The British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland stated the Sri Lankan government will be “judged on their actions”, as she pledged support for the British Tamil community and called on Sri Lanka to co-operate with a UN investigation into the mass killings of Tamils. “A huge tragedy unfolded in the closing days of the military conflict in Sri Lanka,” said Theresa Villiers. “A UN Report concluded that 70,000 civilians were killed in the final phase of the war and it has been estimated that nearly 150,000 still remain unaccounted for. The total loss of the life during the war will of course have been much greater.” Calling on the Sri Lankan government to co-operate with the recently deferred UN investigation, Ms Villiers said, “I welcome the undertakings the new President has given to lead a more democratic and accountable government, but his administration will be judged on their actions in delivering on these promises. We cannot yet tell whether this change of Government will lead to real and lasting change in Sri Lanka.”
India’s National Human Rights Commission ordered an investigation into the killing of 20 alleged sandalwood smugglers after hearing two testimonials on Monday. The testimonies countered police claims that the alleged loggers were shot in an exchange last week, claiming instead that they were executed. The police say that the killings took place when they challenged a group of 100 sandalwood smugglers who attacked them with axes and stones, reports the BBC . The killings of the alleged smugglers, who were mostly Tamil, sparked mass protests in Tamil Nadu. Shock in Tamil Nadu over police mass...
The leader of Canada's Liberal party, Justin Trudeau, celebrated the contributions made by Tamil Canadians as Tamils around the world celebrated Tamil new year on April 14. "This day is an important opportunity for us all to reflect on the valuable contributions Tamil-Canadians have made, and continue to make, to our national fabric," Mr Trudeau said in a statement released on Tuesday, wishing everyone: “Iniya Tamizh Puthaandu Nalvazhthukkal.”
Canada's New Democrat Party wished Tamils in Canada a happy and prosperous new year on Tuesday, commending them determination in the face of adversity. In a statement on behalf of the NDP, Scarborough Rouge River MP, Rathika Sitsabaiesan said: “I would like to recognize the outstanding contributions of the many Canadians of Tamil descent and commend them for their courage and determination in the face of adversity – values that all Canadians can learn from."
The chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran, expressed his hope that a life without subjugation and free from militarisation would begin this year for the Tamil people, as Tamils celebrated new year on Monday. " We should pray that atleast in this coming new year the continuing militarised environment that surrounds us and makes our people feel that they lack freedom is removed.," Mr Wigneswaran was quoted by the Uthayan as saying, when addressing a cultural event at Nelliyadi Central College, marking Tamil New Year.
Sri Lanka will not start a domestic war crimes probe before September, said Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera to Ceylon Today , despite President Maithripala Sirisena’s pledge last week to launch an inquiry in June. The deputy minister said Sri Lanka would only present a report on the modalities on how such a domestic inquiry would be conducted at the UNHRC in September. Mr Perera said the government achieved a “great diplomatic victory” in March this year, referring to the deferral of the OISL report until September. "We made it clear to the UN that there was no need for an international inquiry and told that we have an independent judiciary and independent public service,” he said.
The leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband has pledged to continue to push for a "full and independent international investigation" into war crimes in Sri Lanka, in a video message to the British Tamil community marking the Tamil New Year. Thanking the British Tamil community for the "incredible contribution" it has made to the UK, the opposition leader said the Labour Party has always been "a friend of the Tamil community".
The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF), a network of civil society groups in the North-East, welcomed the statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff, released on Saturday, following his visit to the island. "We are pleased that Mr de Grieff has addressed many issues that was raised by TCSF in his meeting with him," the group said on its social media page on Monday.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Free Media movement (FMM) condemned the arrest of an Uthayan journalist and intimidation of 3 further Tamil journalists in Jaffna. In a statement released on Monday the IFJ, noting that Sri Lanka's commitments to media freedom were “clearly slow in filtrating to the police in the country’s north,” said, “This is clearly an attempt to police and intimidate journalists in Jaffna and sows the dismissal status of press freedom in Sri Lanka even after the promise by the new government to improve the safety situation.”
Responding to a letter by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) warning Sri Lanka that it risked its international status over its decision to hold elections under a contentious sports law introduced by the new government, Sri Lanka's sports minister, Navin Dissanayake, denied that the ministry was exerting any pressure on sporting bodies. “We categorically deny that any pressure had been exerted to any sports body or federation by our Ministry,” Mr Dissanayake wrote in a letter dated April 7, reports the Daily Mirror . The international body for football, FIFA, also echoed the IOC's...