The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) general secretary Douglas Devananda denied allegations that his party was connected to the rape and murder of a school girl in Punkuduthivu. Rejecting the allegations, Devananda said that his party members were constantly blamed for the murders that were taking place in the North-East, reports Ceylon Today . “Those political parties who are against us are slinging mud at us to tarnish our political identity. These allegations are levelled against the party by our political opponents to stigmatise our image by connecting the gang rape and brutal murder to us,” said the EPDP general secretary.
The leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) M Karunanidhi said that the Tamil homeland continues to be occupied by Sri Lankan troops despite the change of government on the island earlier this year. Quoting a report by US think tank, the Oakland Institute, the DMK chief said it “shows that injustice against Tamils has not reduced despite a new President.” “The rule changed there, but did the scene?" he asked. Mr Karunanidhi went on to say, "the Lankan army was engaged in large-scale property development, running luxury tourist resorts and business ventures on land seized from local...
The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province CV Wigneswaran said that Sri Lanka would have to be forced to meet Tamil demands. Accusing the Sri Lankan government of not “having the will” to meet Tamil demands, Mr Wigneswaran said, “The central government in Sri Lanka will not do anything towards minorities or the Tamils unless they are forced to do something.” Stressing the need for demilitarisation of the North-East, the chief minister added that there was “no exodus of soldiers from the northern province which is perceivable to anyone.” Mr Wigneswaran was speaking at a press meet for...
Kilinochchi police reported that a 7 year old Tamil girl has been gang raped on her way to school earlier this week. The girl was reportedly on her way to school when she was stopped by unidentified persons who went on to gang rape her in a public toilet. She was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Kilinochchi and then later transferred to Jaffna Teaching hospital for further treatment. The incident comes after the gang rape and murder of another Tamil school girl last month, which lead to widespread protests across the North-East.
The Sri Lankan military held two workshops in Kilinochchi this month to teach and “enlighten” both Tamil students and farmers about telecommunications and solar power. Troops from the 9 Sri Lanka Signal Corps (SLSC) and 7 Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) reportedly took the lead in arranging the entire exhibition” on telecommunications for Kilinochchi schoolchildren, earlier this month. The Sri Lankan army stated that there were “more than 300 students with the blessings of Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander, SFHQ-KLN.”
The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, James Dauris, has made a visit to Jaffna this week. Tamil Guardian Mr Dauris met with the chief priest at Nallur Temple and tweeted that they had discussed the “central role of religious leaders in reconciliation.”
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians in Batticaloa and Eastern provincial Councillors warned of further demonstrations if those responsible for the shooting of a social worker on Tuesday were not brought to justice. “We planned to organise a protest today bur we decided to give one week for the police to find the culprits. We are watching whether the government is purposely postponing the investigation,” said the parliamentarians in a press conference. The announcement came as Social Service Officers (SSO) from fourteen Divisional Secretariats in Batticaloa held a protest opposite the...
Sri Lanka’s former commander of the army denied rape and torture by Sri Lankan security forces had taken place whilst he was in charge, stating he could “clarify” any allegations. The newly promoted Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka declared “there were no rapes, no torture during my command during the war” but admitted that there have been “a couple of allegations”. He said in an interview with the Guardian that his “intentions are clear”. “The army as a whole, I can give the assurance that we never committed war crimes,” he added.
The Jaffna District Child Development Committee stated there is a “well planned strategy” in place in the province to turn school children into drug addicts. Writing to Sri Lanka’s Deputy Inspector General of the police office last month, the committee stated that there was a rising crime rate in Jaffna, with school children involved in violence and crimes. “There is a well planned strategy in place to make school children drug addicts,” said the letter.
The spokesperson for India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a Sri Lankan minister’s statement vowing not to allow Indian fishermen into Sri Lankan waters was “not helpful”, as India reiterated its commitment to finding a solution to the fishing issue. “Government attaches utmost importance to the safety and welfare of Indian fishermen,” said spokesperson Vikas Swarup, who said India was committed to finding a mutually acceptable solution”. Earlier Sri Lanka’s fisheries minister Mahinda Amaraweera, reacted to proposals of allowing Indian fishermen into Sri Lanka’s waters for 65 days by...