The United States called on Sri Lanka to “continue on its path of ensuring accountability and reconciliation” in a statement delivered to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. In an opening statement delivered on Monday, the US said “we commend the people of Sri Lanka for restoring democratic institutions and combatting corruption”. The statement went on to add that “we look forward to reading the OHCHR’s report on Sri Lanka in August”. The report, which was delayed from being released in March, is set to detail violations of international humanitarian law committed during the...
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for an international accountability process to address international humanitarian law violations in Sri Lanka, at a statement delivered to the UN Human Rights Council. “This session marks a midway point in the time given to the Sri Lankan government to demonstrate its willingness to cooperate on human rights issues,” said Human Rights Watch. The statement continued to say, “In establishing a credible and transparent justice and accountability process, the new government in Sri Lanka should ensure genuine consultations with those affected by violations, ensure that any mechanism be either international or at a minimum, include a majority of international judges and prosecutors, take immediate steps towards resolving key outstanding issues, and keep its promise to the UN to fully cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and allow it full access to any new or additional information it may require”. The UNHRC mandated an investigation into reports of international humanitarian law committed during the final phases of the armed conflict on the island, where tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred. The UN report, being compiled by the OHCHR, is due to be released in August. Sri Lanka has so far refused to allow investigators access to the island and any reported massacre sites.
Sri Lanka’s government refuted former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s accusation that the government has removed 59 army camps during its tenure since January. Highways minister and UNP general secretary Kabeer Hashim said it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who ordered the removal of several camps and the release of land, and not the present government. He said the former president insulted the country’s security forces by implying an LTTE resurgence. "Rajapaksa is saying that 59 camps have been removed from the North by the current administration. We urge him to stop lying. All the camps were removed during Rajapaksa's time. In addition, of the 11 000 acres taken over by the security forces over 5000 acres were released during Rajapaksa's time. Not only that Rajapaksa ordered the removal of the Army camp in Sampur," Mr Hashim said Mr Rajapaksa “accused” the government of dismantling the camps in a letter addressed to the 'Bring Back Mahinda Rally' in Matara in southern Sri Lanka, adding that he was “shocked” by the development.
Tamil leaders in the North-East of Sri Lanka are concerned that the new Sri Lankan government’s actions do not address issues of Tamils desire for greater autonomy and the withdrawal of military troops from the North-East, reports the Washington Post . The paper added that instead, they are convinced that the new Sri Lankan government’s actions are ‘symbolic’ and not enough to reconcile the Tamils in the North-East with the majority Sinhalese in the south. When asked if Sri Lanka’s initial commitment to returning military occupied land was a step on the path to reconciliation, a law lecturer...
The Jaffna Peninsula has seen a five-fold increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in 2013, reports. The President of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce R Jeyasegaran said that alcohol consumption was rapidly increasing after the end of the war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). According to the department, beer consumption increased to over 4 million litres from the initial consumption levels of 762,610 litres in 2009. Jeyagaseran told Ceylon Today the introduction of alcohol and drugs in the North-East was a systematic attempt to damage the social structure of the youth in Jaffna. The president of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce, added that liquor stores had been illegally set up near temples, schools and important institutions. Genocidal agenda behind increase in drugs in North - TNA MP (10 Jun 2015) Tamils still face genocidal agendas says TNA MP (07 Jun 2015) Increased drug problem since Sri Lanka's military arrived in North-East says CV Wigneswaran (08 Jun 2015)
The general secretary of the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka’s biggest party in the ruling coalition, dismissed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s claims that 59 army camps had been shut down in the North-East. Minister Kabir Hashim, responding Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement, said that Sri Lanka’s current president Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had not removed any of the army camps in the North-East. Hashim said that the army camps had actually been removed during former president Rajapaksa’s rule. Adding that over 5,000 acres of land run by the security...
A Tamil girl from Kilinochchi has been reported missing after she failed to return home earlier this week. Kanesamoorthy Santhimalar went missing on her way home from Kilinochchi town to Thirunagar on Tuesday, said her parents in a police complaint. Unidentified persons in a rickshaw were reportedly involved in her disappearance, although investigations by Kilinochchi police have not returned any information on her whereabouts.
The Sri Lankan military marked six years since the capture of Mullaitivu, by holding a Buddhist ceremony overseen by monks as they donated blood at their army headquarters in the region. Buddhist ceremonies at the Security Force Headquarters in Mullaitivu were held as over 371 pints of blood were donated to mark the sixth anniversary of Sri Lankan troops and the Buddhist ‘Poson Full Moon Poya Day’.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera confirmed that issues of reviewing bans on diaspora and releasing political prisoners had been discussed with some representatives of the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Responding to questions from the opposition leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Foreign Affairs Minister confirmed that a meeting in London took place in London with representatives of the Global Tamil Forum, TNA MP M Sumanthiran, former Norwegian negotiator Eric Solheim and representatives of the South African and Swiss governments. Samaraweera further stressed that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which was commissioned by the previous government, had recommended engagement with the diaspora to encourage reconciliation with different communities, reports dailymirror.lk . The LLRC was slammed by international NGOs and foreign diplomats as being inadequate and flawed in addressing core issues on the island, consequentially strengthening calls for an international process to investigate Sri Lanka’s atrocities and work towards reconciliation. Opposition questions government over GTF meet (12 June 2015) TNA spokesperson denies knowledge of London meet (09 Jun 2015) See also: Sri Lanka's LLRC does not meet international standards - FCO (28 Jan 2014) TNA rejects LLRC report, calls for international action (15 Jan 2012) LLRC report through the eyes of the JHU (28 Dec 2011) ‘Responsibility now falls on the international community’ – ICG (23 Dec 2011) LLRC report falls short - cross-party UK MPs (22 Dec 2011)
Construction work has been suspended on a Buddhist temple being built on illegally appropriated Tamil land in Mullaitivu. The Buddhist vihara was being built with military support on land privately owned by Tamils in Kokkilay, Mullaitivu. Provincial land authorities ordered construction work to be suspended pending a decision on the property dispute. Three of the land’s owners were arrested for staging a protest against the construction earlier in the month.