The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran criticised the Sri Lankan military's ongoing presence in the Tamil areas, stating that they were depriving the Tamil people of their livelihoods. "The presence of the military is giving us many problems," he told News First , following a meeting with Sri Lanka's minister for resettlement , D M Swaminathan. "The military is taking what should be the livelihoods of the Tamil people," Mr Wigneswaran added. "Crucially, the [Tamil] people who should be living in the 1500 acre land in Valikamam North are living in 34 refugee camps," he said, stating that he had stressed the importance of ensuring these displaced people are resettlement urgently to the minister.
The US president, Barack Obama, speaking in New Delhi this week, said India could play a "positive" role in the region from Burma to Sri Lanka, reiterating "that with power comes responsibility". “India and the United States are not just natural partners — I believe that America can be India’s best partner,” said Mr Obama, during a speech at New Delhi town hall which focused heavily on human rights. "I believe if we are to be two global partners then our two nations must do more around the world together." "To ensure international security and peace, multi-lateral institutions created in the 20th century need to be updated for the 21st," he said, reiterating his support for "a reformed United Nations Security Council that includes India as a permanent member."
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Hugo Swire will visit the North-East during his forthcoming visit to Sri Lanka, according to the British mission in Colombo. Mr Swire is due to land on Wednesday and will travel to Jaffna during his three-day stint in the country, where he will meet with NPC Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran and members of the civil society. "I am delighted to be visiting Sri Lanka again so soon after the recent elections, and welcome the early progress made by President Sirisena towards a more democratic and accountable government," the high commission quoted him.
A judge in Mallaakam court issued an interim order to close Chunnakam power station on Tuesday following increasing local outcry over the contamination of local water supplies by waste heavy fuel oil leaking from the site. Suspend the power plant's functions with immediate effect and temporarily shut down the plant until further notice, the order by Justice S. Satheestharan said. The court also ordered the authorities to undertake immediate steps to ensure the provision of drinking water to areas affected by the oil seepage, and to instigate a programme of public health awareness about the dangers.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will arrive in Sri Lanka on March 14 for the first state visit by an Indian leader since Rajiv Gandhi in 1987, according to the Daily FT . Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena will visit India, his first foreign visit since assuming office, on the February 16. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited Delhi and met with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Modi. Both countries pledged to strengthen ties between them during the talks, which focused on a range of issues, including political and economic cooperation, the repatriation of Tamil refugees and the fishermen dispute.
Photographs Uthayan Residents in Mannar launched a silent protest on Monday calling on the international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka, whilst also highlighting a number of pressing concerns: calling for political prisoners to be released, for the missing to be returned and for the military occupation of the Tamil homeland to end. Wearing pieces of black cloth across their mouths, women and men marched through Mannar holding photographs of missing loved ones, and carrying banners and placards with a number of demands relating to key issues.
Sri Lanka's media minister, Gayantha Karunatilleka invited exiled journalists to return to the island, promising they could work independently without fear of persecution. Praying at the sacred Buddhist site of the Sacred Tooth Relic and seeking the blessing of Buddhist clergy, Mr Karunatilleke said: "We have created a conducive environment for all media personnel to work independently without fear of persecution."
Unemployed graduates in Batticaloa protested on Monday, calling on the new Sri Lankan government to ensure more professional jobs, reports BattiNews .
The chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council, CV Wigneswaran and a delegation of Northern Provincial Councillors, called for the release of 6500 acres of Tamil land taken by the Sri Lankan military and release of registered and unregistered Tamil political prisoners. The delegation made the demands noting that several unregistered political prisoners were being held in secret captivity during a meeting with the newly appointed Resettlement Minister DM Swaminathan in Colombo on Saturday. Mr Swaminathan assured the Tamil delegation that the appropriate actions would be taken to resolve...
The Sri Lankan president's senior advisor on foreign relations has arrived in Geneva for a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain. Jayantha Dhanapala is expected to discuss with the high commissioner the OHCHR Investigation in Sri Lanka, the final report of which is due to be published at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March. External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera is also currently in Europe, where he will seek a postponement of a EU ban on imports from Sri Lanka. Mr Samaraweera said last week the UN inquiry could have been avoided if the issue had been handled "carefully and pragmatically" by the previous government.