Credible domestic inquiry “important to clear name of our troops” – Foreign Minister

Sri Lanka has to hold a credible investigation in order to clear the name of the Sri Lankan military, which stands accused of committing mass atrocities against Tamils during the armed conflict, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said in parliament today. The minister said, despite years of aggression and alienation towards the international community, the government has managed to return Sri Lanka to the “centre stage” of international affairs, signified by the announcement of the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry. But Mr Samaraweera warned that Sri Lanka must not lose sight of its “national obligations”: “To refrain from opening up our nation to international ignominy and making ourselves once again vulnerable to intrusive external interventions, we must initiate a credible domestic investigation into allegations of violations of human rights, “Such developments are important also to clear the name of our armed forces who have received international recognition as a professional and disciplined force,” he said.

Chinese banks “demotivated” by Sri Lankan criticism of loans

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (CCCSL) said that Chinese banks were feeling demotivated to extend loans to Sri Lanka, amidst criticism of Chinese funded loans by Sri Lankan officials. CCCSL spokesperson Chen Chuan stressed to Xinhua “that it is the Sri Lankan government that submitted applications for loans from Chinese banks and no one forced the Sri Lankan side to apply for loans”. “Some high ranking official's wrong allegations on interest rates of Chinese loans have damaged the images of Chinese banks in Sri Lanka and demotivated their enthusiasm of offering preferential loans to the country,” added the spokesperson. "We hope that Sri Lankan official concerned will make remarks based on the facts, take the people's well-being as first priority and make joint efforts with the Chinese side to maintain the good environment of China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation."

Sri Lankan minister calls for laws to restrict protests

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Justice called for stronger laws to be put in place to restrict protests on the island. Deputy Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe said laws must be introduced to ensure protests are confined to certain areas so that “demonstrations do not disturb the public and their day to day activities.” Mr Senasinghe claimed the enforcement of such laws would “protect the rights of both workers and public”. See more from the Sunday Leader here .

Sri Lankan navy accused of trafficking Tamil asylum seekers

The trafficking of Tamil asylum seekers attempting to flee Sri Lanka occurs with the help of the Sri Lankan navy, said a recently returned Tamil asylum seeker. Vaithilingam Linagaraja, who was smuggled off the island in 2013, told the Sunday Times that people smugglers worked with the Sri Lankan navy to allow asylum seekers to flee Sri Lanka. Whilst fleeing off the coast of Hambantota, Mr Lingaraja said he and other asylum seekers argued with the traffickers about the danger of getting caught by the navy. “We had a heated argument with the crew about the danger of sailing while Navy patrols were standing by a couple of kilometers away,” said Mr Lingaraja. “They told us that this ‘business’ is happening with their help. One said, ‘They are helping us with a Navy torch that shows our route clearly’.”

Mosque to be demolished after protests

The Kuragala mosque will be demolished and rebuilt at another location, after long-running protests by Sinhala-Buddhist groups. Sri Lanka’s Minister of Arts and Culture Nandimitra Ekanayake said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a committee to investigate the location, which then established that the mosque sat on a Buddhist archaeological site. “The committee has assembled on April 21 and discussed with the Muslims of the mosque to relocate the mosque in another place since the report produced by the committee has proved that the mosque had been built in an ancient Buddhist Archaeological site,” the minister said. The government will provide Rs1mn (£5,000) to rebuild the mosque in another location.

BBS leader to be charged with “defamation”

The general secretary of the Bodu bala Sena, Galagodatte Gnanasara will be charged with trespassing and making defamatory remarks, the Daily Mirror reports. Colombo Fort magistrates ordered the police to file the charges against Gnanasara and several other monks, who will be required to attend court on June 16. One of the cases was filed for making defamatory remarks about the Quran during a protest outside Slave Island police station, while the other case was related to trespassing and obstructing a media briefing of the Jathika Bala Sena (JBS). Mosque to be demolished after protests (27 Apr...

Tamil journalists summoned by Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) summoned four Tamil journalists in Vavuniya and Mannar to present themselves at the CID office in Colombo. The journalists, Mr Manickavasangar, Mr Lambert, Mr Ananth and Mr Pachchek, have not been told the reason for their summoning to the CID offices, reports Tamilnet .

Tamil man granted asylum in Switzerland after being deported, detained and abused in Sri Lanka

A Tamil asylum seeker who was sent back to Sri Lanka in 2013, arrested in Colombo on arrival and subsequently tortured, returned to Switzerland on Monday. The man was released from a Sri Lankan detention centre a few weeks ago after being incarcerated for over a year and a group of NGOs organised his return to Switzerland, reports Swissinfo.ch .

Sri Lankan navy visits US aircraft carrier

The commander of the Sri Lankan navy and other senior military members visited a United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as it passed by the region earlier this month. The senior Sri Lankan armed forces members flew from Colombo to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN90) as the aircraft carrier made its way to Hawaii. They were greeted by the Commanding Officer Captain Karl O Thomas and Rear Admiral Christopher Grady, the Commander Carrier Strike Group 1. The Sri Lankan navy was left in admiration of the United States vessel, stating “through the stunning and bearing maneuvers by the onboard...

Army deserters face arrest from tomorrow warns Sri Lankan military

The Sri Lankan army warned deserters that they face arrest from tomorrow as a general amnesty period ends. Sri Lankan army spokesperson Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera told Hiru News that from Monday onwards any discovered deserters will be arrested. He went on to add that 23,600 members of the army who had deserted had reported back to their respective regimens by yesterday evening. 18,500 had legally resigned from their positions added the spokesperson, however he did not elaborate on whether the remaining 5,100 deserters had re-enlisted.

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