Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed there was “no evidence” to prosecute many who were accused of corruption during his predecessors’ regime, stating that cases were only “filed against a few”. Responding specifically to questions regarding corruption under the govenrments of both Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapapksa, Wickremesinghe said, “during our Government, cases were filed against a few but there was no evidence against others”. “If there are fresh evidence, anyone can submit these to the newly formed independent commission,” Wickremesinghe continued. He continued to deflect...
India’s newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santhosh Jha confirmed the his government would provide a grant of US $61.5 million to “fully develop” the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Port.
The Jaffna District Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Unions has launched a hunger strike today demanding that the Sri Lankan government offer a lasting solution to the protracted Indian fisherfolk poaching issue. The protestors are presently in front of the St. John Bosco Vidyalayam in Jaffna. They had intended to launch the hunger strike in front of the Indian consulate in Jaffna but police asked that they be moved away from the consulate premises. This past week alone, the Sri Lanka Navy has arrested 36 Indian fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters and seized 16 Indian trawlers...
A group of eight Tamil devotees who were assaulted and arrested by Sri Lankan police officers at the Vedukkunaari temple earlier this month, have had the case filed against them dismissed, after being detained for more than a week in custody.
Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister and Inspector General of Police, Tiran Alles, declared, during a programme in Jaffna, that Sri Lanka’s notorious anti-drug operation “Yukthiya” will continue with a focus on the Tamil regions in the North-East, despite outcry from human rights defenders. Alles noted that investigations will be carried out by police stations based on complaints and information in connection with crimes received through the “107" Emergency Call Centre, which are functioning 24-hours focusing on the Tamil community living in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Whilst the Sri...
The Sri Lankan Navy have arrested 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seized two trawlers off Delft island while conducting a "special operation" this week. The navy said it "deployed Fast Attack Craft to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers" for "illegal fishing". The seized trawlers together with 21 fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and were handed over to the Mailady Fisheries Inspector for legal proceedings. It was determined in courts that they would be detained until the 27th of this month. A day before this arrest, in a different operation, the Sri Lanka Navy...
The Hindu Federation of Switzerland has condemned the arrest of the eight Tamils at Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple and the ongoing attempts by Sri Lanka's archaeology department to acquire places of religious worship belonging to the Tamil Hindu community. The statement comes as Tamils across the homeland protest against the unlawful arrest of eight Tamil men who participated in the observance of Shivarathri at Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple in Vavuniya North. Commenting on the Sinhalisation of the North-East, the federation said that they "condemn the continuous land grabbing...
The United States completed a three-day training of Sri Lankan troops earlier this month, teaching the air force how to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) flights, as the military relationship between the two continues to grow. The Sri Lankan Air Force boasted that the latest training is “ultimately encouraging greater interoperability between the United States Department of Defense and the Sri Lanka Tri-Services”. According to a release posted on the AirForce website , the training is “to promote a more safe and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” Furthermore, the ISR...
Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Services (SIS) has filed a report against the principal of the Koppay Teaching College, S Laleesan, accusing him of‘ provoking the Tamil youth to rise up and disturb the ethnic harmony’ at a panel discussion last year. The SIS report has been filed with Sri Lanka’s education ministry, which has reportedly launched an investigation into Laleesan’s remarks, which were delivered during a panel discussion on December 10, 2023. The discussion, organised by the University of Jaffna, was entitled “The Rise of Youth Organizations in the Eelam Tamil Community, a...
A survey conducted by the Center for Policy Alternatives found that a growing number of people on the island agree that “in certain situations, a dictatorial government can be preferable to a democratic one,” reaching levels last beaten in 2018 – shortly before Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as president. The findings from the Colombo-based organisation are part of a social indicator survey titled ‘Survey on Democracy and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka’ conducted for the eighth year in January with 1,350 participants. They were reportedly from 25 districts across the island, but no detailed...