The chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran told the Grete Løchen, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, during her visit to Jaffna this week. "Reconciliation is only possible between communities, only if the truth about what took place is accepted," Mr Wigneswaran told Ms Løchen when she asked if the resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council calling for an international investigation into the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state would affect favourable conditions heralded by the new government. Speaking to media after the meeting on Friday, Mr Wigneswaran said the Norwegian ambassador had assured him that the deferral of the publishing of the findings of the UN inquiry into mass atrocities of the Tamil people was only till September.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, that the country must ensure a solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka through the meaningful devolution of power to a merged North-East. The TNA also urged India to exert pressure on Sri Lanka to release Tamil political prisoners and to address the issue of disappearances. Ms Swaraj, who arrived in Colombo on Friday for a two day visit in order to prepare for the Indian prime minister's visit next month, met with the TNA leader, R Sampanthan, and MPs, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran, M A Sumanthiran and Selvam Adaikkalanathan, reported BBC Tamil .
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jaffna and Talaimannar next week after arriving in Colombo on March 13 for a two day visit of the island. Whilst in Jaffna, Mr Modi is to inspect the Indian funded housing scheme, handing over houses to locals. He is also expected to flag off the first train restarting the Talaimannar - Medawachchiya service which was reconstructed with Indian credit assistance. "During the visit, the Indian Premier is expected to discuss defence and security cooperation and push for further energy agreements, including the approval of a 500MW thermal power plant to be built in Trincomalee," Sri Lanka's ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday.
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia), calling for sustained “international scrutiny” until tangible results were achieved on the ground, urged Sri Lanka to “fully demilitarise” the North-East of the island, release political prisoners and allow the OHCHR investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) team full access into the island. Calling on the Sri Lanka to honour the trust placed in it by the High Commissioner for human rights by allowing the OISL team access to the North-East, the NGO said, “As a token of its assurances the government should at once release all detained...
The Sri Lankan government consistently claimed the LTTE was active in South Africa after the end of the island’s armed conflict in 2009, despite findings by the South African intelligence agency which denied this, reports Al Jazeera. In a set of secret intelligence cables obtained by Al Jazeera’s investigative unit, the State Security Agency of South Africa said “ongoing allegations have been made since 1998 by amongst others, Sri Lankan government officials and some Sri Lankan academics that Tamil organizations in South Africa are providing the LTTE and some of their supporters with weapons, as well as providing members of the LTTE and Tamil organizations in South Africa with para-military training”. “Available information does not confirm these allegations,” continued the cable.
Sri Lanka’s newly appointed military officials all held senior positions during the final phase of the island’s armed conflict where tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred and alleged crimes against humanity were committed, reports Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka. “Recent appointments to top military posts have heightened doubts on the effectiveness of the proposed 'internal mechanism' to investigate war crimes,” said JDS, detailing several of the newly appointed senior military officials. The new commander of Sri Lanka’s army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe de Silva, was “in charge of dispatching civilians fleeing the north at the conclusion of the war,” during his time in Kilinochchi as Forward Maintenance Area Commander. Major General Kamal Gunaratne, the new Master General Ordnance of Army Headquarters was also reportedly “considered the most senior among military commanders in the attack on Mullaithivu” and is accused of overseeing the execution of Balachandra, the son of LTTE leader Velluppillai Prabhakaran and newsreader Isaipriya.
Photograph @Uthayarasashali Tamil mothers protested outside the iconic Nallur temple on Friday, demanding that the new Sri Lankan government returns their missing children.
President Sirisena opens Asu Maha Srawaka Pasvisi Buddharaja Maha Viharaya at Rathganga Viharaya, Ratnapura Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, assured the Buddhist clergy, known as the Maha Sangha, that he "always seeks the advice and guidance of the Maha Sangha when governing the country."
All photographs: Tamilwin Families of the disappeared launched a hunger strike in Kilinochchi on Friday, demanding that the new Sri Lankan government returns their missing loved ones to them. The hunger strike took place as mothers in Jaffna launched a similar hunger strike by Nallur temple.
Sri Lankans and Indians should be able to travel to each other’s countries and do business with no hindrance, said Sri Lanka’s Central Bank governor on Thursday. Speaking to The Hindu, Arjuna Mahendran, expressed optimism about establishing a Free Trade Agreement with India, stating, “I think a Free Trade Agreement with India is definitely very desirable for Sri Lanka, not only with India but also with China and the United States.” The Sri Lankan government has invited several top Indian companies to invest in major projects in Sri Lanka, with special interest given to the manufacturing...