The Sri Lankan government said the actions of the United States could seriously hamper reconciliation efforts, rejecting the US embassy statement made on July 28, expressing concern over the lack of press freedom. "Given the sensitivities involved when the country is going through a sensitive process of national reconciliation, restrictively targeting a specific group of people from a particular community or region can lead to a perpetuation of mistrust among communities, seriously hampering reconciliation efforts," Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, Colombo Page reported.
A Tamil business man was attacked in Chunnakam town on Tuesday evening, suffering severe lacerations, the Uthayan reported. The 38 year old man, Rajaraththinam Rajakumar, was reportedly walking on Kangesanthurai street around 9pm local time after locking up his store in Chunnakam town, when two men on motorcycles attacked him with a machete as they drove by. Their faces were covered. The victim has been admitted to a hospital in Thellipalai.
The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that Pope Francis would be visiting Sri Lanka in January along side a visit to the Philippines. He will be in Sri Lanka from January 12th till the 15th, before travelling to the Phillipines where he will be until the 19th, UCA News reported. An itinerary for his trip is yet to published. Earlier this month, Tamil civil society groups urged the Pope to visit the North-East and to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop colonising Tamil land, account for the war-dead and disappeared, and ensure a political solution for the Tamil people.
Tamil Nadu state government is to issue biometric identity cards to Eelam Tamil refugees living within camps, the Hindu reports. According to officials the new system, due to start in September, is to ensure cash hand outs are given to the correct individual. The cards will contain biometric information such as the fingerprints of the individual. All adults in the refugee camps will also have an account registered with the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), the paper reported. See here .
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence rejected concerns expressed by the US embassy this week, accusing embassy officials of fashioning their perceptions on Sri Lanka " primarily on the interests of pro-LTTE diaspora and likeminded elements within the country ." "The government of Sri Lanka rejects unreservedly these baseless and uncorroborated statements and repeated attempts by the US Embassy in Colombo to malign the conduct of Sri Lanka’s security forces ," said the military spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya in a statement published in the pro-government paper, Island on Wednesday. Accusing the US of " departing from all accepted norms of respectful engagement, which should characterise diplomatic exchanges between countries", Wanigasooriya said the embassy appeared to be attempting to " sensationalize issues rather than find answers". "It appears the US Embassy officials are unaware of the factual position with regard to strengthening of democratic freedoms since the end of the conflict in May 2009," directing them to "revisit the 1987-89 period" and warning them to " desist from indulging in exaggerated statements ". "In this context, it is particularly unfortunate to note that perceptions of the US Embassy officials about reconciliation in Sri Lanka seem to be fashioned primarily on the interests of pro-LTTE diaspora and likeminded elements within the country . Such perceptions largely ignore the ground realities as well as the tremendous progress that has been made in Sri Lanka in recent years," he concluded.
Sri Lankan police have arrested a person on suspicion of sexually harassing a 20 year old British woman, in Arugam Bay, according to Sri Lanka Mirror . According to the police, the incident took place near the Kudakalli area of Arugam Bay on Tuesday night and the suspect will be produced before the court today. Attempted rape of German tourist in Sri Lanka (24 April 2014) Sexual assaults on tourists increase in Sri Lanka (31 March 2014) Australian student raped by tourist guide in South (26 January 2014)
A celebration at a church in the High Security Zone in Palali has been facilitated by the Sri Lankan Army, after a request by a priest, reported the army’s Jaffna command website . Over 500 people are reported to have attended the centenary celebrations of St James’ Church, which lies within the militarised High Security Zone around Palali South. Permission to enter the HSZ was granted by Jaffna Commander Major General Udaya Perera after a request by Fr. Anton Bala of St. Joseph’s church in Atchuvely.
The Sri Lankan government is attempting to build Sinhala settlements in land that was appropriated supposedly for army camps, forcing Tamils into refugee camps, the TNA's General Secretary, MP Maavai Senathirajah was quoted by the Uthayan as saying, when speaking at an ITAK event. "People who did fishing and farming for generations are facing unfortunate lives as homeless refugees, as their native lands are being grabbed by the military," he said. "Those who are seizing those lands are planning to build Sinhala settlements in Tamil regions. Today, Sri Lankan government acts to reduce the proportion of Tamils. It is focused on creating restlessness in North and the East and to banish [Tamil] people from there," he added, stating that almost 2 lakhs of Eelam Tamils were currently in refugees camps in India.
Marking the 31st anniversary of Black July, an anti-Tamil pogram that saw over 3000 Tamils killed by state-sponsored Sinhala mobs, the US based advocacy group, USTPAC, stressed that violence against Tamils continues in the North-East where Tamils live under occupation. “Black July was a watershed event that signaled to the Tamils that they would have only a subservient place in a Sri Lanka ruled by the majority Sinhala Buddhists, for their exclusive benefit,” said USTPAC President, Dr Karunyan Arulanantham. "Tamil lands are expropriated, Tamils are denied the right to mourn their dead, Tamil children and women are raped with impunity, all while an ex-military governor appointed by the president holds executive authority and the largest military per capita in Asia is stationed in the traditional Tamil homelands," he added.
Sri Lanka’s navy has arrested 50 fishermen and seized seven trawlers from Tamil Nadu off the coast of Jaffna, accusing them of poaching in Sri Lankan waters. There are already 38 Indian fishermen and 55 trawlers in Sri Lankan custody, according to The Hindu . Chief Minister Jayalalithaa last week called on Prime Minister Modi to secure the release of the fishermen describing it as a "deliberate strategy of the Sri Lankan government to destroy the primary means of livelihood of Indian fishermen."