Officials from the UN Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) are due to visit Jaffna during their trip to Sri Lanka, where they will assess the country’s approach in countering terrorism. According to the Daily Mirror , a press release stated that the delegation will stress the significance of a comprehensive approach to countering terrorism in adherence with the rule of law, including human rights, as requested by the Security Council.
An MP from the opposition UNP has complained in parliament that a nightclub is desecrating Anuradhapura, a city held sacred by Sinhala Buddhists. P Harrison, who is the parliamentary representative of the city, said it was unacceptable for anyone to operate a night club within the “sacred city where the hallowed Jayasri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweliseya are located”, according to the Daily Mirror .
2nd lead A 17* year old boy has been reported missing in Jaffna, reports Uthayan . The boy, Rasaratnam Jeevan from Kurunagar in Jaffna, has not been seen since October 24 when he left his home to go the play area. His parents filed a complaint with Jaffna police on Monday, however, the police accused the boy of theft and said the boy had ran away during an arrest
Mahinda Rajapaksa is the “genuine” common candidate for Sri Lanka, said the general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) reports the Island.lk . Confirming that the BBS would not field a candidate for the presidential elections at a press conference held in Colombo, Gnanasera Thero, said, “By any mean, it is not our duty to contest for the elections. Even in the history, it was monks who guided their successors to the throne. Likewise, we do the same.” The Buddhist monk then encouraged Sri Lankan Muslims to vote for the ruling party, asserting that “Sri Lanka is the country in which the...
The British Tamil Conservatives (BTC) called for the UK to work towards developing "unhindered access" to the North-East of Sri Lanka, in a meeting with senior officials at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week. The imminent need for a political solution to allow the Tamil diaspora to continue to support the North-East in light of further restrictive measures taken by the Sri Lankan state to isolate the North-East from the diaspora and international community was brought up by the BTC in discussions. The BTC chair told the Tamil Guardian that the FCO was reminded of the Sri...
06:42 GMT The man arrested by Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officers on October 24 in Kilinochchi for distributing evidence collection forms for the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL), has been identified as a victim of war crimes. Sinnathampi Kirishnarajah The man, Sinnathampi Kirishnarajah, was a father of six children from Mulankaavil, in the Mullaitivu district, but lost his family in the final stage of the armed conflict in 2009, sources in Mullaitivu told Tamil Guardian. He was arrested and charged over the documents in his possession and his attempt to distribute...
Anonymous posters in Colombo have warned against rights activists seeking to commemorate enforced disappearances, calling such work, the work of "dollar crows". The posters, with Sinhala writing, have been condemned by Colombo based rights organisations, as well as the Asian Human Rights Commission. "This attack, by way of publicly exhibiting the posters of those concerned with the plight of their fellow men and women and labeling them as “dollar crows”, needs to be condemned as a barbaric attack. Attacking the commemoration of the dead is an attack on civilization itself," the AHRC said in a...
The head of the Sri Lankan navy has reassured India over concern it recently expressed over China’s influence in the country. Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera told ANI that there is no Chinese military presence on the island, and that Beijing’s interest in Sri Lanka was commercial. “We have very good co-operation with India. We will never compromise on national security of India. India's security is our security. Not only Chinese, even the Russians and other countries also we have very good relationship, we are non-aligned country," he said. "They are coming normally for operational goodwill visit... For your information there is no Chinese military presence.... the interest is very commercial."
Google has made satellite images of Nagarkovil available for free in order to monitor progress on resettlement, as part of an initiative to release data free for humanitarian and climate change projects. Google, which bought the satellite image company Skybox Imaging earlier this year, is releasing data in order to "leverage our imaging capability for positive change in the world", the company's co-founder, Julian Mann said at the annual Geo for Good User Summit this month. "In my new role on the Google Earth Outreach team, I have been astounded by the way these tools have changed how our partners do their work and tell their amazing stories. I have also learned that one of the most frequent questions is “Can you get us newer images of this place?” And I’m excited to say that now the answer is “YES, we can get new satellite imagery for you!” said Mann.
2nd lead A man has been arrested by Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officers in Kilinochchi for distributing UN evidence collection forms for the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL). The man was handing out forms to local residents on Friday*, when officers detained him, reports the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan . He has been taken to Vavuniya where he will undergo "further investigations", the TID officers said.