A four day anti-Christian campaign was launched Tuesday, by a Buddhist group in Sri Lanka, reports the Barnabus Fund . Reports suggest that the Ravana Balaya General Secretary announced a 4 day campaign against ‘Christian fundamentalism’ and advised Christians to halt their activities. The organisation’s General Secretary Ittekande Saddhatissa further warned that firm action would be taken should Christian organisations fail to listen to the campaign's advice. He added that the decision to run such a campaign was made after several Buddhist monks complained about Evangelical Christians.
Amnesty International today, called on the Australian government to return 153 Tamil asylum seekers, detained in in a patrol boat at see, to Australian shores to have their claims processed, reports the Guardian . Australian court documents revealed that the asylum seekers were begin held in windowless rooms, with no access to translators whilst being split up from their family groups. “Detaining men, women and children on a boat, locking in rooms without windows and severely restricting their communication to the outside world with no access to translators, is inhumane,” said Amnesty...
The United Nations refugee agency, Wednesday, warned that Australia may have breached an international refugee convention by returning a group of asylum seekers to Sri Lanka after intercepting their boat at sea, reports the Sydney Morning Herald . The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, warned that Australia’s ‘enhanced screening’ of the refugees before handing them back to Sri Lanka fell short of the requirements for a fair screening process, which could result in the asylum seekers facing persecution when back in Sri Lanka. "You can only ensure respect for the principle of non-...
The body of a man was found near the Mayilliddi army camp in Point Pedro, on Wednesday morning, the Uthayan reported. It has been identified as Balasingham Sathasivam, a 40 year old man from from Azhiyavalai, Thalaiyadi, on the Jaffna peninsula. Point Pedro police said they are carrying out investigations into the death.
An 11 year old girl has been admitted to Jaffna Hospital after being raped by an officer within the Sri Lankan navy, reported the Uthayan on Wednesday. The rape occurred in Karainagar, near Jaffna. Oorkavaththurai police are said to have arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.
Sri Lanka's media minister and government spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella told a group of Buddhist monks that he will look into their complaint against English language media, accusing them of bias in their coverage of the violence in Aluthgama. The monks, made up of members from the Bodu Bala Sena, the Sinhala Ravaya and the National Bhikku Front lodged a formal complaint with the ministry, with BBS leader Gnanasara saying that the media disrespected Buddhism, reported Colombo Gazette . “Some journalists are being funded by Embassies to publish misleading reports on the Aluthgama incident,” he said. A Muslim minister meanwhile accused the media of being partly responsible for the rise of racist outfits.
India should support the UN inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka and ensure it succeeds urged a Tamil Nadu delegation of politicians and activists, in a meeting with the country's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday, the Times of India reported. The delegation, comprising the PMK youth wing leader, Anbumani Ramadoss, retired IAS officer Devasagayam, former MP for Dharmapuri, Senthil, and a representative from the Civil Society Coalition for Justice and Peace, K Balu, submitted a memorandum urging the BJP government to proactively support and assist the inquiry. "Considering the fact that the Sri Lankan government has repeatedly betrayed its trust, misplaced though it may be, India should support the investigation and adopt a proactive role to facilitate the 'credible international investigation' to succeed ", the memorandum reportedly said. "People of India voted for a change and gave a historical verdict. We submit that the government stands up to that high expectation and puts its heart and mind for a change in India's policy towards Sri Lanka in every spear," it added.
The Sri Lankan navy today arrested 39 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, reports the PT I. The men who were caught in two batches, were arrested whilst fishing near Neduntheevu. Twenty-three were released after being taken to Kangesanthurai navy camp and issued a warning. Sixteen remain in custody at Thalaimannar navy camp.
The political and economic risk in Sri Lanka over the medium to long term depends on how the government manages the aspirations of the residents of the North-East, said the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) ' Overseas Business Risk - Sri Lanka ' report. The report, updated and published on Wednesday, examines key security and political risks that UK businesses may face when operating in Sri Lanka. "Looking to the medium-longer future, political and economic risk is tied to how successfully the government can manage the aspirations of residents in the North and East and the redevelopment of former conflict zones and containing the extreme religious groups," the report concluded.
The Sri Lankan government expressed concern about the escalating violence in Gaza, resulting in the “tragic loss of civilian life”, in a statement released on Tuesday. Sri Lanka called on both sides to “exercise restraint” and said that “cross-border provocations” needed to cease. “Sri Lanka calls upon the parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint in a bid to halt the violence and ensure a climate conducive to the recommencement of negotiations for a lasting solution to the conflict. Sri Lanka calls upon the parties to engage at the earliest in direct dialogue which is the only viable initiative for sustained peace and security in the region,” the statement said.