at any precise figure, but we think 40,000 was certainly an overestimation,” he said.
Sri Lanka's former army commander at the end of the armed conflict, General Sarath Fonseka, rejected the conclusions of the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) that “incidents of sexual violence were not isolated acts but part of a deliberate policy.” In an interview to The Hindu, Mr Fonseka said “these things never happen in an organised manner with the knowledge of superiors.” “It is not part of our thinking or tactics to do such things," he added. Stating that he was receiving foreign advice in legal matters, Mr Fonseka said he was ready to face a domestic inquiry.
The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, denied discussing the signing of an economic agreement with India during Mr Wickremesinghe's recent visit to New Delhi. "CEPA has never been discussed nor was it taken up recently," Mr Sirisena was quoted by the government's official news site as saying. "People with parochial political agendas kept talking about it and the media gave them prominence. We haven't done anything to make CEPA a reality." "Our foreign policy is to build healthy relations with all countries," he said. Mr Wickremesinghe further added that he never went to India to sign CEPA.
The Sri Lankan army distributed lunch parcels during the widely celebrated Nallur temple festival which ended last week, despite ongoing criticism at their continued presence in the North-East and deep involvement in civilian activities.
The Indian government will hold talks with Sri Lanka on the $5.19bn project to link the island’s North-East to neighbouring Tamil Nadu by the end of October. According to PTI , official sources said secretary-level talks between the two countries have been decided by October to take forward the project, involving the construction of a sea bridge and an under-water tunnel linking 22 km stretch between Talaimannar and Dhanushkodi. "The officer level meeting will include apprising Sri Lanka about the developments related to implementing BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement. The pact aims at facilitating cross border movement of all types of vehicles in the region. Since there is a provision of other countries in the region joining the pact, Sri Lanka may like to consider this for further improving connectivity between the region," an official said. India wants Sri Lanka to join the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, which is aimed at providing seamless flow of traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.
The PHU’s General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila says the proposed bridge linking Tamil Nadu with the North-East of the island would make Sri Lanka another Indian state. The MP, part of the SLFP group in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the move would work in favour of India and that New Delhi didn’t mention that Sri Lanka would also have to pay part of the $5.2bn loan from the Asian Development Bank. “This is clear evidence that the project if monopolised by India to solve their issues, to send their people to Sri Lanka. Just like there is a Great Wall to protect China, the Indian Ocean protects our island. If the project went ahead, our sovereignty will be destroyed. President Maithripala Sirisena will end up being a Chief Minister of one of India’s States,” Mr Gammanpila told media on Monday morning.