The Sri Lankan government should take legal action against the Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph for “helping the LTTE”, the Bodu Bala Sena said according to The Island . "If the government had the backbone and if its conscience was clear it should without hesitation arrest the Mannar Bishop for atrocities committed by the now defunct terrorist outfit," Gnanasara said. The General Secretary of the Buddhist group, thought to be close to defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa, warned President Rajapaksa that the BBS was protecting Buddhism from religious extremists and other elements who wanted...
A leading Colombo-based think tank, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), has filed a complaint before Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission against a state-owned television network over a news broadcast last July which claimed the CPA had organised a meeting in support of the LTTE. The complaint is to be heard Thursday. Independent Television Network (ITN) launched in April 1979 as a private company, was taken over by the Sri Lankan government in June 1979 and declared a Government Owned Public Company in April 1992. The complaint filed by CPA and its executive director, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, against ITN and its chairman, Rosmand Senaratne, concerns a Sinhala language news broadcast on 14 July 2013. The broadcast claimed CPA and Dr. Saravanamuttu organised a meeting in Ampara that day to "further the interests of the LTTE" and that the meeting was cut short due to the intervention of Buddhist clergy and public of the area. Stating "no employee of CPA or its Executive Director organized or was present at any meeting in Ampara on 14th July 2013," the complaint said "the language used by ITN in its news item was incendiary and it intentionally distorted the facts with the aim to arouse public opinion against CPA and its Executive Director and lower their standing in the eyes of the public."
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran has hit out at President Mahinda Rajapaksa for failing to honour pledges made regarding the NPC, reported Ceylon Today . Speaking at the Kilinochchi District Development Committee, which ended without resolution according to the Uthayan , Wigneswaran said that the president has not met several pledges that he made regarding the “successful governance” of the provincial council, but instead the government has been trying to take “the upper hand”. "The Provincial Council system was introduced to devolve powers to the provinces under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. However, the Central Government is attempting to tighten its grip over the Provincial Councils. "Since powers were not devolved to the NPC, I met Rajapaksa in Colombo on 2 January and explained to him the need of devolving powers to the NPC. "He made several pledges to me on the successful governance of the NPC. However, he has not done anything so far to fulfil those pledges.
A prisoner who was attacked by a guard at Jaffna prison has died from his injuries today, reported Uthayan and Tamilwin . The prisoner, identified as 56 year old Krishnaswamy Balakrishnacettiyar, was attacked on April 20, and admitted to Jaffna hospital with head injuries. The guard involved in the incident has been suspended, sources at the prison told Uthayan at the time. Jaffna police have launched an investigation into the incident, the Virakesari reported.
A third man has been arrested in Jaffna by Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) officers in connection with posters reading 'Tamil Eelam will blossom' that alleged appeared by Jaffna Hindu College last week, the Uthayan reported. Rajaratnam Sutharshan, a 30 year old owner of a computer centre on Manippai road was arrested last Wednesday, accused of helping to produce the poster. Police allege that evidence of him having printed the posters was found on his computer. His computer centre has been sealed shut. Last week two 24 year old men, Manmatharasa Venuganthan and Jeyathasan Kajanan, were...
The Sri Lankan Army has taken over public land in Pudhukudiyiruppu over the site of the public market, the Northern Provincial Council member Dr S. Sivamohan was cited in the Tamil Mirror as saying. "The army is making financial profit, by setting up their shops in a land that is used by the public for trade," Dr Sivamohan said. He further explained: "Our people, with no marketing platform to market their agricultural products, are subject to difficulties. I severely condemn these activities which will result in even more harm to civilian activities." "This affects the livelihoods of our people very badly, who suffered by the war, have only been resettled in their lands recently and are gradually getting involved in farming activities in an attempt to improve themselves financially."
Easter mass in a church in Trincomalee (Picture: Tamil Guardian) Tamil Christians across the Northeast celebrated Easter amidst continuing militarisation and intensifying oppression. Easter masses were held across the Tamil homeland, with thousands of Tamils attending churches of all Christian denominations. “The turnout at churches was good, considering the threatening environment that has once again engulfed the Tamil homeland,” a source from the Tamil Christian community, speaking on conditions of anonymity, told the Tamil Guardian. “Militarisation is stifling normal civilian life. On...
An IT teacher in Jaffna was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Department on Saturday, accused of “preparing posters, leaflets and documents for reviving the LTTE”, Hiru News reported. The man, said to be a former member of the LTTE, worked in Maanipay and his computers and laptops have been taken for investigation, said police spokesperson Ajith Rohana.
Four months after the last boat from Sri Lanka carrying potential refugees arrived in Australia, the country’s Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has expressed Australia’s gratitude to Sri Lanka for acting to curb “illegal” boat arrivals, reported The Australian . Speaking at a joint Sri Lanka-Australia security conference on transnational crime in Canberra, attended by representatives of the Defence, army, navy and customs of both countries, Morrison said that the relationship between the countries could be broadened. “[I]n just over six months, we have ensured that we are stopping the boats and we are being true to our promises, we are doing exactly what we said we would do and it is having exactly the effect we said it would have.” “We must apply the same focus and co-operation that we have achieved on people-smuggling to the broader challenge of transnational crime,” the minister said.
A South Korean envoy, after visiting Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, noted ‘tremendous’ post-conflict progress , reports ColomboPage . The South-Korean envoy further commended the Sri Lankan government on establishing a Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, and emphasised its commitment to maintain strong bilateral relations with Sri Lanka. “We will do our best to help your government develop,” said the South Korean special envoy.