The National Freedom Front (NFF), a partner in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition, urged the government to take action against members of the Tamil National Alliance who organised events to commemorate Tamils that died in May 2009, reports ColomboPage . The TNA's actions violated the constitution as an act that could divide the country or disrupt the ethnic harmony, said the NFF spokesperson Mohamed Muzammil. The spokesperson further criticised the government for taking a ‘sleepy’ attitude towards Tamil MPs and heads of non-governmental organisations who were involved in ‘anti-Sri...
The External Affairs Ministry summoned the Canadian High Commissioner, after she announced that she would not be attended the Sri Lankan government’s annual Victory Day parade on May 18, and considered it detrimental to post-war reconciliation, reports The Island . Shelly Whiting in a statement made to The Island last week said that the government’s annual victory day event perpetuated roles of victors and vanquished and pointed out that the Tamil people had been denied an opportunity to commemorate their war dead. The External Affairs Ministry rejected Whiting’s criticisms and stressed that...
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today, condemned the Sri Lankan military’s blocking of roads and access to the offices of the Uthayan and Yarl Thinakkural, in Jaffna on May 18. “Such harassment of Tamil newspapers is unacceptable and against the basic notion of Sri Lanka’s democracy. We urge the government to respects its citizens’ human tights and be sensitive toward those representing minorities. If the government is sincere in their pursuit for peace and reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka they must ensure that minorities are given a voice in the media – and that...
Writing in Just Security this week, Ryan Goodman, a Professor of Law and Co-Chair of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York university School of Law, member of the Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Law and member of Council on Foreign Relations argued that the US should prosecute Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa for war crimes and crimes against humanity. See full opinion below.
The Social Architects in a press update on the situation in the North-East of Sri Lanka, detailed the recent arrest of an elderly woman by Sri Lanka’s Terrorist Investigation Department ( TID) and the constant fear that people in the North-East lived under when interacting with their family in the diaspora. See full statement below.
The Sri Lankan government has blocked two websites known for their critical views, reports Reuters . The two websites, SriLankanMirror.com and TheIndependent.lk, have been banned by the state-run Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
Photographs Giovanni Tamil Tamils in Italy held exhibitions raising awareness about the genocide of Tamils, to mark the fifth anniversary of the massacre of Tamils in Mullivaikaal. Events took place in town squares in the cities of Reggio Emilia and Biella, with Tamil youth raising awareness about genocide while attendees paid their respects to the victims of the massacre.
Photographs Swedish Tamil Forum The 5th anniversary of the Mullivaikal massacre was marked in Stockholm, Sweden this weekend, with floral tributes and candles of remembrance.
The fifth year anniversary of the Mullivaikal massacre was marked by Swiss Tamils as 'Tamils Genocide Day', at a remembrance event held in front of Parliament in the capital city Bern.
Photographs EET TV Thousands of Canadian Tamils gathered in Toronto's Albert Campbell Square, to mark the fifth anniversary of the Mullivaikal massacre.